Jun 22, 2014, 10:21 am
Last edit by: stephem
Moderator note: this Wikipost provides general visa guidelines and summarizes the information provided by FT members throughout this thread. Businesses mentioned in this wiki are in no way endorsed or recommended by FlyerTalk, and advertising is prohibited. FlyerTalk's commercial post rule is strictly enforced in this thread, and all spam-like posts will be immediately removed.
Vietnam Visa Information
Transit Without Visa
Vietnam permits foreigners to transit without a visa (TWOV) provided they remain inside the airport transit areas while awaiting an onward flight out of the country within 24 hours of arrival. Travelers are not allowed to leave the airport without a visa.
Visa Exemption for Phu Quoc Island
If you are only visiting Phu Quoc Island, guess what, you probably don't need a visa at all! There is a 30 day visa exception for Phu Quoc visits, and many people report being able to transit in HAN or SGN en route to PQC. But there are now direct flights to PQC and that allows you to avoid having to get a visa at all. Worth considering...
Regular Visa in Advance of Travel
Foreigners may obtain a visa at the nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Prices are not published and appear to vary from location to location. Most recent reports suggest a typical fee of approximately USD 100.
ONLINE APPLICATION LOOSE LEAF VISA
Vietnam Visa Online Application and instructions:
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/consul...cation-process
From what I've learned, you attach the three (3) files listed below to an email along with your credit card number and the visa section will mail back a loose leaf visa.
As of December, 2015, the fees are $80 = 1 month visa, $20 = overnight USPS, $10 priority mail. Multiple entry visas are available.
Fill out the online application form.
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/consul...cation-process
Follow "online form" link. Choose language top right.
Including uploading to the application a correctly sized photo, 2x2 inches (website will check and confirm) that will propagate into the application.
Print out the application form, sign, scan as .pdf file. Attach the .pdf to your email.
Attach a correctly sized photo (2x2 inches).
Attach a scanned a copy of your passport (photo, personal detail pages and signature page).
Include your credit card number. The visa section will charge your card for visa type and USPS Express return a loose leaf visa.
Ask politely for the tracking number and total charges.
Call Embassy Visa to double check the above details and current email address: 202. 861. 0737, x118/121/122/123/125
As of December, 2015, the email address to send the application is: [email protected].
Visa Exemption
Those traveling on passports issued by the following nations are generally exempt from visa requirements for varying durations of stay: Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and UK. See the entry visa exemption list at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for duration of stay info.
eVisa
https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en...trang-chu-ttdt
List of countries eligible for eVisa: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/do...b-91595a4f5867 (link updated 2017-12-19, note new list can be published with different link) 35 more countries were announced as eligible for e-visa on Feb 20, 2019. Total is now 81 countries. See post 1561 for new additions (government website is down currently, will update with link here when possible).
Remember to print out the e-visa form they give you, as they will request it on arrival and on departure!
Some ports of entry require the evisa to be validated on arrival. In particular DAD has been cited in the thread as requiring the evisa holder to be processed at the VOA desk. Takes about 15 mins.
Visa On Arrival (VOA) at Airport Border Entries
Travelers planning to obtain a VOA should arrive with the following documents:
VOA stamp fees for Non-USA passport holders (as of December 2019) are US$25 for a single entry of 1 or 3 months validity, US$50 for multiple entry of 1 or 3 months validity or US$100 for multiple entry 1 year validity.
For USA passport holders, there was a temporary increase from September to December of 2016, up to $135. However Effective December 15, 2016 the $135 stamping fee for US citizens has been dropped, and there are reports US passport holders can be issued VOA letters for single entry 30 day visas again AND that US citizens should only have to pay a $25 stamp fee at on collection of VOA. In late December, there were reports are that the desks in HAN and DAD did not receive the memo, so YMMV until the airport desks "get the memo."
This fee must be paid at the VOA counter on arrival , and is in addition to whatever fees you have paid the VOA service provider for the invitation letter. Payments are accepted in Vietnamese Dong, USD or Euros.
Visa on arrival (VOA) is permitted for one of the following purposes:
There are countless service providers on the internet that offer VOA approval letters for a fee. Legitimate providers are licensed travel agencies, thus meeting the highlighted criterion above. Those planning to obtain a VOA approval letter are advised to take steps to ensure they are working with a licensed Vietnam travel agency or tour operator. Some Vietnam hotels are also able to provide this service.
Some VOA service providers offer expedited processing for same day or 30 minutes turnaround on issuance of VOA letter and priority processing upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam for an additional fee.
Advantages of VOA include lower cost than embassy-issued visa, eliminates the need to visit an embassy or mail passport for advance visa, and faster receipt of VOA approval letter (sent via email).
Disadvantages of VOA include longer immigration processing upon arrival, with potentially long waits for receipt of visa (usually 10-20 min., but longer waits do occur); privacy concerns due to inclusion of personal data for multiple unrelated travelers on one approval letter; and risk of scams by unauthorized VOA service providers.
VOA Process at the Airport in SGN
Removed by poster
VOA Service Providers Recommended By FTers
The following are a few of the VOA service providers that have been used and discussed in the thread by active FlyerTalk members. These providers publish sufficient information on their websites to suggest that they are authorized operators (e.g., provide physical business address, state actual travel company name, display tour operator license number, etc.). Members should verify these basic criteria before adding providers this list; simply having had successful transactions is not sufficient:
External Sources
26th-April
Edited to note that some ports of entry require the e-visa to be validated on arrival.
8 December 2019- Edited to add note about Phu Quoc being exempt from visa for 30 day visit and add info about 1 year multiple entry Visa which is now available via VoA process too.
FlyerTalkers with at least 90 days of membership and a minimum of 90 posts are invited to make corrections and update the information in this Wikipost.
Vietnam Visa Information
Main source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam - Visa Application and Information - includes fillable application (external website)
Transit Without Visa
Vietnam permits foreigners to transit without a visa (TWOV) provided they remain inside the airport transit areas while awaiting an onward flight out of the country within 24 hours of arrival. Travelers are not allowed to leave the airport without a visa.
Visa Exemption for Phu Quoc Island
If you are only visiting Phu Quoc Island, guess what, you probably don't need a visa at all! There is a 30 day visa exception for Phu Quoc visits, and many people report being able to transit in HAN or SGN en route to PQC. But there are now direct flights to PQC and that allows you to avoid having to get a visa at all. Worth considering...
Regular Visa in Advance of Travel
Foreigners may obtain a visa at the nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Prices are not published and appear to vary from location to location. Most recent reports suggest a typical fee of approximately USD 100.
ONLINE APPLICATION LOOSE LEAF VISA
Vietnam Visa Online Application and instructions:
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/consul...cation-process
From what I've learned, you attach the three (3) files listed below to an email along with your credit card number and the visa section will mail back a loose leaf visa.
As of December, 2015, the fees are $80 = 1 month visa, $20 = overnight USPS, $10 priority mail. Multiple entry visas are available.
Fill out the online application form.
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/consul...cation-process
Follow "online form" link. Choose language top right.
Including uploading to the application a correctly sized photo, 2x2 inches (website will check and confirm) that will propagate into the application.
Print out the application form, sign, scan as .pdf file. Attach the .pdf to your email.
Attach a correctly sized photo (2x2 inches).
Attach a scanned a copy of your passport (photo, personal detail pages and signature page).
Include your credit card number. The visa section will charge your card for visa type and USPS Express return a loose leaf visa.
Ask politely for the tracking number and total charges.
Call Embassy Visa to double check the above details and current email address: 202. 861. 0737, x118/121/122/123/125
As of December, 2015, the email address to send the application is: [email protected].
Visa Exemption
Those traveling on passports issued by the following nations are generally exempt from visa requirements for varying durations of stay: Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and UK. See the entry visa exemption list at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for duration of stay info.
eVisa
https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en...trang-chu-ttdt
List of countries eligible for eVisa: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/do...b-91595a4f5867 (link updated 2017-12-19, note new list can be published with different link) 35 more countries were announced as eligible for e-visa on Feb 20, 2019. Total is now 81 countries. See post 1561 for new additions (government website is down currently, will update with link here when possible).
Remember to print out the e-visa form they give you, as they will request it on arrival and on departure!
Some ports of entry require the evisa to be validated on arrival. In particular DAD has been cited in the thread as requiring the evisa holder to be processed at the VOA desk. Takes about 15 mins.
Visa On Arrival (VOA) at Airport Border Entries
Travelers planning to obtain a VOA should arrive with the following documents:
- VOA approval letter
- Completed VISA APPLICATION which can be downloaded from most VOA service provider websites (travelers are advised to print the form on A4-size paper as there have been reports of US letter-size paper being refused)
- One passport-type photo
- Cash for visa stamp fee (see below)
VOA stamp fees for Non-USA passport holders (as of December 2019) are US$25 for a single entry of 1 or 3 months validity, US$50 for multiple entry of 1 or 3 months validity or US$100 for multiple entry 1 year validity.
For USA passport holders, there was a temporary increase from September to December of 2016, up to $135. However Effective December 15, 2016 the $135 stamping fee for US citizens has been dropped, and there are reports US passport holders can be issued VOA letters for single entry 30 day visas again AND that US citizens should only have to pay a $25 stamp fee at on collection of VOA. In late December, there were reports are that the desks in HAN and DAD did not receive the memo, so YMMV until the airport desks "get the memo."
This fee must be paid at the VOA counter on arrival , and is in addition to whatever fees you have paid the VOA service provider for the invitation letter. Payments are accepted in Vietnamese Dong, USD or Euros.
Visa on arrival (VOA) is permitted for one of the following purposes:
- Attend the funeral of family member or visit a family member in critical condition;
- Arrival from a country where there is no Vietnamese diplomatic mission/consular office;
- Visit Vietnam on tours organized by Vietnamese international travel agencies;
- Provide emergency technical assistance for construction works, projects; emergency treatment for critical patients or accident victims; emergency relief in cases of natural disasters or epidemics in Vietnam;
- For other urgent reasons.
- Provide emergency technical assistance for construction works, projects; emergency treatment for critical patients or accident victims; emergency relief in cases of natural disasters or epidemics in Vietnam;
- Visit Vietnam on tours organized by Vietnamese international travel agencies;
- Arrival from a country where there is no Vietnamese diplomatic mission/consular office;
There are countless service providers on the internet that offer VOA approval letters for a fee. Legitimate providers are licensed travel agencies, thus meeting the highlighted criterion above. Those planning to obtain a VOA approval letter are advised to take steps to ensure they are working with a licensed Vietnam travel agency or tour operator. Some Vietnam hotels are also able to provide this service.
Some VOA service providers offer expedited processing for same day or 30 minutes turnaround on issuance of VOA letter and priority processing upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam for an additional fee.
Advantages of VOA include lower cost than embassy-issued visa, eliminates the need to visit an embassy or mail passport for advance visa, and faster receipt of VOA approval letter (sent via email).
Disadvantages of VOA include longer immigration processing upon arrival, with potentially long waits for receipt of visa (usually 10-20 min., but longer waits do occur); privacy concerns due to inclusion of personal data for multiple unrelated travelers on one approval letter; and risk of scams by unauthorized VOA service providers.
VOA Process at the Airport in SGN
Removed by poster
VOA Service Providers Recommended By FTers
The following are a few of the VOA service providers that have been used and discussed in the thread by active FlyerTalk members. These providers publish sufficient information on their websites to suggest that they are authorized operators (e.g., provide physical business address, state actual travel company name, display tour operator license number, etc.). Members should verify these basic criteria before adding providers this list; simply having had successful transactions is not sufficient:
- Hotels-in-Vietnam.com - part of Tun Travel, international tour operator license 0738/2007/TCDL-GP LHQT
- VietnamStay.com - multi-office tour operator, no license info found on website, multiple physical addresses provided
***Link not working - VietnamVisaCorp.com - part of Song Thu Travel, international tour operator license 79-411/2013/TCDL-GP LHQT
- Visa4Vietnam.com - part of Sense of Indochina, company license 0103103092
- Cheapvietnamvisa.net - data references on this thread Sep/08 & Sep/24 & Oct/07 & Dec/02 - 2015
External Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam - Visa Application and Information - includes fillable application
- Ordinance on Entry, Exit and Residence of Foreigners - Vietnam Ministry of Justice
26th-April
Edited to note that some ports of entry require the e-visa to be validated on arrival.
8 December 2019- Edited to add note about Phu Quoc being exempt from visa for 30 day visit and add info about 1 year multiple entry Visa which is now available via VoA process too.
FlyerTalkers with at least 90 days of membership and a minimum of 90 posts are invited to make corrections and update the information in this Wikipost.
Prior to 2022: Visa / VOA Info for Vietnam
Mar 9, 2019, 3:15 am
#1591
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,761
Mar 18, 2019, 3:24 am
#1592
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
I'm planning to go in Vietnam without a tour operator and this post helped me a lot. Thank you!
Mar 28, 2019, 8:26 am
#1593
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Tyrone,EU
Programs: Avios Hunter
Posts: 2,811
My recent entry into Vietnam at DAD with an evisa required a little time in the VOA line as apparently they need to "verify" the evisa and can't seem to do that at the regular passport control exit, so an officer walked me over to VOA and cut the line, but still needed to wait for an officer to "sign-off" on the printout, and then get back into the regular exit line.
Mar 28, 2019, 8:38 am
#1594
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 50
I had the same experience in Feb @ DAD. With the border agent having no English, it took a while to figure out what he wanted me to do, and then I thought the evisa was being challenged. About a 15min wait at the VOA desk, a tiny signature on the bottom of the evisa printout, and then back inline for immigration.
Apr 5, 2019, 8:52 pm
#1595
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
In a couple months we will be arriving in SGN on a Friday morning, fly up to DAD on one of those LCCs then fly out of DAD Friday evening (8:10pm). Then we return to Vietnam on Tuesday and will be spending a week in the country.
Is the best approach to get a multi-entry VOA? Or apply for two e visas?
Is the best approach to get a multi-entry VOA? Or apply for two e visas?
Apr 5, 2019, 9:51 pm
#1596
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
has anyone done International-International (HKG-DAD-SIN) transit in Danang? Is it possible to do it airside?
Apr 6, 2019, 7:51 am
#1597
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....vietnam-guide/
Apr 18, 2019, 6:48 pm
#1598
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Vietnam E-Visa for US Cititzen
Hi,
I will be going to Vietnam at the end of August. How far in advance would you recommend to apply for the e-visa? Does anyone have any experience with this and did they find the application easy to fill out?
thanks
I will be going to Vietnam at the end of August. How far in advance would you recommend to apply for the e-visa? Does anyone have any experience with this and did they find the application easy to fill out?
thanks
Apr 19, 2019, 9:34 am
#1599
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: MileagePlus - Gold
Posts: 104
I've done this twice and both times it has been less than a week. Most recently registered on April 11th, 2019 and received on April 17th.
Apr 20, 2019, 12:19 am
#1600
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
3 Days. It's relatively simple. Only slightly difficult parts are uploading photos of you and your passport and signing up for Paypal (if you don't have an account) since it's the only payment method accepted.
Apr 20, 2019, 9:57 am
#1601
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Maybe there is an answer in one of the 1584 posts.Hopefully you allow me to skip searching each and every post and just ask how far in advance should I apply for an E-Visa? Planning trip in September 2019.
Apr 20, 2019, 6:01 pm
#1602
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
Takes three business days or so to obtain the visa. I applied when I knew my dates were firm.....that was about two months in advance of my entry.
Apr 21, 2019, 5:58 am
#1603
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 2
Vietnam E-Visa and Boarding (US Citizen)
Hi
On August 31, I am flying out of Washington, DC to Ho Chi Minh City, with a connection in Beijing (all via Air China). My connection will occur on September 1st, and by the time I arrive in Vietnam, it will then be September 2nd. I do have a visa for Vietnam, but it becomes valid on September 1. Will this be a problem when boarding my first leg on August 31 in Washington, DC? I wouldn't think it should as my visa will be valid when I actually arrive in Vietnam. Also, by the time I check in on August 31, it will already be September 1st in Vietnam (due to the 11 hour time difference). As a side note, I also have a valid Chinese visa.
Thanks S
On August 31, I am flying out of Washington, DC to Ho Chi Minh City, with a connection in Beijing (all via Air China). My connection will occur on September 1st, and by the time I arrive in Vietnam, it will then be September 2nd. I do have a visa for Vietnam, but it becomes valid on September 1. Will this be a problem when boarding my first leg on August 31 in Washington, DC? I wouldn't think it should as my visa will be valid when I actually arrive in Vietnam. Also, by the time I check in on August 31, it will already be September 1st in Vietnam (due to the 11 hour time difference). As a side note, I also have a valid Chinese visa.
Thanks S
Apr 24, 2019, 1:33 am
#1604
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Dalat, Vietnam
Programs: Vietnam, Asiana, Singapore, EVA, Southwest
Posts: 934
No problem, but good luck with Air China (you'll need it).
Apr 25, 2019, 11:01 am
#1605
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM/2MM, AA Plat, IC Diam. Amb., Peninsula regular, amanjunkie
Posts: 5,848
Data point for the forum's reference:
On Tuesday afternoon, I applied for e-visas through the link in the wiki. Took the visa photos with my iPhone. Scanned the passport pages into pdf and converted to jpeg. Paid the $25 filing fee plus $0.96 processing. Site promises action within three business days. Wednesday night we got email notification that the application had been acted on. Today logged in and printed out the e-visas for me and my spouse, both of us traveling on standard US passports without an invitation from a tour agency or group.
Notably, the visa application requires the applicant to state his or her religion. This will strike some Americans as unusual and perhaps objectionable. Though I didn't want to answer, I did anyway. The question and answer did not appear on the visa as issued.
Assuming everything goes smoothly upon arrival at SGN, I'm much keener on the e-visa method than the invitation-letter/landing visa method.
On Tuesday afternoon, I applied for e-visas through the link in the wiki. Took the visa photos with my iPhone. Scanned the passport pages into pdf and converted to jpeg. Paid the $25 filing fee plus $0.96 processing. Site promises action within three business days. Wednesday night we got email notification that the application had been acted on. Today logged in and printed out the e-visas for me and my spouse, both of us traveling on standard US passports without an invitation from a tour agency or group.
Notably, the visa application requires the applicant to state his or her religion. This will strike some Americans as unusual and perhaps objectionable. Though I didn't want to answer, I did anyway. The question and answer did not appear on the visa as issued.
Assuming everything goes smoothly upon arrival at SGN, I'm much keener on the e-visa method than the invitation-letter/landing visa method.
