Vietnam visa requirements: do you need a visa, passport rules and transit

Every foreigner needs a visa to enter Vietnam unless one of the exemptions in Article 12 of the Immigration Law applies:

• an international agreement Vietnam has signed (bilateral visa exemption);
• a valid Vietnamese temporary or permanent residence card;
• entry to a border economic zone or a special administrative-economic unit (Phu Quoc island also has its own 30-day exemption);
• a unilateral visa exemption decided by the Government (currently 24 countries, 45 days).

The country lists are on our Vietnam visa exemption page. Citizens of countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and India are not on the exemption lists for ordinary passports and need a visa.

• Your passport must remain valid at least 30 days longer than the visa (Article 9, clause 8).
• For several visa exemptions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires a passport valid for at least 6 months.
• You must not be in a case where entry is refused under Article 21 of the Law — for example, a previous deportation or false documents.
• Visas other than the e-visa need a sponsor in Vietnam (Article 10), and some purposes need proof: an investment document, a work permit or a school acceptance letter.
• Enter through an international border gate; e-visa holders must use a gate on the e-visa list.

• By air: a foreigner in transit is exempt from a visa but must stay in the transit area of the international airport while waiting for the connecting flight (Article 25).
• By sea: you are exempt from a visa while the ship is in port, but must stay in the port's transit area (Article 26).
• To transit you need a passport, a ticket for the onward journey and a visa for the next country, unless you are exempt there (Article 23).
• To leave the transit area for sightseeing, you can be granted a visa matching your transit time if you join a tour run by an international travel business in Vietnam.

If you leave the airport for any other reason, you need an e-visa or other visa (or a visa exemption) like any other visitor.

• Check whether your nationality and passport type are visa-exempt, and for how many days.
• If not, apply for the e-visa on evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn — never on look-alike sites.
• Make sure your passport validity covers the visa plus 30 days (6 months for some exemptions).
• Choose entry and exit gates that accept your visa type.
• Keep your e-visa or visa with your passport, and check the stay stamp on arrival.