I’ve had a few people reach out to me about their upcoming travels to Vietnam and whether or not they need a visa to go there. A lot of places in Southeast Asia grant you a visa upon arrival for free up to three months, but if there’s one place you’re going to run into visa issues if you’re not prepared, it’s Vietnam. So if you’re asking yourself  “do I need a visa for Vietnam?” The answer is, YES!

In this post I will walk you through exactly what you need to do in order to obtain a visa, as well as what to expect once you arrive at the airport in Vietnam.

STEP 1: FIGURE OUT HOW LONG YOU PLAN TO STAY IN VIETNAM

There are different visas and fees associated with the length of time you plan to stay in Vietnam, as well as how often you plan to come in and out of the country, so it’s important you apply for the correct visa. Most travelers will want to apply for the 1-month single entry visa (this is the visa I applied for) if you plan on traveling within Vietnam for 30 days or under. If you plan on staying longer than that or if you plan on leaving to go to another country and then come back, then you will need to apply for a multi entry visa and pay different fees. You must also understand that there are 2 different visa fees:

1. The service fee for obtaining a visa approval letter which you will pay for online when you submit the letter for review.
2. The stamping fee that you will need to pay once you arrive in Vietnam in order to receive the visa stamp in your passport.

Below is a breakdown of the fees for each option. Like I said, you will most likely be applying for the 1-month single entry visa, like I did:

STEP 2: APPLY FOR A VISA APPROVAL LETTER

Before you even think about arriving in Vietnam, you’ll need to obtain a visa approval letter. To fill out the application for review, click here.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE FORM:

1. If you don’t plan on going in and out of Vietnam multiple times, you will apply for a one-month single entry visa as a tourist (as mentioned above). Below is exactly how you should fill out the electronic form if you only plan to fly through Vietnam once.
2. Proceed to step two to create an account and step three to fill out applicant details. There shouldn’t be anything too tricky here.
3. The last step is payment for the visa approval letter. This, as mentioned above, is separate from the payment you will make for the stamping fee once you arrive in Vietnam.

STEP 3: WAIT 24-48 HOURS TO RECEIVE YOUR VISA APPROVAL EMAIL

It is important that you give yourself enough time before leaving for Vietnam because you actually have to wait to receive your approval letter! If you’re doing everything last minute, and need it within 4-8 working hours, it’ll cost you $48. If you’re SUPER last minute and need it within 30 minutes, then you’re looking at a $78 fee. If you give yourself enough time, it will only cost $19! I received an email within 48 hours with my visa approval letter attached. The email you receive should look something like this:

STEP 4: PRINT OUT THE CORRECT DOCUMENTS

1. Print the visa approval letter that was sent to your email
2. Print and fill out the visa application form here. (Yes, another form to fill out!) I believe they have these forms at the airport when you arrive, but having it all filled out when you get there will expedite the process and will cut your waiting time. The only thing that may be tricky on this application is sections 15-17, so here are some notes on how to fill it in correctly below:

STEP 5: MAKE SURE TO BRING PASSPORT PHOTOS AND $25USD

You can get your photo taken at the visa processing office when you arrive to Vietnam for an extra $5, but it’s better to have passport photos ready to go to skip this step. Make sure you also bring $25 USD in cash, as they do not accept credit cards or other forms of payment. I’d suggest bringing exact change.

OTHER QUESTIONS:

I’VE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT IN VIETNAM. WHAT NOW?

Once you arrive there will be signs leading you to a visa office within the airport. There will most likely be a line of people waiting to submit their info. Once a visa officer takes all of your documents, they will tell you to go sit down and wait for your name to be called. This can take up to 30 minutes, maybe longer depending on how many people are waiting for their visas to be approved. If you don’t need to fill out the visa application form or take a photo, it will expedite the process and will most likely result in less of a waiting time. Once they call your name you will head back up to the window and they will fix a visa to a page in your passport.

VIETNAM VISA CHECKLIST: DO I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED?

1. Visa approval letter
2. Visa application form
3. Passport photos
4. $25 USD
5. Passport (duh)

Okay so it sounds like a lot, but it’s really just a matter of being organized. Give yourself enough time to gather all of the info and material that you will need and it should be smooth sailing.

DISCLAIMER: Vietnam is known for changing their visa terms OFTEN, so please be aware that this information is valid as of December 2016.

Wander On,

Wanderluluu xx