How to Get a Vietnam Visa: A Complete Guide

Planning a trip to Vietnam? Whether you’re visiting as a tourist, business traveler, or digital nomad, securing a visa is an essential step. Fortunately, Vietnam offers multiple ways to get a visa, each tailored to different needs and timelines.

This guide will walk you through the three main ways to get a Vietnam visa:

• Applying for an e-visa (the easiest and cheapest method)
• Getting a visa on arrival (popular for urgent trips)
• Applying through a Vietnamese embassy or consulate (for special visas)

Vietnam E-Visa: The Most Convenient Option

The Vietnam e-visa is now available to citizens of all countries and territories. This online visa system allows travelers to apply for and receive their visa entirely online – no embassy visit or airport queues required.

Key Features of the E-Visa

• Validity: Up to 90 days
• Entries: Single or multiple entries available
• Application: 100% online via official government portal or trusted services like Vietnam-visa.com
• Entry points: Accepted at 42 international airports, seaports, and land border gates

Why Choose the E-Visa?

• Hassle-free: Submit your application, passport scan, and photo online.
• No waiting on arrival: You travel with your visa already approved.
• Affordable: Official fee is $25 for single entry, $50 for multiple entries (official Government fee).

The e-visa is suitable for most travelers visiting Vietnam for tourism, business meetings, or short stays.

👉 For the most convenient and hassle-free Vietnam e-visa application, we offer a full support service at: https://apply.vietnam-visa.com/.

Visa on Arrival (VOA): Popular with Urgent Travelers

Before the e-visa program was expanded, Visa on Arrival was the most common and widely used visa method for visitors arriving by air.

Today, VOA is still popular among returning customers familiar with the process and those who need a visa urgently or a business visa.

How Visa on Arrival Works

You apply online through a trusted agency to obtain a pre-approval letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department. Once you arrive at an international airport in Vietnam, you present the letter along with your passport and photos, then pay a stamping fee to receive your visa sticker.

Key Features of VOA

• Available only at international airports (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, etc.)
• Application: Online pre-approval + visa stamping on arrival
• Validity: depending on the visa type

Advantages and Considerations

• Suitable for urgent travel plans
• Requires waiting in line at the visa counter on arrival (which can be eliminated by our Airport Fast track service).
• Must use a reliable agency to avoid scams (we are the one that you should choose as we have worked in this industry since 2007 and we know what you want).

👉 Learn more about VOA: How Vietnam Visa on Arrival works

Visa via Embassy or Consulate: Traditional

Applying for a visa through a Vietnamese embassy or consulate is the traditional method. It’s still preferred by those who want a physical visa in hand before traveling or need special visa types (work, study, residence).

What to Know About Embassy Visa

• Available to citizens of all countries
• Offers the widest range of visa categories
• Requires in-person submission or mail
• Processing time varies by country and visa type

While it may require more paperwork and longer waiting times, this method is indispensable for travelers with complex visa needs.

Visa Way Comparison Table

Final Advice: Which Visa Should You Choose?

If you are eligible for an e-visa, it is the simplest, safest, and most cost-effective choice for visiting Vietnam up to 90 days. For urgent arrivals or visa types not yet supported by the e-visa system, Visa on Arrival is a reliable fallback, especially if you have used it before.

For complex purposes, applying via a Vietnamese embassy or consulate is necessary.