Visa on Arrival
Visa on arrival is an alternative way to obtain a visa for Vietnam in addition to the traditional way of getting a visa at Vietnam Embassy.
With this kind of visa, you – the visa applicant is required to submit an online application for a visa approval letter which functions as an official permission allowing you to board the flight and have visa stamped at the arrival airport in Vietnam. To get visa stamped, you need to submit your Vietnam approval letter together with your passport (at least 6 months validity), two passport-sized photos, Vietnamese visa application form and stamping fee to Immigration Officers at the airport.
There is a basic difference between visa on arrival and visa at Vietnam embassies. With visa on arrival, the Vietnam Immigration Department will issue a visa approval letter with your name on it stating that you are allowed to enter Vietnam on a specified date. Then, you will have the visa stamped onto your passport at the arrival airport in Vietnam. But for visa applied at the Vietnam embassies, the visa stamp will be on your passport when they send it back to you.
Vietnam Visa approval letter” is a document issued by Vietnam Immigration Department (Vietnam Ministry of Public Security). It functions as an official permission allowing its owner(s) to board the flight to Vietnam and get visa stamped onto the passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport.
See sample, how to get, processing time and cost of Vietnam visa approval letter here.
In normal cases, you will receive the approval letter after 2 working days (for tourist visa) or 5-7 working days (for business visa) via email (excluding Saturday, Sunday, and National Holidays).
In urgent cases, you will receive the approval letter (for tourist visa) within the time frame below:
- Same Day Processing: if you submit your visa application form and pay the service fee before 12:00 PM (Vietnam time) on a working day (from Monday to Friday), you will receive the approval letter by 18:00 PM on the same working day.
- Next Day Processing: If you submit your visa application form and pay the fee after 12:00 PM (Vietnam time) on a working day (from Monday to Friday), you will receive the approval letter by 18:00 PM on the next working day.
or 2-3 working days for business visa.
Notes: The mentioned-above processing time is applied for working days, not Saturday, and Sunday and public holidays. Thus, please check the difference of time zones between Vietnam and your country.
Since Visa Counter at Vietnam international airports work 24/7 so if you already have the visa approval letter, you can get visa stamped regardless of your landing dates.
For a 3-month Vietnam visa, it probably takes up to 4 working days to get the approval letter these days.
You will receive a colored scanned copy of the approval letter via email, so do ensure that you provide us with your correct email address.
Note: The approval letter is available in PDF format, so kindly make sure that you update the latest Adobe Acrobat reader version so as to open the file.
No. We’re sorry to confirm that Vietnam Visa on Arrival don’t support this type of passport.
The only way for Diplomatic Passport Holders to get a visa for Vietnam is through Vietnam Embassy Visa. Please select your country’s name to know the exact location & contact of Vietnam Embassy/Consulate in your home country.
To complete the online application for a Vietnam visa approval letter, the visa applicants need to provide the following information exactly as shown in their passports (as once issued, the approval letter could not be amended in any way).
- Full name (exactly as in your passport)
- Date of birth (DOB)
- Nationality
- Passport Number
- Proposed arrival date
- Proposed exit date
- Purpose of visit
Here is full Vietnam visa application form.
You do not have to provide us with your exact arrival date, but the earliest date that you plan to arrive in Vietnam. You can totally arrive after that date. However, please note that you need to leave Vietnam prior to the expiry date mentioned on the approval letter.
For instance: If you wish to get a 1-month Vietnam visa and submit the arrival date as Feb 1, 2019, the visa approval letter will be valid from Feb 1, 2019 – Mar 1, 2019. You could arrive in Vietnam at any time between Feb 1 and Mar 1, yet must leave the country by Mar 1, 2019.
Note: The approval letter could not be changed after being issued; hence, if you wish to arrive earlier than the date mentioned on the letter, you have to apply for a new approval letter in order to update the arrival date.
You can apply for a Vietnam visa approval letter as soon as you wish, but it is advised to wait until a close date (about 1-2 months prior to departure) to apply for one so as to avoid any change in plan schedule.
No, you cannot. Vietnam visa on arrival is applicable to air travel only since the visa applicants must get visa stamped at the arrival airport in Vietnam. If this is the case, you are recommended to contact the most convenient Vietnam Embassy/Consulate to apply for a visa.
Along with Vietnam Visa Application Form, Photos and Arrival Letter are compulsory documents to get proper Vietnam Visa when being in Vietnam Airport.
Therefore; if you forget to bring photos or Arrival Letter before arriving Vietnam Airport, you may have to pay extra money (around 2 – 5 USD) for being taken photos by Immigration Officers & a lot of money to print out Arrival Letter right there.
We recommend you use Fast Track Service to make sure that you always can receive immediate & effective support from us through Hotline +84. 946.583.583 when you face unexpected difficulty when entering Vietnam Airport.
Nowadays, it is quite easy and simple to get a Vietnam visa. You have two methods to get a visa to Vietnam, including contacting Vietnam embassy/consulate directly and arranging pre-approved letter code through a travel agency for visa pickup at Vietnam embassy/consulate. The 2nd method can allow you to get your visa stamped at the nearby Vietnam embassy/consulate.
We highly recommend you selecting visa on arrival, because the process of getting visa stamped at the airport is very easy, simple without failure and extra cost. Vietnam visa on arrival is legal because Vietnam is now open for attracting more tourists as well as business people from all over the world. Please visit here to get the approval letter with Vietnam-visa.com. However, as usual, we process Vietnam visa on arrival automatically unless there is special request. If you wish to get your visa stamped at Vietnam embassy/consulate or at other check-in points by sea or road, please let us know.
Be kindly informed that there will be no problem if you change your arrival airport. Since the visa approval letter works at 08 international airports of Vietnam (Noi Bai in Hanoi, Cat Bi in Hai Phong, Da nang in Da Nang, Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Lien Khuong in Da Lat, Can Tho in Can Tho city and Phu Quoc in Phu Quoc island), you still get the visa stamped onto your passport at any of these three airport regardless of which you put in your visa application.
No, you cannot. A later entry is allowed but an earlier entry is not. In case you change your plan and want to enter Vietnam earlier than the granted arrival date, you are recommended to apply for a new visa approval letter.
There is a big difference between a single entry visa and a multiple entry visa to Vietnam which lies in number of entries:
- Single entry visa: You are permitted to enter Vietnam ONCE during your visa validity. After you exit Vietnam, your visa will automatically become invalid. If you would like to re-enter you need to apply for multiple entry visa.
- Multiple entry visa: You can enter and exit Vietnam many times as you want during your visa validity.
No, you cannot. An earlier exit is allowed but a later exit is not. In case you wish to stay longer than your visa expiry date, you are recommended to apply for a visa extension.
In order to assist you at the best, Vietnam-visa.com also provides Vietnam visa extension service. For more information, please access to detailed guidelines on Vietnam visa extension.
Visa Cost, Payment
There are two kinds of fee to be paid by anyone who use a visa on arrival to Vietnam, which are:
- Service fee: is the fee you pay directly to Vietnam-visa.com for handling all procedures with the Vietnam Immigration Department to return the visa approval letter to your registered email. This fee varies depending on the number of applicants in your visa application as well as which kind of service you wish to use (normal, urgent or super-urgent processing). Please see our Vietnam Visa Fees page for detailed prices for each type of visa.
- Stamping fee: is the fee you pay directly in cash to the Immigration Officer at the Vietnam airport to get visa stamped onto your passport. Stamping fee can be paid in USD, AUD, VND, etc. but USD is highly recommended to avoid any unbalanced exchange rate. The current applicable stamping fee is:
- 25 USD for 1 month or 3 month single entry visa;
- 50 USD for multiple entry visa valid for up to 3 months;
- 95 USD for multiple entry visa valid for up to 6 months;
- 135 USD for multiple entry visa valid for up to 1 year.
Our service fee of getting Vietnam visa is only applied for the arrangement of the approval letter for picking up your Vietnam visa at Vietnam international airports. The other fee is stamping fee which will be paid directly at Vietnam airports when you pick up your visa to Vietnam. See Vietnam visa fees for further details.
We currently offer 5 payment options:
- Third-party payment:
Option 1: Pay by VISA Card, Credit Card, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, etc. through www.OnePay.vn
If the Option 1 selected, you need to fill your Credit Card details in the secure online form as detailed guidelines in the last step of payment or make payment at a later date by sign in your account.
Option 2: Pay through www.paypal.com by using your credit card.
You also can make your payment by credit card via the PayPal platform. Our Paypal Address: pay@vietnam-visa.com. Please select Paypal payment method at the last step of application to process your payment or make payment at a later date by sign in your account.
- Direct payment
Option 3: Bank transfer
You can make the payment directly to our bank account:
Our account information:
Account name: Bui Trung Thanh
Account No.: 664 667 39 (pay in VND) – 664 670 39 (pay in USD)
Bank name: Asia Commercial Bank (ACB)
Bank address: ACB – PGD TRAN DUY HUNG, 216 Tran Duy Hung, Hanoi, Vietnam
Swift Code: ASCBVNVX
After making your payment, please send us your receipt so that we can track your payment and process your visa approval letter per your request.
Option 4: Pay in cash at our office
Our office addresses: Vietnam Visa Support Department – Vietnam Discovery Travel JSC
- in Hanoi: 23rd Floor, TASCO Building, Pham Hung Road, Me Tri, Tu Liem
- in HCMC: R503, Building OT1 Saigon Royal Residences, No. 9 Nguyen Truong To, Ward 12, District 4
Notes:
Once your service fee is well received, we will process your visa approval letter which will be ready at our website after one (1) business day (urgent service) or two (2) business days (normal service).
Yes, you can. You can pay for stamping fee in VND or AUD, SGD, etc. but USD is highly recommended to avoid any unbalanced exchange rate at the airport.
We accept both Credit/Debit cards (Master& Visa) for our approval letter service.
There are several possibilities:
- The expiration date of your card was imported incorrectly.
- You have reached your credit limit.
- A computer error happens
Your MasterSecure Code / Visa Verified password was imported incorrectly.
To warrant secure online payment, our service use Secure Socket Layers (SSL) from Comodo Inc. your debit/credit card details will be transmitted unencrypted over the internet. To have more details, feel free to refer to our privacy policy.
For general questions related to Vietnam visa: exempted nationalities, or procedures to get a visa to Vietnam for each nationality, etc, visit our Visa Information. For other problems and concerns, visit Q&As. Alternatively, you can also chat online with our Customer Support Members.
Note: It is no matter at all if you want to apply for a Vietnam visa even when it is midnight in Vietnam since Vietnam-visa.com website service is systematically automated and completely available 24/7.
Visa Requirements
A valid visa is required for almost foreigners to enter Vietnam, except for those whose nationalities are included in the Vietnam visa exemption list approved by Vietnam Government. The Vietnam visa exemption is granted to the followings:
- Citizens of Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Laos for visits of 30 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Philippines for visits of 21 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia and Finland for visits of 15 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Brunei, Myanmar for visits of 14 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of France holding valid diplomatic or official passports for visits of 90 days at the maximum or several visits of 6 months at the maximum.
- Citizens of Chile holding valid diplomatic or official passports for visits of 90 days at the maximum.
- APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies for visits of 60 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and France for visits of 15 days at maximum until June 30, 2020.
- Citizens of Belarus for visits of 15 days at maximum until June 30, 2020.
- For those who travel to Phu Quoc Island – Vietnam : Foreigners and Vietnamese nationals bearing foreign passports who enter Vietnam through an international border gate and then travel to Phu Quoc Island and stay in Phu Quoc less than 30 days will also be granted Vietnam visa exemption. Passports must be valid for at least 45 days. After arriving in Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel to other localities or stay in the island for more than 30 days, the immigration department will be responsible for issuing visas right on the spot.
Here, Vietnam visa is classified in two ways:
- Regarding traveling purposes, Vietnam visa is classified into 03 types:
- Tourist Visa: valid for up to 3 months (except tourist visa for USA citizens valid for up to 1 year);
- Business visa: valid for up to 1 year
- Visa for other purposes: valid for up to 3 months;
- But regarding length of stay and number of entries, Vietnam visa is classified into 06 types:
- 1 month single entry visa;
- 1 month multiple entry visa;
- 3 months single entry visa;
- 3 months multiple entry visa;
- 6 months multiple entry visa;
- 1 year multiple entry visa.
With Vietnam visa on arrival, the visa applicants must prepare two photos to get visa stamped at the arrival airport in Vietnam. You can see regulations regarding photos for visa on arrival here.
Normally, a passport scan is not required for a Vietnam visa online application. But if the Immigration Office requires you to verify the information you provide, you need to send them a passport scan copy. If so, we will notify you instantly via email.
Problems and Concerns
The fee for the approval letter will be charged after you submit visa application. In case you have trouble processing payment, email us at Support@vietnam-visa.com and we will send you a payment processing link. Bear in mind that your application will not be processed if your full payment is not completed.
After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email in which we confirm the information that you imported earlier. If there is any mistake, please contact us immediately by sending an email to Support@vietnam-visa.com. Unless you catch the mistake until later, you have to re-apply for a new approval letter with correct information.
No, you can’t. The approval letter is required by airlines in order for you to be able to board the aircraft. It is also a required component if you want to get your visa at Vietnam international airports. Thus, you need to spend time applying for a visa to avoid any possible change in your flight.
If your passport is expired, you cannot apply for your Vietnam visa. In this case, please renew your passport before applying for visa to Vietnam.
So, before applying for a visa, you need to check your passport to make sure it is valid at least 6 months since your date of arrival in Vietnam.
As Vietnamese overseas, you are kindly advised to choose either of two following options:
- Apply for a visa exemption by visiting Vietnam Embassy/Consulate. Further information about Vietnam visa exemption for Vietnamese overseas, please read this link http://mienthithucvk.mofa.gov.vn/.
- If you would like to save time, you could apply for Vietnam visa online with Vietnam-visa.com.
In case your visa is about to expire and you wish to stay in Vietnam for longer than your visa, you need to get it renewed. You should do it at least 10 days in advance.