Vietnam Visa for US Citizens: e-Visa, Fees, Entry Rules

Vietnam Visa Rules at a Glance

Everything a US traveler needs in one table. Fees were last verified in October 2026 from the U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam and the national e-Visa portal — if the portal shows something different at payment, the portal governs.

The 90-Day e-Visa Explained

Vietnam rebuilt its electronic visa system in August 2023, opening it to every nationality and extending the maximum stay to 90 days with a choice of single or multiple entry — a big change from the older one-month e-Visas. The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam states the current terms plainly: e-visas are issued with a validity period of up to 90 days, one-entry for 25 USD or multiple entries for 50 USD, payable by bank transfer or card through the portal. The e-Visa is issued electronically as a PDF — print it or carry it on your phone together with your passport, and check that the name, passport number and dates match exactly.

Purpose matters: the application asks why you are travelling, and tourism and short business activity are both covered by the standard e-Visa. Anything longer, or any work, study or media activity, needs the right visa type from a Vietnamese mission instead — the e-Visa is a short-visit permission and cannot be converted to a residence status inside Vietnam. US citizens with Vietnamese heritage should note a separate route exists: a five-year visa-exemption certificate for overseas Vietnamese and their spouses and children, applied for at the Embassy — but a US-only passport holder gets no such benefit.

Official Fees and Processing Time

There is one price list for everyone, set by the Vietnamese Immigration Department and published by the U.S. Embassy. Fees were last verified in October 2026. Ignore any site quoting $80, $120 or "urgent 4-hour service" as a government price — the difference is an agent's service fee, and the visa itself is identical.

Processing time: applications are commonly returned within about three to five working days, although the portal advises travellers to apply well ahead of their trip because the payment is charged immediately and a correction means starting again. Two practical rules: submit at least two weeks before departure, and never board a flight without checking that your approved e-Visa PDF is in your inbox and that its entry window covers your arrival date. Peak periods around Lunar New Year and national holidays stretch turnaround times.

How to Apply on the Official Portal

The application is done entirely online in one sitting. Have your passport, a digital photo and your card ready before you start:

1. Open the official site. Go to evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn — the Vietnam Immigration Department's national portal. Beware of lookalike domains and agency sites that imitate it.
2. Create the application. Enter your name exactly as printed in the passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth and expiry date.
3. Choose entry type. Single entry (US$25) or multiple entry (US$50), then your requested entry and exit dates within the 90-day maximum.
4. Select your border gates. Pick the exact airport, land crossing or seaport where you will enter and leave — this is the port you must actually use.
5. Upload the files. A 4 × 6 cm passport-style photo on a white background in JPG format and a clear image of the passport data page, both within the size limits shown on screen.
6. Add your Vietnam address — the hotel for the first nights, or your host's full address and phone number.
7. Pay the fee by debit or credit card. The fee is charged on submission and is not refunded if the visa is refused or you make an error.
8. Download the approval. Check the portal's status page before departure; when granted, download and print the e-Visa PDF to carry with your passport.

Visa on Arrival: Current Status

Older guides describe Vietnam's "visa on arrival" — an approval letter obtained through an agent, stamped at the airport for a cash fee. Here is the honest 2026 status for US citizens: the route still exists in a limited form, but the e-Visa has replaced it as the standard. Approval letters are arranged in advance by private agents (the government portal does not issue them), are usable only at international airports for arrivals by air, and add a stamping fee payable in cash at the counter. Land and sea entries must use an e-Visa or an embassy visa.

What does the official side say? The U.S. Embassy's visa page points Americans to the online e-Visa process or to Vietnamese embassies and consulates — it does not endorse approval letters. The e-Visa is cheaper, transacts entirely with the government, and gives you the same 90-day permission before you leave home. If an agent offers you a letter, treat it as a fallback for genuinely urgent cases only, confirm the current status with the nearest Vietnamese mission first, and make sure the letter's name and passport details are flawless — mismatches at the airport are the classic failure point.

One arrival-related item to check for 2026: Vietnamese authorities have introduced a free pre-arrival declaration (E-Pass) at major airports including Tan Son Nhat, separate from your visa. Check the official immigration portal or your airline's guidance before departure to confirm whether it applies to your airport and flight — it never replaces the e-Visa itself.

Passport Rules and Entry Ports

Passport validity. Build in a margin: Vietnam's entry legislation requires a passport valid at least six months for visa-free entry, and airlines apply the same six-month standard when checking e-Visa passengers onto US–Vietnam flights. The practical rule for Americans is six months of validity beyond your entry date plus at least one or two blank pages for stamps. If your passport expires in March, do not plan an April trip on it — renew first, using our passport validity checker to see whether you clear every stop on your itinerary.

Entry ports. The U.S. Embassy states that e-visa holders may enter and exit through 42 designated international border gates, including all international airports — Hanoi's Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc and the rest, plus selected land crossings with Cambodia, Laos and China and a number of seaports. The gate you choose on the application must be the one you use. Flying into Da Nang when your e-Visa says Noi Bai means being turned around at immigration, so update the application (and pay again) rather than gambling.

Arrival mechanics. Have the printed e-Visa, passport, and your onward or return ticket ready; immigration may ask where you are staying and for how long. Keep the entry stamp pristine — the exit check compares it against your visa dates, and an overstayed stamp is a fine at the airport plus a question on every future application.

Extensions, Overstays and Arrival Cards

Extensions. The e-Visa is issued for a fixed period and is not renewed online. If your plans change, you work through Vietnamese immigration: the U.S. Embassy tells American citizens that extensions, renewals and overstay issues are handled directly with Vietnamese immigration offices, often through your hotel or local sponsor, and that the Embassy cannot sponsor or intervene for you. Start the process well before your permitted stay ends, carry your passport, the visa, accommodation proof and photos, and expect a fee set by the local office. Nothing is guaranteed, so book flights with the original exit date in mind.

Overstays. Fines are levied per day, paid before departure, and a visible overstay record invites extra scrutiny on your next Vietnamese visa — and on other countries' applications that ask about prior overstays. If you realize you will overrun, contact immigration before the expiry date rather than at the airline counter.

Arrival paperwork. Vietnam has been digitizing entry formalities — the free pre-arrival declaration at major airports is worth completing in advance to shorten the queue. And remember the universal checks: passport, visa printout, return ticket, and the address where you will spend your first night.

Document Checklist

Assemble these before opening the portal — the session is straightforward but every field needs a source document in front of you:

• Passport valid at least six months beyond entry, with blank pages for stamps.
• Digital photo — 4 × 6 cm, white background, JPG, taken recently, no glasses.
• Passport data-page scan — clear, uncropped, all four corners visible.
• Entry and exit border gates — decided before you apply.
• Address in Vietnam for the first nights (hotel booking or host details).
• Onward or return flight details — immigration can ask for proof.
• Payment card for US$25 or US$50 — the fee is charged at submission.
• Printed e-Visa PDF plus an offline phone copy once granted.
• Travel insurance — not legally required, but standard advice for US travelers whose domestic health plan will not pay abroad.

Our visa document checklist and visa fee calculator help you cover the universal items across every country on your itinerary.

Common Mistakes and Rejections

Because the fee is non-refundable, avoiding these saves money as well as stress:

• Wrong portal or agency markup. Only evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn is the government address; third-party sites charge $60–$150 for the same US$25 visa.
• Mismatched dates or ports. Entry window and border gate must match your actual flight, or you will be refused at the counter.
• Photo errors. Selfies, cropped group photos, dark backgrounds or the wrong dimensions cause delays and refusals — use a plain 4 × 6 cm white-background image.
• Passport expiring within six months of the trip — a top reason airlines refuse boarding even with an approved visa.
• Paying and flying immediately. Applying days before departure leaves no room for a correction cycle; give it two weeks.
• Assuming visa-free entry. Vietnam exempts many nationalities — but not the United States. Nothing about your US passport earns a free stamp.
• Overstaying to save a flight change. The fine at the airport is the cheap part; the record follows you.
• Working or studying on a tourist e-Visa. Any paid activity needs the proper visa and, usually, a work permit arranged before travel.

With a clean application and the right port, American travelers clear Vietnamese immigration quickly — most of the friction in this system comes from applying through the wrong website or leaving the dates until the last minute.

Frequently Asked Questions