Vietnam visa, entry, residence and exit guide for foreigners to Vietnam

Up-to-date information about Vietnamese visa, Vietnam entry, residence and exit for foreigners, including tourists, business travelers, and workers.

Vietnam visa instructions

– Do I need a visa for Vietnam?

As to date, citizens of up to 25 countries are exempted from Vietnam visa for a certain duration in Vietnam. You can refer to the list here.

– Vietnam visa types

According to the latest law on Vietnam entry, residence and exit, Vietnam visa is grouped into up to 21 types. The visa validity might vary depending on the visa type. Check Vietnam visa types and validity.

– How to get a visa for Vietnam?

Vietnam visa can now be obtained in either of the 2 following ways:

• Visa on arrival, and
• E visa

The articles below are great for you:

• Vietnam eVisa guide – Processing time & Cost
• Vietnam visa on arrival – Processing time & Cost
• Vietnam evisav.s Vietnam visa on arrival

Required travel documents for Vietnam

In general, to enter Vietnam, you are required to show:

• Your original passport (must be valid for at least 6 months following your arrival date and have at least 02 blank pages)
• Proof of legal entry (such as a valid visa, temporary residence card, permanent residence card, or a valid 5-year Vietnam visa) unless you are included in the Vietnam visa exemption list.

► Check more information at:

• Vietnam temporary residence card
• Vietnam 5-year visa

When you are in Vietnam you must have your temporary residence registered with the police station where they are staying overnight.

When you travel domestically in Vietnam, you need to show one of the following documents (according to Circular No. 42/2023/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam):

• Passport (with the latest entry verification stamp) or documents valid for international travel (with the latest entry verification stamp) and related documents residing in Vietnam (visa, permanent resident card, temporary residence card, APEC business travel card) except for visa exemption;
• diplomatic identity cards issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices and representative offices of international organizations;
• license to drive a car or motorcycle;
• airport and airport security control cards with long-term validity;
• identification cards of Vietnamese airlines;
• Passenger’s level 2 electronic identification account.
• In case a passenger loses his/her passport, a note from the diplomatic or consular mission of the passenger’s country of nationality or a dispatch from the foreign affairs department (certified by the local public security office where the passenger lost his/her passport) confirming the passenger’s identity and passport loss, with photo stickers, hybrid armor marks. Notes and confirmation letters are valid for 30 days from the date of certification;

Requirements for foreign child born in Vietnam to exit Vietnam

A Child born in Vietnam must have a valid Vietnamese passport or exit visa to exit Vietnam. Please refer to Vietnam exit visa for further details.

Vietnam work permit for Foreigners

Vietnam work permit is an official certificate issued by the Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs to allow its holder to work in Vietnam legally. It is also an important paper to apply for a temporary residence card. It is currently well governed by the Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14 and the Decree No. 52/2020/ND-CP.

Helpful link for Vietnam work permit guide

• https://www.vietnam-visa.com/vietnam-work-permit/

Vietnamese hotlines for foreigners during their residence in Vietnam

– Vietnam Immigration Offices

Immigration Department in Hanoi

• Address: 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
• Phone: (24) 3825-7941
• Email: [email protected]

Immigration Office in Da Nang

• (Handing Vietnamese visa and residence applications for foreigners residing in Central Vietnam)
• Address: 78 Le Loi, Hai Chau, Da Nang
• Phone: 0694260192 – 0906091269
• Fax: (236) 388-9820

Immigration Office in HCMC

• (Handling visa and residence applications for foreigners residing in HCMC)
• Address: 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3, HCMC
• Phone: (28) 3824-4074 – (28) 3829-9398

Immigration Department in HCMC

(Handling Vietnamese visa and residence applications for foreigners residing from Binh Thuan downwards to the Southern provinces; resolving complex immigration cases such as re-issuance of an exit visa for lost/stolen passport, visa overstay, visa waivers, etc.)

• Address: 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai, District 1, HCMC
• Phone: (28) 3920-0365

– Foreign embassies in Vietnam

US embassy in Vietnam

• Hà Nội: (024) 3850-5000
• TP. Hồ Chí Minh: (028) 3520-4200 hoặc (028) 3520-4600

Australia embassy in Vietnam

• Consular and passport enquiries:
  • +84 24 3774 0100
  • [email protected]
• Emergency contacts (24/7)
  • +84 24 3774 0100 (Hanoi)
  • 1300 555 135 (within Australia)
  • +61 2 6261 3305

Canada embassy in Vietnam

• Telephone: 84 (24) 3734-5000
• Fax: 84 (24) 3734-5049
• Email: [email protected]

► For contact details of embassies of other countries in Vietnam, please visit https://www.vietnam-visa.com/embassy/