The electronic visa (e-visa) for Vietnam replaces the Visa On Arrival (VOA). Since 2020, you can no longer purchase a visa upon arrival in Vietnam. For holidays, business travel or transit you can apply for an electronic visa online or apply for a paper visa at the embassy.

Vietnam is a magical destination for tourists and offers more and more opportunities for ambitious business travellers. Prepare well for your holiday or business trip to Vietnam and check in time what visa you should apply for.

What is a Vietnam e-visa?

In 2018, Vietnam digitalised its visa procedure. In the past, visas were always physically placed in the passport of the applicant. To do so, the passport needed to be handed in and picked up at an embassy or consulate. Until 2020, the visa could also be obtained upon arrival in Vietnam, but today, this is no longer possible.

The Vietnam e-visa is a PDF document. After your online visa application is approved, you receive this document per email. The e-visa is granted by the Vietnam immigration service. You can easily submit an application with the online form on this website.

Apply for the Vietnam e-visa now

No e-visa required for a short trip to Vietnam?

For a stay longer than 45 days, you always have to apply for an (electronic) visa. In case of a shorter stay, whether you require a visa depends on your nationality. For more information, check the tables below:

Nationalities that always require a Vietnam visa
Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg
Austria Switzerland Ireland
Nationalities that do not require a visa for a stay of up to 45 days
France Italy Germany
Spain United Kingdom

How do I choose between an e-visa and a paper visa?

Everyone who is eligible for an e-visa, is advised to use it. The main advantage of e-visas is that these can easily be applied for online. In this case, no appointment is required at an embassy, which is the case when applying for a paper visa.

An e-visa suffices for most tourists and business travellers. For a transit in Vietnam, attending a study or work placement, teaching and volunteer work, the e-visa is often enough.

You do not meet the requirements of the e-visa if:

  • You want to stay in Vietnam longer than 90 days,
  • Your nationality is not in the above tables or on this page;
  • You do not have a standard passport that is valid for at least six more months upon arrival,
  • Your travel purpose is not mentioned in the e-visa application form,
  • You pose a possible threat to the safety or public health in Vietnam,
  • Your entry and exit location are not in the application form.

Visum On Arrival abolished

Can I apply for my visa upon arrival in Vietnam?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not possible to travel to Vietnam, because the country kept its borders closed. Prior to this border closure, it was possible to obtain a visa upon arrival in Vietnam. This was the so-called Visa On Arrival (VOA). After the borders were re-opened, this visa type did not return.


River and mountains in VietnamRice fields in Ninh Binh, a province popular among tourists

What does a Vietnam e-visa look like?

The Vietnam e-visa is a document in A4 format. It contains several details you entered during the application procedure. The e-visa also contains a QR code, which is used by the Vietnam immigration service to check whether the visa is valid.

Once the e-visa is granted, you can download it from your personal status page. You can open this page with a link you receive by email. Check whether the details on the e-visa are correct. Subsequently, print out the visa yourself, preferably twice. You possibly have to hand in a copy during a check. Showing the e-visa in digital form, on your smartphone for example, does not always suffice.

Apply for your own Vietnam e-visa here

e-Visa.co.uk is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the Vietnam visa. e-Visa.co.uk is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a visa directly with the immigration service (640,352 VND per visa, via evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.co.uk, our support centre is available to you 24/7. In addition, we manually check your application and all the documents you provide before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 640,352 VND in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as £35.04 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Vietnam visa was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.