Vietnam has recently extended the e-visa’s maximum validity from 30 to 90 days. However, this does not mean that travellers will now receive a visa by default, allowing them to stay in the country for 90 days. This is because the visa validity period depends on the start date and the last day in Vietnam entered in the application form.
E-visa Vietnam’s validity extended since August 2023.
On 15 August 2023, the Vietnamese authorities modified their visa policy. The e-visa for Vietnam now has a maximum validity of 90 days and allows multiple trips to the country (multiple-entry). Previously, it was only valid for 30 days and allowed one trip to the country (single-entry).
The new e-visa allows travellers to stay in Vietnam longer. In this regard, the country has followed the example of other tourist destinations in Asia, such as Thailand and Indonesia, which have already introduced long-stay visas. In general, travellers applying for a Vietnam e-visa assume they will automatically receive a visa valid for 90 days, but this is not always the case.
Maximum validity of 90 days
The validity period of the Vietnam e-visa is not 90 days by default, but depends on the data provided while applying for the visa. In fact, in the application form, travellers must choose a desired inception date and indicate when they are going to leave Vietnam. People who intend to stay in Vietnam for less than 90 days will receive a visa valid only for the duration of their planned stay. However, travellers who intend to leave Vietnam within two weeks of the chosen inception date will always receive a visa valid for 14 days.
For example: in the application form, you state that you want your visa to be valid from 1 March 2024, and that you will leave Vietnam on 21 March 2024. In this case, you won’t receive a 90-day visa, but a visa valid from 1 March to 21 March. You may not change these dates after the visa has been granted. Moreover, you may not arrive in Vietnam before 1 March or leave the country after 21 March. However, you may still travel to Vietnam after 1 March or leave before 21 March.
Inception date not flexible
The Vietnamese authorities are not very flexible when it comes to dates and visas, which might be tricky for travellers who have not planned their trip in detail. For instance, most backpackers travel for long periods of time and combine their trip to Vietnam with trips to other Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos or Thailand. In this case, it is quite difficult to provide precise dates in the application form, as they do not know exactly when they will arrive in Vietnam and when they will leave the country.
For several other lands, such as Australia or Egypt, the visa is valid immediately upon being granted, and can therefore be used immediately. Moreover, travellers are generally allowed to slightly modify their date of arrival, as long as the trip takes place within the visa’s validity period. For Vietnam, on the other hand, the visa may only be used from the selected inception date. If the traveller arrives in Vietnam a day earlier, for example because their flight is moved a day up, the visa is not valid.
Problems due to errors in inception or expiry dates
While filling in the application form, it is advisable to set the inception date a few days before the planned day of arrival, to make sure that the visa will be valid when the traveller arrives in Vietnam. Similarly, it is advisable to indicate the day after your scheduled departure date as your last day in Vietnam.
Travellers who don’t take these precautions often run into problems, for example due to their flights being rescheduled, or due to their itinerary being changed for other reasons. For travellers who do not yet know how long they will stay in Vietnam, it is best to choose a later date to make sure the visa will be valid long enough.
Visa on Arrival no longer available
A few years ago, travellers could still apply for the Visa on Arrival for Vietnam. It was possible to apply for this visa after arriving in Vietnam, at specific desks in several airports. To apply for it, only an approval letter was necessary. Travellers had to obtain an approval letter at least a few days before flying to Vietnam. However, the Visa on Arrival is no longer available. Travellers whose visa’s validity period is incorrect must apply for a new visa, be it an e-visa (which can be applied for online) or a physical visa (which can be applied for through the embassy).