Vietnam Tourist Visa: How To Apply

The Vietnamese Government has bilateral agreements with 88 countries on visa exemption. For those who are not legally exempt from any Vietnam visa, applying for a Vietnam tourist visa (DL) when choosing to go on vacation in Vietnam is a must. There are 3 ways to apply for the Vietnam visas which are applying for the visa by yourself at any Vietnam Embassy, applying for the visa upon arrival, and registering online (E-visa). Let’s find out how each works.

Applying for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy

Who can apply for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy?

Applying for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy is recommended for those who are familiar with the visa application procedure at the embassy. Otherwise, you should contact the embassy to ask for guidance to prepare the required documents and fees in advance.

What are the documents to prepare when applying for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy?

At the Vietnam Embassy, they will process the whole procedure for you. But you must prepare the following documents to submit them to the Vietnam Embassy in your country:

• A valid passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the intended arrival date to Vietnam.
• Two 2×2 inches or 4×6 cm (passport-sized) photos.

How does the procedure of applying for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy work?

You will have to fill in a visa application form (NA1) and submit the passport and photos to the embassy. Then, you will need to pay the fee to process the procedure. Please remember that the visa application procedure at each Vietnam Embassy is not the same. So it usually takes around 3-5 working days upon the receipt and the result will be sent by mail to your home address.

How much to pay when applying for a Vietnam tourist visa at the Vietnam Embassy?

There is no specific fee when applying for visas at the Vietnam Embassy. Because the procedure is not the same for each embassy, the fee to pay for the application will be informed to you directly.

What are the advantages and disadvantages when applying for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy?

The advantages:

• You only have to pay the fees for the embassy. 
• You can get the visa before entering Vietnam.

The disadvantages:

• You must send your passport to the embassy as one of the requirements.
• The procedure and the fee to pay at each embassy are not the same.
• It takes a lot of time to go to the embassy to complete the procedure.
• The application can be rejected and the application fee is non-refundable.
• If you are in a hurry and need to get the visa immediately, the embassy cannot process it for you in a short time.
• You may have to pay for other fees such as visa approval fee, processing fee, postage, etc., which depends on each embassy.

Applying for a visa upon arrival

What is a visa on arrival?

Visa on arrival or VOA is the type of visa that you can apply for the approval letter in advance and receive the visa at the international airports in Vietnam.

Who can apply for a visa upon arrival?

Applying for a visa on arrival is a convenient way for those who don’t have time to go to the embassy. Furthermore, if you fall into one of the following cases, you can apply for a visa on arrival:

• You come from a country that does not have any Vietnam Embassy to grant you any type of Vietnam visa.
• You have to transit to many countries before entering Vietnam.
• You visit Vietnam on tours that are organized by authorized travel agencies in Vietnam.
• You are a crew member of a ship that is docked at the seaport of Vietnam.
• You have to attend the funeral of relatives.
• You enter Vietnam to participate in emergency rescue missions, prevention of natural disasters or epidemics, or for other special reasons at the request of relevant competent Vietnamese agencies.

What are the documents to prepare when applying for a visa on arrival?

You must bring the following documents when applying for a visa upon arrival at Vietnam international airports:

• An approval letter.
• A passport with remaining validity for at least 6 months.
• Two 2×2 inches or 4×6 cm (passport-sized) photos.

How does the procedure of applying for a visa on arrival work?

Note that you need an approval letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department in Vietnam when applying for a visa upon arrival. The approval letter for the visa can be applied online. You can contact any licensed travel agency to help you do that. At Visa2Asia, the procedure is really simple and transparent:

• Fill in the online application form at Visa2Asia.
• Check and confirm the information.
• Make the payment for the service.
• Receive an approval letter after 3-5 working days.

After landing at Vietnam international airports, go to the Visa Application counter in the Transfer and Visa section to fill in the VOA application form. Then, hand in your approval letter along with your valid passport and photos at the landing visa counter. Finally, pay the stamping fee at the next counter and you will get your visa on arrival immediately.

How much to pay when applying for a Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival?

The fee to pay for the visa is the stamping fee which is based on the type of entry of your visa. Please remember that you have to pay in cash (USD or VND):

• Single entry in 1 month: US$25.
• Multi-entry in 1 month: US$50.
• Single entry in 3 months: US$25.
• Multi-entry in 3 months: US$50. 
• Multi-entry in 6 months: US$95 (For US citizens).
• Multi-entry in 1 year: US$135 (For US citizens).

Additionally, if you choose Visa2Asia to process your visa on arrival, you will need to pay the service fee. It will be collected when you submit your online application form. Please contact us – Visa2Asia for more information about applying for a visa on arrival.

What are the advantages and disadvantages when applying for a visa on arrival?

The advantages:

• You do not have to send off your passport like when you apply for a visa at Vietnam Embassies.
• Most steps are processed online, all you need to do is to submit your approval letter along with your passport and photos at the landing visa counter in Vietnam international airports. 
• You only need to do three simple online steps at Visa2Asia: Register online applications, make the payment and get the approval letter via email.
• It takes only 2 working days and you can receive the approval letter, or within just 4 – 8 working hours for urgent cases. All the process will be done by the agency.
• The stamping fees are well-publicized at the airports.
• You can reach out easily to the dedicated support of Visa2Asia if you are in a hurry or when you need more information.

The disadvantages:

• You will have to wait in line to get the visa on arrival at the landing visa counter of the Vietnam international airport.
• The name of the representative from the travel agency can be stated in the approval letter instead of yours. Because that person is the one who processes everything on your behalf.

Additional information about applying for a visa on arrival

The following keynotes will be useful for you if you have the intention to apply for a Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival:

• Check beforehand whether your nationality is allowed to be exempted from any Vietnam visa.
• Vietnam visa on arrival is only available for traveling by plane.
• Only Vietnam international airports accept the visa on arrival.
• Children under 14 years old do not need a separate visa application, but two 2×2 inches or 4×6 cm (passport-sized) photos and some information required in the application form of their parents are necessary. 
• The stamping fee must be paid in cash (USD or VND).
• Your passport must have at least one blank page for the visa stamp issued at the airport.

Applying for an e-visa

What is an e-visa?

Vietnam electronic visa or Vietnam e-visa is available for foreigners entering Vietnam from February 2017 and its validity is 30 days. This visa is for single entry only. Here at Visa2Asia, we are in the process to open a new service for applying for the Vietnam e-visa. In the meantime, you can take a look at the information below for your reference or choose our Vietnam visa on arrival service for a fast and easy way to get your tourist visa.

Who can apply for an e-visa?

The Vietnam Government has allowed citizens of 80 countries to enter Vietnam with a Vietnam e-visa.

What are the documents to prepare when applying for an e-visa?

Applying for the e-visa is processed online at the website of the Vietnam Immigration Department. You can apply by yourself or you can contact a trusted travel agency to help you do it. Please keep in mind that you have to prepare the following documents before the registration:

• A scanned photo of the valid passport (6 months of validity remaining) data page.
• A scanned photo of a passport photo (2×2 inches or 4×6 cm, white background, no glasses, and straight face).

How does the procedure of applying for an e-visa work?

When the required documents for the e-visa are ready, please follow these 5 steps:

Step 1: Go to the website of the Vietnam Immigration Department at this link.  Read the instruction carefully and tick on the confirmation box then press “Next” to go to the application form page. 

Step 2: Fill in the required information which is marked (*) and upload both the scanned passport photo and the scanned passport data page.

Step 3: Review the application form.          

Step 4: Pay the stamping fee with credit or debit cards. 

Step 5: Receive a registration code to check on the result of the E-visa at this link.

Please remember that you will receive the result after approximately 3 days and then your E-Visa can be printed out if it is approved.

How much to pay when applying for a Vietnam tourist e-visa?

The fee to apply for the Vietnam e-visa is $25/person and it is non-refundable if the application is disapproved.

What are the advantages and disadvantages when applying for an e – visa?

The advantages:

• The procedure is conducted completely online with easy instructions.
• You only have to pay a one-time fee.
• The process takes approximately 3 days to get the result.

The disadvantages:

• The fee is non-refundable if the application is disapproved.
• You can be scammed and your data can be stolen if you get untrustworthy travel agencies or organizations to apply for you.
• The e-visa is only accepted at some international ports in Vietnam.

Additional information about applying for an e- Visa

The visa is accepted at 8 international airports, 16 land ports, and 9 seaports of Vietnam. When arriving at one of Vietnam’s international ports above, you must present the printout of the E-visa along with your valid passport (6 months of validity remaining).

Keynotes of exempting a Vietnam tourist visa

As mentioned above, the Vietnamese Government has agreed to let citizens of 88 countries be exempted from visa when entering Vietnam. Furthermore, citizens of foreign countries who visit Phu Quoc island are exempted from any Vietnam visa (available when staying on the island within 30 days). This also applies to foreigners who enter Vietnam at one of the Vietnamese international border gates and stay in the transit area, then forwarding to Phu Quoc island.

Travel to Vietnam during Covid-19 pandemic

Foreigners haven’t been allowed to enter Vietnam since March 22nd, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, foreigners who enter Vietnam with a diplomatic visa are still allowed.

Currently, the Vietnam Government is in the final steps of testing the Covid-19 vaccine (Nanocovax). So far, there is not any negative result reported. It is believed that mass vaccination will be conducted. Because of this, possibly, in this year 2021, foreigners will be allowed to travel to Vietnam again. Apply to get your Vietnam tourist visa NOW! Here at Visa2Asia, everything is transparent.