Vietnam Visa Requirements

Every year a handful of people I know turn up at Changi, bags packed, and then discover that their plan for Vietnam rests on a half-remembered forum post. One friend assumed that because her sister walked into Hanoi without paperwork, she could do the same on a different passport. She could not, and she spent the evening before her flight filling in an online form with her phone propped against a kettle. It worked out, but only just. The rules for entering Vietnam are not hard. They are simply different for different passports, and they have shifted several times in recent years.

This guide is the one I would give that friend. I have written it for Singapore residents first, because that is who we mostly talk to at HolidaySG, but I have also covered travellers from India, Malaysia, Australia, the UK, Europe and the United States, since people from all those places book through us. It explains who needs a visa, who does not, how the e-Visa works step by step, what documents to prepare, how long things take, what goes wrong, and what to do once you land. I will say plainly where a detail depends on your nationality or could change, rather than hand you a confident number I cannot stand behind.

One honest caveat before we start. Immigration rules belong to the Vietnamese government, not to us or to any travel company. Everything below reflects the facts we last verified on 19 August 2026. Before you pay for anything or board a plane, check your own situation against the official source, and use our visa requirements checker as a quick first pass.

The short answer: do you need a visa for Vietnam?

It depends on your passport, how long you plan to stay and why you are going. That sounds like a dodge, so here is the practical version. There are three common outcomes for a tourist. First, you hold a passport that gets a visa exemption for a set number of days, and you simply arrive. Second, you apply online for an e-Visa before you travel. Third, in a smaller number of cases, you arrange a different kind of visa through an embassy or consulate, usually because your stay or purpose does not fit the tourist routes.

For Singapore passport holders the answer is the pleasant one. Our verified record shows a visa exemption for Singapore nationals, with a stay of up to 30 days per entry, and multiple entries are permitted through the year. You need a passport valid for at least six months and at least two blank pages. There is no fee and no application. You present your passport at immigration and the officer stamps you in.

For nearly everyone else, the e-Visa is the route to know. Our records show that the Vietnam e-Visa is open to travellers from all countries and territories, including India, provided the passport is valid for six months or more and has at least two blank pages. It is an online application on the government portal, the fee we have on file is USD 25.00, and the visa can be valid for up to 90 days from the entry date you request.

A note on the fourth row. Vietnam grants exemptions to a number of countries, and the list and the number of days have been revised over the years. I am not going to recite which countries get 15 days and which get 45, because I would be guessing at a moving target. If you are travelling from the UK, parts of Europe, Australia, the United States or Malaysia, use the checker linked above, then confirm on the official portal.

Quick facts you should know before you apply

Before the detail, here is the snapshot I keep in my own notes. These are the facts that matter on every trip, whatever route you take.

The part I would underline is passport validity. Airlines enforce the six-month rule at check-in, not the immigration desk, and a passport that expires five months after your return date can mean a refused boarding at Changi. Check the expiry date before you book anything else.

The Vietnam e-Visa, explained step by step

The e-Visa is the part most readers need, so I will go slowly. It is an electronic permit that you request on the Vietnamese government's immigration portal. At the time of writing the address on our records is evisa.gov.vn. Type it into your browser yourself rather than clicking a link in an email or advert, and I will explain why in the scam section further down.

Step 1: Gather your documents

Have three things open before you start. The first is a clear scan of your passport photo page, with all four corners visible and no glare. The second is a recent portrait photograph, plain background, face straight to the camera, no hat or tinted glasses, sized as the portal specifies. The third is a working email address that you check often, because the approval comes to that inbox. Typing a typo into the email field is the single most common reason people never receive their result.

Step 2: Fill in the form

The form asks for your name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and expiry, your intended date of entry, your planned length of stay, your address in Vietnam and the entry and exit points you expect to use. Everything must match your passport letter for letter. If your passport lists a long name that the form truncates, enter it as it appears in the machine-readable lines at the bottom of the photo page. A mismatch of one character can lead to a refusal at the gate.

The address in Vietnam is a field people stall on. Use the hotel you have booked for your first night. If you do not have a booking yet, put in a real hotel you are considering, and keep the booking details to show later if asked.

Step 3: Choose your dates and entry point

You will be asked for the date you plan to enter. The visa validity runs from that date, up to 90 days on the record we hold. Pick the date carefully, because the permit is tied to it. Then choose where you will enter. The e-Visa works only at designated airports, land crossings and seaports, and the portal lists them. International airports in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are on the list at the time of writing, but confirm yours in the dropdown rather than trusting my memory.

Step 4: Pay the fee

The fee on our record is USD 25.00. Payment is online by card, and the portal gives you a registration code once you have paid. Write it down or screenshot it. You will need that code to check your result later. Note that fees are generally non-refundable if you make a mistake and need to reapply, which is one more reason to check the form before you submit.

Step 5: Wait, then check your result

Processing takes about three working days according to our records. That is working days, so a request made on Friday evening can easily land on Wednesday. Apply five to seven days ahead and you leave a safe buffer. When the result is ready you can look it up on the portal using your registration code, email and date of birth, and you will usually receive an email as well. Download the approval, print at least one copy and keep a second on your phone.

Step 6: Check every detail on the approval

As soon as you have it, compare the name, passport number, date of birth, entry date and validity against your passport. If something is wrong, you want to find out now. Fixing it from your sofa a week before departure is a nuisance. Fixing it at a check-in desk is a crisis.

Visa exemption: how it works for Singapore passport holders

If you hold a Singapore passport, you can stop reading the last section and enjoy the easy part. Vietnam has a visa exemption arrangement for Singapore nationals, and the record we verified gives a maximum of 30 days per entry with multiple entries permitted. In practice you board, land, queue, hand over your passport and get stamped.

There are still checks worth doing. Your passport must have at least six months of validity and two empty pages. The airline may ask where you are staying and where you are going next, because carriers are fined for carrying passengers who cannot enter. Keep your hotel confirmation handy. And count the days honestly. Thirty days means thirty days from arrival, and an overstay can bring fines and trouble at departure.

What if you want to stay longer than 30 days, say for a long slow trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City? Then the exemption alone will not cover you. You would need to arrange the correct visa before you go, or ask the proper authorities about extensions. I would not rely on a plan to sort it out on arrival. Our itinerary data suggests around 14 days as a sensible length for a first full loop through the country, which sits comfortably inside the 30-day window.

If you are travelling with family members who hold other passports, each person is assessed separately. A Singapore-resident husband on a Singapore passport and a wife on an Indian passport will have different requirements: one walks in, the other needs an e-Visa. I have seen a couple discover this at the airport, and I would rather you did not.

Documents to prepare, and why each one matters

The visa form is one thing. Border officers and airline staff may ask for other documents, and being able to produce them quickly keeps the arrival smooth. Here is how I would sort it.

Notice that proof of onward travel is marked as something that may be requested. Vietnam does not always ask for it, but airlines sometimes do, especially if you are on a one-way fare or a long open-ended trip. A clerk at the check-in desk has no room for nuance. If they cannot see a way out of the country, they may decline to board you.

Onward tickets, flight reservations and the visa paperwork

This is the area where I have helped the most travellers over the years, so I will be careful and honest about it. Many visa applications, and many airline check-in desks, want to see evidence that you plan to leave. Buying a fully paid flight just to satisfy that request can be an expensive way to prove a point, particularly if your plans are still taking shape.

Our flight reservation service exists for this situation. It is a manual reservation service for visa applications: a team member prepares a reservation for the dates you give, and you receive a document that shows the itinerary. I want to be exact about what that is. A reservation is not an issued ticket. It shows an intended itinerary, it does not mean you have paid an airline, and we cannot promise that any embassy, airline or immigration officer will accept it. Whether a document satisfies a particular authority is that authority's decision.

For a Vietnam e-Visa itself, the portal does not ask you to upload flight details at the time of writing. The question usually appears later, at the airline desk or at the border. So I treat the reservation as a convenience for the trip, not as a requirement of the form. If you are leaving Vietnam by land, say crossing to Cambodia or Laos, tell the airline at check-in and have your onward plans written down.

What the trip costs: visa, entry and daily budget

Visa cost is the small part of a Vietnam trip. The country is good value, and our country data puts a typical budget at 500,000 to 2,000,000 dong per person per day, depending on how you travel. That range is wide, so here is how I translate it for planning.

Then the visa pieces. For an e-Visa traveller the fee we have recorded is USD 25.00. For a Singapore passport holder staying within the exemption, the visa cost is zero. Add whichever extras you choose: an eSIM, a lounge visit, airport transfers. Prices on tours and tickets change by date, so treat the figures you see in this article as starting points, not quotes.

Currency is one more thing to settle. Vietnam uses the dong, and the numbers have lots of zeros, so a 50,000 dong note is small money. Cards are accepted in hotels and larger restaurants, while markets, street stalls and small taxis often want cash. Withdraw from bank machines inside bank branches or hotel lobbies when you can, and keep small notes for everyday purchases.

Arriving in Vietnam: what happens at the border

You land, follow the signs to immigration and join the queue for foreign passport holders. When you reach the desk, hand over your passport. E-Visa holders should have the printed approval ready, because the officer may ask for it, and the data is also in the system. The officer will check the photo, scan your passport, take fingerprints in some cases and stamp or record your entry.

Expect the process to take anywhere from ten minutes to well over an hour, depending on how many flights arrive together. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City get busy in the evening. If you have a connecting domestic flight, give yourself a generous gap. Two hours is the minimum I would plan for a self-connecting journey.

When you collect your bags, you may pass a customs desk. The general rule is to declare large amounts of cash and anything restricted, and to avoid carrying items for strangers. After that you are free to leave, find a taxi or ride-hailing car, and begin the holiday.

A connection tip that has saved me twice: buy a local data plan before you land. Having mobile data the moment you leave the terminal lets you call a ride, open your hotel address and show maps without hunting for Wi-Fi. A tourist eSIM from about S$4 is available on our site, and several SIM options exist for pickup at the airports in Hanoi, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Ho Chi Minh City.

Choosing where to go once the visa is sorted

Vietnam is long and thin, and where you go shapes how you travel. Here is how I split the country for first-time visitors. The idea is not to see everything, because that is a bad plan in any country, but to match places to the time you have.

North: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh

Hanoi is dense, noisy and wonderful. The Old Quarter rewards wandering with no particular plan, and the food scene is the reason many travellers come. Ha Long Bay is a day trip or an overnight cruise away, and Ninh Binh offers limestone landscapes and temples with fewer crowds. On our site you will find day tours to Ha Long Bay from around S$34, and the Bai Dinh and Trang An combination tours that suit travellers who like boats and pagodas.

Centre: Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An

The central coast is where I send travellers who want beaches, history and an easy pace. Da Nang is the gateway, Hoi An sits half an hour to the south with its lantern-lit old town, and Hue holds the old imperial citadel to the north. The Ba Na Hills cable car and its Golden Bridge are the area's headline attraction, and My Son, the ruined Cham temple complex, is a quieter option with a pleasant sunset cruise pairing.

South: Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Da Lat

Ho Chi Minh City is the country's biggest and fastest city, with museums, markets and a food map that could fill a week. Nha Trang offers island boat trips and diving, and Da Lat sits in the cooler highlands for a break from the heat. Overland connections between them exist as buses, trains and domestic flights.

A realistic 14-day route

Our itinerary data suggests two weeks as a comfortable length for a first loop, and it matches the 30 days an exemption allows with plenty of slack. Here is the shape I would suggest, running north to south. Swap the direction if your flights are cheaper the other way.

That plan includes three domestic flights or long train rides. Each one is a day lost to transport, so if you are short on time, cut a region rather than squeezing in all three. Travellers who try to see the whole country in a week often return home needing a holiday.

When to go

Our country notes list February to April and October to December as the best periods for most visitors. The weather differs by region, so a single answer never quite fits. The south has a wet season roughly from May to November. The central coast sees heavier rain from around September to December, with typhoon risk in the later months. The north has a cool, grey winter and a hot, humid summer.

Temperatures across the country range from about 20 to 35 degrees Celsius depending on region and month. Pack layers for the north and light breathable clothes for the south. A small rain jacket is worth its space whatever month you choose. I also bring sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent and a refillable bottle, which are all on the standard packing list from our country notes.

Public holidays matter for visas too. Tet, the lunar new year, falls in January or February and closes many shops, fills buses and trains, and pushes prices up. Government offices pause, so an e-Visa request made just before the holiday can take longer than usual. If your trip overlaps Tet, apply early and book transport well ahead.

Avoiding visa scams and costly mistakes

A search for Vietnam visa online brings up a crowd of sites that look official and are not. Some are legitimate agents who charge a service fee on top of the government fee. Others are copies that take your money and your passport scan and give little in return. I am not saying every agent is a trap, but you should know the difference before you pay.

• The official portal is a government site. The address on our record is evisa.gov.vn. Type it yourself instead of following an advert.
• If you use an agent, check that the fee structure is stated clearly: the government fee, the agent's own service fee, and what you receive for it.
• Never send passport scans over a messaging app to someone you cannot identify.
• Beware of any offer that promises guaranteed approval. No one can promise that, because the decision belongs to the authorities.
• Check the approval email for the exact name, passport number and dates before you travel.
• Do not pay twice for the same application. If the page freezes, wait and check your email first.

The mistakes I see most often are not scams at all. They are plain errors: a passport number mistyped by one digit, an entry date that falls after the traveller changed flights, or a passport that expires within six months. All are easy to avoid if you read the form slowly once more before paying.

If you want a human to look over your plan, our visa team can assist with applications and answer questions, and our support team is available from 9 AM to 11 PM Singapore time every day. Browse the visas page for the countries we cover. We can help you prepare the application, but we cannot guarantee any outcome, because approval is decided by Vietnamese immigration.

Money, language, customs and staying safe

Once you have the visa and the stamp, ordinary travel sense takes over. Vietnam is a welcoming country for visitors, and most trips pass without trouble. A few habits make them smoother still.

Getting around

Our transport notes for the country list Grab bikes and cars, domestic flights and sleeper trains. Ride-hailing apps work in the big cities and show a price upfront, which avoids haggling and meter arguments. For longer hops, buses are cheap and frequent, while flights save a day on the long north-south legs. Sleeper trains are slow, but they make a memorable night between Hanoi and the centre.

Food you should try

Pho is the obvious start: aromatic rice noodle soup with slow-simmered broth, beef or chicken and fresh herbs. Banh mi is a crisp baguette stuffed with pate, pickled vegetables, herbs and grilled meat, and it makes a cheap, excellent breakfast. In Hanoi, bun cha is the local classic, with grilled pork patties, rice noodles, herbs and a dipping sauce. Eat where the locals queue and you will rarely go wrong.

Local customs

Take your shoes off before entering homes and some shops. Dress modestly at temples and pagodas, covering shoulders and knees. Bargaining is normal in markets, though it should stay friendly, and prices in restaurants and shops with tags are fixed. Crossing the road is an art: walk steadily at an even pace and let the motorbikes flow around you, never stop suddenly or run.

Staying safe

Our safety notes boil down to a few sensible habits. Keep digital copies of your passport and email one to yourself. Carry copies rather than the original when you go out. Use hotel safes for valuables. Be wary of common tourist scams, such as unmetered taxis and inflated prices, and research the usual ones before you go. Buy travel insurance that covers medical care and evacuation. If you need help, the emergency numbers are police 113, fire 114 and ambulance 115, and the tourist hotline on our records is +84 24 3942 3500.

Your pre-departure checklist

Here is the list I run through a week before any trip to Vietnam. Print it, tick it off, or save it to your phone.

• Check passport expiry: six months beyond arrival, two blank pages.
• Confirm whether you need an e-Visa or qualify for an exemption.
• If using the e-Visa, apply five to seven days ahead and save the registration code.
• Compare every detail on the approval with your passport.
• Print the approval and keep a copy on your phone.
• Book at least your first night's accommodation and keep the confirmation.
• Decide whether you need proof of onward travel, and arrange it if so.
• Arrange travel insurance with medical and evacuation cover.
• Sort out mobile data, whether an eSIM or an airport SIM.
• Book the tours and tickets you do not want to miss for the dates you will be there.

Booking activities ahead helps most in busy months. Choose your date at checkout, and note that the e-tickets are emailed after our team confirms your booking, so allow a working day. If your plans might change, read the ticket description carefully, because rules differ by product and date.

Frequently asked questions

Do Singapore citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

On our verified record, Singapore passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 30 days per entry, with multiple entries permitted. You still need a passport valid for six months or more with at least two blank pages. For a longer stay, ask the Vietnamese authorities about the right visa before you travel.

How much is the Vietnam e-Visa?

The fee we have on record is USD 25.00. The portal sets the final figure and payment method, so confirm it when you apply. Be cautious of sites that charge much more without explaining the extra service fee.

How long does the e-Visa take?

About three working days according to our records. Apply five to seven days before you fly so you have time to fix an error. Public holidays and weekends can stretch the wait.

How long is the e-Visa valid?

On our record, up to 90 days from the entry date you request. The exact validity and number of entries depend on what is granted, so read your approval.

Can Indian passport holders get an e-Visa?

Yes. Our records show the e-Visa is open to all countries and territories, including India, with the same passport requirements of six months validity and two blank pages.

Do I need a return ticket to enter Vietnam?

Not always, but airlines and officers can ask for proof that you plan to leave, especially on one-way fares. Our flight reservation service prepares a reservation for visa paperwork. It is a reservation rather than an issued ticket, and acceptance is up to the authority.

What if my name is wrong on the e-Visa?

Do not travel on it. Contact the issuing portal and ask how to correct it, or apply again with the right details. A mismatch with your passport can mean refused boarding.

Can I extend my stay in Vietnam?

Extensions and longer-stay visas exist for some situations, but the rules are set by the authorities and change. Ask an official channel well before your permitted days run out.

Is it safe to apply for the e-Visa on my phone?

It works, but the form is easier on a laptop. Make sure the passport scan is sharp and you use a secure connection. Type the portal address yourself.

Where can I check visa rules for other nationalities?

Use the visa requirements checker on our site for a first answer, then confirm with the official Vietnamese source before paying or flying.