Vietnam e-Visa

The Vietnam e-Visa is the country's online travel authorisation, issued by the Vietnamese Immigration Department through its official portal. Since 15 August 2023 it has been open to citizens of every country and territory, so most travellers, including US citizens, now use the e-Visa rather than a sticker visa or visa on arrival. It is granted for tourism and business and is issued either as a single-entry document, which lets you enter Vietnam once for a stay of up to 90 days, or as a multiple-entry document, which lets you come and go as often as you like within a 90-day validity window.

Before you start the Vietnam e-Visa form, gather these so each upload matches the next exactly. You need a passport with at least six months of validity beyond your arrival date and two blank pages for the entry stamp; have the passport number and its issue and expiry dates to hand. Two files are uploaded, so prepare them in advance: a recent digital passport-style photograph, the equivalent of 4 by 6 cm, on a plain light background, with your full face visible and no glasses or head covering except for religious reasons, and a clear, uncropped scan of your passport data page, the one carrying your photo and personal details.

The Vietnam e-Visa is applied for entirely online, step by step. First, confirm you need it: since August 2023 the e-Visa is open to every nationality, and it must be approved before you travel. Second, prepare your passport, your photograph and the scan of your data page, and decide your entry and exit points.

Yes, print your Vietnam e-Visa before you travel. Although the e-Visa is an electronic document, Vietnamese border officials commonly ask to see a paper copy on arrival, and some airlines check for it at the departure gate, so carry a printed copy and keep a digital version on your phone as a backup. Travel on the exact passport you used for the application, because the e-Visa is linked to that document and to your name as it is written there.

Government processing: the Vietnamese Immigration Department decides most e-Visa applications in 1 to 5 business days. VisitPass review: Standard 1-3 business days; Rush 1 business day; Super Rush less than 6 hours, during which the application is checked for completeness, the entry and exit points are confirmed, the application is submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued with status tracking. Plan ahead: apply at least two weeks before you travel so there is room for the government decision and for any correction if a document needs to be re-uploaded.

Available to all nationalities since August 2023, including US citizens. Single-entry e-Visas are valid up to 90 days; multiple-entry e-Visas allow several visits within the 90-day validity. The e-Visa is required before travel.

VisitPass is an independent travel-document service, not a government website and not affiliated with the Vietnamese authorities. Your application is submitted to the official Vietnam e-Visa system run by the Immigration Department, and the government fee is paid in full to that authority and itemised on your receipt; the service fee covers preparing the application, reviewing it for completeness before submission, and email support in your own language. You are free to apply directly on the government portal; many travellers prefer a guided form, in a language they read comfortably, that is checked before it is sent.