Evisa and Approval Letter

Most foreigners visiting Vietnam are required to have a visa unless they qualify for a visa exemption:

• Citizens of most ASEAN countries: No visa is required if the visitor plans to stay less than 30 days.

• Citizens of South Korea, Japan, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Belarus: No visa is required if the visitor plans to stay less than 45 days (both for tourist and business). 
• Citizens of other countries are required to get an entry visa for Vietnam prior to departure, eVisa online or an approval letter for a Visa on Arrival (issued on arrival at Vietnam International Airports)

For the latest information, we recommend you read the instructions on the official website of the Immigration department or contact the Vietnam Embassy or General Consulate in your country. 

What is an eVisa?

This is the easiest way to obtain your visa and can be done online with payment prior to departure and no need to visit the Visa on Arrival desk at the airport. Once complete the eVisa can be printed prior to departure (you will need to show your airline when checking in) and shown to immigration staff for entry to Vietnam. More information of how to apply for an evisa or the required information can be found online at https://dichvucong.bocongan.gov.vn/bocongan/bothutuc/tthc?matt=26277 . Travelmates team can help you apply for the evisa with simpler requirements, please contact us for more information. 

Conditions for Applying for a Vietnam Tourist E-Visa

To successfully apply for a Vietnam tourist e-visa, foreign travelers should take note of the following requirements:

1. Eligible Countries
   Applicants must hold a passport from one of the countries authorized by Vietnam for electronic visa issuance. Please check with us if you are unsure.

2. Valid Passport
   The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry.

3. Not on the banned entry list
   Travelers must not fall under cases prohibited from entering Vietnam (e.g., previous violations of Vietnamese or international law).

Required Documents for Application

Before applying, please prepare the following:

• Passport data page (in .jpg format) – please ensure you include the whole page and it’s clearly taken.
• Portrait photo (4×6 cm) (in .jpg format) – no hat or glasses and eyes looking straight.
• Designated port of entry: Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, or Noi Bai (Hanoi)

Processing Time & Support

Standard Processing: E-visas are usually processed within 3-5 working days. Sometimes, it takes longer due to public holidays or technical issues.

While you can apply for an evisa on the Vietnam government’s website, it does sounds confusing and overwhelming to many. It is strongly recommended you have an agent do the hard work for you. Travelmates can help you with this application process at a fee. Please contact us for a quote.

Hotline: 0387 28 8814
Email: support@travelmates.vn

A pre-approval letter for a Vietnam visa on arrival (VOA)

This is an official document issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department that allows a traveler to obtain their visa upon arrival at one of Vietnam’s international airports. You cannot just arrive in Vietnam and request a visa without prior steps.

You must apply for a pre-approval letter through a licensed Vietnamese travel agency like Travelmates. We will submit your details (passport information, travel dates, and visa type) to the Immigration Department. This is an easier way to obtain your entry visa without having to chase down embassies, consulates and the like prior to your trip. This process takes from 3 to 5 days on average, however express service for more urgent cases are still available. 

How to get a Visa on Arrival?

What we need from you for the approval letter:

• A copy of your passport (must be more than 6 months of validity)
• Your entry point into Vietnam i.e. where you will get the visa on arrival
• Date of entry and duration

Travelmates team will help you to get an approval letter for “Visa on Arrival” from the Vietnam Immigration Department. After obtaining the approval letter, we will forward you a copy by email or Whatsapp. Copies of the same document will be forwarded on your behalf to Vietnam Immigration checkpoints at International Airports only, so when you arrive in Vietnam, the Immigration officers will have those documents on hand and will be able to issue your entry visa at once.

Please remember to bring at least 1 most recently taken photo of yourself (passport size 2in x 2in or 4cm x 6cm) and cash (US dollars) for the stamping fees. The current visa fee is USD25 per person for a single entry and USD50 per person for a multiple entry. Only cash in USD is accepted.

Urgent requests for approval letter can be accommodated, especially when you have applied for an evisa but it’s not coming out on time. Please contact us immediately for assistance.

How does it work?

• Once you have a pre-approval letter, PRINT IT OUT and use it to check into your flight to Vietnam.
• Upon arrival, you will need to complete a form at “Landing visa” counter and pay for a visa fee (currently USD25 for a single entry and USD50 for a multiple entry). If you don’t have a photo with you, you can pay USD5 to be taken on spot.
• The Vietnam visa will then be granted and stamped on your passport at the Landing Visa desk.
• After that, you can proceed to the Immigration checking point.
• With this type of visa, you can only enter the country by air. This service is available for both tourist and business purposes.

Travelmates team can also help you during the visa process with a fast track and visa assistance service at major airports in Vietnam. Please reach out to us for help.

In order to apply for an e-visa, travelers need to provide a copy of their passport and a portrait photo of themselves. Visa will be denied if the supplied documents do not meet the minimum requirements. Passport details must be accurately provided as once issued, evisa’s can not be amended

It is the responsibility of the traveler to provide the accurate information and check the evisa to ensure that the information matches with their passport. Failure to do that may result in delays or denials of checking in their flight at the airport. Travelmates should not be held responsible for entry issues caused by incorrect information provided to us. 

1. The photos can be taken by a smartphone or a camera, not older than 6 months, in color, with head looking straight, wearing no hat or glasses. The photos should be in jpg, png or pdf file extension.
2. Passport copy can be scanned or taken as a photo, covering the full page, showing all traveler’s details clearly, full barcode at the bottom and not too dark or too flaring.