Vietnam

Visa Info

Entry Requirements: You must have a valid passport and a visa (or pre-approval for a visa on arrival) to enter Vietnam. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond your planned stay, and you must have at least one blank visa page (not including the endorsement page). You will be denied entry to Vietnam if you do not meet these passport and visa requirements. Visit Mission Vietnam’s website for the most current information. The U.S. Mission to Vietnam cannot assist U.S. citizens who arrive in Vietnam without required documents. U.S.-Vietnam dual nationals should consult the Department of State’s information page for Travelers with Dual Nationality and the Embassy of Vietnam for travel requirements. You must enter and exit Vietnam on the same passport. If using a Vietnamese passport to enter and exit the country, your passport must have at least six months’ validity from your return date to the United States.

Visas: Travelers can apply for visas through Vietnamese Embassies or Consulates, or online via the Government of Vietnam’s electronic visa (E-visa) interface. The Government of Vietnam requires a “visa sponsor” for all visa categories, except for E-visas. A visa sponsor is a local business or travel agent to apply for a pre-approval letter with a Vietnamese Immigration Office in Vietnam on behalf of the traveler. Only on receipt of the pre-approval letter can a foreigner apply for an appropriate visa at a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate abroad, or for a visa on arrival. For more information about this process, please visit the website of the Vietnamese Embassy here. When you apply for a visa to enter Vietnam, be sure to request the visa category that corresponds to your purpose of travel.

Special Note Regarding E-visas: U.S. citizens can apply online for an E-visa on the Vietnam Immigration website. Applicants may apply for single or multiple entry visas, and the Government of Vietnam does not allow for renewal or extension from within the country. Please be advised that the Government of Vietnam may deny you an E-visa to enter Vietnam if you apply using an emergency passport. Immigration officials have been issuing visas valid for only for the period requested on the E-visa application; travelers who change their plans or are delayed in departing the country for any reason will likely incur overstay fines and/or delays in obtaining permission to exit Vietnam. We encourage you to take these facts into account when requesting an E-visa visa and noting your intended length of stay

E-visa applications are usually processed within three to five working days after the Vietnam Immigration Department receives the completed application and E-visa fee. E-visa holders must present the printed E-visa and valid passport at the port of entry. Prior to your travel with an E-visa to Vietnam, we recommend travelers to carefully check their E-visa to make sure all information is correct, and that you will enter/exit Vietnam through a port of entry that you had selected at the time of application.

An error on E-visa, including minor differences between the information on the application and the biographical information on the passport such as typos in names or missing middle names, may result in a denial of entry by immigration authorities. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General are unable to change the information on your E-visa or help expedite the process as Vietnamese E-visa is under the sole jurisdiction of the Vietnamese government.

Pre-approval for Visa on Arrival: The Government of Vietnam has authorized some businesses and travel agencies to arrange for pre-approval for a “visa on arrival” at the airport. On receipt of a pre-approval letter, travelers may then travel to Vietnam and apply for a visa upon landing to Vietnam. Please be advised that you should not travel to Vietnam without having been issued a pre-approval letter as it may result in a denial of entry by immigration authorities. To avoid having to rearrange your travel date, please do not make travel arrangement before you receive your pre-approval letter.

Additional considerations regarding visas: Please refer to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for information detailing visa categories. If you plan to work in Vietnam, you must obtain a work permit before applying for your visa. If you change the purpose of your visit after you have received your visa, you must obtain a new visa outside of Vietnam appropriate for your new activities before beginning those activities. Under local immigration law, employment-based visas are based on a petition from a specific employer, and workers may be unable to switch jobs without securing a new visa. In addition, employers may prevent the departure of contracted employees from Vietnam if they violate contract terms. Before accepting employment in Vietnam, make sure you understand the conditions of contracts and employment-based visas.

Note that travelers with a U.S. APEC Business Travel Card will still need a valid visa to enter Vietnam. The United States is a transitional member of APEC and does not reciprocate with other economies regarding full pre-clearance benefits to applicants. As such, no countries are listed on the back of U.S. APEC Business Travel Cards and card holders are required to present any travel or identity documentation, such as a passport and visa (where applicable), required by Vietnam. If a U.S. APEC Business Travel Card holder does not conform to Vietnam’s entry requirements, the card holder may be refused entry.

Please consult Mission Vietnam’s website for more information.

Please note that Vietnam requires a valid visa, residence card, or approval from the Immigration Department to leave the country. Immigration officials will apply a fee to replace lost/stolen visas or will assess a fine for any visa overstays. The Government of Vietnam has recently increased penalties and enforcement of visa overstays, including substantial fines and significant processing times for required exit visas – one to two weeks, and longer for more complex cases). In addition, hotels and other lodging establishments may refuse to host foreigners who have overstayed their visa due to potential fines and sanctions from the Government of Vietnam.

If your U.S. passport is lost or stolen in Vietnam, you will need both a replacement passport and a replacement Vietnamese visa to legally remain in or depart Vietnam. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City can usually issue you a limited validity replacement passport in as little as one business day for emergency purposes; however, the Vietnamese government requires at least three to five working days to issue a replacement visa. For lost and stolen passports, immigration officials will also request a police report. You must file a report of a lost or stolen passport with the police in the location where the loss or theft of your passport occurred, or authorities may refuse to accept the report. The U.S. Embassy and the Consulate General cannot expedite the replacement of your Vietnamese visa.

If you plan to travel from Vietnam to Laos by land, you should request that an adhesive visa be affixed to your passport instead of a detachable one. Lao immigration officials require proof that travelers have departed Vietnam, something that can only be shown with an adhesive visa. Vietnamese officials remove detachable visas from passports when travelers depart Vietnam, leaving travelers with no proof of their Vietnam departure. This situation can result in Lao officials requiring travelers to return to Vietnam.

Certificate of Visa Exemption: Vietnamese nationals residing abroad indefinitely, their spouses, and their children may apply for a Certificate of Visa Exemption. The certificate has a maximum validity of five years, during which time the holder can enter Vietnam and stay for up to six months without applying for a visa. More information can be found on the Vietnam Embassy website.

Travelers with HIV/AIDS: The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Vietnam.

Immunization information for travelers can be found on the Centers for Disease and Control’s website.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.