Vietnam Visa on Arrival

Content:

• What is Vietnam VOA
• Is VOA Legitimate
• VOA Types
• Who Are Eligible
• Applicable airports
• Why VOA
• VOA Fees
• How to Apply
• Processing time
• Extra notes
• FAQs

What is Vietnam Visa on Arrival?

Vietnam visa on arrival (also known as Vietnam landing visa, or Vietnam airport visa) is a convenient alternative way to obtain valid permission to visit Vietnam. It can be picked up at one of Vietnam international airports upon arrival.

To obtain the visa on arrival for Vietnam, you need to get a visa approval letter in advance. First, you fill out the online application form. Second, you show it at Vietnam airports to get visa stamped onto your passports. No passport sendoff, no document is required to apply for this type of visa for Vietnam.

Note: This type of visa is not available from March 15, 2020 to April 15, 2020 as an act of the Vietam Government to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19. You can update more Vietnam visa policy in Covid 19 here.

Is Vietnam Visa on Arrival Legitimate?

Yes, it is.

Getting Vietnamese visa on arrival is a 100% legal process. The authorized visa approval letter is granted by Vietnam Immigration Department. It acts as official permission that allows you to board the airplane and get visa stamped onto passports at Vietnam international airports.

Legal basis:

• 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

Many centers supply this service to simplify travelers’ arrival and save their time.

Read more: Legal Basis of Vietnam Visa on Arrival

Types of Vietnam Visa at the airport

In general, the most popular types of Vietnam visa include tourist visa (DL), business visa (DN), working visa (LĐ), and student/internship visa (DH). But a visa on arrival is available for only:

• Tourist visa;
• Business visa;

Can I get a visa on arrival in Vietnam

Most visitors are required to have a valid visa to enter Vietnam and eligible to apply for a Vietnam visa on arrival as long as they travel to Vietnam by air and arrive at one of the international airports in Vietnam.

If you are not sure, please select your nationality here and check.

List of Applicable Airports

• Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi)
• Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City)
• Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong)
• Da Nang International Airport (Da Nang)
• Cam Ranh International Airport (Khanh Hoa)
• Can Tho International Airport (Can Tho)
• Lien Khuong International Airport (Da Lat)
• Phu Quoc International Airport (Phu Quoc)

Read more: Step-by-step visa procedures at Vietnam airports

Why Vietnam Visa upon Arrival?

Getting Vietnam visa on arrival is:

• Fast: For cases of emergency visa, you can get the approval letter for a Vietnam tourist visa on arrival within 02 – 04 working hours or a business visa on arrival within 2 -3 working days.
• Convenient: No hard documents and passports sent off. Just minimal information required.  Things will be done online.
• Low cost: It is rather cheap compared with other forms of getting a visa for Vietnam.

Vietnam Visa on Arrival Fees

When it comes to the cost of Vietnam visa on arrival, there are two types of fee you need to pay:

• Service fee: paid online to the agency to obtain the Visa approval letter.
• Stamping fee: paid in cash at Vietnam International Airport to get visa stamped.

The fee will depend on the type of visa that you are applying. To see more details, check out our Vietnam visa fee page.

Here is a sample fee board for Vietnam tourist visa provided by Vietnamvisaservice

How to Apply

The above are brief steps for VOA application. See the full guide on how to apply for Vietnam visa on arrival.

Visa on Arrival Processing Time

The duration of processing an approval visa letter is from one (01) working hour to two (02) working days (excluding Saturday, Sunday, and national or international holidays), depending on your selected visa processing time.

Extra Notes

• Vietnam visa on arrival is unlike its counterpart in Cambodia, Thailand or Laos which can be obtained right at the entry border gate. Applicants only need to complete. Visa on arrival requires travelers to obtain a  visa approval letter  beforehand to get visa stamped at Vietnam international airport.
• Vietnam visa on arrival is used for air travel only. If you travel to Vietnam by cruise or land, you are required to get a full authorized visa before your arrival.
• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months at your entry time in Vietnam.
• Children having their own passports are charged with the same fee as adults.
• Up to now, there is NO OFFICIAL website for Vietnam visa on arrival service. All sites supplying the service of getting the approval letter are private agencies. Thus, you should not be confused by a variety of websites with organizational internet domain TLDs (org, gov, etc.)