Vietnam visa exemption

Note: Due to Covid 19, Vietnam have temporarily suspended this Vietnam visa exemption program since March 2020. But a new development has come. The Ministry  of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on December 18, 2021, petitioned the government to resume visa exemption of less than 15 days for visitors from designated markets qualifying for the program prior to the Covid outbreak. We will keep you updated on any new development.

Content:

Citizens of certain countries may visit Vietnam without a visa for a certain period of time. The following is the list of countries and regions that have visa exemption agreements with Vietnam, unilaterally or bilaterally.

To get Vietnam visa exemption, the eligible travelers are required to ensure:

• their passport valid for at least 6 months following their date of arrival in Vietnam; and
• their passport has at least 02 blank pages.

Those who enter Vietnam under visa exemption will get the exemption stamp as follows on passport:

Sample Vietnam visa exemption stamp

Who Do Not Need a Visa for Vietnam?

As of January 2019, regular passport holders of 24 countries DO NOT need a visa for Vietnam. Here is the list of visa waiver countries for Vietnam:

The above about Vietnam visa exemption (updated on July 1, 2020) is provided for informational purposes only, please double check with the official authorities in your current country before departure.

Notes:

• The 30-day visa exemption is granted to those entering the coastal economic zones decided by the Government when those zones meet the following conditions:
  • having an international airport,
  • having their own space;
  • having defined geographical boundaries and be separate from the mainland;
  • being in line with socio-economic development policies while posing no threat to national defense, security, social order and safety of Vietnam.

  So, Phu Quoc island is one of those zones. See our detailed guide on Phu Quoc visa exemption.

• APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders with valid passports are exempted from Vietnam visa requirements for a stay of no longer than 60 days. If you want to stay longer without leaving Vietnam, see exemption of Vietnam stay with ABTC.
• British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders are not eligible for the 15-day Vietnam visa exemption. So, they need to apply for a visa to visit Vietnam.
• Overseas Vietnamese, their spouses and children or Vietnamese citizens are eligible for Vietnam 5 year visa exemption.