How much does a Vietnam E-visa cost?

Along with the rapid development of technology, society is increasingly digitized to make work and daily life easier. Digitizing administrative procedures to reduce paperwork as well as simplifying the process and follow-up is a step forward, online visa application or e-visa. In Vietnam, e-visas have become global and are presently applied to all foreign citizens.

So is this online procedure easy to do or is it expensive are probably questioned by many people, especially newbies. Let's learn about Vietnam e-visa and find out the answers in the following!

What is e-visa?

E-visa, or electronic visa, is a type of visa registered, processed, and issued entirely online by the Immigration Department since February 2017 for foreigners entering Vietnam. Upon the latest policy on 15th August 2023, E-visa has a maximum validity of 90 days and applicants can register for single or multiple entry. The duration of stay and number of entries will be clearly stated on the visa issued.

E-visa is applied for many different travel purposes such as tourism, business, investment, visiting relatives, etc. Foreigners just need to access the official website of Vietnam e-visa, submit all the required documents and information, pay the fee, and wait about 3 - 5 working days for the result. Instead of presenting at the Embassy or Consulate for dozens of paperwork and traveling back and forth for the final visa affixed to your passport, e-visa saves a lot of time and cost for applicants.

Who is eligible?

In the new Resolution in 2023, citizens of all countries and territories in the world can apply for an online visa, no matter what their purposes like traveling, visiting relatives, working, trading, investing, studying abroad, marrying, etc. The duration of stay must not exceed 90 days.

Conditions

Besides being a foreign citizen, you need to comply with some conditions to be granted an electronic visa to Vietnam. Specifically:

• You are foreigners residing in other countries and currently not in the Vietnam territory.
• Your passport is at least 6 months valid from the entry date to Vietnam and has at least 2 blank pages.
• You are not prohibited from entering Vietnam regarding Article 21 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.
• You are entering/exiting Vietnam via one of 42 border gates approved by Vietnam Government allowing foreigners to enter and exit Vietnam with e-visa (*).

(*) List of 42 border gates allowing e-Visa holders to enter and exit Vietnam:

To apply for an e-visa, you need to follow 7 steps:

• Step 1: Prepare a valid passport, a 4x6 portrait photo, a valid international card to process payment (American Express is not accepted), personal information, travel information like purpose of entry, date of entry/exit, border gate of entry/exit, residential address in Viet Nam, etc.
• Step 2: Access the E-visa official website at https://evisa.gov.vn/, choose “Apply now”.
• Step 3: Tick 2 boxes: Confirm compliance with Vietnamese laws upon entry and Confirmation of reading carefully instructions and having completed application. Then, click “Next”.
• Step 4: Fill out the Application form with all information prepared.
• Step 5: Review the Application form. 
• Step 6: Make the payment and receive an application number.
• Step 7: After at least 3 working days, check application status on the official website at https://evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/search by entering the application number, email, date of birth. If your application is approved, the e-visa will be provided in a PDF file and you can print it out.

E-visa fee

The fee for applying for an e-visa is USD 25 for a single entry and USD 50 for multiple entries. The fee is non-refundable in case the visa is not issued. Plus, both submitted applications and granted e-visa are unamendable. As a result, foreigners need to guarantee all the information is correct and valid.

FAQs

• Can I surely receive the result after 3-5 working days?

The processing time is 3-5 working days, except for Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. It may take longer depending on the number of registrations. Thus, you are highly recommended to submit the application at least 2 weeks in advance of your entry date.

• Can I get a refund if the visa is not granted?

No. The e-visa fee is nonrefundable.

• What kind of card can I use for the payment?

You can use international credit or debit cards, except for American Express.

• Can I register an e-visa for a group?

No, an e-visa application is only for a person.

• What if I provided the wrong border gate on my issued visa?

The issued visa cannot be adjusted. Please re-apply for the new visa.

• Are there any specific requirements for the portrait photo?

The portrait photo for e-visa applications needs to be in 4x6 size, in .jpg or .jpeg format, less than 2MB file size, white background, taken within the last 6 months, straight-forward looking, without glasses and head covering.