Vietnam e-Visa for US Citizens 2026: Requirements, Fees, Processing Time and How to Apply

Do US Citizens Need a Visa for Vietnam? (2026 Quick Answer)

Yes, for mainland Vietnam. Since 15 August 2025, Vietnam has unilaterally waived visas for citizens of 24 countries under Government Resolutions 44 and 229, for stays of up to 45 days. The United States is not on that list.

The official e-Visa portal grants visa-free stays only to citizens of unilaterally exempted countries or of treaty partners. Everyone else, Americans included, needs a visa, and the standard route is the e-Visa issued online at evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn.

The essentials as of October 2026:

• Validity: up to 90 days.
• Entries: single for US$25 or multiple for US$50.
• Payment: by card on the portal, with no refund if the visa is refused.

Two exceptions apply: trips of up to 30 days spent entirely on Phu Quoc Island, and a visa exemption certificate valid for up to 5 years for Vietnamese-Americans and their spouses or children, covered in the FAQ.

Vietnam e-Visa Explained - Validity, Stay and Entries

The official portal describes the e-Visa as valid for a maximum of 90 days, for single or multiple entries. According to the Vietnamese Government's news portal, it has been open to every nationality since 15 August 2023.

The entry type you pay for decides whether you can leave and come back:

• Single entry, US$25: one entry only. A side trip to Cambodia ends it, and returning to Vietnam would take a new visa.
• Multiple entry, US$50: you can leave and re-enter while the e-Visa is valid.

The portal's FAQ says the e-Visa is not issued to foreigners already in Vietnam, so an American in the country would need to leave before requesting a new one.

How to Apply on the Official Portal Step by Step

Since 11 November 2024, the portal has run on two domains only: evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn. The old address, evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, still linked from some Vietnamese mission pages in the US, now shows only a redirect notice.

Based on the portal's instructions and FAQ (checked 6 October 2026), the process looks like this:

• Uploads: a portrait photo and an image of the passport data page. The system reads the passport and fills in your details for you to check; an invalid passport image blocks submission.
• Name: surname, middle name and given name exactly as on the passport's machine-readable (ICAO) line, in capital letters.
• Answers: in English, true and complete, including every trip in the past year (counted from entry date to departure date) and any past violations. Omissions can lead to refusal.
• Address and entry port: only your first address in Vietnam is needed. For the entry port, the safest choice is the airport, land gate or seaport where you will actually arrive.
• Payment: credit or debit card inside the portal, confirmed with a one-time password (OTP).
• Status: a check needs your e-Visa application number, email address and date of birth.
• Result: the decision arrives by email or on the portal, and you print the e-Visa yourself.

Photo, Passport Scan and Other Requirements

The portal asks for a recent 4x6 cm portrait in JPG or JPEG format, under 2 MB: front-facing, no hat, no glasses, formal clothing and a white background.

A square 2x2-inch US passport photo has different proportions from this taller format, so it will not fit as is.

For the passport scan, a sharp, glare-free image of the whole data page works best, since the portal reads it automatically.

Passport validity

Per the portal's FAQ, an e-Visa cannot exceed 90 days and has to end at least 30 days before your passport expires. As a safety margin, we recommend at least six months of validity beyond your planned departure, the rule the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington applies to the visas it issues itself.

Who is eligible

E-Visas go to foreigners outside Vietnam who hold a passport and are not barred from entry under Article 21 of Vietnam's immigration law. Barred cases include children under 14 traveling without a parent, guardian or authorized person, and anyone using forged documents or false information.

We found no official rule on return tickets, hotel bookings or proof of funds for e-Visa holders, so it is worth rechecking the portal before you fly.

Fees and Processing Time

As of October 2026, the official e-Visa fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry, paid by card through the portal's e-payment gateway. Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC, in force since 1 April 2026, kept both amounts unchanged, and the fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.

The only official processing figure we found is a legal deadline. Under Article 16a of Vietnam's immigration law, added by Law 51/2019/QH14, the Immigration Department has 3 working days to answer an e-Visa application after receiving the complete application and the fee.

These are Vietnamese working days, which exclude weekends and public holidays. The portal itself publishes no processing time, and we found no official express service.

Applications are accepted up to 1 year before the planned entry date, so we recommend applying well ahead rather than relying on the 3-working-day deadline.

Visarun is a private agency: we help check and prepare applications, but the fee is paid on the official portal, and we cannot speed up the decision or promise approval.

Ports of Entry and Arrival Checks

An e-Visa works only at border gates on the government's list. Resolution 389/NQ-CP of 2 December 2025 added 41 gates for an approved total of 83, but two new airports, Long Thanh and Gia Binh, accept e-Visas only once they come into operation, and neither is on the portal's list as of 6 October 2026.

That list currently names 81 gates: 27 land gates, 39 seaports and 15 airports, including Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc. We recommend checking it in the portal's application instructions before booking. Exit can be through any listed gate, not only the one you entered by.

Pre-arrival declaration

A US Embassy notice of 17 June 2026 says the mandatory pre-arrival declaration now covers all Vietnamese airports and every international passenger without a Vietnamese passport. It is filed at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn on arrival or up to 3 days before, and its QR code is shown to immigration on entry.

At the border and after arrival

The portal asks e-Visa holders to show the e-Visa at immigration: its FAQ describes a 90-day multiple-entry holder who did not and was admitted under visa exemption instead. It also advises checking the temporary-residence stamp and reporting any error on the spot.

Your hotel or other accommodation then declares your stay to the local police, again at each new address.

According to the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco, Decree 165/2026/ND-CP does not make a health declaration mandatory for all arrivals from 1 July 2026. When one is required, it is due within 7 days before entry, and the Ministry of Health does not use tokhaiyte.vn.

Visa on arrival

There is no walk-up visa on arrival for US tourists. Border-gate visas are issued only in 6 cases listed in law, such as departing from a country without a Vietnamese visa office or joining a tour run by an international travel agency in Vietnam.

Each relies on prior approval requested by a sponsoring organization in Vietnam on Form NA2 with the Immigration Department; sites selling "approval letters" are not an official channel.

Phu Quoc without a visa

Foreign tourists, Americans included, can stay on Phu Quoc Island for up to 30 days without a visa if they remain on the island for the whole stay, the Vietnamese Government's news portal says.

According to VnExpress International (11 April 2026), visitors can arrive directly or transit through another Vietnamese international border gate by air or sea, but need a visa before continuing to the mainland. No official page we checked explains how a connection via Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi is handled, so we recommend a direct international arrival or an e-Visa.

In an advisory for Indian nationals dated 24 April 2026, the Embassy of India in Hanoi advised getting a visa anyway in case of medical emergencies or flight disruptions. That is India's advice, not a Vietnamese rule, but the same caution makes sense for Americans.

Unofficial e-Visa Websites and Common Mistakes

The portal's FAQ tells applicants to use only evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn and warns that unofficial sites "may result in unauthorized fees according to Viet Nam's regulations".

On 5 August 2026, VnExpress International reported that Vietnamese authorities were removing fake e-Visa websites. A Ministry of Public Security cybercrime officer quoted there advised using only ".gov.vn" sites and warned that fraudsters promise "instant visas", "urgent processing" or "guaranteed approval". The same report said Vietnam issued more than four million e-Visas in 2025.

The Ministry of Public Security has also said that the whole process, payment and printing included, is done online, with no intermediary needed (3 December 2025).

Embassies will not handle the file either. E-Visas are decided by the Immigration Department in Hanoi; Vietnam's Embassy in Washington and Consulate General in San Francisco say they do not process or assist with them, and the US Embassy in Vietnam says it cannot help with Vietnamese visa matters.

Common mistakes

• A name that does not match the ICAO line, or a missing middle name.
• Untrue or incomplete answers, including skipped trips; dishonest information gets an application denied.
• Applying from inside Vietnam.
• Single entry for a trip with a side visit abroad.
• A US 2x2-inch photo instead of a 4x6 cm portrait.
• Not presenting the e-Visa at the border.
• Expecting to extend a tourist e-Visa online.

For problems after submission, the official channel is the portal's Contact Support form, with four request types: "Wrong application information", "Pay failed", "Don't remember registration code" and "Others". We found no official procedure for amending an issued e-Visa, so it makes sense to check every field before paying.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 15 August 2025: the unilateral visa-free list grows to 24 countries (up to 45 days); the United States is not included.
• 2 December 2025: Resolution 389/NQ-CP raises e-Visa border gates to 83, with Long Thanh and Gia Binh airports joining once they open.
• 1 April 2026: Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC takes effect, keeping fees at US$25 and US$50.
• 15 April 2026: the pre-arrival declaration becomes mandatory at Tan Son Nhat airport for foreign passport holders, according to the US Embassy.
• 17 June 2026: the US Embassy reports its expansion to all airports.
• 1 July 2026: health declaration rules under Decree 165/2026/ND-CP take effect, with no declaration required of every traveler.
• August 2026: authorities step up removal of fake e-Visa sites, VnExpress International reports.

Rules have changed several times in a year, so we recommend checking evisa.gov.vn and recent US Embassy notices shortly before travel.

FAQ

Can US citizens get a visa on arrival in Vietnam?

Not as a walk-up option. Border-gate visas are issued only in 6 listed cases, with prior approval requested by a sponsor in Vietnam, so for tourists the e-Visa is the practical route.

How long can I stay in Vietnam on an e-Visa?

Up to 90 days, the maximum e-Visa validity, whether you choose single or multiple entry.

Can I extend my e-Visa without leaving Vietnam?

Not online. A new visa is possible only if an authority, organization or individual in Vietnam invites or guarantees you, and the US Embassy says extensions are handled in person at the immigration office where you reside.

Do Vietnamese-Americans need a visa?

They can use a visa exemption certificate from the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington instead, as can foreign spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens or overseas Vietnamese. It lasts up to 5 years, ends at least 6 months before the passport expires and requires a passport valid for at least 1 year.

Can I get a visa for longer than 90 days?

A Vietnamese consulate in the US can issue Americans a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 1 year, but only after a host in Vietnam obtains a visa approval. We found no published fee for it, so we suggest asking the consulate.

Can I visit Phu Quoc without a visa?

Yes, for up to 30 days, if you stay on the island the whole time. Any onward travel to the mainland needs a visa.

Is the e-Visa fee refundable if I am refused?

No. The portal says the fee is non-refundable if the visa is not granted, so it pays to check the photo, name and travel history first.

Do I need to print my e-Visa?

You print it yourself; nothing is collected at an embassy or border gate. Official pages we checked do not say a printout is mandatory, but we suggest carrying one plus a copy on your phone.

Can the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington help with my e-Visa?

No. E-Visas are processed by the Immigration Department in Hanoi, so problems go through the portal's Contact Support form.