Travelling to Vietnam? First check whether your exact passport qualifies for visa exemption, whether you need a new e-Visa, and whether you will enter once or several times. The government e-Visa can be valid up to 90 days and can be single- or multiple-entry, but the actual issued dates and entry count govern your trip.
Which route matches your itinerary?
| You plan to... | Check first |
|---|---|
| Enter for a short holiday with an eligible passport | Check current visa-exemption country list and maximum stay for your nationality; exemption and e-Visa are separate arrangements |
| Apply for e-Visa once | Choose the requested single-entry category and verify the granted entry/exit dates before departure |
| Visit Cambodia/Laos/Thailand and return to Vietnam | Request multiple-entry e-Visa if your application qualifies; a still-valid calendar range does not make a used single-entry visa reusable |
| Travel across a land border | Check that the actual crossing is on the current government's eligible e-Visa international entry/exit port list |
| Join a Vietnamese company or remain for employment | Use the correct labour/residence procedure; an e-Visa for visiting is not a Vietnamese work permit |
1. Use only the official portal and current visa category
Vietnam Immigration announced that since 11 November 2024, new e-Visa applications/results use evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn. The old Immigration page redirects travellers to them. A site with a similar name charging “express embassy processing” is not proof it is an Immigration service.
The official application page states the government application fees as USD 25 for single-entry and USD 50 for multiple-entry visas, generally non-refundable on refusal. This payment is for application processing, not a guarantee of approval.
Example: You plan three weeks in Hanoi, fly to Cambodia for five days, then return to Ho Chi Minh City. If you use a single-entry e-Visa for the first arrival, the visa is normally spent after that entry. Choose and verify a multiple-entry document before arranging the second arrival; don't assume an airline will accept a screenshot of a new pending application.
2. Submit a document that matches your passport
For the ordinary e-Visa application, have your valid passport, exact name/order, birth date, nationality, passport number/expiry, portrait and passport identity image, intended entry/exit dates, purpose and requested entry count. Follow the portal's current photo and field instructions; crop errors and transliteration mismatches can delay a decision.
Verify the intended international airport, land crossing or seaport against the official authorised-port list; not every small border crossing processes e-Visa entry. If your itinerary changes, compare the issued document's details and latest port rules rather than guessing the changes are immaterial.
Do not equate completed form, payment confirmation and visa issuance. Save the application/reference details and use the real portal to check status. If the application is refused or a field is wrong, use Immigration's official support/correction process; do not rely on a travel agent's verbal “approved.”
3. At check-in and arrival, check the actual grant
Bring the issued e-Visa document, passport, first accommodation address, contact and onward travel evidence where applicable. An airline can make its own document checks. A visa is permission to travel and seek entry, not a guarantee of landing; Immigration makes the final admission decision.
The 90-day maximum is not a default stamped extension. For example, a visa issued with a permitted date range through 15 December does not automatically become legal until 15 January because the traveller delayed the first flight. Read the actual visa/entry dates, not only its scheme's maximum length.
If your route includes domestic Vietnam flights, remember they do not create a new international visa admission or reset the e-Visa clock.
4. What about extensions, work or family stay?
A regular e-Visa does not itself authorise local paid work. An employer hiring you for an actual role must assess the applicable work permit or statutory exemption separately, plus the appropriate immigration status. Read Vietnam work and long stays before promising a start date.
Do not treat an e-Visa as automatically extendable or convertible in-country. Immigration rules for visiting, work, family and sponsored temporary residence differ. If you want to stay longer, ask your real sponsoring organisation and Immigration what application can be approved before the issued permitted-stay expiry. If no legal new stay is available, depart in time.
Before paying for travel: the five-answer check
- Do I need an e-Visa at all for this passport and purpose?
- Is my requested e-Visa single or multiple entry, and is that consistent with all planned crossings?
- Am I using the official portal and the correct USD 25/50 application fee?
- Are the name, passport, dates and authorised entry port correct on the issued visa?
- When does my actual permission end, and do I need a different status for work?
Before you board, confirm that you have the right issued entry approval, the permitted border crossing and the number of entries you need. A single-entry visa cannot simply be reused after an international departure.