What is Vietnam Visa on Arrival?
Vietnam Visa on Arrival (also known as Vietnam airport visa) is a very convenient and easy way to apply for a visa to enter Vietnam. This type of visa is issued at one of the international airports in Vietnam when visitors arrive here.
To apply for a visa at airports, travelers need to fill out an online visa application form to obtain a visa approval letter before departure to Vietnam. With this dispatch, visitors will be allowed to board the plane to Vietnam and get a visa stamp upon arrival at the Vietnam airport. When applying for this type of visa to Vietnam, visitors do not need to prepare any documents, nor have to send the original passport to any agency.
Is a Vietnam visa on Arrival legal or just a form of fraud?
The Vietnam airport entry visa by air is completely legal. Although you send your visa application through a visa service provider, the visa approval letter allows you to board the flight and get a visa stamp upon arrival to Vietnam. This visa is directly issued by the Immigration Department of Vietnam, not by the service provider. This service unit is only an intermediary connecting visitors with the Vietnam Immigration Department because visitors cannot work directly with the Department on visa issues.
Here are some legal provisions on this type of visa to Vietnam:
- Ordinance on entry, exit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam;
- Government’s Decree No. 21/2001/ND-CP;
- Joint Circular No. 04/2002/TTLT/BCA-BNG;
There are now many agencies offering this service to simplify the visa application process as well as save time for visitors to Vietnam.
Types of Vietnam Visa at the airport
Some of the most popular types of visas to Vietnam include tourist visas (DL symbols), business visas (DN symbols), labor visas (LD symbols) and study abroad visas (DH symbols). But with airport entry visas, visitors can only apply for one of the two types of visas below:
- Tourist visa;
- Business visa;
Who can apply for a visa at Vietnam airports?
Most visitors to Vietnam who are required to apply for a visa can apply for a visa to enter at the airport as long as they enter Vietnam by air. Visitors can check if they enter Vietnam on a visa exemption or compulsory visa here.
List of Applicable Vietnam airports
If you enter one of the following 8 international airports in Vietnam, you can apply for an airport entry visa:
- Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi)
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City)
- Van Don International Airport (Quang Ninh)
- Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong)
- Da Nang International Airport (Da Nang)
- Cam Ranh International Airport (Khanh Hoa)
- Phu Quoc International Airport (Phu Quoc)
Why should you choose a Vietnam visa on arrival?
If you have ever applied for a Vietnam visa on arrival you will easily see that this visa has the following advantages:
- Quick: For cases of urgent visa applications, the processing time for documents is only less than 2 working hours.
- Convenience: When applying for a visa, the applicant does not need to prepare documents and submit the original passport, it’s very convenient if the applicant needs to travel a lot with their passport. The information required in the visa application is also extremely minimal, including only full name, gender, nationality, date of birth, passport number, passport expiry date and intended date of entry into Vietnam. The process of applying for a visa and returning documents is done online.
- Low cost: Visa at Vietnam airports application fee can be higher or lower than the visa fee at Vietnam Embassy in foreign countries. But in terms of the total cost of travel, postage or document preparation fees, the fee for visa at Vietnam airports will be lower, because visitors do not have to pay any extra fees besides the visa fee if applying for a Visa at Vietnam airports
Vietnam visa on arrival fee
When applying for a visa at the airport, visitors will need to pay 02 types of fees, including:
- Service fee: pay online with the visa support unit to get a visa approval letter (also known as the official letter of permission to enter Vietnam).
- Stamping fee: pay in cash at Vietnam airport to get a visa stamp
These fees depend on the type of Vietnamese entry visa you want to apply. You can see the details below:
Tourist Visa Fee
| Type of visa | Service fee | Stamping fee |
| 1 month single entry | 50 USD | 25 USD |
| 1 month multiple entry | 60 USD | 50 USD |
The aforementioned service fee applies to the normal dispatch processing time of 4-7 working days.
Steps to apply Visa
Here are 3 simple steps to get a visa issued at Vietnam airport:
(1) – Apply for a visa online
(2) – Receive the visa approval letter via email, then print this dispatch. Simultaneously prepare an Immigration Declaration, two 4 x 6 cm portrait photos, original passport and the stamping fee in cash.
(3) – Present the above documents to the Vietnam Visa Counter (VOA) staff at Vietnam airport and pay the stamping fee to apply for a visa stamp to your passport.
You can see the details of the visa at Vietnam airports application process.
Processing Time
Processing time for issuing visa approval documents can be from 4-7 working days . This time frame does not apply to Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays).
Note:
- Unlike entry visas to Cambodia, Thailand or Laos, a type of visa in which visitor visas are issued right at the border of entry by completing the declaration, to apply for a Vietnam visa at the airport, travelers are required to have a visa approval document before departure to Vietnam.
- Visa issued at Vietnam airports is only for guests who enter Vietnam by air. If you enter Vietnam by land or sea, you will have to apply for a visa at the Embassy or evisa (if possible) before departure to Vietnam.
- To enter Vietnam, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry.
- The visa application fee for children with a separate passport is equal to the visa application fee for adults.
So far, all websites that provide visa assistance services at Vietnam airports are commercial websites operated by private companies. Therefore, websites with org.vn or .govt domains, etc. that provide this service are not government websites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a problem if I change the airport of entry?
No.
After getting the visa approval letter, you can enter Vietnam at any of the 8 international airports in Vietnam that allow this type of visa. These are Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, Cat Bi airport in Hai Phong, Da Nang airport in Da Nang city, Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa, Lien Khuong airport in Da Lat, Tan Son Nhat airport at Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho airport in Can Tho city and Phu Quoc airport in Phu Quoc Island.
This does not affect the Vietnam visa application form online. In case you are not sure of the date of immigration, you can fill in the estimated date.
However, you must consider before completing, because you are allowed to enter Vietnam after the date of entry filled in the application, and if you want to enter before that date, you must apply for another approval letter.
How long should I apply for visa approval in Vietnam?
You can apply for a letter whenever you want because this letter is valid from the date of entry you enter, not from the date you applied for it or from the date that you got your issued letter.
At the latest, you should apply for this letter before 4-7 working days to avoid having to pay additional urgent visa processing fees as well as to have time to recheck the information.
Do I need to contact the Vietnamese Embassy after I have received the visa dispatch?
No, you don’t. When applying for a visa at Vietnamese airports, you do not need to contact the Vietnamese Embassy.
After receiving the dispatch, you just need to print the dispatch with the Immigration Declaration, then you will get your visa stamp at the visa counter at Vietnam Airport.
What documents should I prepare to apply for a visa approval letter for Vietnam visa at the airport?
You do not need to submit any documents to apply for this dispatch through us. You only need to provide us with the following information:
- Your contact information (name, email and phone number);
- The date of entry;
- Applicant information (full name, passport number, gender, nationality, date of birth and passport expiry date).
Can I get a visa directly at Vietnam airport without prior written request?
No, you cannot. To get a visa at Vietnam airport, you MUST have to get a visa approval letter before departure to Vietnam. Without this dispatch, you are not even allowed to board a flight to Vietnam.
Can I pay in advance for both types of fees (service charge and stamp fee)?
No, you can’t. You can only pay the online service fee in advance. And the stamp fee you must pay in cash at the airport in Vietnam.
Should I use the “fast track” service to get visa stamps faster?
Yes, you should. Normally when you issue a visa stamp at the airport, you will have to queue for about 15-20 minutes, maybe even 1 hour at rush hour. If you use our fast-track service, you will not have to wait in line, so you will save time and energy for more interesting activities in Vietnam.