Passport holders from the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland) can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. Twelve more European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Poland, get 45 days for tourism only. Travellers from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Israel, China and the Gulf states need an e-visa, applied for online at evisa.gov.vn: US$25 single entry or US$50 multiple entry, valid up to 90 days, usually ready in about 3 working days. Last checked: 4 November 2026.
Vietnam’s entry rules depend on the passport you hold, not where you live. Use the tool below to check your nationality, then read the notes on e-visas, Phu Quoc and combining Vietnam with Cambodia or Laos. We list only rules from official Vietnamese sources, and we link to each one so you can check it yourself.
Check your nationality
Pick your passport to see whether you can enter Vietnam visa-free, for how long, or whether you need an e-visa.
Last checked: 4 November 2026. Rules can change at short notice: always check before travel.
Passport
Entry for a holiday
Notes
Source
Australia
E-visa needed
No visa exemption for ordinary passports. Apply online for an e-visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry).
No visa exemption for ordinary passports. Apply online for an e-visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry). The bilateral exemption on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list covers ordinary passports only on official business, not tourism.
No visa exemption for ordinary passports. Apply online for an e-visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry). Iceland is not on the Nordic exemption.
No visa exemption for ordinary passports. Apply online for an e-visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry). Only diplomatic and official passports are exempt; websites saying Indian tourists are visa-free are wrong.
No visa exemption for ordinary passports. Apply online for an e-visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry). Portugal is not on either European exemption list.
There are three kinds of visa exemption for ordinary passports:
45 days, any purpose: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, under Government Resolution 44/NQ-CP. It runs from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028.
45 days, tourism only: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland, under Resolution 229/NQ-CP. It runs from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028. If you are travelling for business, apply for an e-visa.
Bilateral agreements: for example Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia (30 days), the Philippines (21 days) and Chile (up to 90 days). Belarus is no longer on the 45-day list: since 30 January 2025, Belarusian ordinary passport holders enter under a bilateral agreement, up to 30 days per entry and no more than 90 days in a calendar year. The full list is published by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Your permitted stay is stamped in your passport on arrival, so check the date. If you want to stay longer than your visa-free period, apply for an e-visa before you travel rather than trying to extend in Vietnam.
Who needs a Vietnam e-visa?
Everyone else, including citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Israel, mainland China, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Greece and the Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman). Vietnam has issued e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories since 15 August 2023.
Planning from the UAE? See our Vietnam tours from Dubai for itineraries and practical tips for Gulf travellers.
Two points cause confusion. Indian ordinary passports are not visa-exempt: only diplomatic and official passports are. And China’s bilateral exemption on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list covers ordinary passports only on official business, so Chinese tourists also need an e-visa.
How to apply for the e-visa
Use only the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, run by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security. Sites ending in .com, .org or .net are commercial agents, even when they show a flag.
Prepare a scan of your passport data page (valid at least 6 months after arrival), a recent portrait photo on a white background without glasses, your arrival date, your entry airport or border gate and your first hotel address.
Choose single or multiple entry. If you will leave Vietnam for Cambodia or Laos and come back, choose multiple entry.
Pay the government fee online and keep the application code. Processing usually takes about 3 working days; weekends, public holidays and the Tet period take longer. Apply at least 1 to 2 weeks before you fly.
Print the approved e-visa and check every letter of your name, passport number and dates against your passport.
E-visa
Validity
Government fee
Single entry
Up to 90 days
US$25
Multiple entry
Up to 90 days
US$50
Fees under Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC, in force from 1 April 2026. Government fees are not refunded if an application is refused.
Phu Quoc: 30 days visa-free for everyone
Foreign visitors who fly directly to Phu Quoc island, or transit through a Vietnamese international airport on the way without leaving it, can stay on Phu Quoc for up to 30 days without a visa, whatever their nationality. This exemption covers the island only. If your trip also includes Hanoi, Hoi An or Ho Chi Minh City, you need a visa or a visa exemption for the whole of Vietnam. Check the conditions with your airline before travel.
Combining Vietnam with Cambodia or Laos
E-visa holders: if you leave Vietnam and come back, for example Hanoi, then Siem Reap, then Ho Chi Minh City, you need a multiple-entry e-visa that covers both entry dates and both entry points.
Visa-exempt passports: a new visa-free stay normally starts each time you enter Vietnam, but border officers have the final say, so check before travel.
Laos: the official e-visa portal is laoevisa.gov.la. Many land crossings from Vietnam do not accept the Lao e-visa, so a visa on arrival is often simpler there. See our Laos e-visa guide.
Want us to handle it?
Metta Voyage is a licensed tour operator in Hanoi. For our travellers we check whether you need a visa at all, review your photo and passport scan, file on the official portal, track the application and check the approved e-visa for typos. Our help is free when you book a Metta Voyage tour and US$25 per traveller for e-visa-only requests; the government fee is paid separately at the official rate. We are not a government agency, you can always apply yourself on evisa.gov.vn, and the decision always rests with Vietnam’s Immigration Department. For the full step-by-step process, mistakes to avoid and visa on arrival, read our complete Vietnam visa guide.
Get an email if the rules for your passport change
Leave your email and nationality. When Vietnam changes the visa rules for your passport, we will let you know.
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Frequently asked questions
Do US citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. US passport holders need an e-visa for a holiday in Vietnam. Apply on evisa.gov.vn: US$25 for single entry or US$50 for multiple entry, valid for up to 90 days.
Can British citizens visit Vietnam without a visa?
Yes. UK passport holders can stay up to 45 days visa-free for any purpose under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid until 14 March 2028. For a longer stay, apply for an e-visa.
Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. Australian and New Zealand passport holders need an e-visa. There is no visa exemption for these passports.
Is the Vietnam e-visa the same as a visa on arrival?
No. The e-visa is approved online before you travel and you show the printed approval at immigration. Websites selling “visa on arrival approval letters” are commercial agents, not the government portal.
How long does a Vietnam e-visa take?
Processing usually takes about 3 working days. Weekends, Vietnamese public holidays and the Tet period are slower, so apply at least 1 to 2 weeks before your flight.
Do I need a multiple-entry e-visa to visit Cambodia or Laos?
If you hold an e-visa and will leave Vietnam and come back, yes: choose multiple entry, which costs US$50. Visa-exempt passports normally get a new visa-free stay on each entry, but check before travel.
Do Belarusian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Not for short visits. Under the Vietnam–Belarus bilateral agreement in force since 30 January 2025, ordinary passport holders can stay up to 30 days per entry and no more than 90 days in a calendar year.
Last checked: 4 November 2026. Metta Voyage is a private travel company, not a government agency. Visa rules can change at short notice; always check the official sources before you travel.
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