Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to the conventional method of obtaining a visa at the Vietnam Embassy, there is an alternative option known as "Visa on arrival" to obtain a visa for Vietnam.

To obtain this type of visa, you, as the visa applicant, must first submit an online application for a visa approval letter. This letter serves as an official authorization that permits you to board the flight and have your visa stamped upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam. To complete the visa stamping process, you will need to present your Vietnam approval letter, along with your passport (which should be valid for at least 6 months), two passport-sized photos, the Vietnamese visa application form, and the stamping fee to the Immigration Officers at the airport.

The key contrast between obtaining a visa on arrival versus applying for a visa at a Vietnam Embassy lies in the process of obtaining the visa stamp. With a visa on arrival, the Vietnam Immigration Department issues a visa approval letter that confirms your entry into Vietnam on a specific date, and the visa stamp is affixed to your passport upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam. On the other hand, with a visa application submitted to a Vietnam Embassy, the visa stamp is attached to your passport by the embassy before it is returned to you.

The Vietnam Immigration Department (under the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security) issues a document called the "Vietnam Visa approval letter". This document serves as an official authorization for its holder(s) to travel to Vietnam and obtain a visa stamp on their passport upon arrival at the Vietnam airport.

Under normal circumstances, you can expect to receive your approval letter for a tourist visa within 3 working days, or 5-7 working days for a business visa. Please note that this does not include Saturdays, Sundays, or national holidays. However, if you require an urgent visa, the following time frames apply for tourist visas:

• If you submit your visa application form and pay the service fee before 12:00 PM (Vietnam time) on a working day (Monday to Friday), you can opt for same-day processing. In such a case, you will receive the approval letter by 18:00 PM on the same working day.
• If you submit your visa application form and pay the fee after 12:00 PM (Vietnam time) on a working day (from Monday to Friday), you will receive the approval letter on the next working day by 18:00 PM. This processing option is called "Next Day Processing". or 2-3 working days for business visa.

Please note that the processing time mentioned above is applicable only on working days and not on weekends or public holidays. It is therefore important to consider the time zone difference between Vietnam and your country while submitting your application.

You can get your visa stamped at the Visa Counter at Vietnam international airports 24/7 if you have already received the visa approval letter, regardless of your arrival date. For a 3-month Vietnam visa, it may take up to 4 working days to obtain the approval letter currently.

A colored scanned copy of the approval letter will be sent to your email address, therefore, please make sure to provide us with your correct email.

Note: The approval letter is available in PDF format, so kindly make sure that you update the latest Adobe Acrobat reader version so as to open the file.

We regret to inform you that Vietnam Visa on Arrival does not support Diplomatic Passport Holders. The only way for Diplomatic Passport Holders to obtain a visa for Vietnam is through the Vietnam Embassy Visa. You can find the exact location and contact information of the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate in your home country by selecting your country's name.

In order to successfully apply online for a Vietnam visa approval letter, it is necessary to provide the following information exactly as it appears in your passport. Please note that once issued, the approval letter cannot be amended in any way.

• Full name (exactly as in your passport)
• Date of birth (DOB)
• Nationality
• Passport Number
• Proposed arrival date
• Proposed exit date
• Purpose of visit

Here is full Vietnam visa application form.

You are not required to provide your exact arrival date for the Vietnam visa application. Instead, you can provide the earliest date that you plan to arrive in Vietnam. It is permissible to arrive after that date, but keep in mind that you must depart Vietnam before the expiration date specified on your approval letter.

For example, if you apply for a 1-month Vietnam visa and indicate your intended arrival date as February 1st, 2019, the approved letter will be valid from February 1st, 2019 to March 1st, 2019. You can arrive in Vietnam on any date between February 1st and March 1st, but you must depart the country by March 1st, 2019.

Please note that once the approval letter for your Vietnam visa has been issued, it cannot be modified. Therefore, if you plan to arrive in Vietnam earlier than the date specified on the letter, you will need to apply for a new approval letter to have the arrival date updated.

It is possible to apply for a Vietnam visa approval letter at any time. However, it is recommended to wait until closer to the departure date (around 1-2 months prior) to avoid any potential changes to travel plans.

Applying for Vietnam visa on arrival is not possible for those who are not arriving in Vietnam by air since visa stamping is only done at the airport. In this case, it is recommended to contact the nearest Vietnam Embassy/Consulate to apply for a visa.

There are two types of fees that must be paid by individuals who utilize a visa on arrival when entering Vietnam. These fees are:

• The service fee is paid directly to Urgentvisatovietnam.com for managing all the procedures with the Vietnam Immigration Department, to send the visa approval letter to your registered email. The amount of this fee varies depending on the number of applicants in your visa application and the type of service you prefer, such as normal, urgent, or super-urgent processing. For detailed prices for each type of visa, please refer to our Vietnam Visa Fees page.
• The stamping fee refers to the fee paid directly in cash to the Immigration Officer at the Vietnam airport for getting the visa stamped onto your passport. The stamping fee can be paid in various currencies, including USD, AUD, VND, etc., but it is recommended to use USD to avoid any discrepancies in the exchange rate. Currently, the applicable stamping fee is:
  • 25 USD for 1 month or 3-month single entry visa;
  • 50 USD for multiple entry visa valid for up to 3 months;
  • 95 USD for multiple entry visa valid for up to 6 months;
  • 135 USD for a multiple entry visa valid for up to 1 year.

We only charge a service fee for arranging the approval letter that permits you to pick up your Vietnam visa at Vietnam international airports. The stamping fee, on the other hand, is paid directly at the Vietnam airport during the visa pick-up process. Please refer to our Vietnam visa fees for more information.

We currently offer 3 payment options:

Option 1: Pay by VISA Card, Credit Card, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, etc. through www.OnePay.vn

If the Option 1 selected, you need to fill your Credit Card details in the secure online form as detailed guidelines in the last step of payment or make payment at a later date by sign in your account.

Option 2: Pay through www.paypal.com by using your credit card.

You also can make your payment by credit card via the PayPal platform. Our Paypal Address: [email protected].

Option 3: Pay in cash at our office

Our office addresses: Vietnam Visa Support Department

• In Hanoi: 101 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi city

Certainly, it is possible to pay the stamping fee in various currencies such as VND, AUD, SGD, etc. However, it is highly recommended to pay in USD to avoid any unfavorable exchange rates at the airport.

We accept both Credit/Debit cards (Master& Visa) for our approval letter service.

There are several possibilities:

• The expiration date of your card was imported incorrectly.
• You have reached your credit limit.
• A computer error happens

Your MasterSecure Code / Visa Verified password was imported incorrectly.

To warrant secure online payment, our service uses Secure Socket Layers (SSL) from Comodo Inc. Your debit/credit card details will be transmitted unencrypted over the internet. To have more details, feel free to refer to our privacy policy.

If you have general questions regarding Vietnam visas, such as the list of nationalities that are exempted from obtaining a visa, or the application process for each nationality, please visit our Visa Information page. For other inquiries and concerns, please refer to our Q&A section. You can also chat with our Customer Support Members online for further assistance

Note that you can apply for a Vietnam visa at any time, even if it is midnight in Vietnam. Our website service at Vietnam-visa.com is fully automated and available 24/7.

To enter Vietnam, nearly all foreigners must have a valid visa, with the exception of those whose nationalities are included in the Vietnam visa exemption list approved by the Vietnamese government. The Vietnam visa exemption is granted to the following categories:

1. Citizens of Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Laos for visits of 30 days at the maximum.
2. Citizens of Philippines for visits of 21 days at the maximum.
3. Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia and Finland for visits of 15 days at the maximum.
4. Citizens of Brunei, Myanmar for visits of 14 days at the maximum.
5. Citizens of France holding valid diplomatic or official passports for visits of 90 days at the maximum or several visits of 6 months at the maximum.
6. Citizens of Chile holding valid diplomatic or official passports for visits of 90 days at the maximum.
7. APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies for visits of 60 days at the maximum.
8. Citizens of UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and France for visits of 15 days at maximum until June 30, 2020.
9. Citizens of Belarus for visits of 15 days at maximum until June 30, 2020.
10. For those who travel to Phu Quoc Island – Vietnam : Foreigners and Vietnamese nationals holding foreign passports, who enter Vietnam via an international border gate and subsequently travel to Phu Quoc Island, will also be granted a Vietnam visa exemption if they stay in Phu Quoc for less than 30 days. The passport should be valid for at least 45 days. If visitors wish to travel to other areas or stay on the island for more than 30 days after arriving on Phu Quoc Island, the immigration department will be responsible for issuing visas on the spot.

Vietnam visa is categorized in two ways:

Regarding traveling purposes, a Vietnam visa is classified into 03 types:

• Tourist Visa: valid for up to 3 months (except tourist visa for USA citizens valid for up to 1 year);
• Business visa: valid for up to 1 year
• Visa for other purposes: valid for up to 3 months

• But regarding the length of stay and number of entries, Vietnam visa is classified into 06 types:
  • 1-month single entry visa
  • 1-month multiple entry visa
  • 3-months single entry visa
  • 3-months multiple entry visa
  • 6-months multiple entry visa
  • 1-year multiple entry visa

When applying for a Vietnam visa on arrival, it is mandatory for visa applicants to provide two photographs to be presented for visa stamping at the arrival airport in Vietnam. Please ensure that your photograph is sized 4x6 cm.

Typically, a passport scan is not necessary for a Vietnam visa online application. However, if the Immigration Office deems it necessary to verify the information provided, you will be required to submit a scanned copy of your passport. In such a scenario, we will notify you promptly via email.

Once you have submitted your visa application, the fee for the approval letter will be charged. If you encounter any issues while processing the payment, please send an email to [email protected], and we will provide you with a payment processing link. Please note that your application will not be processed until full payment has been received.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email from us, which will verify the information you provided earlier. If you notice any errors, please contact us immediately by sending an email to [email protected]. If you fail to catch the mistake until a later time, you will need to reapply for a new approval letter with the correct information.

It is not possible to travel to Vietnam without the approval letter. Airlines require it for you to board the aircraft, and it is also a necessary document to obtain your visa upon arrival at Vietnam international airports. Therefore, it is imperative that you apply for a visa and obtain the approval letter in advance to avoid any potential disruptions to your travel plans.

If your passport has expired, you will not be able to apply for a Vietnam visa. It is recommended that you renew your passport before applying for a visa to Vietnam. Therefore, before submitting a visa application, it is crucial to verify that your passport will be valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival in Vietnam.

If you are a Vietnamese overseas, we recommend that you choose one of the following two options:

• Apply for a visa exemption by visiting Vietnam Embassy/Consulate
• If you would like to save time, you could apply for a Vietnam visa online with Urgentvisatovietnam.com.

If your visa is nearing its expiration date and you plan to extend your stay in Vietnam, it is essential to renew your visa. We recommend that you initiate the renewal process at least 10 days prior to the expiration of your visa.