How to apply Vietnam Visa on Arrival?
From 2023, Vietnam Visa on arrival is issued by Vietnam Immigration Department for people who follow the tour package of Vietnamese Travel Company and then pick up visa stamped upon arrival at Vietnam international airports.
Step-by-step instruction
Step 1: Preparation before applying
Why choose Vietnam Visa on Arrival?
Visa on arrival is one of the most convenient way for foreigners who are not in the list of E-visa or cannot go to Vietnam Embassy or Consulate to apply.
- Convenience – Everything will be handled online, no passport required, no documents required.
- Resonable cost – It is such a proper fee compared to other Vietnam visa type
- Fast processing time – If you wish to process your visa application urgently, please ask your travel company to support best
List of airports available for Visa on Arrival
- Noi Bai international airport
- Da Nang international airport
- Tan Son Nhat international airport
- Cam Ranh international airport
- Phu Quoc international airport
- Can Tho international airport
- Van Don international airport
What you should know about Vietnam Visa on Arrival
- Different from visa on arrival in some countries such as Cambodia and Thailand, the pre-approval letter is required for foreigners to pick up visa stamp upon arrival. You should ask your travel agency to submit it to Vietnam Immigration Department to get this letter.
- 15-day exemption for citizens from United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany is extended to June 2025. Travelers from these countries can enjoy if their trip in Vietnam is less than 15 days, otherwise, they should apply Vietnam visa.
- From Nov 2014, travelers who take direct flight to Phu Quoc international airport and stay in Phu Quoc can take advantage of 30-day free visa.
Step 2: Document Preparation
- Passport with at least 6-month validity and 2 pages left for visa sticker and stamp. If you propose to renew your passport, you should arrange the right time.
- 02 passport photos with the size of 4x6cm or 2×2 inches.
- A printout of pre-approval letter and entry & exit form is highly recommended to minimize the waiting time at Vietnam international airport.
Step 3: Apply Vietnam Visa on Arrival
The detailed instruction about the procedure to apply Vietnam Visa on Arrival
- 1: Fill in an online application form and then our tour consultant will reach you with tour package included visa on arrival support
- 2: Once decision is made, the visa application will be submitted and sent back within 4-5 working days
- 3: Download and print the approval letter and get visa stamped upon arrival at Vietnam international airports. You should prepare 02 passport photo, your passport (at least 6 month validity from entry date) and stamp fee of 25 USD for single entry and 50 USD for multiple entries.
- 4: Submit all documents above to get visa stamped on your passport.
Specific information about Vietnam Visa on Arrival
Since March 2022, Vietnam Visa on Arrival is issued for those who follow a tour package run by a local travel agency.
What is Vietnam Visa on Arrival?
Vietnam Visa on Arrival or Landing Visa is a popular type foreigners often use to come to Vietnam. It is available for those who are air travelers and come to 8 international airports in Vietnam.
Instead of the traditional way – the visa issued at Vietnam Embassy or Consulate, people who use Vietnam visa on arrival have to apply pre-approval letter via their travel company in Vietnam and then pick up their visa stamp upon arrival.
Some highlights on Vietnam Visa on Arrival
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Pros and Cons of Vietnam Visa on Arrival
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| As its name, Visa on Arrival brings many advantages for those who are so busy and hard to come to Vietnam Embasssy/ Consulate to submit and pick up visa. There are several advantages of Vietnam visa on arrival.
Convenience: Do not need to prepare lots of paperwork like submission at Embassy, you just need to fill out an application form to get a pre-approval letter. It is easily processed online with your travel agency’s support. Time-saving: With visa on arrival, you can apply for your Vietnam visa online from anywhere in the world without visiting a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. This saves you time and effort. Money-saving: Visa on arrival is often more cost-effective compared to applying for a traditional visa through an embassy or consulate. These fees, including fee for document preparation, postal fee and traveling fee to Embassy will be cut down. Only the stamp fee is required to get visa stamp upon arrival. Both single and multiple entry are available: While Vietnam e-visa is currently issued for single entry, visa on arrival are available for both single and multiple. Eligible for all citizens: While Vietnam e-visa is only available for citizens of 80 countries, Visa on Arrival is eligible for all on the condition that they will travel to Vietnam by air. |
There are a few potential disadvantages worth considering before making decision to use this type.
No official website: It is no official website for foreigners to apply pre-approval letter. You should be cautious when choosing a visa on arrival service provider, as there have been reported instances of scams or unreliable agents. Long queue at Vietnam international airports: Upon arrival, you may need to wait in line to get your visa stamped and processed. This could result in longer waiting times, especially during peak travel seasons. Limited entry points: Visa on arrival is only available at certain international airports in Vietnam. If you plan on entering the country through a land border or a different airport, this option won’t be applicable for you. Group name in the pre-approval letter: Pre-approval letter can be issued for the group of members who follow the tour package of the same company. It makes you worry much about your privacy. Unfixed pre-approval letter fee: The fee for the pre-approval visa letter varies depending on your agent and the stamping fee is 25 – 50 USD depending on your visa type (duration of stay, single or multiple entry). |
Who is eligible for Vietnam Visa on Arrival?
Vietnam visa on arrival is available for citizens of most countries with the following purposes.
- Tourist: Foreigners join Vietnam tour packages organized by Vietnamese travel agencies.
- Business: Foreigners come to Vietnam with business activities.
- Transit: If Vietnam is transit hub, you can use Vietnam visa on arrival.
- Foreigners and Vietnamese overseas return to Vietnam to attend funerals of relatives or visit seriously ill relatives.
- Foreigners enter Vietnam in emergency cases such as incident handling, rescue, natural disaster prevention and control, epidemic or at the special request of competent Vietnamese authorities.
Conditions
There are certain conditions below you should follow if you decide to use Vietnam visa on arrival.
- Foreigners coming from a country that does not have Vietnam Embassy/Consulate.
- Foreigners who are currently outside the territory of Vietnam.
- Foreigners whose passport validity is at least 6 months before the intended date of stay in Vietnam.
- Foreigners who come to Vietnam by air and have entry and exit border gates at one of 8 international airports that allow visas at border gates.
- People who are not banned from entering Vietnam as prescribed in Article 21 of the Law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.
How to apply
There are 3 main steps you should follow,
- Step 1: Apply Vietnam visa on arrival via a local travel agency.
- Step 2: Get the pre-approval letter issued by Vietnam Immigration Deparment and entry & exit form (NA1) via email. Print these out and prepare 02 passport photos, valid passport and stamp fee in cash.
- Step 3: In Landing visa Counter, submit all documents mentioned in Step 2 to pick up visa stamp on your passport.
Processing time and Fee
Processing Time: It takes around 4-5 working days to get the pre-approval letter. And upon arrival at Vietnam international airport, from 15 minutes to 1 hour is the time you have to spend to do visa and immigration procedure.
Fee: There are two main fee you should prepare; they are pre-approval letter fee and stamping fee.
Please have a look here for reference
| Visa type | Pre-approval letter fee | Stamp fee |
| 1 month single entry, tourist visa | Contact Us | 25 USD |
| 1 month multiple entry, tourist visa | Contact Us | 50 USD |
| 3 month single entry, tourist visa | Not available now | 25 USD |
| 3 month multiple entry, tourist visa | Not available now | 50 USD |
| 1 year multiple entry, tourist visa | Not available now | 135 USD |
| 1 month single entry, business visa | Not available now | 25 USD |
| 1 month multiple entry, business visa | Not available now | 50 USD |
| 3 month single entry, business visa | Not available now | 25 USD |
| 3 month multiple entry, business visa | Not available now | 50 USD |
| 6 month multiple entry, business visa | Not available now | 95 USD |
| 1 year multiple entry, business visa | Not available now | 135 USD |