Vietnam e-Visa Application in 2026: From Eligibility to Downloading Your Visa

Since 15 August 2023 the e-visa has been open to all nationalities, and it can be issued for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. This guide follows the whole process in order: eligibility, documents, the form, the fee, the wait, the download, and what to do if the answer is no. Everything below comes from the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, as checked in September 2026.

Who can apply for a Vietnam e-visa in 2026?

Any nationality can apply, provided you are outside Vietnam when you apply. The portal states that the e-visa is issued to foreigners currently abroad who wish to enter Vietnam, not to foreigners already temporarily residing in Vietnam. If you are already in Da Nang on another visa, this is not the route for extending a stay.

Three further conditions shape eligibility:

• You must enter and exit through a border gate on the list approved by the Government. The e-visa works only at those gates.
• You must declare all information in English, sufficiently, accurately and honestly. The portal says the application is denied if the Immigration Authority finds dishonest information.
• Past violations of Vietnamese law on a previous entry may lead to denial, and the form has a section for them.

Before paying anything, check whether you need a visa at all. Several groups of travellers hold an exemption in 2026.

Who	Length of stay	Basis
United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Russia	45 days, any purpose	Resolution 44/NQ-CP, until 14 March 2028
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland	45 days, any purpose	Resolution 229/NQ-CP, until 14 August 2028
Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand	30 days	ASEAN exemption
Philippines	21 days	ASEAN exemption
Brunei	14 days	ASEAN exemption
Indonesia	14 days, tourism and family	In force since 15 July 2026
All nationalities arriving directly on Phu Quoc and staying on the island	30 days	Phu Quoc scheme
People of Vietnamese origin, their spouses and children	5-year visa exemption certificate	Separate certificate

There is no minimum gap between two exempt stays under Resolutions 44/NQ-CP and 229/NQ-CP, so an exempt traveller can leave Vietnam and come back without waiting. Indian, Australian, American and Canadian passports are not on the 45-day lists, so the e-visa is the standard route for readers of this guide. Our guide on whether you need a visa for Vietnam goes through each case in detail.

What do you need before you start the application?

Five things: your passport, a compliant portrait photo, a clear image of the passport data page, your travel plan, and a means of paying through the portal's e-payment gateway. The portal reads the passport automatically and then asks you to double-check the extracted data, so most of the work is preparation.

Item	What the portal requires
Portrait photo	Newly taken, 4x6 cm, JPG or JPEG, under 2 MB, white background, straight face, no hat, no glasses, formal clothes
Passport image	One data page, clear, no lost corners, machine-readable lines visible
Names	Exactly as on the ICAO line of the passport
Email	Valid format, maximum 50 characters
Phone	Format [country code]-[phone number], 9 to 15 characters
Trip details	Intended date of entry, length of stay, intended gates of entry and exit, address in Vietnam
Payment	Through the portal's e-payment gateway, non-refundable if denied

One detail matters for single-name passports: if the passport contains only a surname or only given names, the portal tells you to enter it as given names.

If your purpose of entry is anything other than tourism or visiting relatives, gather the supporting papers before you start, because the rules attach documents to certain purposes: investment papers for investors, a practice licence for lawyers, a work permit or a certificate of exemption for workers, written consent from the Vietnamese school for students, and permission for religious, press, medical or teaching activities.

How does the Vietnam e-visa application work, step by step?

The portal describes three steps: fill in the form, pay, and receive the result by email or on the e-visa homepage. In practice the sequence runs like this.

1. Read the instructions and confirm the declarations. Every answer must be in English, complete, accurate and honest.
2. Upload the two images, portrait and passport data page, both JPG or JPEG under 2 MB.
3. Verify the extracted data. The portal reads the passport and asks you to double-check it. Compare character by character, including the passport number.
4. Complete the personal, passport, contact, occupation and trip sections.
5. Answer the background questions, including the violations section.
6. Declare expenses, who covers the trip, payment method and health insurance, and commit to declaring temporary residence.
7. Confirm the final declaration and pay the fee.
8. Note the e-visa application number.
9. Wait about 3 working days, then check the status and download the e-visa.

The slow parts are the photo and the travel details, not the typing. Prepare both files and your itinerary first, then open the form once and go through it in a single sitting.

What are the photo and passport rules, and what do the portal's warnings mean?

The portrait must be newly taken, 4x6 cm, JPG or JPEG, under 2 MB, with a straight face, no hat, no glasses, formal clothes and a white background. The passport upload must be one data page, clear, with no lost corners and the machine-readable lines visible, because the portal uses those lines to read your passport.

To shoot a portrait with a phone: stand facing a window during the day in front of a plain white or very light wall, have someone photograph you at eye level with the phone vertical, no glasses, no hat, hair away from the face, neutral expression, formal top. Crop so head and shoulders fill most of the frame, then save as JPG. iPhones save HEIC by default, which the portal does not accept, so change the camera format first. For the passport, lay it flat next to a window on a dark surface, switch the flash off to avoid glare on the laminate, and shoot straight down so the page fills the frame with both code lines sharp.

The portal analyses both files and can show these warnings. Most say the application may be rejected, so read them before you pay.

Warning	Cause	Fix
No face detected in the portrait	Face too dark, too small or hidden	Face the light, fill the frame with head and shoulders
Face not looking straight	Head turned or tilted	Look at the camera, chin level
Portrait captured from another source	Photo of a printed photo or of a screen	Take a fresh photo directly
Too many faces detected	Another person in the frame	Plain wall behind you, nobody else in shot
Portrait resolution too low	Image too small or over-compressed	Use the main camera, not a screenshot
No face detected in the passport image	Passport photo hidden by glare or a finger	Tilt the passport to remove reflections
No MRZ detected	The two code lines are cut or blurred	Include the whole page, bottom lines sharp
Passport image resolution too low	Scan too small or shot from too far	Fill the frame with the page
Unsupported image format	HEIC, PDF or another format	Export or convert to JPG
Low match rate between portrait and passport photo	The two faces look too different	Recent photo, similar framing, no glasses

Children under 14 included on a parent's passport are added to the parent's e-visa, each with their own portrait following the same rules. A child holding their own passport needs a separate application and a separate fee. For a baby, lay the child on a white sheet and photograph from directly above.

What does each part of the form ask for?

The form runs in blocks: personal information, passport, contact, occupation, trip, violations, then expenses and insurance. Knowing what is coming saves stopping halfway through to look something up.

Personal information. Surname, then middle and given names as printed on the ICAO line. Sex, date of birth, which can be a full date or a year only, place of birth, current nationality, religion. Then the background questions: other nationalities, other passports used to enter Vietnam, and other valid passports you hold.

Passport details. Type, which may be ordinary, official, diplomatic or other, number, issuing authority or place of issue, dates of issue and expiry. Most of this is pre-filled from your upload; your job is to confirm it.

Contact details. Permanent residential address, a contact address if different, phone in the format [country code]-[phone number] with 9 to 15 characters, and an email of at most 50 characters, since notifications go there. The form also asks for an emergency contact with full name, current address, telephone and relationship.

Occupation. Businessman, student, employee, official, retired, unemployed or other, with the name of the company, agency or school, your position or course of study, and its address and telephone.

Trip information. Purpose of entry, single or multiple entry, intended date of entry and length of stay, intended border gate of entry and intended border gate of exit from dropdowns, your residential address in Vietnam with city or province and ward, a phone number in Vietnam, the host organisation or person you will contact, whether you visited Vietnam in the last 12 months, whether you have relatives in Vietnam, and any children under 14 travelling on your passport.

Violations. A section titled "Violation of the Vietnamese laws/regulations (if any)", asking for the act of violation, the time, the form of sanction and the authority that imposed it. Answer it honestly: past violations may lead to denial, but a dishonest declaration is itself a ground for denial.

Expenses and insurance. Intended expenses, who covers the trip, the payment method, health insurance for the stay, and a commitment to declare temporary residence.

That last commitment is a real obligation. Foreigners declare temporary residence through the person managing the accommodation, hotel or private host, who declares it to the local commune or ward police where the accommodation is. Staying with friends in Ho Chi Minh City rather than a hotel means your host files it.

Which purpose should you choose, and which border gates?

The portal offers tourist, visiting relatives, business, working and other. The purpose carries obligations, and some purposes require documents the e-visa itself does not replace.

Purpose	What the rules require
Tourist	No extra document listed
Visiting relatives	Standard application; the form asks about relatives in Vietnam
Business	No extra document listed
Investor	Investment papers
Lawyer	Practice licence
Worker	Work permit or a certificate of exemption
Student	Written consent from the Vietnamese school
Religious, press, medical or teaching activities	Permission

Choose the purpose that matches what you will actually do. If you intend to work, the e-visa does not stand in for a work permit or for the certificate of exemption that replaces it, and a student place needs the school's written consent in hand.

For gates, pick the ones you will really travel through, and remember that the entry gate and the exit gate can differ. Approved land gates are Huu Nghi, Mong Cai and Lao Cai with China; Tay Trang, Na Meo, Nam Can, Cau Treo, Cha Lo, Lao Bao, La Lay and Bo Y with Laos; Moc Bai, Xa Mat, Tinh Bien, Vinh Xuong and Ha Tien with Cambodia. Approved sea gates are Hai Phong, Hon Gai, Cam Pha, Nghi Son, Vung Ang, Chan May, Da Nang, Dung Quat, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City and Duong Dong. More on entry rules and gates in our guide do I need a visa for Vietnam.

How much does the Vietnam e-visa cost, and how do you pay?

The government fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry, paid through the portal's e-payment gateway when you submit. The final declaration states that the applicant is aware the fee is not refunded if the application for an e-visa of Viet Nam is denied.

That sentence is the reason to check the file twice. A denial costs the fee plus the waiting time, and a fresh application means paying again.

The multiple-entry option is worth weighing if your itinerary leaves Vietnam and returns, for example a Hanoi to Luang Prabang loop, or a Da Nang base with a week in Bangkok in between. Whichever you choose, validity must not exceed 90 days from the issuance date.

Visa on arrival works on a different basis: it needs an approval letter obtained in advance through a licensed Vietnamese company, the stamping fee is US$25 single or US$50 multiple in cash, and it is available only at Hanoi Noi Bai, Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc, Cat Bi, Lien Khuong and Can Tho. Our cost breakdown compares the routes.

How long does processing take, and when should you apply?

Processing takes about 3 working days; Vietnamese weekends and public holidays do not count. The portal then sends the result by email or publishes it on the e-visa homepage, where you check it yourself.

Applying many months ahead has its own risk: validity must not exceed 90 days from the issuance date, and the form asks for an intended date of entry, so an early file can produce a visa that expires before you land. Book your dates, then apply, leaving room for the 3 working days and for a second application if the first is refused.

Apply with the passport you will actually travel with: if you renew your passport after applying, the details on the e-visa no longer match it.

Our urgent visa page covers faster options.

How do you check the status and download your e-visa?

You check the result yourself on the portal's search page with three details: the e-visa application number given when you submitted, the email address typed on the form, and your date of birth. The portal's instructions tell applicants to note the application number for exactly this purpose.

Copy the number into a note on your phone as soon as it appears, and use the same email address you typed on the form, not a second inbox. The portal says the result arrives by email or on the e-visa homepage, so check the status page yourself rather than waiting for a message, and open it in a browser where you can save the file.

Once the e-visa is granted, compare it line by line with your passport and your itinerary:

• Full name and spelling, exactly as on the passport ICAO line
• Passport number, date of birth, sex and nationality
• Single or multiple entry, matching what you paid for
• Validity dates, within the 90-day maximum
• Every detail shown, compared against your passport

Email the document to yourself, keep an offline copy, and print a colour copy to carry with your passport. If you find a mistake in your own data, check the guidance on the official portal for what can be done with an issued e-visa and ask there before you travel, rather than improvising on the day.

What if your Vietnam e-visa is denied?

You may file a new application; the government fee is payable again. What you lose is the first fee, which is not refunded when the visa is not granted, plus about 3 working days, so audit the file against the published rules before filing again.

Work through it in order:

1. Read the status page and any email you received, and note anything stated there.
2. Put your passport data page and portrait side by side and check them against every rule above, including the automatic warnings.
3. Retype the form from scratch rather than reusing a draft, using the ICAO line as the source for names.
4. Re-check the background and violations answers.
5. Submit again, pay the fee again, and allow about 3 working days.

Avoidable errors include: typing names by hand instead of copying the ICAO line, putting a single name in the surname field, uploading a HEIC file, an email longer than 50 characters, a phone number without the country code separator, a gate that is not on the approved list, or clicking past an image warning. People of Vietnamese origin and their spouses and children have a different option worth checking first: a 5-year visa exemption certificate. Nationality notes for Indian passport holders are on our Vietnam visa for Indians page.

If you prefer your documents checked before anything is paid, we read your passport, check both images against the portal's rules and file on the official portal within 24 working hours, at US$74 all-inclusive single entry or US$99 multiple entry, government fee included. You can start an application, or file yourself on the official portal for the government fee alone.

Sources

• evisa.gov.vn, the portal's instructions and application form: eligibility, the three-step process, about 3 working days of processing, the fees and their non-refundable nature, photo and passport upload rules, names as on the ICAO line, approved border gates, and the form fields including purposes, intended gates of entry and exit and the violations section. Checked in September 2026.
• evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/foreigners, the application form for foreigners: the official field labels quoted in this guide. Checked in September 2026.
• evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/search, the status page: status check and download using the application number, email and date of birth. Checked in September 2026.
• evisa.gov.vn/faq, the portal's FAQ. Checked in September 2026.
• Australia Smartraveller, Vietnam and Government of Canada travel advice for Vietnam: confirmation that the e-visa is open to all nationalities. Checked in September 2026.