Country topic
Visas in Vietnam
Vietnam's e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry. Foreigners outside Vietnam who hold a valid passport and are not barred from entry can apply for it online. A law firm's guide says e-visas are open to citizens of all countries and territories. [V1] [V2] According to the portal, the e-visa costs US$25 single entry or US$50 multiple entry and is processed in 3 working days. You upload an image of your passport data page and a photograph. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused. [V3]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- Vietnam's e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry. Foreigners outside Vietnam who hold a valid passport and are not barred from entry can apply for it online. A law firm's guide says e-visas are open to citizens of all countries and territories. [V1] [V2]
- According to the portal, the e-visa costs US$25 single entry or US$50 multiple entry and is processed in 3 working days. You upload an image of your passport data page and a photograph. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused. [V3]
- Canada's travel advice says an e-visa allows entry only through the port named on the approval notice, a passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond your departure, and you must report your presence to local authorities on arrival (hotels usually do). For stays over 90 days it says to get a visa from a Vietnamese embassy before leaving home. On extensions the sources differ: the US State Department says Vietnam does not allow an e-visa to be renewed or extended from within the country, while Canada says a visa extension can be requested at the Immigration Department in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. [V4] [V10]
- Vietnam's foreign ministry list of visa-free nationalities (an article dated 30 June 2025) does not include the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, citizens of 12 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) get 45 days visa-free from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028. Under Resolution 229/NQ-CP, citizens of 12 more (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland) get 45 days from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028. Any foreign passport holder may stay up to 30 days on Phu Quoc island (Decision 80/2020). Exemptions change by resolution; check the current list. [V5] [V13] [V14]
- A law firm's guide lists visas by purpose: investor visas (DT1 to DT4), employee visas (DN1, LD1, LD2), service-provider visas (DN2) and the new UD1 and UD2 visas of up to five years. The 2019 amendment to the immigration law (an unofficial translation) sets LD1 and LD2 work visas at 2 years at most, DT3 at 3 years, DT1 and DT2 at 5 years, and DN1, DN2, DT4 and TT visas at 12 months at most. [V2] [V15]
- We found no retirement or digital nomad visa. The law firm's list names none, a September 2026 guide says Vietnam has no dedicated digital-nomad visa and no simple retirement visa, and a June 2025 opinion piece says a proposed five- and ten-year 'Golden Visa' had not been enacted. No 2026 official text was found. The 2025 amendment (Law 118/2025/QH15, from 1 July 2026) adds UD1 and UD2 visas for high-quality digital technology professionals and others eligible for preferential treatment, and their spouses and children; and Decree 221/2025/ND-CP created a visa-exemption card of up to 5 years, issued on a written request from a competent authority. [V2] [V6] [V7] [V16] [V17]
- The Vietnamese Embassy in Washington says e-visas are processed by the Immigration Department in Hanoi, not by the Embassy, and that employment, study and conference visas need an approval letter from the Immigration Department or the Consular Department. Its 5-year visa exemption certificate is only for Vietnamese people living overseas and their spouses and children. [V8]
- The e-visa portal says an e-visa holder in Vietnam may be considered for a new visa if invited or guaranteed by an authority, organisation or individual in Vietnam. Under Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC (from 1 April 2026), a regular single-entry visa costs US$25, a multiple-entry visa under 90 days US$50 and one of 90 to 180 days US$95; a temporary residence card of up to two years costs US$145. [V1] [V9]
- The US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand governments' travel advice each says a visa is needed to enter Vietnam: the US State Department lists a tourist visa as required, Canada says you must have a visa, Smartraveller says you need an appropriate visa before travelling and SafeTravel says New Zealanders must have a valid visa. [V10] [V4] [V11] [V12]
- The Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington's notice of 20 October 2023 lists the e-visa checkpoints as 13 airports, 16 land and 13 sea checkpoints. The airports include Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa) and Da Nang, and the seaports include Da Nang and Nha Trang. The list may have changed since 2023. [V18]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades visas, by passport.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for United States passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canada passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australia passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
More on Vietnam.
Topics
More about Vietnam.
Questions about Visas in Vietnam.
Do I need a visa to visit Vietnam on a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport?
Yes. Vietnam's visa-exemption lists name none of these four passports, and US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand government travel advice says a visa is needed. The e-visa is open to every nationality and lasts up to 90 days. Rules change by resolution, so check with the embassy before you book.
How do I apply for a Vietnam e-visa, and what does it cost?
You apply online on the Immigration Department's portal from outside Vietnam. It lists US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry, processing in 3 working days, a passport data page image and a photo. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
How long can I stay in Vietnam on an e-visa?
Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. Governments differ on extensions: the US says Vietnam does not allow an e-visa to be renewed or extended from within the country; Canada says you can ask the Immigration Department. Canada says for stays over 90 days get a visa from an embassy before leaving home.
Which countries can enter Vietnam without a visa?
Under its 45-day policy, Vietnam waives visas for 24 countries: 12 (including the UK, Germany and Japan) until 14 March 2028 and 12 more in Europe until 14 August 2028. Any foreign passport gets up to 30 days on Phu Quoc island. The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are on no list we read. Check for later changes.
Is there a retirement or digital nomad visa in Vietnam?
We found none. A law firm's list names investor, employee and service-provider visas and the new UD1 and UD2, for digital technology professionals and families. The 2019 law caps work visas at 2 years and several sponsor-based types at 12 months. A 2025 decree's 5-year exemption card needs an agency's request.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [V1] Vietnam e-visa: general information, Vietnam Immigration Department (e-visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V2] Global immigration and mobility: Vietnam, business travel, Baker McKenzie (law firm, private; undated page). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V3] Foreigner apply for e-visa, Vietnam Immigration Department (e-visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V4] Vietnam travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V10] Vietnam: country information, entry and visa requirements (Internet Archive capture of 19 June 2026), US Department of State (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V5] Viet Nam's visa exemption list (article dated 30 June 2025), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V13] Resolution on visa exemption adopted (Resolution 44/NQ-CP), Vietnam Law Magazine (Viet Nam News Agency). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V14] Visa exemptions for 12 more countries take effect tomorrow (Resolution 229/NQ-CP), Viet Nam News (Viet Nam News Agency). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V15] Law 51/2019/QH14 amending the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners (English translation), LuatVietnam (private legal publisher; unofficial translation of the National Assembly's law). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V6] Da Nang expat guide, Bamboo Routes (private relocation guide, not official). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V7] Vietnam's retiree visa should attract financially stable individuals (opinion), Tuoi Tre News. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V16] New regulations on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners (Law 118/2025/QH15, article of 19 August 2026), Khanh Hoa provincial police, Ministry of Public Security (republished on Vietnam.vn). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V17] Decree 221/2025/ND-CP on limited-term visa exemption for special-category foreigners (English translation), LuatVietnam (private legal publisher; unofficial translation of the Government's decree). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V8] Viet Nam's visa procedures, Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the United States. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V9] Renewed fees on entry, exit, transit, residence in Viet Nam (Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC), Vietnam Government News (en.baochinhphu.vn). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V11] Vietnam travel advice (Internet Archive capture of 14 October 2026), Smartraveller, Australian Government (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V12] Viet Nam travel advice, SafeTravel, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V18] New policy on electronic visa and visa exemption (20 October 2023), Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the United States. Checked 16 October 2026.