Entering Vietnam in 2026: Visa-Free Travel, e-Visa and Entry Requirements

For most travellers, entering Vietnam is now relatively straightforward. Depending on your passport, you may be able to visit visa-free for a limited period, while travellers who need a visa can generally apply online for a Vietnamese e-Visa valid for up to 90 days, including a multiple-entry option.

The main problem is outdated information. Vietnam has changed its visa policy several times in recent years, and even the official e-Visa portal moved to new domains in late 2024.

If you only need the basic process:

1. Check whether your ordinary passport qualifies for visa-free entry.
2. If the visa-free period covers your trip, you normally do not need to apply for an e-Visa.
3. If your nationality is not exempt, or you want to stay longer, apply for an e-Visa.
4. Check your passport validity, visa dates and permitted border crossing before departure.
5. Recheck the rules shortly before travelling. This guide is updated for September 2026, but immigration policies can change.

Do you need a visa for Vietnam?

There is no single rule for all nationalities.

Vietnam currently has several different types of visa exemption:

• unilateral visa exemptions granted by Vietnam;
• tourism-specific exemptions for selected countries;
• bilateral agreements with individual countries;
• visa-free arrangements for many ASEAN nationals;
• a special 30-day visa exemption for eligible travel to Phu Quoc.

Everyone else can generally use Vietnam's e-Visa system.

Common passport examples

This table is intentionally simplified. Some countries have their own bilateral agreements with different stay limits, so always verify the exact rule for your passport before buying a non-refundable ticket.

The main 45-day visa-free group

Citizens of the following countries can currently enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days:

• Germany;
• France;
• Italy;
• Spain;
• United Kingdom;
• Russia;
• Japan;
• South Korea;
• Denmark;
• Sweden;
• Norway;
• Finland.

The current policy runs from 15 March 2025 through 14 March 2028.

For this exemption, the passport must generally remain valid for at least six months from the date of entry, and the traveller must satisfy Vietnam's normal entry requirements.

British National Overseas — BNO — passport holders are not covered by the United Kingdom exemption.

Additional 45-day visa exemption for European tourists

A second programme covers citizens of:

• Belgium;
• Bulgaria;
• Croatia;
• Czech Republic;
• Hungary;
• Luxembourg;
• Netherlands;
• Poland;
• Romania;
• Slovakia;
• Slovenia;
• Switzerland.

They can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days for tourism purposes.

This programme is currently valid from 15 August 2025 through 14 August 2028.

It is important to distinguish this tourism exemption from Vietnam's main unilateral exemption because the legal basis and conditions are not exactly the same.

What about ASEAN countries?

Vietnam has separate visa-exemption agreements with several countries in Southeast Asia.

Depending on nationality, ordinary passport holders may receive a visa-free stay of roughly 14 to 30 days.

For example, visa-free access exists for citizens of countries including Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei and the Philippines, although the permitted stay is not identical for every passport.

If you hold an ASEAN passport, check the exact period rather than assuming that the regional rules are the same for everyone.

Countries without visa-free access

Many major travel markets do not currently receive general visa-free entry with an ordinary passport.

This includes travellers from countries such as:

United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India.

For a normal tourist trip, the simplest option is usually Vietnam's e-Visa.

The same applies to many other passports that do not appear on Vietnam's current exemption list.

What if your visa-free period is too short?

The simplest solution is usually to apply for an e-Visa before travelling.

Vietnamese e-Visas can be issued for up to 90 days.

There are two options:

Single entry — you can enter Vietnam once.

Multiple entry — you can leave and return during the validity period.

For example, if your trip is:

Vietnam → Cambodia → Vietnam,

a single-entry visa would normally not be sufficient for the second arrival. You would want a multiple-entry e-Visa.

Choose this correctly when submitting the application.

How much does a Vietnam e-Visa cost?

The official government fee is currently:

US$25 — single-entry e-Visa;

US$50 — multiple-entry e-Visa.

The fee is non-refundable if the application is refused.

The official system gives a standard processing time of around three working days.

That does not mean you should apply three days before your flight.

Weekends, Vietnamese public holidays, incorrect information, unsuitable passport photographs or requests to amend an application can all cause delays.

For a normal trip, applying at least a week or two in advance is much safer once your dates are reasonably fixed.

Where to apply for the official Vietnam e-Visa

The official e-Visa system now uses:

evisa.gov.vn

and

thithucdientu.gov.vn

These are Vietnamese government immigration portals.

Older guides may still direct travellers to:

evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn

That was the previous portal and should not be the starting point for a new application.

Be careful when searching online. There are many commercial websites using names such as “Vietnam Visa”, “Vietnam Evisa” or even wording that makes them look official.

Some are legitimate agencies rather than scams, but they charge service fees on top of the government fee and cannot guarantee approval.

For a straightforward tourist application, most travellers do not need an intermediary.

What information do you need for an e-Visa?

The online application requires information and files including:

• passport biodata-page image;
• recent portrait photograph;
• passport details;
• proposed entry and exit dates;
• purpose of travel;
• address in Vietnam;
• intended port of entry;
• other personal information requested by the system.

Copy passport information exactly.

Pay particular attention to:

Your name. Use it exactly as it appears in the passport.

Passport number. One incorrect character can make an otherwise approved visa unusable.

Date of birth and passport expiry date.

Visa validity dates.

Single or multiple entry.

Port of entry.

After submitting the application, save the registration or application code.

Once approved, keep the e-Visa PDF on your phone and somewhere accessible offline. Printing a copy is also sensible.

Your port of entry matters

A Vietnamese e-Visa is used through an approved list of international border checkpoints.

These include major airports such as:

• Noi Bai International Airport — Hanoi;
• Tan Son Nhat International Airport — Ho Chi Minh City;
• Da Nang International Airport;
• Cam Ranh International Airport;
• Phu Quoc International Airport;
• Cat Bi International Airport;
• Phu Bai International Airport;
• Can Tho International Airport;
• Van Don International Airport;

as well as approved land borders and seaports.

The official e-Visa website maintains the full current list.

This matters particularly if you change your itinerary.

If your original plan was to fly into Vietnam but you later decide to cross overland from Cambodia, Laos or China, do not simply assume that any border crossing can process your visa. Check the approved checkpoint list first.

What documents should you carry?

For a normal tourist trip, the list is short.

Passport.

If required, your e-Visa — ideally both digitally and as a printed copy.

Onward or return travel details.

Address of your first accommodation.

Travel or medical insurance, even if immigration does not routinely ask to see it.

It is also useful to keep hotel bookings and important travel documents available offline.

This does not mean immigration will ask to see every item. Most entries are much simpler.

But an airline or border officer may ask about your onward journey or accommodation, and having the information ready is much easier than trying to find an email without reliable internet access.

Do you need a return ticket?

Avoid treating this as either “always mandatory” or “never checked”.

Vietnam's entry rules do not necessarily present a return ticket as a universal standalone document for every nationality and every immigration category.

However, airlines need to determine whether they are allowed to carry you, and immigration officers may ask how long you intend to remain in the country.

For an ordinary tourist trip, it is therefore sensible to have either:

• a return ticket; or
• confirmed onward travel out of Vietnam.

This is particularly useful when entering visa-free.

Do you need a hotel booking?

The e-Visa application asks for your expected accommodation information in Vietnam.

After arrival, hotels and other accommodation providers are responsible for registering foreign guests' temporary residence under Vietnamese immigration rules.

At a normal hotel, the traveller does not usually need to do anything separately.

If you rent a private apartment, however, make sure the landlord is willing and able to register foreign guests properly.

This can matter later if you need to deal with immigration or other official procedures.

Pre-Arrival Information

Vietnam's immigration authorities also operate a Pre-Arrival Information system.

At the time this guide was updated, travellers are encouraged to provide arrival information through the system to help streamline entry procedures.

The official domain is:

prearrival.immigration.gov.vn

This does not replace an e-Visa or visa exemption.

Electronic arrival procedures can change more quickly than the underlying visa rules, so check the current immigration notice shortly before departure.

The special Phu Quoc visa exemption

Phu Quoc has a separate immigration arrangement.

Foreign passport holders who travel directly from abroad to Phu Quoc may qualify for visa-free entry for up to 30 days, subject to the relevant conditions.

The exemption can also apply in certain cases where a traveller transits through another Vietnamese international border checkpoint on the way to Phu Quoc.

But this is not a 30-day visa for all of Vietnam.

If your itinerary is:

Phu Quoc → Ho Chi Minh City → Da Nang,

you must also meet the normal entry requirements for mainland Vietnam.

For trips combining Phu Quoc with other parts of the country, it is usually simpler to plan around the standard visa rules for your passport rather than relying on the island exemption.

Transit through Vietnam

If you remain airside in international transit and do not pass immigration, the situation is different from formally entering Vietnam.

Problems are more likely when flights are booked separately.

For example:

Bangkok → Ho Chi Minh City on one ticket;

Ho Chi Minh City → Tokyo on an unrelated ticket.

If you need to collect luggage and check in again, you may have to pass Vietnamese immigration.

For self-connections, check:

• whether the flights are on one booking;
• whether baggage is checked through;
• whether you must change terminals;
• whether entering Vietnam is necessary.

The fact that you consider the journey a “transit” does not by itself guarantee that immigration clearance will not be required.

Can you leave Vietnam and come back visa-free again?

This depends on the legal basis of your visa exemption.

Some bilateral agreements have cumulative stay limits, while other visa-free programmes work differently.

Do not automatically assume that you can keep crossing the border every 30 or 45 days and always receive a completely new stay without restrictions.

If you already know that you will leave and return several times over a period of up to 90 days, a multiple-entry e-Visa may be simpler and clearer than building the trip around repeated visa-free entries.

A tourist e-Visa is not a work permit

Visa-free tourist entry and a tourist e-Visa allow you to enter and stay in Vietnam under the relevant immigration status.

They do not automatically give you the legal right to work for a Vietnamese employer.

Employment, study, certain business activities and longer-term residence may require additional immigration and labour documents.

If your actual purpose is not ordinary tourism, check the requirements for that specific activity rather than relying only on tourist-entry rules.

Travelling with children

Entry requirements should be checked for every traveller individually.

A child needs their own valid travel document and an appropriate basis for entering Vietnam. Do not assume that a parent's visa or visa exemption automatically covers a child.

If a child travels with only one parent or with another adult, also check requirements imposed by:

• the passport-issuing country;
• the airline;
• transit countries;

regarding parental consent or additional documentation.

What to check a few days before departure

Even if everything was arranged months earlier, do one final check before travelling:

1. Your passport remains valid for the required period.
2. Your nationality still has the same visa-free status, or your e-Visa has been approved.
3. Your name and passport number on the e-Visa exactly match the passport.
4. The visa validity dates cover the whole trip.
5. If you plan to re-enter Vietnam, the visa is actually marked for multiple entry.
6. Your planned border checkpoint is permitted.
7. Your onward ticket and first accommodation address are available offline.
8. You have checked airline and transit-country requirements.
9. You have checked the current status of Vietnam's Pre-Arrival Information procedure.

For an ordinary tourist trip, there is usually no complicated paperwork beyond this.

The simplest way to think about Vietnam entry rules

For many travellers, the system can be reduced to three questions.

Does your passport qualify for visa-free entry?

If yes, check how many days you receive and whether there are any cumulative limits.

Is the visa-free period long enough?

If not, use an e-Visa.

Will you leave Vietnam and return during the same trip?

If yes, consider a multiple-entry e-Visa rather than a single-entry visa.

Vietnam currently offers e-Visas to citizens of all countries and territories, with validity of up to 90 days and single- or multiple-entry options.

The official government fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry.

Official portals:

evisa.gov.vn

thithucdientu.gov.vn

And regardless of what any guide says, check the official rules again immediately before travelling — especially if your trip involves multiple entries, an overland border, Phu Quoc, a self-transfer between flights or a passport that is close to expiry.

Updated: September 2026.

Primary sources: Vietnam Immigration Department — official e-Visa and Pre-Arrival Information systems; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam — visa-exemption agreements and passport categories; Government of Vietnam — current unilateral and tourism visa-exemption resolutions.