Vietnam VISA FAQs

We have listed most frequently asked questions regarding visa on arrival, however, if you have any further questions, feel free to contact us!. Surely you will get your right answers shortly.

1. Are there any exceptions with this type of visa?
Yes, visa on arrival is NOT APPLICABLE to OVERLAND ENTRY . Three international airports in Vietnam that you can get your visa stamp with this approval letter are: Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) and Danang Airport (Da Nang).

Note: If you plan to enter Vietnam by land or cruise, please visit a Vietnamese embassy to get your visa.

2.How can I receive my visa approval letter?
Answer: A colored scanned copy of the approval letter will be sent to you by email or by fax, so please make sure that you have provided us with the correct email address or the fax number.
Note: the approval letter is in PDF format, so please make sure you have the latest version of Foxit Reader in order to open the file.

3.What is "approval letter"?
Answer: "Visa approval letter" is a letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department (Vietnam Government) which allows you to enter and exit Vietnam for a given time period. With the approval letter, you will be able to pick up your visa upon arrival at one of the three international airports in Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang).
Before issuing an approval letter, the Immigration Department will check your application very strictly. Therefore, there will be NO chance you are REFUSED at Vietnam airport if you have obtained an approval letter. However, we strongly advised you to read our website along with following all the instructions carefully to avoid any problems at Vietnam airport.

4.How long does it takes to get the approval letter?
Answer: In normal case, the approval letter will be processed within Two (2) business days (except Saturday, Sunday and National Holidays). In urgent case, it can be processed within 4-8 working hours.
Notes: all applications must be submitted before 8.00 AM Vietnam time (GMT +7)  in order to get it done within that day. After 2.00 PM all applications that are submited will be held up to the next day.

5. In which situations Visa on Arrival is not accepted?Answer: Yes, visa on arrival is NOT APPLICABLE to OVERLAND ENTRY. Your visa stamp with this approval letter are only accepted at 3 international airports in Vietnam: Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) and Danang Airport (Da Nang).
Note: If you plan to enter Vietnam by land or cruise, please visit a Vietnamese embassy to get your visa.

Vietnam tourist visa

A Vietnam visa is part of the required migration process for all travellers to the country. Dependent on the purpose of an applicant's visit, a Tourist or Business visa will be required for entry.

The most popular type of visa for Vietnam is tourist visa which is normally valid for 15-30 days. Tourist visas can be extended once you are arriving to Vietnam.

In some cases, you can apply for a 3 month visa for tourism purpose; the procedure will be the same with 1 month visa. In other words, Vietnamese tourist visa's validity can be from 15 days to 3 months. Procedures:In order to apply for a tourist visa online and pick up your visa at Vietnam airports, the following information is required:

* Your name on passport: it is your full name appears on your passport, name order is not important, so you can place either surname first or first name first.

* Your date of birth: in Vietnam, the date format will be DD/MM/YYYY

* Your Nationality or passport: the passport you are using to enter Vietnam (UK, US or Australian)

* Your passport number: as shown on your passport and should be valid for 6 months at least from the date of arrival.

* Date of arrival: it is not necessarily exact, you can fill in with proposed date of arrival, however, please be advised that you can just enter Vietnam later not earlier.Photos: photos are required at Vietnam airport onlyYou can use our secure online form to submit your application or find all the download forms hereinstead.Tourism & Business purposes: On the approval letter, 3 month, 6 month visa is listed for business purposes by default, however, as the above statement, there is no difference and you can enter Vietnam for any purposes.

Vietnam visa tips

1. Tourist visas allow visitors to enter and exit Vietnam at Hanoi, HCMC and Danang airports or at any of its twelve land borders, three each with Cambodia and China, and six with Laos.

2. Only citizens of certain countries can visit Vietnam without Vietnam Visa.
Country Temporary time in Vietnam
Most citizens of ASEAN countries Less than 30 days
Korea, Japan Less than 30 days
Scandinavians (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) Less than 30 days

All other citizens are required to get Visa Vietnam before departure (Vietnam entry visa issued prior to departure by Vietnamese consulates or embassies) or a pre-approved Vietnam Visa (visa is issued on arrival at Vietnam International Airports) supplied before arrival in Vietnam.

3. Tourist visas are valid for a single 30-day stay. The government often talks about issuing visas on arrival to certain favored nationalities, but as yet this sensible scheme has failed to materialize. Arranging the paperwork for a Vietnamese visa has become fairly straightforward, but it remains expensive and unnecessarily time-consuming.

4. It is possible to arrange a visa on arrival through a Vietnamese travel agent. They will need passport details in advance and will send a confirmation for the visa to be issued at your airport of arrival. In Asia the best place to pick up a Vietnamese visa is Cambodia, where it cost around US $30 and can be arranged the same day. Bangkok is also a popular place as many agents offer cheap packages with an airline ticket and visa thrown in.

5. If you plan to spend more than a month in Vietnam, or if you plan to exit Vietnam and enter again from Cambodia or Laos, arrange a three-month multiple-Visa. This cost around US$95 in Cambodia, but is not available from all Vietnamese embassies. In our experience personal appearance influences the reception you receive from airport immigration - if you wear shorts or scruffy clothing, look dirty or unshaven, you can expect problems. Try your best to look 'respectable'.