American passport holders can’t enter Vietnam visa-free, so a US citizen has to arrange an e-visa. Depending on whether you need one entry or several, the e-visa costs $25 or $50, permits a stay of up to 90 days, and normally gets processed in 3 working days. You apply through the online portal at evisa.gov.vn.
In this independent guide you’ll find which visa suits your trip, what it costs, which documents you need and which mistakes to sidestep. We’re not a government site: we don’t submit applications and we don’t collect fees. The facts here are drawn from the Immigration Department’s portal and from government notices. Our entry requirements and visa-free entry pages go into more detail.
Is a Vietnam visa required for US citizens?
Yes, you do. Vietnam’s visa exemption list doesn’t include American passports, even though citizens of countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland can stay 45 days without a visa.
Under Resolution 127/NQ-CP, from 15 August 2023 Vietnam grants e-visas to citizens of every country and territory, which means a US passport qualifies. Single entry and multiple entry are both on offer, and each stays valid for up to 90 days. Three conditions apply: you hold a passport, you don’t fall into the excluded categories listed in Article 8 of the entry law, and no entry ban under Article 21 applies to you, as the Immigration Department’s FAQ sets out.
Cost and Processing Time
The fee is paid online, using the e-payment gateway on the portal.
| What you’re comparing | Single-entry e-visa | Multiple-entry e-visa |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $25 | $50 |
| Validity | Up to 90 days | Up to 90 days |
| Entries allowed | One | Multiple |
| Typical processing | 3 working days | 3 working days |
Once your payment goes through and the details you supplied are valid, processing normally takes 3 working days. Should the Police Department decide to verify your application, plan for 3 to 15 working days. Weekends and public holidays don’t count as working days, and it can take as long as 2 hours for the payment status to refresh.
Resolution No. 30/2016/QH14 classifies the money as a processing fee, which is why it isn’t returned even when the visa is refused. Send the same application a second time and it’s treated as a separate one, so the first payment stays with the authorities. Details that are incomplete lead to a request for more information or to a refusal, and the countdown begins again from the moment you resubmit.
How to Apply for a Vietnam Visa for US Citizens
The whole process happens online, and you can start as early as 1 year before the date you enter.
Open the e-visa portal
Go to evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn.
Prepare your photo and passport image
Get a portrait photo and an image of your passport’s data page ready.
Enter your name in capitals
Type it exactly the way it appears on the ICAO line.
Declare your trip history
In section 6.9, list any trips you took over the past year, along with any violations in your history.
Pay the fee
Send $25 or $50 via the payment portal.
Collect your e-visa result
Collect your e-visa result when processing finishes.
Your photo has to be new, sized 4 x 6 cm, saved as JPG or JPEG and smaller than 2 MB, with your face looking straight ahead, no hat or glasses, formal clothing and a white background. The passport image should make the data page easy to read.
Capitals again here: the name you type has to match the ICAO line character for character. Give honest answers and tick every box that applies, because concealing an earlier violation results in refusal. E-visas are issued only to foreigners who are outside the country at the time, so anyone already in Vietnam has to leave and come back in before applying. The portal runs on UTC+07:00. Our application guide and tips and scams pages cover the details and warn about fake sites.
Entry Rules and Common Mistakes
At least 30 days of passport validity must remain beyond the e-visa’s expiry, and both your arrival and your departure have to go through designated border gates.
- Passport timing: the UK FCDO suggests 6 months of validity past arrival plus 2 blank pages. Treat that as a reasonable benchmark rather than a US rule.
- Not required: for an e-visa, no official source asks for an onward ticket, proof of funds, travel insurance or a yellow fever vaccination.
- Border gates: 15 by air, among them Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc, plus 27 land gates and 39 sea gates. Leaving through a different gate than the one you arrived at is allowed.
- Same passport: use one passport for both arrival and departure, and check the temporary residence stamp before you step away from border control.
- For arrival forms, the Immigration Department advises using the pre-arrival form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. At Tan Son Nhat a digital arrival card has been encouraged since 15 April 2026, though it isn’t compulsory yet.
- While you’re there: keep your passport on you, declare any change of address, and remember that overstaying or working illegally can lead to fines, deportation and a ban.
Also worth reading: our pages covering passport validity, the arrival card, registration after arrival, customs and currency, and overstay penalties.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Paying twice for one application. A duplicate doesn’t bring the first fee back, so look through your inbox before you apply again.
- Spelling your name differently than on the passport. Any mismatch can hold up verification.
- Uploading a photo in the wrong format. Take a fresh one instead of cropping a holiday snapshot.
- Skipping the trip history. Section 6.9 wants the trips you took during the past year, if there were any, and incomplete information may trigger a request for more details or a refusal.
- Buying a flight that lands at a gate which isn’t designated. Confirm your arrival point before paying for tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can US citizens visit Vietnam without a visa?
You can’t. American passport holders don’t appear on the exemption list, which means an e-visa is required, and since 15 August 2023 that option has been available to citizens of every country.
What is the cost of a Vietnam visa for US citizens?
You pay $25 for a single-entry visa or $50 for a multiple-entry one, and either stays valid for up to 90 days. Even a refused application doesn’t get the fee refunded.
What is the processing time for a Vietnam e-visa?
Usually 3 working days from the moment you pay. When the Police Department verifies your application, count on 3 to 15 working days.
What passport validity is required for a Vietnam e-visa?
Your passport has to remain valid at least 30 days beyond the e-visa’s own validity. The UK FCDO suggests 6 months of validity past arrival, along with 2 blank pages.
With an e-visa, is it possible to enter and exit Vietnam at different border gates?
You can. Designated international gates are mandatory, but there’s no need to leave through the same gate you arrived at.
Does entering Vietnam require travel insurance or proof of funds?
Neither is required from e-visa holders by any official source.
How early can I apply for a Vietnam e-visa?
As much as 1 year ahead of your entry date, and only from outside Vietnam. Anyone already in the country has to leave and come back in before applying.
What occurs if I submit a duplicate e-visa application?
The Immigration Department counts it as an application in its own right and keeps your first fee. Should both be approved, both are valid.
Sources and Verification
- Vietnam National e-Visa Portal (Immigration Department) – what it costs, the 90-day validity, how long processing takes and the no-refund rules (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
- Viet Nam Immigration Department – e-Visa application form – the specifications for the photo and the passport image (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
- Vietnam National e-Visa Portal – FAQs – passport validity, how the name should be written, the trip declaration, border gates and how much lead time to allow (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
- Government of Viet Nam e-newspaper – Resolution 127/NQ-CP, which opened e-visas to every nationality (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
- UK FCDO – Vietnam travel advice: entry requirements – passport validity, blank pages, the arrival card and what follows an overstay (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
- WHO – Vaccination requirements and recommendations for international travellers – Vietnam’s entry status for yellow fever (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
- Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam – details of visa exemptions (zweryfikowano 2026-10-13)
