Vietnam Visa Guide

First: check the official rule for your passport

Visa advice ages badly. Vietnam now has several exemption arrangements as well as an electronic-visa system, and the detail is not identical for every nationality or travel purpose. My first step is always the current Vietnam Immigration portal and, when an exemption is involved, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the relevant Vietnamese embassy.

The official electronic-visa portal operates at evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn. That matters because visa search results are full of commercial intermediaries with official-looking names. An agent may offer a service, but it is not the Vietnamese Government.

The e-visa in plain English

Vietnam Immigration currently states that an e-visa can be valid for a maximum of 90 days and can be issued for single or multiple entry. The current government fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry; the fee is not refunded if an application is refused.

The official procedure requires the passport data page plus a recent portrait image and an online application. The public-service procedure lists a processing period of no more than three working days once the required information and fee have been received. I still would not build a tight flight connection around that minimum: an image problem, incorrect name, wrong passport number or requested correction can turn “three days” into a much less entertaining countdown.

Your entry point matters

E-visa holders must use border gates designated for electronic visas. If you are flying to Hanoi, make sure the entry point on your approved application matches the airport and itinerary you actually intend to use. Do the same if you plan to enter by land or sea later in the trip.

Do not casually change the first border crossing after approval because a cheaper flight appears. Check what your granted visa actually says and use the official system for any change that requires a new application.

Visa exemption: there is more than one list

Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently publishes several exemption categories rather than one universal tourist list. One unilateral policy gives citizens of 12 countries — including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan and South Korea — stays of up to 45 days, with that policy running from 15 March 2025 through 14 March 2028.

A separate tourism-stimulus resolution introduced another 45-day exemption for citizens of 12 European countries from 15 August 2025 through 14 August 2028, subject to its tourism-purpose and entry conditions. Bilateral agreements and special arrangements can also apply. That is why “Europe gets 45 days” is not a safe summary: check your exact passport and the conditions attached to your exemption.

Passport validity is not a detail

For the major 45-day exemptions described above, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the passport must have at least six months' validity. The e-visa system requires a valid passport or international travel document. Check the exact rule for your route — plus any airline document checks — before you pay for non-refundable travel.

Also make sure the passport number in your application is the passport you will carry. If you renew or replace a passport after obtaining an e-visa, do not assume the old approval magically transfers to the new document.

What I would have ready before flying to Hanoi

• Your passport, with the required remaining validity for your entry route.
• Your approved e-visa printed if you are travelling on one; Vietnam Immigration's instructions specifically tell successful applicants to print the e-visa.
• An offline copy of the same approval on your phone or in cloud storage accessible without mobile data.
• Your accommodation details in plain text, not only inside a booking app.
• Onward-trip information and enough evidence to explain your intended stay if an airline or border officer asks.

Do not rely on old “visa on arrival” blog instructions

Older Vietnam travel pages are full of advice about airport visa-on-arrival letters sold by agencies. The normal tourist planning route has changed substantially with the e-visa system. If your circumstances genuinely require a sponsored, paper or other visa route, follow the current Immigration Department, embassy or authorised sponsor process for that category rather than recycling a pre-e-visa tutorial.

Common application mistakes worth avoiding

• Using a nickname or shortening a name instead of matching the passport data exactly.
• Uploading a poor passport scan or portrait that does not meet the current portal requirements.
• Choosing the wrong entry point or dates because the itinerary is still vague.
• Applying through a lookalike commercial website without realising it is an intermediary.
• Leaving the application until the final few days and treating the official processing period as a guaranteed personal deadline.

Arrival at Noi Bai

Once the visa or exemption question is settled, arrival is straightforward travel admin: follow the immigration signs, present the passport and required entry document, collect baggage and then move on to transport into Hanoi. Keep the visa approval accessible until you are fully through the formalities rather than burying it inside checked luggage.

After immigration, our Noi Bai airport transport guide covers the next practical problem: getting into the city without starting the trip with avoidable taxi confusion.

TATS Man's take

Visa paperwork is one of the few Hanoi jobs where boring precision beats adventurous improvisation. Use the government portal, make every field match the passport, check the entry point, and give yourself margin for corrections.

Cheers, Carpe Diem & cross the border with the paperwork boringly perfect! 🍻⏳🛂
TATS Man
your bureaucracy-resistant Hanoi cyborg

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