Citizens of 24 countries may enter Vietnam without a visa for 45 days, under two government resolutions. For everyone else, the route is an e-visa: 25 USD for single entry or 50 USD for multiple entry, valid for up to 90 days.
If you want to check how a particular passport is treated before booking flights, this page is for you. We’re an independent travel guide, not a government website. Applications are submitted through the Vietnam National e-Visa Portal. We neither take payments nor file anything on your behalf, so confirm the rules on that portal before you fly.
Who Needs a Visa for Vietnam? Country Groups
Vietnam places passports into three buckets: visa-free, e-visa, and a small unconfirmed group. Locate your row, then read the notes on conditions.
| Passport | Requirement | Max stay and key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea | Visa-free | 45 days, any purpose, any passport type |
| Poland, Netherlands, Czechia | Visa-free | 45 days, tourism only |
| United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland | E-visa | Up to 90 days, 25 / 50 USD |
| India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, Saudi Arabia | E-visa | Up to 90 days, 25 / 50 USD |
| Ukraine, Afghanistan | E-visa | Up to 90 days, 25 / 50 USD |
| Philippines, Indonesia | Unconfirmed | Check with an embassy before booking |
From 15 August 2023, Resolution 127/NQ-CP made e-visas available to citizens of every country and territory, so no nationality is shut out. Even travellers who qualify for visa-free entry have to satisfy Vietnam’s entry conditions. The full rules sit in our Vietnam entry requirements guide.
Visa-Free Entry: Who Qualifies
Two resolutions grant 45 days without a visa, yet only one of them covers every purpose of travel.
Citizens of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland are exempt under Resolution 44/NQ-CP of 7 March 2025. You receive 45 days counted from entry, whatever passport type you hold and whatever your reason for travelling. This exemption applies from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028, and an extension will be reviewed. Resolutions dating from 2022 and 2023 have ceased to apply, as the Government of Viet Nam news release states.
Resolution 44/NQ-CP: 12 countries, any purpose; Resolution 229/NQ-CP: 12 countries, tourism only
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland fall under Resolution 229/NQ-CP of 8 August 2025. Those travellers also get 45 days, but tourism is the only permitted purpose. Visitors from these countries who come for business or to see family need an e-visa. The window, part of the tourism stimulus programme, runs from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028. Entry conditions bind both groups. Our visa-free entry guide holds further detail.
E-Visa Cost, Validity and Processing Time
An e-visa costs 25 USD for single entry or 50 USD for multiple entry, and it remains valid for as long as 90 days. Processing normally takes 3 working days.
Fees cannot be refunded under any circumstances. Because it covers processing rather than acting as a deposit, a denial does not return your money. Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays are not counted as working days. Should the Police Department need to verify your application, plan for 3 to 15 working days, according to the e-Visa Portal notices.
- Payment status may take up to 2 hours to update. A pending screen is no reason to submit again.
- Submitting an identical application twice means paying twice, and the first fee will not come back. If both are approved, either one works.
- When information is incomplete or invalid, you’ll be asked for more, and the clock restarts once valid details arrive.
US passport holders don’t appear on the visa-exempt list, so they file an e-visa just like everyone else. Walkthroughs by type are in our single-entry and multiple-entry guides, with prices in our cost and processing overview.
How to Apply for Your Vietnam E-Visa
Everything happens online: you file the form, upload your passport data page and a portrait photo, pay the fee, and get the result within the processing time. The sequence runs as follows.
Open the government portal
Open evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/foreigners, the government portal run by the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security.
Prepare your documents
Take a scan of the information page in your passport and get a portrait-style photo ready that complies with the portal’s criteria.
Complete the application form
Complete the application form with accurate, valid details. Mismatches cause delays.
Pay the fee
Pay 25 USD for single or 50 USD for multiple through the VietCombank payment gateway.
Wait for processing
Allow 3 business days, or between 3 and 15 days when verification is required.
Print your e-visa
Print out the e-visa once it is approved and present it to immigration officials.
Fill in the pre-arrival form
Fill in the pre-arrival form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn before you fly, as the Immigration Department recommends.
Only designated international border gates may be used: 13 airports, among them Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Cam Ranh, Da Nang and Phu Quoc; 16 land crossings, including Mong Cai, Huu Nghi, Lao Cai, Moc Bai and Ha Tien; and 13 sea ports. Every step is covered in our application guide, while warnings about copycat sites appear in our scam tips.
Common Mistakes and Special Cases
Most trouble stems from paperwork filed in the wrong category, or from checks made too early. These are the cases worth knowing.
- Unconfirmed nationalities. Before making a booking, travellers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Panama, Singapore, and Thailand ought to check their status with an embassy.
- Tourism-only mix-ups. Citizens covered by Resolution 229/NQ-CP cannot enter visa-free for business or family visits.
- Overstaying. Be sure to leave before your 45- or 90-day limit expires; see our overstay penalties guide.
- Ineligible applicants. People covered by Article 8 clauses 1 to 4 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence cannot use the e-visa portal. They are required to submit their application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via an agency that invites or guarantees them.
- After entry. If an authority, organisation, or individual in Vietnam invites or guarantees them, e-visa holders can apply for a new visa.
One further group exists. A special visa exemption card is available under Decree 221/2025/ND-CP to high-ranking official guests, scholars, scientists, investors, corporate leaders, cultural and sports figures, honorary consuls and similar cases. Multiple entries are permitted with it, it lasts up to 5 years, and it is at least 30 days shorter than your remaining passport validity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do US citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. Holders of US passports aren’t on the visa-exempt list, so they apply for an e-visa at evisa.gov.vn: 25 USD single entry or 50 USD multiple entry, valid up to 90 days.
Which nations are allowed to enter Vietnam without a visa for a period of 45 days?
Two groups qualify. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland may enter for any purpose. Only for tourism do Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland qualify.
What is the cost of a Vietnam e-visa?
Single entry costs 25 USD, multiple entry 50 USD. The fee is non-refundable, even when your application is denied, and payment goes through the portal’s VietCombank gateway.
What is the processing time for a Vietnam e-visa?
Usually 3 working days after payment, provided your information is complete and valid. Where verification is required, expect 3 to 15 working days. That total does not include weekends or Vietnamese public holidays.
Among holders of European passports, who requires a visa for Vietnam?
People from the countries included in the two resolutions are eligible for visa-free entry, but the second group may only travel for tourism. Other holders of European passports – for instance, citizens of Austria, Portugal, Greece, or Ireland – require an e-visa valid for up to 90 days; the same applies to travellers who stay more than 45 days or enter for business from the tourism-only list.
Is it possible to use my e-visa at every border crossing in Vietnam?
No. Entry and exit are required through specified international border gates: 13 airports, 16 land crossings, and 13 sea ports. Before you book a route that goes through a smaller crossing, look at the published list on the e-visa portal.
From Asian countries, who requires a visa for Vietnam?
Passport holders from Japan and South Korea enter visa-free for 45 days under Resolution 44/NQ-CP. An e-visa is required for citizens of India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Travellers from the Philippines and Indonesia ought to check their status with an embassy before anything else.
Sources and verification
- Vietnam National e-Visa Portal notices: fees, 90-day validity, processing times, non-refundable fee (verified 2026-10-13)
- Government of Viet Nam news: Resolution 44/NQ-CP: exemption for 12 countries, any purpose, 45 days (verified 2026-10-13)
- Government of Viet Nam news: Resolution 229/NQ-CP: tourism stimulus exemption and special visa exemption card (verified 2026-10-13)
- Viet Nam Immigration Department: e-Visa application form: where to apply (verified 2026-10-13)
- Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: visa exemption page: exemption list link (verified 2026-10-13)
- Government of Viet Nam e-newspaper: Resolution 127/NQ-CP: e-visas for all nationalities and designated border gates (verified 2026-10-13)
- United Nations: Universal Declaration of Human Rights: right to leave and return to your country (verified 2026-10-13)
