About Visa on Arrival
What is Vietnam visa on arrival ( VOA)?
Visa on arrival is an alternative way to obtain a visa for Vietnam in addition to the traditional way of getting a visa at Vietnam Embassy.
With this kind of visa, you – the visa applicant is required to submit an online application for a visa approval letter which functions as an official permission allowing you to board the flight and have visa stamped at the arrival airport in Vietnam. To get visa stamped, you need to submit your Vietnam approval letter together with your passport (at least 6 months validity), one passport-sized photo, entry and exit form and stamping fee to Immigration Officers at the airport.
There is a basic difference between visa on arrival and visa at Vietnam embassies. With visa on arrival, the Vietnam Immigration Department will issue a visa approval letter with your name on it stating that you are allowed to enter Vietnam on a specified date. Then, you will have the visa stamped onto your passport at the arrival airport in Vietnam. But for visa applied at the Vietnam embassies, the visa stamp will be on your passport when they send it back to you.
What is Vietnam Visa approval letter?
“Vietnam Visa approval letter” is a document issued by Vietnam Immigration Department (Vietnam Ministry of Public Security). It functions as an official permission allowing its owner(s) to board the flight to Vietnam and get visa stamped onto the passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport.
Following is the sample of a visa approval letter:
What information do I need to provide to apply for my Vietnam visa approval letter?
To complete the online application for a Vietnam visa approval letter, the visa applicants need to provide the following information n exactly as shown in their passports (as once issued, the approval letter could not be amended in any way).
- Full name (exactly as in your passport);
- Date of birth (DOB);
- Nationality;
- Passport Number;
- Proposed arrival date;
- Proposed exit date;
- Purpose of visit;
For further information, please see full Vietnam visa application form online.
Can I enter Vietnam earlier than my granted arrival date in the visa approval letter?
No, you cannot. A later entry is allowed but an earlier entry is not. In case you change your plan and want to enter Vietnam earlier than the granted arrival date, you are recommended to apply for a new visa approval letter.
Can I use Vietnam visa on arrival for my entry by land or sea?
No, you cannot. Vietnam visa on arrival is applicable to air travel only since the visa applicants must get visa stamped at the arrival airport in Vietnam. If this is the case, you are recommended to contact the most convenient Vietnam Embassy/Consulate to apply for a visa.
What if my arrival airport changes?
Be kindly informed that there will be no problem if you change your arrival airport. Since the visa approval letter works at three international airports of Vietnam (Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang Airport in Danang City), you still get the visa stamped onto your passport at any of these three airport regardless of which you put in your visa application.
What is difference between a single entry visa and a multiple entry visa?
There is a big difference between a single entry visa and a multiple entry visa to Vietnam which lies in number of entries:
- Single entry visa: You are permitted to enter Vietnam ONCE during your visa validity. After you exit Vietnam, you visa will automatically become invalid. If you would like to re-enter you need to apply for multiple entry visa.
- Multiple entry visa: You can enter and exit Vietnam many times as you want during your visa validity.
Can I travel without the letter and get the visa when I arrive?
No, you cannot. In order to board the plane, you must show the approval letter to the airlines. This letter is also compulsory in order for you to get the visa at the Vietnam airport. Therefore, we recommend that you leave plenty of time to apply for the visa to avoid having to delay or change your flight.
How long in advance should I apply for a visa?
A Vietnamese visa application can be applied for 1 day to 6 months in advance. Although it takes only 2-3 working days to get your visa approved, it is strongly advised that you apply for a Vietnamese visa 1 – 2 weeks before your arrival date to avoid any payment or other administrative problems.
Visa Requirements
How many types of Vietnam visa on arrival are there?
Vietnam visa on arrival types are granted according to the length of staying, number of entries and visiting purpose.
According to length of staying and number of entries, we are ready to process following visa on arrival types:
- 1 month single entry visa
- 1 month multiple entries visa
- 3 months single entry visa
- 3 months multiple entries visa
According to visiting purpose, we are ready to process following visa on arrival types:
- Business visa: will be valid in 1 month, 3 months.
- Tourist visa: will be valid in 1 month or 3 months.
- Other purposes: will be valid in 3 months.
Who need Vietnam visa?
A valid visa is required for almost foreigners to enter Vietnam, except for those whose nationalities are included in the Vietnam visa exemption list approved by Vietnam Government. The Vietnam visa exemption is granted to the followings:
- Citizens of Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Laos for visits of 30 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Phillippines for visits of 21 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, for visits of 15 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Brunei, Myanmar for visits of 14 days at the maximum.
- Citizens of Chile holding valid diplomatic or official passports for visits of 90 days at the maximum.
Notes:
- Foreign passports are exempted from visa requirements to Phu Quoc Island for no longer than 30 days if they directly visit Phu Quoc or transit through other international airports in Vietnam before arriving Phu Quoc.
- APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders with valid passports are exempted from Vietnam visa requirements for a stay of no longer than 60 days.
- British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders are not eligible for the 15-day Vietnam visa exemption. So, they need to apply for a visa to visit Vietnam.
What are the photo requirements for Vietnam visa on arrival?
With Vietnam visa on arrival, the visa applicants must prepare one photo to get visa stamped at the arrival airport in Vietnam. Following is the list of regulations regarding photo for visa on arrival:
- The photograph must be passport-sized, identical, taken within the past 6 months.
- The image size from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head should be between 1 inch and 13/8 inches.
- The photograph may be in color or black and white. They must be full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.
- The photograph should be taken in normal street attire, without a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline.
- Uniforms should not be worn in the photograph with the exception of religious attire which is worn daily.
- If prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles are normally and consistently worn, they should be worn when the picture is taken.
- Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless required for medical reasons. A medical certificate may be required to support the wearing of such glasses in the photograph.
Do you require a scan of my passport scan?
In most cases, a passport scan is not required for an online visa application. However, if the Immigration office wishes to verify the information you provide, you are required to send them a scan copy of your passport. In such cases, we will notify you by email immediately.
Visa Cost and Payment
What is the total cost for a Vietnam visa on arrival?
There are two kinds of fee to be paid by anyone who use a visa on arrival to Vietnam, which are:
Service fee: is the fee you pay directly to Vietnamvisa.in for handling all procedures with the Vietnam Immigration Department to return the visa approval letter to your registered email. This fee varies depending on the number of applicants in your visa application as well as which kind of service you wish to use (normal, urgent or super-urgent processing). Please see our Visa Fees page for detailed prices for each type of visa.
Stamping fee: is the fee you pay directly in cash to the Immigration Officer at the Vietnam airport to get visa stamped onto your passport. Stamping fee can be paid in USD, AUD, VND, etc. but USD is highly recommended to avoid any unbalanced exchange rate. The current applicable stamping fee is:
– 25 USD for one 1 month or 3 month single entry visa;
– 50 USD for one 1 month multiple entry visa (less than 30 days);
– 135 USD for one 1 year multiple entry visa.
For detail information, please access to https://vietnamvisa.in/visa-cost/
Can I pay for stamping fee in VND to get Vietnam visa stamped on arrival?
Yes, you can. You can pay for stamping fee in VND or AUD, SGD, etc. but USD is highly recommended to avoid any unbalanced exchange rate at the airport.
Problems and Concerns
What if my passport expired? Can I apply for a visa to Vietnam?
If your passport is expired, you cannot apply for your Vietnam visa. In this case, please renew your passport before applying for visa to Vietnam.
So, before applying for a visa, you need to check your passport to make sure it is valid at least 6 months since your date of arrival in Vietnam.
What should I do if I find out that I entered the wrong passport number?
Shortly after you submit your application, you should receive a confirmation email in the email address you provided us with. In this email, we confirm the information you entered earlier. If you find out any mistakes, please contact us right away by sending an email to [email protected].
If you do not catch the mistake until later, you will have to re-apply for a new visa with the correct information.
What if my passport has expired?
To apply for a visa to Vietnam, your passport must have at least 6 month’s validity. Therefore, if your passport is about to expire, please get a new one before applying for your visa in order to avoid unwanted problems at the airport.