Vietnam's E-Visa Application is great news, given that from April 9, 2015 until December 2016, U.S. citizens were forced to get an expensive 1 year multiple entry visa for a $135 fee, even if you were just overnighting in Vietnam. I encountered this on my site inspection trip to Amanoi and The Reverie Saigon, and certainly wish there had been a Vietnam E-Visa option at the time.
Now, tourists from the U.S. and 45 other countries who will be in Vietnam for less than a month can apply for a Vietnam E-Visa for just $25. I just applied for clients of mine who will be visiting Vietnam later this year, and here's the process:
1. Get a Digital Passport Size Photo
The photo should be of you looking straight ahead, without any hat, headgear or glasses. It should be approximately 4 cm. in width and 6 cm. in height, but don't worry as the exact size isn't crucial. Just keep in mind that if your photo is more square in nature it will be stretched and distorted when you upload it.
2. Scan the Photo Page of Your Passport
Crop the scan so it's just the photo page of your passport. If you have a pdf of your passport, you'll need to convert it to a jpg, which is easy via the free services online.
3. Go to the Vietnam E-Visa Page
Read through the steps, click the checkbox that you understood the steps, and click on the Next button to proceed.
4. Upload Your Passport Photo and Passport Photo Page and Complete the Application
You may as well leave the intended length of stay at 30 days (the maximum allowed for a Vietnam E-Visa), even if you plan a much shorter stay, just in case weather, logistics or health issues caused delays in your travel plans.
It's strange to see “Religion” as a mandatory field on a visa application, but then religious freedom, or some semblance of it, is relatively recent in Vietnam's communist history.
After completing all mandatory fields, indicated with a red star, check the box confirming you've truthfully declared all relevant details, enter the captcha, and click the “Review application form” button.
5. Copy Down the Registration Code Before Proceeding to Payment
Don't forget to copy the confirmation text, particularly the Registration code.
6. Don't Forget to Proceed to the Payment Screen
It would be easy to forget that you need to pay and stop here, so don't forget to scroll down and click on the “Pay E-Visa Fee” button to proceed to the payment screen.
7. Pay the Vietnam E-Visa $25 Fee
Use your favorite no foreign transaction fee card to pay the $25 fee.
8. Check the Site to See if Your Visa Has Been Approved
It can take up to 3 days for approval, but less than 2 days after I'd completed the application for my clients, I went to the Vietnam E-Visa Search page, entered in the Registration code and my client's email, date of birth, and captcha, and was able to see the approval.
I then clicked on the green arrow to pull up the E-Visa approval, and printed it out. I also tried saving it, but at least when I tried it, it didn't save correctly, so I scanned it to have an electronic copy.
FAQ
Which Countries' Citizens Are Eligible for a Vietnam E-Visa?
These countries' citizens may apply for a Vietnam E-Visa:
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China (although not Chinese e-passport holders)
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- South Korea
- Luxembourg
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Panama
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Timor Leste
- UAE
- UK
- U.S.
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
What If I'm Not a Citizen of Any of the Above Countries?
In that case, you should continue to use the Vietnam Visa on Arrival, or you can obtain a visa from the Vietnam embassy in your country. Check with the Vietnam embassy or consulate in your country for Visa requrirements.
Which Vietnam Airports Can I Arrive At When Using the Vietnam E-Visa?
All Vietnam's major international airports (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, etc.) participate, as well as many seaports and land entry points. See the complete list.
Have you applied for a Vietnam E-Visa?
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