2026 Ultimate Guide: Vietnam Visa, E-Visa & Phu Quoc Exemption

There are three ways foreign visitors legally enter Vietnam: you are exempt from needing a visa in the first place, you apply for an e-visa online, or you arrive with a pre-approved visa-on-arrival letter. Which one applies to you depends on your nationality, how long you are staying, and where you are flying into. This guide explains all three, plus the separate 30-day exemption that applies to Phu Quoc island.

Before you rely on anything below: Vietnam's entry rules change, sometimes at short notice. Always confirm your own situation on the official government portal at evisa.gov.vn before booking, and be wary of look-alike sites that charge a mark-up on the government fee.

Step one: do you need a visa at all?

Vietnam waives the visa requirement for a number of nationalities, for a set number of days. The list and the durations are reviewed periodically, so treat any list — including this one — as a starting point rather than the final word.

• 45 days: a group that includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Russia.
• 30 days: a group that includes the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czechia, Switzerland and several other European countries.
• Shorter periods apply to some Nordic countries.

Two things people miss. First, an exemption covers a fixed number of days — stay longer and you need a visa, even if you are on the list. Second, being exempt is not the same as being able to enter without documents: you still need a passport with enough remaining validity, and immigration can ask for onward travel and accommodation details.

If your nationality is not exempt, or you want to stay longer than your exemption allows, the e-visa is the normal route.

The e-visa

Since 15 August 2023, Vietnam's e-visa has been open to citizens of all countries and territories. The key points:

• Length of stay: up to 90 days.
• Entries: single or multiple entry — choose multiple if you plan to leave and come back, for example on a side trip to Cambodia or Laos.
• Government fee: US$25 for single entry, US$50 for multiple entry.
• Where to apply: the official portal, evisa.gov.vn. It is the only government site; everything else is an agent.
• Processing: normally around three to five working days. If anything on the form needs correcting, that clock restarts — which is why applying two to three weeks before departure is sensible rather than cautious.

How the application works

1. Prepare your documents. A passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, a clear scan of the passport data page, and a passport-style photograph — plain background, face straight on, no glasses, no hat.
2. Fill in the form and upload. Every field must match your passport exactly: spelling, the order of given and family names, and the date format. This is where most problems start.
3. Pay and keep the reference number. The fee is non-refundable, including if the application is refused. You will be given a registration code — save it, because it is the only way to check your result and download the visa.
4. Download and print. Once approved, print the e-visa and carry it with you. Do not rely on having it only on your phone.

Why applications get rejected or delayed

• A name that does not exactly match the passport, or given and family names entered the wrong way round.
• A photo that fails the specification — a cropped selfie, a shadow across the face, glasses.
• A blurred or partially cut-off passport scan.
• A passport with less than six months' validity left.
• An entry port on the application that is not the one you actually arrive at. The e-visa specifies where you enter; changing your flight can invalidate it.

None of these is difficult to get right, but each one costs you the fee and the processing time all over again.

Visa on arrival — what it actually means

This is the one most often misunderstood. Visa on arrival in Vietnam does not mean turning up at the airport and buying a visa. It means arriving with an approval letter that has already been issued in advance, then collecting the physical visa at a designated airport counter.

You still need to arrange it before you fly, you still pay a stamping fee on arrival, and you queue at the counter after landing. For most travellers the e-visa is simpler and faster. Visa on arrival is worth considering mainly when you need a longer or different visa type than the e-visa covers.

Phu Quoc: the 30-day exemption

Phu Quoc island has its own rule. Foreign visitors can enter and stay for up to 30 days without a visa, regardless of nationality — but the conditions are specific.

• You arrive from outside Vietnam, either directly at Phu Quoc, or on a connecting domestic flight without formally entering Vietnam at the transfer airport.
• Your passport must be valid for at least six months.
• The exemption covers Phu Quoc only. If you want to continue to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or anywhere else on the mainland, you need a visa — which can be arranged on the island, but is far less stressful sorted out beforehand.

In practice: if Phu Quoc is your whole trip, this saves you the visa entirely. If Phu Quoc is one stop among several, apply for an e-visa and stop thinking about it.

Which option suits you

Before you fly

• Passport valid at least six months beyond your arrival date, with blank pages.
• A printed copy of your e-visa or approval letter — not just a photo on your phone.
• The entry port on your visa matching the airport you actually land at.
• Onward or return ticket, and your accommodation address.
• Confirmation that nothing has changed on evisa.gov.vn since you applied.

FAQ

Tours and transport