As you might be aware, since August 15, 2023, Vietnam visa policy will have some changes that make your stay (and hopefully your experience at the airports) much easier. I would like to take this opportunity to summarize all basic information about Vietnam’s entry requirements – hope that helps in the planning for your trips.

It depends on your nationalities to identify whether you can enter the country visa-free, you need a visa or anything in between (i.e., landing approval letter), so I will go from the most relaxed category.

VISA-FREE

You can enter Vietnam without a visa or any pre-registration procedure if you are a passport holder of the following countries (numbers in brackets are the number of days you can stay):

  • Southeast Asia: all countries (30) except the Philippines (21), Brunei (14), and East Timor (no visa-free policy)
  • Elsewhere in Asia: Japan (45), South Korea (45), Kyrgyzstan (30)
  • Europe (not all Schengen countries): Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Belarus (all 45)
  • South America: Chile (90), Panama (90)

*Note that all visa-free are allowed for multiple entries.

E-VISA

If you are from eligible countries (80 countries), you can apply for an e-visa (official link and list of countries below). The E-visa price is 25 USD and processing time is sometimes between 24 hours and 1 working week, although waiting time in weeks is not unheard of. E-visa is accepted at major border checkpoints, airports, and seaports, with the most notable exception being Lien Khuong Airport in Dalat.

The downside? Technical issues and late/lengthy approval are among the things getting constantly complained about. If you plan to get an e-visa, do it early (read: one month in advance). You can’t change your port of entry either. Once issued, you must follow your plan, or apply for a new one.

LANDING APPROVAL LETTER

Contradiction to many beliefs, there is no such thing as visa-on-arrival. To get the so-called Vietnam visa on arrival, you need to contact an agent in Vietnam first (there are many in the group) for the Landing Approval Letter. In most cases, a snapshot of your passport, a fee, and about 1-2 working days is enough and you will receive a scanned letter with your information. You must print out the letter and proceed to the visa counter at the airport to receive your actual visa sticker, which is another 25 USD.

The fee for a landing approval letter varies, so shop around. This becomes handy if:

·Your country is not on the eligible list for e-visa

·You had trouble with the e-visa process

· You plan for your trip at the last minutes

Do note that there is an unofficial list of “hard” countries to get the letter (which eventually costs more). This varies from time to time but usually includes some African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries.

VISA EXEMPTION FOR PEOPLE OF VIETNAMESE ORIGIN

In case you are a foreign national of Vietnamese origin, you can be eligible for a 5-year visa exemption (180 days stay for each entry), providing that you possess any documents proving your Vietnamese origin (birth certificate, former citizenship certificate or citizenship renouncement certificate, etc…). Together with a traditional visa, this should be done via a Vietnam embassy or consulate.

We hope that the following information can give you general ideas about current visa policy to Vietnam from leisure travelers’ perspective. If you have questions or doubts, please contact us for more information!

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