Passports on Vietnam's visa-exemption list get tourist stays up to 45 days visa-free; other travelers and longer stays up to 90 days use the eVisa (25 USD single entry, 50 USD multiple, typically 3 working days to process). Bring a passport valid at least 6 months with 2 blank pages, and complete the pre-arrival electronic declaration if landing at HAN, DAD, CXR or SGN.
- Vietnam requires a passport valid at least 6 months from arrival with at least 2 blank pages.
- If your passport is in the visa-exemption group, stays up to 45 days need no visa.
- Set your passport above for your exact rule; some nationalities are visa-free for a limited stay, others need an eVisa (up to 90 days).
- The eVisa gives up to 90 days (single or multiple entry) and processes in about 3 working days.
- The eVisa fee is 25 USD single entry / 50 USD multiple, non-refundable if refused.
- Arriving via Hanoi, Da Nang, Cam Ranh or Tan Son Nhat requires the pre-arrival online declaration.
- Don't treat Visa on Arrival as a walk-up product - verify your case in Timatic.
Who needs what
Two things frame everything below. Airlines decide whether to board you using Timatic, the tool behind the IATA Travel Centre, so the outcome can depend on your entire route including transit countries. And official guidance for Vietnam calls for a passport valid at least 6 months from arrival with at least 2 blank pages.
How to decide
Start with the visa-exemption list.
- On the list, staying up to 45 days → no visa needed.
- On the list, staying longer than 45 days → eVisa.
- Not on the list, staying up to 90 days → eVisa.
- Staying beyond 90 days → classic visa or a sponsored procedure; verify in Timatic against your full route and purpose.
- Arriving via HAN, DAD, CXR or SGN → complete the pre-arrival electronic declaration. At other airports it does not apply.
This flow combines the official Vietnamese eVisa portal, the current visa-exemption list, and the IATA Travel Centre - the Timatic-type tool carriers use to decide whether to let you board.
Personalized matrix for three passport examples
| Passport profile | Tourism up to 45 days | Tourism 46–90 days | Cost | Max length | Processing | Passport validity | Return/onward ticket | Accommodation | Funds | Entry form | Vaccinations | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport on the visa-exemption list (many European countries) | Visa-free for tourist stays up to 45 days | eVisa | visa-free 0 USD; eVisa 25 USD single / 50 USD multiple | visa-free 45 days; eVisa max 90 days | eVisa usually 3 working days | min. 6 months + 2 blank pages | not stated on the official Vietnamese pages found; in practice may depend on Timatic/airline | the eVisa form requires a planned address of stay in Vietnam | the eVisa form asks about planned expenses, but no fixed public minimum was found | Yes, when arriving via HAN/DAD/CXR/SGN | no universal vaccination certificate appears in immigration sources; health requirements are Timatic-like and can also depend on your previous route | MOFA visa exemption list, eVisa, Vietnam Airlines travel docs, IATA Travel Centre |
| Unspecified EU passport | Cannot be hard-coded: some European passports have the 45-day waiver, others do not; if not in the waiver group, the answer is eVisa | eVisa or classic visa depending on purpose | 0 USD only if on the waiver list; otherwise eVisa 25/50 USD | 45 days, or max 90 days with eVisa | eVisa usually 3 working days | min. 6 months + 2 blank pages | route-dependent / Timatic-dependent | eVisa: planned address of stay required | no fixed public limit found | Pre-arrival declaration at the 4 main airports | route-dependent, recheck in Timatic | IATA Travel Centre, MOFA visa exemption list, eVisa |
| USA | eVisa | eVisa | 25 USD single / 50 USD multiple | max 90 days | usually 3 working days | valid passport holder | airline/route-dependent; no universal public requirement found for every itinerary | eVisa: planned address of stay | no public minimum limit found | Pre-arrival declaration at the 4 main airports | health recommendations per CDC/itinerary | eVisa, Vietnam Immigration Portal, IATA Travel Centre |
The table is built from the official eVisa system, the immigration portal, the visa-exemption list of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IATA Travel Centre and the Vietnam Airlines arrival information page. "Return ticket", "proof of funds" and some health items are deliberately left unconfirmed where no unambiguous, current Vietnamese primary source exists - those are exactly the most Timatic- and route-dependent items.
What matters in practice
- The eVisa is now the main standard route for most tourists not in the visa-free group, or wanting to stay longer than 45 days. The official immigration portal lists validity up to 90 days, both single and multiple entry, and standard processing of 3 working days after payment. The fee is 25 USD single entry and 50 USD multiple entry, non-refundable if refused.
- A classic visa via an embassy or sponsor is what to plan for outside the standard eVisa workflow, or for a purpose needing a different category. The Vietnamese embassy in London runs both tourist and business processing requiring a valid passport and an approval letter from the Vietnamese immigration authority, with standard processing of 5–7 working days. Read that as a signal for other countries too: if your case is not a standard tourist one, do not count on visa on arrival.
- Visa on arrival is not an ordinary walk-up tourist product. The official sources describe prior authorization or a sponsored procedure rather than a universal option. If a website promises "VOA for everyone", compare it against Timatic or an official immigration or embassy source.
- The pre-arrival electronic declaration is new and practically important. Vietnam Airlines states that foreign travelers arriving via Nội Bài, Đà Nẵng, Cam Ranh and Tân Sơn Nhất should complete it at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn or by QR code, which then opens the priority "Pre-Arrival Info" entry lane.
- Be conservative about your passport. Published guidance calls for at least 6 months of validity from arrival and at least 2 blank pages, and warns that a damaged passport can mean refused entry or departure. Carriers and Timatic evaluate transit segments separately, so if you connect outside Vietnam, check the transit country's rules too.
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