Vietnam visa on arrival - 7 things you need to know

There are 3 common ways to get a Vietnam visa at the moment which are Vietnam visa at the Embassy, Vietnam visa on arrival, and Vietnam Evisa. Of all those things, the first one can be the most popular but the two latter are obviously much more convenient. Let’s find out 7 things you need to know about Vietnam visa on arrival in the following post.

1. Who is eligible for a Vietnam visa on arrival?

Thanks to its usefulness, Vietnam visa on arrival, or VOA is selected by most foreigners, however, it is applicable for those who enter Vietnam by air only. It means that foreigners coming to Vietnam via land borders, or seaports can’t apply for a VOA, but have to find out another way to get a valid Vietnam visa.

2. Vietnam VOA ports of entry

As it is mentioned above, a Vietnam visa on arrival is applicable for foreigners coming to Vietnam via airports only. Check out ports of entry as below:

Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi)
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City)
Danang International Airport (Danang City)
Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong)
Cam Ranh International Airport (Nha Trang)
Can Tho International Airport (Can Tho)
Phu Quoc International Airport (Phu Quoc), and
Lien Khuong International Airport (Da Lat)

3. Vietnam visa on arrival requirements

Getting a Vietnam visa hasn’t ever been easy so far with a Vietnam visa on arrival because it requires no documents but just a laptop, or a smartphone with Internet.

In addition, to meet the requirements of Vietnam Law on Entry and Exit of expats, original passports must be 6 months valid beyond their stay in Vietnam and have at least 2 blank pages.

4. How to get a Vietnam visa on arrival

US passport holders are now eligible for obtaining 1 of these VOAs so please choose the option that is the most appropriate for the visit:

1 month, single entry;
1 month, multiple entry;
3 months, single entry;
3 months, multiple entry;
1 year, multiple entry;

Just follow these following 3 simple steps to obtain a VOA

Step 1: Complete the online application form.
All the information requested including Full name, purpose of visit, port of entry, estimated arrival date and exit date, nationality, passport number, etc. Please double check as the personal information can be edited when the visa is issued. Make payment for the service fee online via PayPal, or debit/ credit card via a secure 3rd party.
Step 2: Wait for 2 working days to get an approval letter sent via email, therefore make sure the email address is written right in the 1st step.
Step 3: Present original passport, Vietnam visa approval letter, and cash (for visa fee) to the Immigration Officer at the airport to have Vietnam visa stamped on the passport.

Vietnam visa on arrival approval letter sample

5. VOA processing time

Normally, it takes 2 working days (normal processing, tourist visa), or 7 working days (normal service, business visa) to get a pre-approval letter. However, applicants can also choose urgent, or even super urgent service to get it in hours.

6. VOA cost

Not only being convenient, but VOA is selected due to its reasonable price. Applying for a VOA means expats will have to pay for 2 kinds of fee:

Service fee: paid online during the submission so that the service provider can process the Vietnam visa application, and send back the approval letter
Visa fee: pain in cash to the Immigration Officer at the airport to have the Vietnam visa stick on the original passport.

Furthermore, the service fee will be refunded in case of visa denial or other special cases.

7. Vietnam visa on arrival counter photos

Last but not least, there is one more thing you should know about Vietnam visa on arrival. Here come photos of some major visa on arrival counters at Vietnam airport that all VOA letter holders should stay to get their full visa stamp.