Do You Need a Visa for Vietnam? E-Visa and 45-Day Exemptions (2026)

The short version

Whether you need a visa for Vietnam depends only on your passport, not on which tours you book. Citizens of 24 countries can enter visa-free for up to 45 days. Everyone else applies online for an e-visa before flying – valid 90 days, from one official government website, for US$25. You arrange it yourself; a tour booking has nothing to do with it, and no legitimate tour company or hotel needs to “process” your visa.

• From one of the 24 visa-free countries? Bring a passport valid for at least six months. No paperwork, no fee.
• From anywhere else? Apply for the 90-day e-visa at evisa.gov.vn – the only official site.
• Staying longer than 45 days, or entering more than once? Use the e-visa, even if your country is visa-free.
• Flying in? Carry your printed e-visa and a return or onward ticket – airlines often check both at the gate.

Do you need a visa for Vietnam in 2026?

There are three situations. Find yours below, then read the matching section.

Visa exemption vs e-visa: which one is yours

These are the two routes most visitors use. The visa exemption is automatic for eligible nationalities; the e-visa is an online application open to everyone.

If you are from a visa-free country but plan to stay longer than 45 days, or to leave Vietnam and come back during the same trip, apply for the e-visa instead – it is simpler than counting days at the border.

The 45-day visa exemption, country by country

Vietnam currently waives visas for citizens of 24 countries, under two separate government resolutions. Both allow a stay of up to 45 days, counted from your date of arrival.

Group 1 – unilateral exemption (Resolution 44/NQ-CP)

In force from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028, regardless of passport type or reason for travel:

Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Group 2 – tourism stimulus programme (Resolution 229/NQ-CP)

In force from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028, for tourism:

Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Two conditions apply to everyone entering visa-free: your passport must be valid for at least six months, and you may be asked at airline check-in for proof of onward or return travel inside your 45 days.

How the 45 days are counted

Your arrival day counts as day one, whatever time you land, and the 45-day stay runs from there. The exemption covers a single continuous visit; if you leave and come back, the new stay is counted on its own, so travellers planning a side trip to Laos, Cambodia or Thailand and back usually find a multiple-entry e-visa simpler. To stay beyond 45 days in one go, you need the e-visa or another visa – there is no on-the-spot extension of the visa-free period at the airport.

The 90-day e-visa: step by step on the official portal

If your country is not on the list above, or you want to stay longer or enter more than once, Vietnam’s e-visa is open to all nationalities. It is valid for 90 days in single-entry (US$25) and multiple-entry (US$50) versions, and you can do the whole thing yourself in about fifteen minutes.

1. Go to the official site, evisa.gov.vn. This is the Vietnam Immigration Department’s own system and the only government portal.
2. Upload a passport photo and a scan of your passport bio page. Plain light background for the photo, no glasses; the whole bio page, including the two lines of code at the bottom, must be readable.
3. Enter your details exactly as they appear in your passport – see the name-order note below.
4. Choose single or multiple entry and pick your entry point. For Hanoi that is Noi Bai International Airport (HAN).
5. Pay the US$25 or US$50 fee by card and save your registration code. You need it to check the result and to download the visa.
6. Download and print the e-visa when it is approved. Keep a photo on your phone as a backup.

How much it costs and how long it takes

The official fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry, paid by card on the portal. Processing usually takes about three working days, but allow longer in busy periods and never leave it to the last day. The fee is not refunded if an application is refused, so check every field before you pay.

Single or multiple entry – which to choose

Single entry (US$25) is enough for a straightforward trip: you fly in, travel around Vietnam, and fly out once. Choose multiple entry (US$50) only if you will leave the country and come back during the same trip – for example a side trip to Laos, Cambodia or Thailand before returning to fly home from Hanoi. A domestic flight between Hanoi, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City does not count as leaving the country, so it does not need multiple entry.

What you need to apply

• A passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages
• A clear scan or photo of the passport bio page
• A passport-style portrait photo, plain background, no glasses
• Your planned entry date and entry point (Noi Bai for Hanoi)
• A card to pay the US$25 or US$50 fee

Children and families

A child travelling on their own passport needs their own e-visa, applied for separately and at the same fee. A child recorded on a parent’s passport is included in that parent’s application. Everyone, including infants, needs either a visa-free nationality or a valid visa to enter.

Avoiding fake visa websites

Search “Vietnam e-visa” and you will see a row of polished websites with official-looking names and government-style seals. Most are agencies that charge US$60–150 for the same e-visa you can get yourself for US$25, and a few are outright scams. There is only one official site: evisa.gov.vn.

• The official fee is US$25 or US$50, paid by card on evisa.gov.vn
• Be wary of any site charging much more, or adding a “service” or “express” fee
• Avoid sites that ask you to pay by bank transfer or that promise a visa “in one hour”
• No tour company or hotel needs your passport to “arrange” a tourist visa – treat such offers the same way

Entry points and arriving at Noi Bai

When you apply you choose your entry point, and the e-visa is valid at Vietnam’s designated international checkpoints – by air, land or sea. For Hanoi that is Noi Bai International Airport (HAN). At Noi Bai’s Terminal 2 (international arrivals), walk past the “Visa on Arrival” / “Landing Visa” counter – that desk is only for the few travellers who arranged an approval letter in advance. With an e-visa or a visa-free passport you go straight to the immigration queue. Have your passport, your printed e-visa and, if asked, your onward ticket ready, and fill in the arrival card with your first hotel’s address. Once you are through, see our guide to getting from Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter and to money and tipping.

Staying longer and avoiding overstay

Overstaying your visa or visa-free period is taken seriously in Vietnam: it can mean a fine when you leave and, in some cases, trouble on future entries. If you want to stay longer than your visa-free 45 days or your e-visa’s 90 days, sort it out before your current permission runs out. For most travellers the simplest route is to apply for the 90-day e-visa in the first place, or to plan a border hop and a fresh entry. Count your days from your arrival date and keep a little buffer before your flight out.

Before you fly: your checklist

• Passport valid for at least six months, with two blank pages
• Your printed e-visa, if you applied for one (plus a photo on your phone)
• A return or onward flight booking, in case the airline asks at check-in
• Your first hotel’s name and address, for the immigration arrival card
• A card or a little cash for anything on arrival (a SIM, a taxi or the airport bus)

What this means for your tour with us

None of our Hanoi or Sapa tours need a visa of their own, and we never ask for your passport to “arrange” one – your entry visa is strictly between you and Vietnamese immigration. Once you have landed and cleared immigration, booking a tour is simple: see how booking, payment and date changes work, and what to wear and bring on the day.