How to Apply for a Vietnam E-Visa (2026): Step-by-Step Guide

Last updated: October 2026

If Vietnam is on your list, don’t leave your e-visa until the night before your flight. Payment problems, application mistakes and processing delays all happen, so my advice is simple: sort it out early. The whole application is online, on the official government site evisa.gov.vn, and it normally takes 3 working days.

This guide walks through the application step by step, including the parts that trip people up: the payment page, your passport details, your visa dates, and the new ward names you now need for your hotel address.

The Vietnam e-visa in short

Official site: evisa.gov.vn. Don’t use the first sponsored result on Google; lookalike agency sites charge extra fees.
Cost: 25 USD for single entry, 50 USD for multiple entry.
Length: up to 90 days.
Processing: normally 3 working days. Apply as soon as your dates are reasonably firm, not three days before you fly.
The two mistakes to avoid: a typo in your passport details, and visa dates that don’t cover your arrival day.
Leaving and coming back (to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand, say)? Check whether you need multiple entry.
First check whether you need one at all. Many nationalities can visit visa-free for a shorter stay.

Do you need a visa for Vietnam?

Check this before you fill anything in. Vietnam lets citizens of a long list of countries in without a visa, but the length of stay depends on your passport:

45 days: 24 countries, mostly in Europe. Twelve (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) have this until 14 March 2028. Twelve more (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland) have it until 14 August 2028, for tourism only.
14 to 30 days: Southeast Asian neighbors, depending on the country.
Phu Quoc: any nationality can visit Phu Quoc island visa-free for up to 30 days if you fly or sail straight there. It covers Phu Quoc only, not the mainland.

If your stay is longer than your visa-free allowance, or your country isn’t on the list (the US, Canada and Australia aren’t), you need an e-visa. The full country list and the other entry rules are in our Vietnam entry requirements guide.

How to apply for a Vietnam e-visa, step by step

Step 1: Check whether you need a visa at all

See the section above. Don’t assume you need an e-visa without checking your passport’s visa-free allowance first.

Step 2: Use the official website

Go straight to the government’s e-visa portal: evisa.gov.vn. The older address, evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, now redirects there.

Don’t click the first sponsored result on Google. Plenty of third-party agencies and lookalike websites copy the official design and charge extra fees on top of the government fee.

Step 3: Get your documents ready

You’ll need:

a valid passport
a clear photo of your passport information page
a passport-style portrait photo
your planned entry date
your planned exit date
your intended entry and exit checkpoints (the airport or border crossing)
your accommodation details in Vietnam

Your hotel address needs the new ward name. Since July 2025, Vietnam’s addresses use just two levels: ward or commune, and province or city. Districts are gone, and many wards were renamed or merged, so the address on your booking may be out of date. Use our eVisa ward finder: type in your hotel name or address and copy the ward and province straight into the form.

Enter your hotel name or address in Vietnam

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Double-check everything before you submit.

Step 4: Be very careful with your passport details

This is the easiest place to make a mistake. Enter your name exactly as it appears in your passport, and check your passport number twice. Don’t rush this part: a small mistake here can turn into a much bigger headache at the border.

Step 5: Choose the right visa

The e-visa can be issued for up to 90 days, as single entry or multiple entry. The official fees are 25 USD for single entry and 50 USD for multiple entry.

If you’re planning to leave Vietnam during your trip and come back, for example on a side trip to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand, check whether you need a multiple-entry visa. A single-entry visa ends the moment you leave the country.

Step 6: Check your dates carefully

Your visa has a validity period, and you can’t enter Vietnam before its valid-from date. Don’t just look at your flight date: make sure the visa dates actually cover your arrival, including overnight flights that land the day after you leave.

Step 7: Make the payment

The online payment system can be frustrating. If the payment page freezes, don’t keep pressing the payment button. First, check your bank account or card to see whether the payment actually went through. Keep any payment or application reference you receive.

Step 8: Save your registration code

This one matters. Screenshot your application or registration code and keep it somewhere easy to find. You’ll need it to check your e-visa status and download the result.

Step 9: Don’t wait until the last minute

Processing normally takes 3 working days, but that’s not a reason to apply three days before your flight. Weekends, public holidays, payment problems or an application that needs correcting all add time and stress. Once your travel dates are reasonably firm, apply.

When your e-visa is approved, download it, print a copy and keep a copy on your phone for check-in and arrival.

Our honest take: visa rules and procedures change. Before you submit, check the latest information on evisa.gov.vn itself, not on an agency site or an old blog post (including this one).

Frequently asked questions

What is the official Vietnam e-visa website?

evisa.gov.vn. The older address, evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, redirects to it. Any other site is a third-party agency that charges extra.

How much does a Vietnam e-visa cost?

25 USD for single entry and 50 USD for multiple entry, paid online on the official site. Agency sites charge more for the same visa.

How long does a Vietnam e-visa take?

Normally 3 working days. Weekends and public holidays don’t count, so apply at least a couple of weeks before you fly.

How long can I stay on a Vietnam e-visa?

Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry.

Can I enter Vietnam before my e-visa start date?

No. You can’t enter before the visa’s valid-from date, so make sure the dates cover your arrival day.

What address do I put on the Vietnam e-visa form?

Your accommodation’s address with the new ward or commune and province or city names used since July 2025. Our eVisa ward finder gives you both from your hotel’s name.

Do I need a multiple-entry e-visa?

Only if you’ll leave Vietnam and come back during your trip, for example on a side trip to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.

Sources: e-visa fees, length and processing from the official portal evisa.gov.vn; visa exemption lists from Vietnamese government resolutions 44/NQ-CP and 229/NQ-CP (2025). Checked October 2026.

By Jack Ng

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