Vietnam visa on arrival

Like other countries of Cambodia, India, Indonesia, China... Vietnam allows visa agency to arrange a visa for the customers on their behalf. Previously, only travellers booking a tour to Vietnam can have a visa arranged by an international tour operator licensed company. Since 2005, the new law has changed the format of visa on arrival and it makes a visa on arrival becoming easier to obtain than ever.

Visa on arrival (so called pre-arranged visa, landing visa or online visa) is one of the fastest and cheapest way to get a visa to Vietnam. People just need to fill in an online application form, pay the service fee and wait to receive a "visa approval letter" within 2 working days (normal service) or 1-2 hours (emergency service), in working days, at weekend or public holidays then pick up visa at the Vietnamese international airports (Hanoi Airport, Ho Chi Minh City Airport, Danang Airport, Nha Trang Airport, Hai Phong Airport, Van Don Airport or Phu Quoc Airport). From now on, the travellers don't need to visit the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulates in persons which takes your time and expense.

A visa on arrival can be a tourist visa (90 days validity maximum) or business visa (12 months validity maximum) that goes with an authorized approval letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department.

Legitimacy

Vietnam visa on arrival is regulated in Vietnam immigration laws hence it is endorsed by the Vietnamese Government. The visa approval letter is a document issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department therefore it is totally legitimate. The visa on arrival legitimacy is indicated in the Ordinance on Entry, Exit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam No. 24/2000/PL- UBTVQH 10 of April 28, 2000 as follows:

Chapter III, Article 2:

1. Vietnamese agencies and organizations, Vietnam -based foreign agencies and organizations as well as international organizations, Vietnamese citizens and foreigners lawfully residing in Vietnam may invite foreigners into Vietnam.

2. Agencies, organizations and individuals that invite foreigners into Vietnam shall have to ensure the compliance with foreigners’ entry purposes, ensure financial matters and their cooperation with the State bodies to settle arising problems for foreigners.

Chapter III, Article 6:

Foreigners are granted entry at International Border gate point under the following conditions:

a) They enter for funerals of their relatives, for visits to their seriously ill relatives;

b) They depart from countries where Vietnamese diplomatic missions and/or Consulates are not available.

c) They enter for visit under programs organized by international tour enterprises of Vietnam;

d) They enter to provide urgent technical support for programs, projects, to give first- aid to seriously ill person, accident victims, to provide rescue for victims of natural disasters and epidemics in Vietnam.

e) For other urgent reasons.

In the Decree No. 21/2001/ND-CP of May 28, 2001 detailing the implementation of the Ordinance on Entry, Exit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam approved and signed by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, it is said that:

1. Agencies assigned to assume the prime responsibility for receiving foreign guests into Vietnam at the invitation of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President or the Government and guests of the equivalent level of ministers, vice ministers, presidents or vice presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities, shall send written notices on the invitation and reception of foreign guests to the Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall notify the Vietnamese diplomatic missions or consular offices in foreign countries thereof, so that the latter grant visas to the above-said invited guests, and at the same time notify such to the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security. For foreigners entering to work at the foreign diplomatic missions or consular offices, representative offices of the United Nations’ international organizations, the inter-governmental organizations based in Vietnam and their accompanying next of kin and servants, the above-said agencies shall have to send written notices on the invitation and reception of foreign guests to the Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall notify such in writing to the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security before notifying and requesting the Vietnamese diplomatic missions or consular offices in foreign countries to grant visas.

Within 2 working days after receiving the written notices, if it detects that the invited foreigners fall into cases not yet permitted for entry, the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security shall inform such to the Consular Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

2. Agencies, organizations and individuals that invite foreigners into Vietnam who are not specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall send written notices or requests to the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security. The Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security shall notify its approval to the Vietnamese diplomatic mission or consular offices in foreign countries so that the latter grant visas to invited foreigners within 5 working days after the written notices or requests are received. If it detects that the invited foreigners fall into cases not yet permitted for entry, the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security shall inform the inviting agencies, organizations and/or individuals thereof.

3. Agencies, organizations and/or individuals that wish to have visas granted at Vietnam’s international border-gates to foreigners falling into cases specified in Article 6 of the Ordinance shall send written requests to the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security. In cases of application for visa granting at border-gates for urgent reasons, the written requests therefore must be filed at least 12 hours before the invited foreigners arrive at the border-gates.

In the Joint Circular No. 04/2002/TTLT/BCA-BNG of January 29, 2002 of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs guiding the implementation of the Government’s Decree No. 21/2001/ND-CP of May 28, 2001 detailing the implementation of the Ordinance on Entry, Exit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam says:

1. For foreigners liable to carry out procedures at the Ministry of Public Security

a. Agencies and organizations, which wish to invite into Vietnam foreigners who are not liable to carry out procedures at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as defined at Point 1 of this Section, shall send written requests to the Exit and Entry Management Department. If they request the granting of visas to guests at international border gates, their written requests must clearly state the border gates and time of the guests? entry, as well as reasons for granting of visas at border gates.

Organizations defined at Points d, e, g and h, Clause 1, Article 4 of the Decree, before carrying out the procedures for inviting and/or guaranteeing foreigners to enter Vietnam, must submit dossiers evidencing their legal person status to the Exit and Entry Management Department. Each dossier comprises:

– Permit or decision of a competent authority on the organization’s establishment;
– Written operation registration of the organization, with certification of the People's Committee of the province or centrally-run city where the organization is headquartered;
– Written document presenting the seal and signature of the competent person of the organization.

The above-said dossier submission shall be made only once. Any change in dossier content must be notified in writing by the submitting organization to the Exit and Entry Management Department for dossier supplementation.

How does Vietnam visa on arrival work?

Before getting on board

Good news is that the application for Vietnam visa on arrival is done 100% online. What you need is a computer or mobile phone connected to the internet. Then you spend a couple of minutes to fill in the application form, make a payment as the guidance and receive your Vietnam visa approval letter in 1 working day (urgent processing) or 4 working hours (emergency processing) as from your payment completion onwards.

It should be noticed that you must have a Vietnam visa (or visa approval letter) to get on board. Your boarding may be denied by the airlines if you have no visa (or visa approval letter) in hand. Many people have to employ an emergency visa service in this case and of course, the processing fee is higher, especially at weekend or holidays.

Upon arrival airport

Upon the arrival airport in Vietnam, the applicants will get their visa stamped on the passport after doing the following steps:

• Complete a Vietnam entry and exit form;
• Submit a valid passport, 2 passport-sized photos, a legal approval letter from Vietnam Immigration Department and pay the stamping fee directly in cash (USD or VND) at the visa desk;
• Get a visa stamped into passport in couple minutes.

Learn more about how Vietnam visa on arrival works

Why choose Vietnam visa on arrival?

Vietnam visa on arrival is legitimate and getting more and more popular because of its outstanding advantage.

• Get private visa approval letter in normal processing guaranteed
• Secure and convenient application procedure (applicants can easily submit their visa application online within couple of minutes)
• Money and time saving: no postal fee, no time and fee for embassy transportation; no driving, parking and standing in line at the Vietnam Embassy or Consulates
• Quick online payment with almost major credit cards supported through the most reliable International money transfer network PayPal or Western Union
• Dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable supporting staffs

Requirements for a valid Vietnam visa on arrival

Vietnam visa on arrival can be arranged with the conditions below:

• The applicants must obtain a visa approval letter beforehand by submit the visa application online
• The visa information must be exactly the same as stated in the passport
• The passport must be of at least 6 months validity with available blank pages.
• Vietnam visa on arrival can be ONLY picked up at one of Vietnamese international airports in Vietnam, including Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh City), Danang Airport (Danang), Cam Ranh Airport (Nha Trang), Phu Quoc Airport (Phu Quoc), Cat Bi Airport (Hai Phong), Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh).
• Some nations whose citizens may not apply for Vietnam visa on arrival, please refer to Vietnam visa on arrival exceptions

Common mistakes with Vietnam visa on arrival to avoid

• Getting visa on arrival right at the arrival airport in Vietnam:
  Many people think that they can get a visa directly at Vietnam airport without applying online. That is NOT true, you may end up with delaying/ canceling your flights or waiting at the airport until the visa is approved or even if you can get board, you can be expelled. Thus, you need to apply for visa on arrival online prior to your trip in order to pick up your visa at the arrival airport in Vietnam.
• Visa on arrival at the border:
  Visa on arrival works for air travel only, it means there is NO on arrival visa for overland/ border crossing or sea/water entry. Therefore, in case you DO NOT enter Vietnam by air, we highly recommend you to apply for visa at Vietnam Embassies/Consulates where you are living or staying in advance.
• Spelling/ Typo mistakes:
  Many applicants fill in the Application form with WRONG details: full name on passport, passport number or date of birth, passport expiration date. Normally, that may not be a big problem, however, in some cases; they will be refused by airlines at the departure airport since the information on your visa approval letter does not match those in your passport. So, make sure you submit everything correctly and carefully.
• Visa validity:
  Many people think that the visa validity will start from the date they enter Vietnam, not from the date they submitted, however, it is not. The visa validity will commence from the date of entry printed in your visa approval letter, not from the date you will enter the country. Thus, please make sure that you make a clear plan of when to enter before ordering a visa to Vietnam.
• Visa extensions:
  Many people think that it is easy to extend a visa once they are in Vietnam, however, in fact, it is not that easy, and extending a visa may be a costly and time consuming process. So, if possible, just apply for a 3 month visa in advance instead of a 1 month one to save money on visa extension.

If you’re unsure about any Vietnam visa requirements, take our online supports by calling +84 912 685 141 or emailing us vietnamvisabooking@gmail.com or chatting with us on Whatsapp +84 912 685 141. Our visa experts will be able to match up your qualifications to find the right answers for you. So if you want your Vietnam visa done right now, click the apply button below and start your Vietnam visa journey today.

Find further information on our Vietnam visa FAQs page.

Related information

• Is this visa on arrival legitimate?
• How to get Vietnam visa on arrival?
• Can people use visa on arrival when entering Vietnam by land?
• What is visa approval letter (or visa pre-approved letter in other word)?
• What is the processing time for visa approval letter?
• How do I receive my visa approval letter?
• What is normal processing and urgent processing?
• Urgent Vietnam visa processing
• Vietnam visa exemption
• Advantage and disadvantage of visa on arrival