Unless you are from the following countries and will be staying in Vietnam for the stated period, you will require a visa to enter Vietnam.

1. All You Need To Know About Vietnam Visa
I can call myself an expert in the area after a few rush days researching and applying for one. So here, I try to
write a simplified account drawing on what I have read so far and my personal experience. It might not be full-
encompassing but it covers the main bits you need to know, especially for spontaneous travelers like me.
Most passport holders require a Vietnam visa to enter the country
Unless you are from the following countries and will be staying in Vietnam for the stated period, you will
require a visa to enter Vietnam. You will have to show your airline either the visa issued by the Vietnam
Embassy at your area or a visa approval letter for an on arrival visa. Vietnam visa is exempted for:
+ Less than 15 days: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Spain,
Sweden and the UK
+ Less than 21 days: The Philippines
+ Less than 30 days: Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand
There are two types of visas: normal visa/ on arrival visa (VOA)
Normal Vietnam visas can be applied via the Consulate General of Vietnam. It is a convenient and fast
process. In general, what you have to do is to complete an online application form, attach with 2 passport
photos (4×6 cm) and pay the fee needed for your selected valid period. The Consulate requires about 4-5
working days to process the visa. You can also do an urgent visa from the Consulate in a day if you do not

2. mind paying twice or three times the money needed for a normal visa. The second way to obtain a Vietnam
visa is through an on arrival visa (OAV) whereby you first obtain a visa approval letter from an OAV agency
then the visa upon arrival at Vietnam. The advantages of selecting this type of visas is that it gives you more
flexibility and the procedures are extremely simple. Further details will be discussed in the following sections
on OAV.
On arrival visa is legit too!!!
A lot of people doubt the legitimacy of on arrival visas because it seems that you will be going through extra
steps with private businesses before acquiring the visa. However, on arrival visa is legit too. An on arrival visa
is basically a pre-arranged visa whereby the visa agency acts as a middleman for your visa application. Your
visa is still after all, being issued by the Vietnam authority when you arrive at one of the Vietnam international
airports.
Am I eligible to apply for an on arrival visa?
Although it is very handy to apply for an on arrival visa, you will only be eligible if you are arriving at Ho Chi
Minh, Hanoi or Danang. Since visa pickups are only available in the aforementioned airports, if you are not
arriving at one of those airports, you are left with no choice but to apply through the Vietnam Consulate at
your area. Nevertheless, if there is not any Vietnam Consulate at your area, you are still welcome to apply for
on arrival visa as well.
Pick a reliable and economical agency
Once you type in “on arrival visa for Vietnam”, heaps of agencies that provide the service will immediately pop
out. Yet, how to choose one that is reliable and cheap? (I guess that’s one of the most important thing EVER
if you’re one of those spontaneous travelers like me!)Of course, the best way would be to search through
travel forums like Tripadvisor and Vietnam Forum. It also worths calling the agencies to inquire into their price
and procedures to see if they match with their website or to email them directly to see how efficient they can
be in getting back to you with the information you need. It is also crucial that you compare between agencies
because a normal on arrival visa (taking 3-5 working days to process) can range from USD 10 to USD 20 per
person whilst an urgent (taking only 1 working day) can be from USD 18 to USD 40 depending on the
agency.It is also to remember that apart from this approval letter fee, you will still have to pay for a stamping
fee when you pick up your visa at the airport. The stamping fee per person is USD 45 for one month single
entry or three months multiple entries, USD 65 for one month multiple entry, USD 95 for three months multiple
entries.
Process of applying Vietnam visa on arrival
Step 1: Fill in the online application form from the agency (remember that most of the agencies require only
information on your full name, gender, nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date and passport number,
avoid and beware of agencies that ask for too much personal information).
Step 2: Pay for the application.
Step 3: Wait for your visa (a normal waiting period would be 3-5 working days unless you requested for an
urgent visa, working days include Monday to Friday and mostly from 9am to 5pm).

3. Step 4: Print out your visa approval letter and fill in the entry and exit form given by the visa, the form will
have to be handed in for visa application when you arrive at one of the Vietnam international airports.
Step 5: Prepare 2 photos (4×6 cm, white background), the entry and exit form and the visa approval letter for
on arrival visa pick up, the time for waiting depends on the queue at the airport. You will find counters before
custom indicating that they are for visa application.
Step 6: Pay stamping fee for your visa.
I hope this will help ease the pain in applying for your Vietnam visa, and most of all, an on arrival visa. I know
how frustrated it is at first to be overwhelmed by flooding info and doubts on agencies and scams. Trust me,
I’ve been there. If the post doesn’t mention things you wish to know, feel free to leave your question in
comment and I’ll try my best to answer! Wish you all an enjoyable stay in Vietnam! Cheers!