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Applying for an online e-visa for Vietnam may seem like a hassle free and quick process, but when reading the many cries for help on the Tripadvisor forum, a blog on how to get your e-visa for Vietnam seems more than needed! So here goes: ( this blog post is adapted to the november 2024 changes to the application portal that make the application a lot more straight forward and less confusing)

Since August 2023, Vietnam offers electronic visas for all nationalities for a stay of up to 90 days. You can apply for a single or multi-entry visa. Some countries, like the ASEAN member states but also the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Italy do not need a visa at all and can stay 45 days.

You apply for an e-visa online: https://evisa.gov.vn/ (or https://thithucdientu.gov.vn/ ) This is the official web portal, do not use any other site!!!

You have to upload a passport size photo (if you upload a different photo than that of you passport, make sure they are similar enough to avoid denial!), and a scan or photo of your passport data page. 

You then fill in all your details, surname and name (as on your passport, so if your middle name is also mentioned on your passport also fill it in on the form!). Further: sex, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, religion and e-mail. (check the box agree to create account by e-mail, so you can follow up on the status of your application) ( you can also fill in ‘none’ for religion). You then request a single or multiple entry visa and fill out the dates to enter and leave Vietnam (take the possible first en last date within a period of 90 days you wish to be in Vietnam), Passport number, place of issue, date of issue, expiry date. Permanent residential address (home address that matches your passport) and emergency contact. Occupation can be mentioned but is not obligatory. Purpose of entry (tourism), length of stay: put in long enough just in case you have a delayed flight or another unforeseen event), intended date of entry, telephone and residential address in Vietnam (telephone, name and address of the first hotel you plan to stay, city, district, and commune), Intended border gate of entry and exit (= airport of arrival or border crossing). If you have been to Vietnam earlier in the same year, fill in the dates of your stay and purpose. You only have to fill in the the fields marked with a red asterix.

Fill in a realistic amount of money your will spend on your trip, fill in your travel insurance and who will pay our expenses = ‘personal’ in most cases.

On the next page you can review your application, double and triple check all the fields, if there are mistakes in your e-visa you might not be allowed to board the plane to Vietnam. You are then sent to a page to pay your visa: 25 USD for a single entry and 50 USD for a multiple entry visa. You can pay with credit card. You then get an e-mail with the registration code for your application. They say it takes 3 working days to process, but it usually takes 3 to 5 days to process. In reality it can take even longer, especially if you have to amend the application, which happened to me and my husband. And although I filled out both our applications in the same way we had to amend different fields. They send you an e-mail pointing out which field has to be amended. Via a link in the mail or via this page: https://evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/search, (where you can also follow the progress of your application), you can amend the application. The status then goes back to ‘in processing’ and you just have to wait for the immigration bureau to send you your e-visa. You can check the proces on whenever you want by filling in the registration code, your e-mail, date of birth and a Captcha code. But as long as it is being processed you cannot do anything and you have no idea how long it will take. We made our application 15 days before our flight, thinking we had plenty of time. But nothing happens over the weekends, and the following Monday was a holiday in Vietnam. So after 5 days of which 2 working days, had passed, we received an e-mail asking us to amend. My husband had to review his name, as I had not included our middle names. On the old website they asked for his ‘given name’, which for us means, first name. (they have reviewed the application website and now ask for given name AND middle name. Just enter the names in the exact same way as on your passport) I was asked to review the info on my temporary address in Vietnam. I had filled out the home address of a friend where we would stay the first days, and since I feared that was causing the problem I changed it for the address of the hotel we would stay at later on in Hanoi. I also added my middle name to be sure. Unfortunately, we had already sent my husbands application in again after changing his name, so we did not change the temporary address on his application. ( and hoped it would not create a second denial). We then waited again, and with the weekend coming an still no e-visa in our mailbox started to get anxious about getting our visa in time. After the weekend we only had 4 working days left before our flight on Friday. So I started gathering info on how to get an urgent visa. This can be done by a travel agent who can get you an approval letter for a visa on arrival. This can be done in 2 hours, 8 hours, one day, 2 or 3 days. The shorter the time the higher the fees. And I looked for reliable agencies via the Tripadvisor forum. It can only be done by a travel agent since only they can apply for a VOA for tourists taking an organized tour with them. 

My husband got his e-visa on Monday afternoon, I first saw it online ( I was regularly checking the status page), later that evening my husband also received an e-mail stating his e-visa. I decided to wait another day, and if I did not receive my e-visa by the next evening, I would start to apply for a visa on arrival via an agency. I would have to full days, and this would cost me 75 dollar. I could also choose to expedite my e-visa registration code which would cost me 80 dollar… strange that that would be more expensive…

I got my visa on Tuesday, just two and a half days before my flight. In time, but actually too close to my departure causing a lot of stress… Next time I will apply as soon as I know when I will go to Vietnam. You can apply months ahead. 

Once you receive your e-visa double check it, to make sure there are no mistakes are in the form. Because they do check your e-visa thoroughly at the check-in counter and compare it with the data on your passport, they did so with ours. You might not be allowed to board in case your e-visa is not 100 procent correct. If you are lucky you can use a two hour urgent procedure to receive a VOA on arrival, but it will cost you, and when leaving from Europe, it might be night time in Hanoi, and I’m not sure if you will be able to contact an agency then.

So what looks like at first sight a no fuss, easy online procedure to get an visa for Vietnam, can become a nightmare very quickly if you do not apply on time. Two weeks in advance seems to me the minimum time you need to have before your departure!!

So what to do in case your visa does not arrive in time, or you forgot to apply for an e-visa in time? Get a Visa on arrival or VOA!!

There can be several reasons for getting a VOA:

• Foreigners who come to Vietnam on weekends, holidays, or non-working hours (early Monday morning).
• Foreigners who forget to apply for a visa or fail to get a visa in time before the flight and have a compulsory plan to enter Vietnam on weekends/holidays.
• Foreigners who get an incorrect visa letter or e-visa that stops them from boarding the plane.
• Foreigners who fly to Vietnam in case of emergency.

You will need to complete an online application form and provide your passport information, including your entry date. And you have to pay a hefty service fee. The agency will process and send you a visa approval letter and a visa application form (NA1). You will need to complete the form, print the approval letter, and have a valid passport with two passport-sized photos ready for the visa stamping process on arrival at the airport.

If I would have applied for a VOA I would have chose one of two possible agencies, based on research and reviews:  https://vietnamvisacenter.com/e-visa-fee.html or http://vietnamvisapro.net/

But my most important advise is: apply for a visa a soon as you have booked your flights to Vietnam and know your travel dates, do it before anything else!! Happy travels!!