Vietnam Visa on Arrival Policy Updates 2024
Visa on arrival for Vietnam has been resumed with the following conditions:
- Tourist Visa on Arrival: Limited to up to 30 days, depending on your travel itinerary in Vietnam, and cannot be extended. If you need assistance, please contact us via online chat, WhatsApp at (+84) 918 212 468, or email at Support@vietnamtouristservices.com.
- Business Visa on Arrival: Available only to those with a sponsor company in Vietnam where they will work after entering the country. While we cannot help you find a sponsor, we can assist with the necessary paperwork. This visa can be valid for up to 3 months and can be extended once.
- Urgent Processing: Tourist visas on arrival can be processed urgently, which is ideal for those with imminent flights to Vietnam within a few hours or days.
Here is everything you need to know about the Vietnam visa on arrival policy.
On arrival at one of the six international airports in Vietnam, you will see an office for issuing visa (Source: Collected)
1. What Exactly is a Visa on Arrival (VOA)?
Vietnam Visa on Arrival (also known as a Vietnam landing visa, Vietnam airport visa, or visa upon arrival) is a convenient alternative way to obtain valid permission to visit Vietnam. This visa can be picked up at one of Vietnam’s international airports upon arrival.
To obtain the Visa on Arrival for Vietnam, you must first get a visa approval letter in advance. Then, present this letter at the Vietnam airport to have the visa stamped onto your passport.
1.2. Vietnam Visa on Arrival (VOA) in Brief
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1.2. Who Can Get a Vietnam Visa on Arrival (VOA) at the Airport?
All nationalities can apply for a visa on arrival in Vietnam, but the following conditions must be met:
– Tourist Visa: Must be applied for through a travel agent, such as VietnamTouristServices.
– Business Visa: Must be applied for with sponsorship from a Vietnam-based company where the applicant will work after entering Vietnam.
– Transit Travelers: Vietnam is one of the destinations in the applicant’s journey.
– Foreign Crew Members: On ships at Vietnamese seaports, wishing to exit Vietnam through another country’s border gate.
– Foreigners and Overseas Vietnamese: Returning to Vietnam to attend a relative’s funeral or visit seriously ill relatives.
– Urgent Cases: Foreigners entering Vietnam for incident handling, rescue operations, natural disaster prevention, epidemic prevention, or by special request from a competent Vietnamese agency.
The Vietnam e-Visa permits eligible foreigners to stay for 30 days (Source: Collected).
2. How to Apply for a Vietnam Visa on Arrival
Steps required to apply for a visa on arrival for Vietnam:
- Submit the Application Form: Fill out and submit the online application form for an approval letter.
- Pay the Service Fee: Complete the payment for the service fee.
- Receive and Prepare Documents: Receive the approval letter via email, print it out, and prepare the Vietnamese visa application form (entry-and-exit form), two passport-sized photos (4×6 cm), your passport, and cash for the stamping fee.
- Get Your Visa Stamped: Present the prepared documents to the officer at the Landing VISA (VOA) Counter at the Vietnam international airport to get your visa stamped on your passport.
These are the brief steps for the VOA application. For more details, refer to the full guide on how to apply for a Vietnam visa on arrival.
3. Processing Time and Fees
3.1. Processing Time
Since a pre-approved visa letter is required for a Vietnam visa on arrival, you need to plan ahead to prepare this document before your trip. The processing time for a pre-approved visa letter ranges from a few hours to several working days.
An urgent letter can be processed in 2-4 hours, while a regular letter takes 5 – 7 days. Once you have all the necessary documents, it typically takes about 15 minutes to 1 hour at the arrival port to get your visa stamped, depending on the queue.
3.2.Fees
There are two types of fees for a visa on arrival, which vary depending on the visa agency and visa type. The faster you need the visa approval letter, the higher the cost.
Please refer to the following table for the fee for regular service:
| Type of visa | Service fee by agency (approx) | Stamping fee by Government |
| Single Entry (1 or 3 months) | USD 30 | USD 25 |
| Multiple Entry (1 or 3 months) | USD 40 | USD 50 |
Note: If you’re unsure which processing time is right for you, contact us for advice on WhatsApp at (+84) 91 635 78 98 or send email at Wolo.jsc@gmail.com
Here’s why Vietnam is a leading destination for expats to live and work abroad. (Source: Collected).
Extra Important Notes
Vietnam visa on arrival differs from its counterparts in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos, where visas can be obtained directly at the entry border gate. Instead, Vietnam requires travelers to obtain a visa approval letter in advance to get the visa stamped at an international airport upon arrival.
- Air Travel Only: Vietnam visa on arrival is valid for air travel only. If you are traveling to Vietnam by cruise or land, you must obtain a fully authorized visa before your arrival.
- Passport Validity: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your entry date into Vietnam.
- Children: Children with their own passports are charged the same fee as adults.
- Official Websites: There is currently NO OFFICIAL website for Vietnam visa on arrival services. All websites offering the approval letter service are private agencies. Be cautious and not be confused by websites with organizational internet domain TLDs (org, gov, etc.).
