Vietnamese Visa Process - save money and avoid being scammed
The Point. – There are many scammers, don’t get scammed! Canadians are able to get a 30 day E-Visa for 25USD valid for entry into main Vietnamese point of entries. This process works if they apply more than 3 business days before leaving for Vietnam, and is a requirement to board a ticket to Vietnam. You apply following this link, any other link is not an official visa, just a letter to invite you to get a visa on arrival.
This is a question that I’ve been asked numerous times, how do I get a Vietnamese Visa? If you Google “Vietnam visa” there are numerous unofficial websites offering visa letters, these are not the official way. Many westerners are able to get an E-Visa, while this process is valid for Canadians, it also works for numerous others including Americans, Australians, British, Indian and Kiwi tourists (List of Vietnamese E-Visa eligible passport holders). In this article, I will walk you through the Visa process for Vietnam.
Who Is Eligible
As of January 2019 there are 46 countries eligible for E-Visa’s from Vietnam including many EU, American, British, Russian, Philippine, New Zealand, Korean, Indian, Japanese Canadian and Australian passport holders. Interestingly enough, this service is also available to holders of Venezuela, Cuban and Belarusian passport holders.
1. Argentina
2. Armenia
3. Australia
4. Azerbaijan
5. Belarus
6. Brunei
7. Bulgaria
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. China (Not apply to Chinese e-passport holders)
11. Colombia
12. Cuba
13. Czech Republic
14. Denmark
15. Finland
16. France
17. Germany
18. Greece
19. Hungary
20. India
21. Ireland
22. Italy
23. Japan
24. Kazakhstan
25. Korea (South)
26. Luxembourg
27. Mongolia
28. Myanmar
29. Netherland
30. New Zealand
31. Norway
32. Panama
33. Peru
34. Philippines
35. Poland
36. Romania
37. Russia
38. Slovakia
39. Spain
40. Sweden
41. Timor Leste
42. United Arab Emirates
43. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
44. United States of America
45. Uruguay
46. Venezuela
To use the visa, you are required to enter and exit via one of the approved entry points. The approved entry points include 8 airports, 13 land entries and 7 seaports.
Airports
1. Cat Bi Int Airport (Hai Phong)
2. Cam Ranh Int Airport (Khanh Hoa)
3. Can Tho International Airport
4. Da Nang International Airport
5. Noi Bai Int Airport (Ha Noi)
6. Phu Bai Int Airport
7. Phu Quoc International Airport
8. Tan Son Nhat Int Airport (Ho Chi Minh City)
Land Entries
9. Bo Y Landport
10. Cha Lo Landport
11. Cau Treo Landport
12. Huu Nghi Landport
13. Ha Tien Landport
14. Lao Bao Landport
15. Lao Cai Landport
16. Moc Bai Landport
17. Mong Cai Landport
18. Nam Can Landport
Ha Long Bay
19. Song Tien Landport
20. Tinh Bien Landport
21. Xa Mat Landport
Cruise Terminals
22. Da Nang Seaport
23. Gai Hon Gai Seaport
24. Hai Phong Seaport
25. Nha Trang Seaport
26. Quy Nhon Seaport
27. Ho Chi Minh City Seaport
28. Vung Tau Seaport
Nothing like sitting on beaches for days!
If you are from one of the approved countries and you are entering and exiting from one of the approved border crossings then you are eligible to apply for a Vietnamese E-Visa.
Cost and Time Limit
This visa is only applicable for a single 30 day entry to Vietnam, that means that once you leave the country, you must reapply for another visa. If you are planning to re-enter Vietnam, it might make sense to apply for a multi-entry visa. The cost for the E-Visa is 25 USD.
How do I Apply?
You apply following this link, any other link is not an official visa, just a letter to invite you to get a visa on arrival. This will cause delays at the border, people have been known to wait several hours for their visa on arrival. You must apply at least three working days before entering Vietnam for this process to work, you will have to get a letter for a visa on arrival if you are unable to apply before three working days. Without a visa, or a letter inviting you to get a visa on arrival, you will be unable to board your plane to Vietnam. It’s critical once you know your dates that you apply for the visa. There were numerous people on my Qatar Airways flight that were turned away for not having a valid visa or entry letter!
To apply you must have a good scan of your passport data page and a 4x6cm portrait photo that you are looking straight and are without glasses. According to Vietnam Law, the visa expiry date must be at least 30 days before the passport expiry date. Therefore, an e-Visa expiry date must also be at least 30 days before the passport expiry date. Once you fill out your information and provide your passport information and photo, you will receive a confirmation email like this.
After 36 hours I received an email like this confirming my visa. You then go to the check application status page, input your registration code, email and date of birth and you will be given a PDF of your visa. Pro tip – you MUST print your visa before you get to the airport, the check in agent will require a copy to let you onto the plane – no exceptions.