Vietnam visa requirements for US passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Conditions to check

Use a regular passport. The State Department warns that Vietnam may not accept the 12-page US emergency passport for e-Visa entry.

Official sources: US Department of State.

Trip purpose Conditions to check

This guide covers tourism. Working in Vietnam needs a work permit or a confirmed exemption under the Labor Code, not just an e-Visa.

Official sources: Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam.

Age Not stated in the cited guidance

No age limit is stated for the e-Visa. The State Department advises carrying birth certificates for children and a notarized consent letter when one parent travels alone.

Official sources: US Department of State.

Residence Conditions to check

Apply from outside Vietnam: the e-Visa is for people who wish to enter, not for foreigners already residing there.

Official sources: Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam.

Other visas or residence permits Not stated in the cited guidance

The e-Visa conditions do not ask for another country's visa or residence permit.

Official sources: Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam.

Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check

Your entry location must match the port of entry you chose in the application, or immigration may refuse entry.

Official sources: US Department of State.

Stay and visa validity Confirmed for this scope

Vietnam usually grants only the dates you request, up to 90 days, and does not renew or extend an e-Visa inside the country.

Official sources: US Department of State.

Apply only on the official e-Visa site

Apply at evisa.gov.vn, the Immigration Department's e-Visa site; its FAQ also names thithucdientu.gov.vn as official. Other sites can charge fees that are not authorized. You can apply up to 1 year before your planned entry, but only while you are outside Vietnam.

The portal lists the fee as USD 25 for a single entry or USD 50 for multiple entries, paid online. It is not refunded if the e-Visa is refused.

Official sources: Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam; Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam.

Match your passport and dates

Enter your full name exactly as it appears on the machine-readable line of your passport, in capital letters, and declare earlier trips truthfully: false information can lead to refusal. The e-Visa can last up to 90 days and must end at least 30 days before your passport expires. This expiry margin is separate from the passport validity needed for arrival; confirm that minimum with a Vietnamese mission before applying.

Follow the dates printed on the issued visa; the 90-day maximum is not a promise of 90 days from whenever you arrive. Choose the international border gates you will use. Air gates on the portal's list include Noi Bai, Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat airports.

Official sources: Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam; Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam; US Department of State.

What the State Department adds

Processing usually takes 3 to 5 working days after the Immigration Department receives the complete application and payment, longer around holidays. Print the e-Visa and carry it with your passport. Your passport needs 6 months of validity beyond your arrival date and at least 2 blank pages for stamps.

Enter and leave on the same passport, and use it for domestic travel too. If it is lost or stolen in Vietnam, you need a replacement passport and a replacement Vietnamese visa before you can leave.

Official sources: US Department of State.

On arrival and during your stay

The Immigration Department recommends completing the pre-arrival form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn before you land. Present your e-Visa to the officer at the border, then check the temporary residence stamp in your passport and point out any error at once.

Carry your passport while traveling, and show it to each hotel or guesthouse so it can declare your stay. If you change accommodation, the new place declares you again.

Official sources: Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam; Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam.

Phu Quoc-only visits follow a separate rule

Foreign passport holders have a separate visa exemption for Phu Quoc-only visits of up to 30 days. It does not cover a mainland sightseeing trip. Before relying on it, confirm your arrival, any mainland airport transit and onward route with a Vietnamese mission.

The e-Visa guidance here covers mainland trips by travelers without an existing exemption. If you hold a residence document or visa exemption certificate, check the conditions of that document separately.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam.