Frequently Asked Questions

To enter a foreign country, the first thing is to apply for a visa of that country (except in the case of visa exemption). Visa on arrival is a different way to obtain a visa for Vietnam other than getting a visa at the Vietnam Embassy.

For this type of visa, you will need to fill in the online application for a visa approval letter through a visa service company or organization, then you will receive a visa approval letter through email. After coming to Vietnam, you need to submit to the immigration officer at the airport documents including approval letter, original passport (valid for at least 6 months), 2 passport photos, and Vietnamese visa application form and stamping fee to Immigration Officers at the airport.

There is a basic difference between visa on arrival and visa at Vietnamese embassy. 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 (according to the application form when you apply online). Then, you will have the visa stamped onto your passport at the arrival airport in Vietnam.

Visa on Arrival service is the best choice for those who are far away from the Embassy or the emergency does not have regular visa time.

A Vietnam Visa approval letter is a document issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department. It is a permit that allows you to enter Vietnam and get a visa stamped onto the passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport, after which you can leave and enter Vietnam for a specific period of time.

It should be noted that the Immigration Department will check your information in detail and strictly before issuing the approval letter, so you can confidently arrive at Vietnam’s international airports when you have this document.

To get the approval letter, you need to apply online through a travel agency licensed to provide visa services, then they will work with the Immigration Department to get the dispatch and send it to you through email.

One note is that the visa approval letter may have the names of some people who are applying for visas at the same time as you.

In normal circumstances, you will receive a letter after 2 working days (for a tourist visa) or 5-7 working days (for a business visa) via email (excluding Saturday, Sunday and public holidays in Vietnam).

In an emergency, you will receive a visa approval letter (for a tourist visa) within the following time frame:

• Same day Processing : if you submit your application and pay the service fee before 12pm except Saturday and Sunday (Vietnam time – GMT+7), you will receive a visa approval letter before 6 pm the same day.
• Next day Processing: if you submit your application and pay the service fee after 12pm (Vietnam time – GMT+7) except Saturday and Sunday, you will receive an approval letter before 6 pm the next working day (for tourist visa) or 2-3 next working days (for business visa).

Note: The above information applies only to working days, excluding Saturday, Sunday and public holidays in Vietnam. So you need to check the time zone difference between Vietnam and your country.

Since Visa Counter at Vietnam international airports work 24/7, if you have the visa approval letter in hand, you can get a visa stamped regardless of your landing dates.

For the 3-month visa service, after 4 working days you will get the approval letter.

You will receive a copy of the approval letter via email, so please provide the correct email address.

Note: The approval letter is available in PDF format, so you need to make sure that you update Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file.

To complete the online  for a Vietnam visa approval letter, you need to provide the following information:

• Full name (exactly as in your passport)
• Date of birth (DOB)
• Nationality
• Passport Number
• Proposed arrival date
• Proposed exit date
• Purpose of visit

Please see the full visa application form here.

You do not need to provide the exact date of arrival in Vietnam, but the earliest date you expect to come to Vietnam. You can surely come to Vietnam after that date. However, please remember to leave Vietnam prior to the expiry date mentioned in the approval letter.

For instance, if you want to apply for a Vietnam visa for a period of 1 month from June 16, 2020, the visa will be valid from June 16, 2020 to July 16, 2020. You can come to Vietnam at any time between June 16 and July 16, and must leave Vietnam before July 16, 2020.

Note: The approval letter cannot be changed after being issued, so if you want to come to Vietnam earlier than the date mentioned on it, you need to request a new letter.

You can apply for a visa approval letter anytime you want, but it is best to submit 1-2 months before the departure date to avoid possible schedule changes.

No, you cannot. Vietnam visa on arrival is only valid for visitors traveling to Vietnam by air. In this case, you should contact the Vietnamese embassy or consulate to apply for a visa.

An approval letter and photos are required documents of visa application for Vietnam airport. If you forget to bring those documents, you need to pay extra money (2-5 USD) to get your photos taken by Immigration Officers & a lot of money to print out the Arrival Letter right there.

We recommend you use our Airport Pickup (aka Fast Track) service to ensure you can enter Vietnam quickly and conveniently. Please contact us via the hotline +84 if you have any difficulties entering Vietnam airport.

Unfortunately, you cannot use the official letter to get a visa at the Embassy. However, we can assist you to obtain a new approval letter with a different number and then you can use it to get a visa at the nearest Vietnam Embassy.

We recommend that you choose a visa on arrival because the process of getting a visa stamp at the airport is very simple, fast and does not cost much. This type of visa is completely legal and it is becoming increasingly popular worldwide and Vietnam.

Changing your destination airport will not affect your visa application. But if you want to change, consider carefully to avoid any problems that may arise. The visa approval letter works at 08 international airports of Vietnam (Hanoi, Van Don, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho, Hai Phong, Da Lat). Therefore, you can completely get a visa upon arrival at one of these 8 airports.

No, you can enter Vietnam after the date issued in the dispatch, but cannot enter Vietnam earlier than that date. In case you want to change the trip schedule, you are recommended to apply for a new visa approval letter.

There is a big difference between a single entry visa and a multiple entry visa to Vietnam, which is the number of times a person is allowed to enter that country:

• Single entry visas allow you to visit Vietnam only once. Once you have exited Vietnam, you must apply for a new visa to re-enter Vietnam.
• Multiple entry visas allow you to freely enter and exit Vietnam regardless of the number of times within the valid period of the visa.

No, you cannot. You are allowed to exit earlier than the departure date stated in the official dispatch, but cannot leave Vietnam later than that date. In case you want to stay in Vietnam longer, you can check out our Vietnam visa extension service.