How to Apply for Vietnam e-Visa: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Nationalities eligible for Vietnam e-Visa

All nationalities are eligible to apply for Vietnam e-Visa. Previously, it was available for 80 nationalities. Since 15 August 2023, the Vietnam e-Visa has been available to all nationalities.

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Passport validity required for Vietnam e-Visa

Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the validity of your Vietnam e-Visa. Add 30 days to the expiration of your e-Visa to calculate the passport validity required. 

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Vietnam e-Visa validity

Vietnam e-Visa is issued for a maximum of 90 days. You must enter and exit Vietnam within the validity of your e-Visa. 

When you arrive in Vietnam, the immigration officer will write an exit date on your passport. You must leave Vietnam on or before this exit date. This date is usually the same as your e-Visa expiration date. 

To get the most out of your e-Visa, enter on the first day of your e-Visa or at least as soon as your e-Visa validity begins. Leave on the last day of your e-Visa or at least as close to the expiration date as possible. 

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Documents required for Vietnam e-Visa

Before starting your Vietnam e-Visa application, have these documents ready.

• Original passport
  • Passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the validity of the Vietnam e-Visa
• Digital portrait photo with the following specifications
  • Photo must show the entire face
  • Photo must be straight-looking without glasses
  • Photo must be about 4 x 6 cm in dimensions
  • Photo must be in JPG format with max 2MB in size
• Photo or scan of your passport data/ID page
  • Photo or scan must show all details including photo, personal details and the machine-readable ICAO line
  • Photo or scan must be in JPG format only
• A credit or debit card for visa fee

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Word of caution on Vietnam e-Visa scams

There are many fake Vietnam e-Visa websites on the internet charging over 100 USD. There is ONLY ONE OFFICIAL Vietnam eVisa website. The URL is below.

OFFICIAL Vietnam e-Visa website: https://evisa.gov.vn/

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How to apply for Vietnam e-Visa?

Follow the steps below to fill out the Vietnam e-Visa application.

Start

• Go to the Vietnam e-Visa Portal
• Click on the “APPLY NOW” button

A pop-up with “Declarations and Instructions” will appear.  

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Declarations and Instructions

Read through the instructions.

Then, check the boxes that you have read the instructions and click on the “Next” button.

You will be taken to the “Fill out the application form” page. 

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STEP 1: Fill out the application form

Section: FOREIGNER’S IMAGES

Upload the following documents.

• Portrait photography [Instruction: Click anywhere on the sample photo or on the “Choose file” button to upload a digital passport-size portrait photo]
• Passport data page image [Instruction: Click anywhere on the sample passport image or on the “Choose file” button to upload a scanned copy of your passport ID page]

If the digital photo you’ve uploaded and the photo in your passport do not match, you will be prompted that your application may be rejected due to the low match rate of your photo.

Section 1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

Some of the information will be automatically populated from your uploaded passport. If any of it is not correct, you can edit it.

• Surname [Instruction: Enter your surname or last name as it appears in your passport]
• Middle and given name [Instruction: Enter your given name as it appears in your passport. If you have a first name and middle name, enter both here, separated by a space.]
• Date of birth [Instruction: Enter your date of birth as it appears in your passport in DD/MM/YYYY format]
• Sex [Instruction: Select male or female from the options]
• Nationality [Instruction: Select your current nationality or country of passport from the options]
• Identity Card [Instruction: This is a non-mandatory field, so you can leave this blank or simply enter your passport number]
• Email [Instruction: Enter your email where you would like to receive your approved Vietnam e-Visa]
• Agree to create account by email [Instruction: Check this option if you like to create an account with the e-Visa portal]
• Religion [Instruction: Enter your religion]
• Place of Birth [Instruction: Enter your place of birth as it appears in your passport]
• Re-enter email [Instruction: Re-enter your email to confirm]

• Have you ever used any other passports to enter into Viet Nam? [Instruction: Select “No”. If you have used an old passport to enter Vietnam before, select “Yes” and enter the details]

• Do you have multiple nationalities? [Instruction: Select “No”. Select “Yes” if you have multiple nationalities.]

• Violations of the Vietnamese laws/regulations (if any) [Instruction: Select “No”. Select “Yes” if you have violated any Vietnamese laws previously.]

Section: 2. REQUESTED INFORMATION

• To issue e-Visa for [Instruction: Select single or multiple entry]
  • Single-entry
  • Multiple-entry
• Grant e-Visa valid from [Instruction: Enter your expected date of arrival in Vietnam in DD/MM/YYYY format. Your e-Visa validity starts from this date.]
• To [Instruction: If you know your date of departure, then enter the date here. The maximum allowed is 90 days, so enter the date accordingly.]

Section: 3. PASSPORT INFORMATION

Some of the information in this section is automatically populated from your uploaded passport scan. Review and make sure the information is correct.

• Passport [Instruction: Enter your passport number]
• Issuing Authority/Place of issue [Instruction: Enter the issuing authority as per your passport, OR enter the country of your passport]
• Type [Instruction: Select “Ordinary passport” from the list]
• Date of issue [Instruction: Enter your passport issue date]
• Expiry date [Instruction: Enter your passport expiration date]

• Do you hold any other valid passports? [Instruction: Select “No”. Select “Yes” if you hold more than one valid passport and enter the details.]

Section: 4. CONTACT INFORMATION

• Permanent residential address [Instruction: Enter your permanent residential address]
• Contact address [Instruction: Enter your current mailing address]
• Telephone number [Instruction: Enter your phone number]

Emergency contact

• Full name [Instruction: Enter your emergency contact’s full name]
• Current residential address [Instruction: Enter your emergency contact’s residential address]
• Telephone number [Instruction: Enter your emergency contact’s telephone number]
• Relationship [Instruction: Enter your emergency contact’s relationship with you. Ex: Wife, husband, father, daughter, etc.]

Section 5. OCCUPATION

This section is not mandatory, but I suggest filling in this info as well.

• Occupation [Instruction: Select your occupation from the options]
  • [OPTIONS]
  • Business man
  • Employee
  • Official
  • Others
  • Retired
  • Student
  • Umemployed
• Occupation Info [Instruction: Enter your occupation in general terms]
• Name of Company/Agency/School [Instruction: Enter the name of your company (employer), business, university, etc.]
• Position/Course of study [Instruction: Enter your position or title if you are employed or running a business. Enter your course of study if you are a student.]
• Address of Company/Agency/School [Instruction: Enter the address of your employer, business, university, etc.]
• Company/agency/school phone number [Instruction: Enter the phone number of your employer, business, university, etc.]

NOTE: Occupation
To avoid any misunderstandings or political issues, do not mention your profession in a way that sounds like journalism. Ex: writer, blogger, journalist, reporter, press, etc. Use more neutral-sounding professions, such as software, marketing, teaching, student, business, or housewife.

Section 6. INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRIP

• Purpose of entry [Instruction: Select “Tourist” from the options]
• Intended date of entry [Instruction: Enter the date on which you plan to enter Vietnam. This will also be the start date of your e-Visa. This date must be on or after the date you have entered earlier in “Grant e-Visa valid from” in Section 2. REQUESTED INFORMATION”.]
• Intended length of stay in Vietnam [Instruction: Enter the number of days you plan to stay in Vietnam. Maximum allowed is 90, so if you want to get a 90-day visa, just enter 90 here.]
• Phone number (in Vietnam) [Instruction: Enter the phone number of your hotel]
• Residential address in Vietnam [Instruction: Enter your hotel address in Vietnam. If you haven’t booked one already, just enter any hotel address. If you plan to book one for the e-Visa, I suggest booking a fully refundable hotel.]
• Province/city [Instruction: Enter your hotel’s province or city]
• District [Instruction: Enter your hotel’s district]
• Ward/commune [Instruction: Enter your hotel’s ward]
• Intended border gate of entry [Instruction: Select the airport or land border from the options through which you plan to enter Vietnam. This does not matter for the e-Visa, but airlines may not let you board if your arrival airport is different from the border gate mentioned in your e-Visa.]
• Intended border gate of exit [Instruction: Enter the airport or land border from which you plan to exit Vietnam. This usually doesn’t matter for e-Visa or the airline. You can exit from any airport or land border.]
• Committed to declare temporary residence according to the provisions of Vietnamese laws [Instruction: Check this box that you will follow the Vietnamese laws]

• Agency/Organization/Individual that the applicant plans to contact when enter into Viet Nam? [Instruction: If you’re traveling as a tourist, there is no need to enter anything here. If visiting Vietnam for business, enter the necessary details.]

• Have you been to Viet Nam in the last 01 year? [Instruction: If you have been to Vietnam in the last 01 year, select “Yes” and enter the details. Otherwise, select “No”.]

• Do you have relatives who currently reside in Viet Nam? [Instruction: Select “No”. If you have relatives in Vietnam, select “Yes” and enter their details.]

Section 7. ACCOMPANY CHILD(REN) UNDER 14 YEARS OLD WHO ARE ISSUED WITH THE PASSPORT REQUEST TO BE ISSUED WITH THE SAME E-VISA (IF ANY)

Use this section to enter any under-14-year-old children included in your passport. If not, skip this section.

Section 8. TRIP’S EXPENSES, INSURANCE

• Intended expenses (in USD) [Instruction: Enter the amount you plan to spend for this trip, including airfare, etc., in USD]
• Did you buy insurance? [Instruction: Travel medical insurance is not mandatory for the Vietnam e-Visa. But if you’ve already bought travel medical insurance for this trip, select “Yes”. If not, select “No”.]
• Who will cover the trip’s expenses of the applicant [Instruction: Select “personal” from the options]
  • [OPTIONS]
  • Personal
  • Company
• Payment method [Instruction: Select “Cash” from the options]
  • [OPTIONS]
  • Cash
  • Credit card
  • Traveller’s cheques

After completing the above sections, check the box for “I hereby declare that the above statements are true…”.

Click on the “Next” button. 

You will be taken to the “Review application form” page. 

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STEP 2: Review application form

Review all the information you have entered on the previous page. Go through each of the sections to make sure the information you have entered is correct and accurate. 

If everything looks good, click on the “Next” button.

A pop-up saying “Declaration Completed” will come up. Make a note of the “Electronic document code” (also called “e-Visa app no.”) or print it using the “Print” button. You need this code to look up the status or download your approved e-Visa. 

Click on the red “Confirm” button.

You will be taken to the “Payment” page. 

Your e-Visa application ID/code will also be sent to your email. Save this email or write down your application ID to track the application status. 

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STEP 3: Payment

On the payment page, review your details to make sure they are correct and accurate. You cannot change these details past this step. So take a moment to review them again.

Check the box for “I agree to pay” and click on the “Payment” button.

You will be taken to the “Payment options” page.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

On this page, you will see two options.

• PAY BY ATM CARD
• PAY BY VISA / MASTERCARD / JCB / AMEX

If paying by credit card, click on the “PAY BY VISA / MASTERCARD / JCB / AMEX” option.

Then click on Visa, Mastercard, etc., depending on your credit card.

You will be taken to the “PAY BY VISA / MASTERCARD / JCB / AMEX” page.

PAY BY VISA / MASTERCARD / JCB / AMEX

On this page, enter your credit card details and click on the green “Continue” button.

Confirm Popup

Read through the information on the pop-up and click on the blue “I agree” button.

You will be taken to the payment success page. 

Payment Success

After the payment, you will be taken to the payment success page. This page confirms that your Vietnam e-Visa application has been successfully submitted. You can close this window for now.

Check your email inbox. You will receive an email notification confirming your e-Visa payment and submission. 

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How to check Vietnam e-Visa status?

Vietnam e-Visa processing time is 3 working days. You can check your Vietnam e-Visa status by following the steps below. 

Go to the Vietnam e-Visa check application status page. 

Enter the following details in the “Check application status” section.

• e-Visa app no. [Instruction: Enter the code of your Vietnam e-Visa application. If you don’t remember, check your email.]
• Email [Instruction: Enter the email that you have used for your Vietnam e-Visa application]
• Date of birth [Instruction: Enter the date of birth as it appears in your passport in DD/MM/YYYY format]
• Security code [Instruction: Enter the code shown next to it]

Click on the “Search” button.

Your application status will be displayed right below on the same page.

If your application status is “Unpaid”, it means either you haven’t paid yet or your payment has failed. You can try to pay again by clicking on the “Payment” button.

If your application status is “Processing”, then your application is still in process.

If your application is “Acceptance”, then your Vietnam e-Visa is approved

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How to download approved Vietnam e-Visa?

When your e-Visa is approved, you will receive an email notifying you that your Vietnam e-Visa has been approved. 

The subject line or the body of the email does not clearly indicate that your e-Visa is approved. Instead, it will simply say “notification”. Your approved e-Visa PDF will not be in the email either.

You will have to go back to the Vietnam e-Visa portal and download your approved e-Visa. 

Follow the steps below to download your approved Vietnam e-Visa.

Go to the Vietnam e-Visa check application status page. 

Enter the following details in the “Check application status and download E-Visa” section.

• e-Visa app no. [Instruction: Enter the code of your Vietnam e-Visa application. If you don’t remember, check your email.]
• Email [Instruction: Enter the email that you have used for your Vietnam e-Visa application]
• Date of birth [Instruction: Enter the date of birth as it appears in your passport in DD/MM/YYYY format]
• Security code [Instruction: Enter the code shown next to it]

Click on the “Search” button.

Your approved e-Visa details and the button to download the e-Visa will be displayed right below on the same page. 

Click on the “Get e-Visa” button to download your e-Visa.

Print and carry your approved e-Visa when you travel. Or download it as a PDF on your phone and show it to the airline staff or the Vietnam immigration officer when asked. 

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If you are having any trouble with your Vietnam e-Visa application, comment below. I will try to help.