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
Jun 22, 2018, 6:03 pm
#1456
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: 1K
Posts: 784
+ you don't have to wait in a line (that could take 30 min to 2 hours, in my experience). You just print your e-Visa and go straight through customs. I would never consider a VoA nowadays... it costs more and takes longer.
Jul 11, 2018, 7:41 pm
#1457
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, Bonvoy Titanium & LTP, HH Gold, Accor Silver, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 2,350
thanks in advance as always!
Jul 11, 2018, 8:41 pm
#1458
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
So this is exactly what I have done. Easy in and out through SGN on the UK passport (apart from the 45 minute lines at immigration of course!). I then applied for the eVisa on my US passport on July 7th - currently it's July 11th and it's still showing as "in processing". That's three full business days plus a bit of Thursday morning, which seems longer than what others have reported. I'm not worrying yet - but at what point should I consider going the VoA route if I don't get anything back? And is there any way to request further information other than the eVisa Search page online?
thanks in advance as always!
thanks in advance as always!
"Until 30 June 2021 ‘British Citizen’ passport holders travelling for tourism or business can enter Vietnam for up to a maximum of 15 days (inclusive of dates of entry and exit) without a visa. If you have a different type of British nationality – for example ‘British national (overseas)’ you’ll need to get a visa before entering Vietnam."
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-requirements
Jul 12, 2018, 2:39 am
#1459
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: EWR, SLC, SGN
Posts: 1,113
I'd stop worrying now, if I were you, because:
"Until 30 June 2021 ‘British Citizen’ passport holders travelling for tourism or business can enter Vietnam for up to a maximum of 15 days (inclusive of dates of entry and exit) without a visa. If you have a different type of British nationality – for example ‘British national (overseas)’ you’ll need to get a visa before entering Vietnam."
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-requirements
"Until 30 June 2021 ‘British Citizen’ passport holders travelling for tourism or business can enter Vietnam for up to a maximum of 15 days (inclusive of dates of entry and exit) without a visa. If you have a different type of British nationality – for example ‘British national (overseas)’ you’ll need to get a visa before entering Vietnam."
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-requirements
I believe the current issue is that after using the visa-free entry, you have to wait 30 days before you can use it again. Basically they put a bit of a block on visa-free country passport holders doing visa runs out and back. The link you have states this further down from the quoted portion in the page.
Still I wouldn't worry. Maybe a small backlog or something. And you can get VoA one or two days before coming here no problem. I'd not worry until probably the 19th.
Jul 12, 2018, 8:09 pm
#1460
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, Bonvoy Titanium & LTP, HH Gold, Accor Silver, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 2,350
I ate so well (and so much) in HCMC I can't wait to get to Hanoi!
Aug 24, 2018, 6:58 pm
#1461
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 216
I did the evisa, it was quick and easy and I just sailed through arrivals. I don't know why anyone would do the Visa on Arrival, why spend time in a line when you don't have to?
Aug 24, 2018, 10:23 pm
#1462
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,799
Aug 26, 2018, 12:29 pm
#1464
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 254
I'm a US citizen that will be traveling through SGN. I've booked a flight on Korean that lands in SGN, I then have a separate booking/ticket, with a separate PNR on Singapore Airlines that departs for Singapore a few hours after I land in SGN. I will have checked bags that I'll need to retrieve (I don't think airlines interline when there are separate tickets) and check in at the Singapore desk. I am assuming I would need to apply for an eVisa since I will technically be entering Vietnam? To make things more complicated, I will be returning on Singapore Airlines to SGN about 10 days later and at that time I will be staying in Vietnam for about a week.
Does this situation mean that I would need to obtain a multiple entry visa?
thanks
Does this situation mean that I would need to obtain a multiple entry visa?
thanks
Aug 27, 2018, 9:35 am
#1465
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: DFW
Posts: 675
I'm a US citizen that will be traveling through SGN. I've booked a flight on Korean that lands in SGN, I then have a separate booking/ticket, with a separate PNR on Singapore Airlines that departs for Singapore a few hours after I land in SGN. I will have checked bags that I'll need to retrieve (I don't think airlines interline when there are separate tickets) and check in at the Singapore desk. I am assuming I would need to apply for an eVisa since I will technically be entering Vietnam? To make things more complicated, I will be returning on Singapore Airlines to SGN about 10 days later and at that time I will be staying in Vietnam for about a week.
Does this situation mean that I would need to obtain a multiple entry visa?
thanks
Does this situation mean that I would need to obtain a multiple entry visa?
thanks
Aug 28, 2018, 1:37 am
#1466
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
I'm a US citizen that will be traveling through SGN. I've booked a flight on Korean that lands in SGN, I then have a separate booking/ticket, with a separate PNR on Singapore Airlines that departs for Singapore a few hours after I land in SGN. I will have checked bags that I'll need to retrieve (I don't think airlines interline when there are separate tickets) and check in at the Singapore desk. I am assuming I would need to apply for an eVisa since I will technically be entering Vietnam? To make things more complicated, I will be returning on Singapore Airlines to SGN about 10 days later and at that time I will be staying in Vietnam for about a week.
Does this situation mean that I would need to obtain a multiple entry visa?
thanks
Does this situation mean that I would need to obtain a multiple entry visa?
thanks
Aug 28, 2018, 6:20 am
#1467
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
IIRC the multi-entry VOA option is more expensive than 2x e-visa and there's the additional time to get the VOA as well which is not desired for a 2 ticket transfer.
Aug 28, 2018, 9:25 am
#1468
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
AFAIK (needs to be checked) there is time limitation with e-visa - if you have e-visa and leave, you can't get another one for entry unless 30 days has passed.
Aug 28, 2018, 9:45 am
#1469
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Aug 28, 2018, 10:57 am
#1470
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: EWR, SLC, SGN
Posts: 1,113
Back to the question a few posts ago, for OP it might not be necessary to get a second entry. The "Pho" error fare on QR had a lot of people connecting in SGN without entering Vietnam. Might be hard to rely on that, but you could get one VOA, and if not needed because the transfer desk works out, you could use it on the real entry later. Checked bags might complicate that, but you can read the QR fare thread to get some ideas. If you do use the VOA on the first stop at SGN, you can get another VOA before coming back 10 days later. You could also do this with the e-visa, of course, unless the 10 days is too short a time-frame now for e-visa or the restriction invisible mentions is accurate.