Vietnam Passport & Visa Information

What passport and visa do I need to visit Vietnam?

Passports
It is a requirement of the Vietnamese Government that British visitors to Vietnam possess a valid 10 year passport which must have a longer validity than your visa by at least one month. To be on the safe side, as requirements can change, please ensure that your passport has at least six months validity left after your return date from holiday. Please check that your passport complies with this decree well in advance of travel. If you do not have a British passport please contact your nearest Vietnamese Embassy to see what regulations do apply.

Visa-free regulations
British passport holders travelling for tourism are able to enter Vietnam for up to 45 days without a visa on each entry. You’ll still need a visa to enter Vietnam for periods of 45 days and longer.  

Pre-travel visa applications to Vietnam
If the visa free regulations do not apply then the Vietnamese Government requires British passport holders to have a visa for entry into Vietnam. The visa can be applied for as follows:

1. Online - For visits of up to 30 days, you can get an e-visa online before you travel. To apply for the e-visa go to the government’s official website and follow instructions: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/. You will need to upload a copy of your passport, a passport style photograph and  pay US$25 per person by credit card. Please note use of the e-visa is limited to certain entry / exit points which you must select at the time of application.

2. From the Embassy of Vietnam - Otherwise it is possible to get a visa in person at the Embassy of Vietnam, or by post, up to six months prior to the date of travel. Unless you go to the Embassy in person, visas can take time to process so you should apply for your visa well in advance of travel. We recommend that you apply for your visa a month or two before travel to avoid any complications.

Applicants must submit to the Embassy of Vietnam the following:
• An original passport which must have a longer validity than your visa by at least one month.
• A completed application form which can be downloaded from the Embassy's website.
• One passport photograph taken no more than one year ago, affixed to the application form.
• For applications in person - payment can be made in cash only. For applications by post - payment should be made by guaranteed cheque (made payable to "The Embassy of Vietnam"), postal order or bankers draft only. Your full name, passport number, contact address and telephone number must be provided on the back of the payment. Please do not send cash by post.
• The single entry visa fee at the time of printing is £55 (multiple entry is £105) but this is subject to change so please contact the Embassy to find out the appropriate fee at the time of your application.
• If you would like your passport returned by post, you will be asked to pay an additional fee (£8 for one passport, £12 for two, £18 for three or £20 for four passports) and send in a self-addressed envelope. Please check the postage fee before applying.

Visas are valid for 30 days and you should check all the details of your visa upon collection. Please also bear in mind that the visa will require a full page of your passport and you will need another page free for the entry and exit stamps.

To get the latest information on the visa arrangements needed for Vietnam please contact the Vietnamese Embassy as follows:

Embassy of Vietnam
12 Victoria Road
London W8 5RD.
Tel 020 7937 1912

You can also access their website for further information - vietnamembassy.org.uk

Alternatively, if you do not have the time to apply for the visa yourself, or you just need assistance with the visa process, then you can use the services of a visa company. A company that we recommend in this regard is called Travcour and they can be contacted on 020 8543 1846, or via their website travcour.com. They do make a charge for their services but they can help to reduce the burden of administration.

Visa on arrival
As an alternative, it may also be possible to obtain a visa authorization letter before departure which allows you to pick-up your visa on arrival in Vietnam. However, we only recommend this in circumstances where travellers don’t have sufficient time to go through the normal visa application process before departure or for those who are not able to relinquish their passports in the 3 months preceding departure.

Provided you give us your full passport details, your occupation and we have details of your arrival and departure flights; we can provide you with a visa authorization letter. This normally takes around 1 week to obtain. There will be a fee for providing this letter (currently £25) and then you will need to provide your passport to the authorities on arrival in Vietnam along with one, up-to-date, colour passport-sized photo and the Vietnam visa stamping fee in cash (currently US$45). Be aware that sometimes there can be queues of an hour or longer at the airport when obtaining a visa on arrival.

Find out more about our tours of Vietnam. To discuss your travel needs, you can complete an enquiry form or call our Asia experts on 020 7720 9285.