Vietnam Electronic Visa (e-Visa) for Foreigners

The answer for most travelers is the Vietnam e-visa. It’s an electronic visa you apply for online, receive by email, and print before you fly. No queues, no courier, no passport sent away in the post. This guide covers who can use it, what it costs, how long it takes, and how to avoid the mistakes that trip people up.

Vietnam Visa Center provide professional assistance with e-Visa preparation, document review, application submission, and status follow-up.

This guide explains everything foreign travelers need to know about applying for a Vietnam e-Visa in 2026, including eligibility, requirements, visa options, processing times, government fees, and important travel considerations.

What Is the Vietnam e-Visa?

It’s an official electronic visa issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department. You fill in a form, upload a photo and a passport scan, pay a fee, and wait for approval. When it’s ready, you download it, print it, and show it at the border.

It has become much more traveler-friendly in recent years. Before August 2023, Vietnam’s e-visa was capped at 30 days and open only to a restricted list of nationalities. Today, Vietnam issues 90-day electronic visas to citizens of every country and territory, with single or multiple entry options available entirely online.

Who Can Apply?

Foreign passport holders of any nationality can apply, as long as they meet the basic entry conditions. That includes tourists, business visitors, and people visiting family or friends. The e-visa is a general visitor visa, so it isn’t for work or long-term residence.

One thing to check first: you might not need a visa at all. More than 30 nationalities can enter Vietnam visa-free for 30 or 45 days, under exemptions that currently run into 2028. If your passport is on that list and your stay fits the allowance, you can skip the e-visa. If you’re not sure, ask us and we’ll check for you.

Your Options: Length of Stay and Entries

When you apply, you make two choices.

How long you stay. You can choose up to 90 days. If you only need a short trip, you can pick 30 days instead.

How many times you enter. This is the part people forget.

• Single entry means one way in and one way out. A single-entry visa is valid for one entry and one exit. If you leave Vietnam, even for a day trip to Cambodia or Laos, the visa is used up.
• Multiple entry keeps the visa active for the whole validity period, so you can leave and come back within it.

Here’s how the options look:

How Much Does It Cost?

Your total has two parts: the government fee and our service fee.

Government fee. A single-entry e-visa costs USD 25, and a multiple-entry one costs USD 50, paid online by card. The fee is the same whether you choose 30 or 90 days. It’s also non-refundable: once it’s paid, it isn’t returned, even if the application is delayed or rejected. 

What Do You Need to Apply?

Get these ready before you start, and the application takes around 20 to 30 minutes.

• A valid passport: It should be valid for at least six months from your entry date. It also needs blank pages for the entry stamp. 
• A passport scan: A clear image of the page with your photo and details.
• A recent portrait photo: Plain background, good lighting, no glare or filters.
• Your travel details: Planned entry date, intended length of stay, entry port, and where you’ll stay on your first night.
• A payment card: For the government fee, plus our service fee if you apply through us.
• An email address you check: Your approval is sent there.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Choose your visa: Pick your length of stay and single or multiple entry on our website.
2. Fill in your details: Passport information, travel dates, and your port of entry.
3. Upload your photo and passport scan: Clear, uncropped images avoid delays.
4. Pay online: You can make payment by credit cards via Payment gate.
5. We review everything: We check each detail against your documents before we submit, so small mistakes don’t turn into delays.
6. We submit and follow up: Your application goes to the Vietnam Immigration Department, and we track it for you.
7. Receive your e-visa by email: Download it, check every detail, and print a copy.

If you’d rather apply on your own, the official portal is evisa.gov.vn, and any site not ending in .gov.vn isn’t the Vietnamese government. Many look-alike sites charge far more than the official fee, so be careful.

How Long Does It Take?

The Vietnam Immigration Department states the processing time is 3 working days. In real life it can take a bit longer, especially near public holidays and busy travel seasons. One guide recommends applying at least 10 to 14 days before your planned arrival, which is a sensible cushion. 

Working days exclude weekends and Vietnamese public holidays. Around Tết (Lunar New Year), processing can stretch to 7 to 10 days. 

In a hurry? We offer faster options, from 5 working days down to a few hours. You can apply for e-Visa with us

Where Can You Enter?

An e-visa isn’t valid at every border post. You can use it at a list of approved international airports, land crossings, and seaports. Pick your entry port carefully on the application, because you cannot change the entry port once your e-visa has been issued. Also, check that the port you choose suits your route, especially if you’re arriving overland.

Some popular entry airports include:

• Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi).

• Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City).

• Da Nang International Airport.

• Cam Ranh International Airport (Nha Trang).

• Phu Quoc International Airport.

Dates: The Mistake Almost Everyone Makes

Your stay doesn’t start when you land. It starts from the entry date you put on the application, even if you arrive later. 

• If you pick July 1 and arrive on July 1, you get the whole window. For a 30-day visa, the exit date falls 29 days after the entry date, and for a 90-day visa, 89 days after.
• If you pick July 1 but arrive on July 6, you lose five days. The clock started on July 1.

So set your entry date to the day you really plan to arrive. Extra “just in case” days at the front come out of your trip.

Know the Limits

A few honest points about what an e-visa can and can’t do:

• It can’t be extended in Vietnam: The e-visa is not extended from inside Vietnam. If you might stay longer, choose a longer validity from the start.
• It’s a visitor visa: It isn’t a work permit or a residence permit. Vietnam still has no dedicated digital nomad visa. 
• Overstaying has consequences: It can mean fines and, for longer overstays, possible deportation. Put your exit date in your calendar the day you arrive.
• The fee is non-refundable: Double-check everything before you pay.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Typos: One wrong digit in your passport number can make the visa unusable. Check every field against your passport.
• Blurry photos or scans: The most common reason for delays.
• Wrong entry date: See above. It’s the one that costs people days.
• Choosing the wrong entry type: If you might leave and return, pick multiple entry.
• Applying too late: A week or less leaves no room for corrections.
• Applying twice: If your status says “Processing,” that’s normal. It doesn’t mean something has gone wrong. A duplicate application only adds confusion and cost. 
• Using a look-alike website: Always check that you’re on the official portal or a reputable licensed agency.

Before You Fly

• Check your e-visa details: Name, passport number, dates, and entry type should all match your passport.
• Print a copy: Keep a digital copy on your phone too.
• Complete any arrival declaration: Vietnam has introduced a new pre-arrival QR declaration. Rules like this change, so check the official immigration website for what applies when you fly.
• Plan your arrival: Airport fast track and a private transfer can make landing after a long flight much easier.