It is me, Tony again. I wrote this guide months ago and many have successfully applied for the Vietnam evisa. However, I have been asked several questions again and again. My guide was not clear enough. So this is the updated version of it. I made a video as well so that you can follow it easily. It will take you around 30 minutes for the first try, don’t expect any shortcut here or you will have to do it again and again. If you have already applied but got denied, skip to the FAQs, your solutions might be there or contact us directly.
Table of Contents
Check your eligibility
There is a list of nationalities with a visa exemption policy. If you hold a passport from any of these countries, you are eligible to come to Vietnam without applying for a visa. 45-day visa exemption list: Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia and Belarus. 30-day visa exemption list: Brunei, Myanmar, Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Laos. If you are on this list, you need not do anything about visa. Just fly in as many times as you want with a passport that is valid for more than 6 months. But if you want to stay for more than 30 days or 45 days in a single period without leaving the country, you will have to apply for evisa as usual, see below.
The official website of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism announced a new policy update on August 15th, 2023. This allows citizens from all countries to apply for electronic visas (evisas) online to enter Vietnam. These evisas are valid for 90 days with single or multiple entries. This policy will replace the list with 80 eligible countries in the past. It means anyone from anywhere can apply for a visa online now, no need to contact to the embassy anymore.
Prepare the required documents
The next step is to prepare the required documents. You will need a digital portrait photo with a bright background, a photo of your passport information page, and a credit card or PayPal account to pay for the visa fee. Those photos must be sharp enough, and do not let anything like a finger cover information on the passport photo. Both ears and shoulders should be visible in the portrait. If the website denies your photo, it is probably too large in size, use an online resize image to resize it to below 1200p and 1024KB (portrait) and below 2048KB (passport).
Complete the online application form
The next step is to complete the online application form. You can access the application form on the Vietnam Immigration Department’s website. Below are valid links, follow those links only, any other links you find on the internet might lead you to a scam site that might steal your credit card information. A simple way to know if a link is valid is the URL. Any website of the authorities in Vietnam ending with .gov.vn (.govt.vn, .govh.vn or any others is not valid and might be a scam, pay attention to the dot). The application form will ask for your personal information, passport information, and travel details. Make sure to fill in all the required fields correctly, as any errors can cause delays or rejection of your application. If you have difficulty filling in your information, check the video or head to the FAQs.
I made a list of things that you need to fill in, you can find it here.
Currently, there are two valid links that you might apply, any is okay. Read the guide, check the box, and click Next :
https://immigration.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu
https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu
Pay the visa fee
After completing the online application form, you will be asked to pay the visa fee. The fee for a single-entry eVisa is US $25 and for multiple entries is US $50 both are non-refundable. Single entry means you come and stay for one period only. The multiple entries option means you can come, stay for a period, fly out to another country, and then come back, again and again.
You can pay the fee using a credit card or PayPal account.
Notice*: Due to the limitation of the state webpage, if your payment is not completed the first time, you will have to do all the filling again from the beginning. Hope they will fix it soon.
Wait for the processing
Once you have paid the visa fee, your application will be processed by the Vietnam Immigration Department. The processing time is usually 3 working days, and you will be notified of the result by email. If your application is approved, you will receive an eVisa approval letter. The process might take a lot longer in many situations, so you should do it as early as you could. Currently, there is an error that prevents you from downloading the visa result, just use a computer, select print and print as PDF. Or you can take a high-resolution photo and print it out.
Enter Vietnam
Once you arrive in Vietnam, present your passport and eVisa approval letter to immigration officers for verification. After verification, you will be allowed to enter Vietnam without any other fees.
With an approved e-visa, you can enjoy all that Vietnam has to offer without any hassle. If you are in a rush or still confused about the process, send us a message, and we will be happy to assist. Or book our visa services below to buy us a drink.