How to get Vietnam visa for US passport holders?

Americans can apply for Vietnam visa in many ways, however, we recommend that you should use Vietnam visa on arrival.

US citizens can apply for cheaper, Single-Entry Vietnam Tourist Visa

What are Vietnam visa requirements for US passport holders?

What is Vietnam visa on arrival?

Vietnam visa on arrival (VOA) is a visa service on arrival, we will make a letter of approval from the Vietnam Immigration Department allowing you to board and enter Vietnam and you will get a Vietnam visa upon entering at the Vietnam international airport (NoiBai international airport in Hanoi Capital, Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh City and DaNang international airport in Danang City).

Who needs Vietnam visa on arrival?

For those who would like to avoid the perhaps lengthening visa procedures with their local Vietnam’s Embassies, the service of Vietnam Visa on arrival is available for help. It is legitimated and supported by the Vietnamese Immigration Department. We recommend that you choose visa upon arrival, as picking up visa at the Vietnam airport is quite simple, easy, no additional charges and no fail.

Definition & usage of Vietnam VISA on arrival

Visa on arrival Vietnam is a new and convenient method to possess a Vietnam VISA. It allows you to get your VISA stamped upon arrival and pay VISA fee at the Vietnamese International Airport you have arrived. This pre-approval VISA will save you a lot of time by completing most of the entering/exit procedures before you arrive in Vietnam. Even though, it is applied only in some certain situations:

• It is only applicable for people arriving in Vietnam by air
• Visit a seriously ill family member or attend a relative’s funeral in Vietnam
• Travel through many countries before arriving in Vietnam
• Visit Vietnam on tours held by an international travel agency operated in Vietnam
• You are a crewmember on a boarding vessel anchored in a Vietnamese seaport and you wish to exit Vietnam through another border gate
• You visit Vietnam to engage an emergency response, disaster or epidemic control, search/ rescue activities, or other special purposes in request of a competent authority in Vietnam

The validity of Vietnam visa on arrival

The default type of Vietnam visa on arrival has 30 days of validity and features 1-time entry. If you visit Vietnam for traveling, it is possible to apply for a Vietnam VISA on arrival with up to 3 months of validity, 1-time entry or multiple-time entry. You can apply for the maximum validity which is specified for your VISA code as Vietnam VISA on arrival. In most cases, you can get your VISA extension as long as you have no problem with the past entry nor not overstay your VISA.

How to apply for Vietnam tourist visas online?

Take the following 4 easy steps within 3 minutes to complete the procedure to get a Vietnam visa US citizen:

Step 1: Fill out the secure application form online

Start your visa on arrival application today through our secure simple online form which will take you less than 5 minutes.

The exact information includes full name, date of birth, passport number and nationality as passport details, the arrival date, arrival airport, choosing Visa type.

Step 2: Pay the service fee and receive a confirmation

Please pay attention that double checks all information to make sure that they are all correct.

• This is the most important step.
• There are many payment methods, namely: PayPal, OnePay, Gate2Shop, Western
• Union or Banking Transfer and you can choose one of them to pay for the service fee, select to use extra services (Airport Fast Track/Car Pick-Up) if any

Step 3: Get your approval letter via email

After you have successfully paid, you will get your approval letter via email. Please check your mailbox (including your Junk and Spam mail).

Then you need to:

• Print out the letter and the entry-and-exit form
• Fill out the entry-and-exit form
• Prepare 2 passport-sized photos 4x6cm and cash for stamping fee
• Put all above-mentioned things along with your passport in a package
• And show them to Immigration officer at Vietnam arrival airports

Step 4: Get your visa stamped at arrival

Visa approval letter is able to use as a normal Visa when you board the plane.

Upon landing, head to the Landing VISA (VOA) Counter, you must present the following all things in the prepared package to the Immigration officer to get your visa stamped.

How does it visa for US citizen to Vietnam cost?

You must pay 2 fees when applying for Vietnam tourist visas: service fee and stamping fee. Depending on the type of visa and the completion process, there are different fees.

Service fee: is the fee paid for the website owner to process Vietnam visa approval letter for you, fast track, and private car pick-up.

Stamping fee: is the fee that is paid directly to Vietnam Immigration Officer in cash (in USD) at the Immigration Counter when arriving at the airport in Vietnam to have the visa stamped on the passport. And this amount is for Vietnam Government. You can pay directly by yourself with cash, or we will do it for you if you chose full package on the visa application form option.

Useful notes

• Before applying for a Vietnam Visa, the American ensures that the passport has at least 6-month-validity and left pages from travel date.
• Visa on arrival is only applicable for Americans traveling by air to Vietnam.

Normal: for those who would like to get Vietnam visa within 24-48 working hours.

Urgent: for those who would like to get Vietnam visa within 4-8 working hours.

Emergency: for those who would like to get Vietnam visa within 30 minutes or need it the right way for flight.

Penalty fee: for those who would like to arrive in Vietnam on Saturday, Sunday, or public Holiday but forgotten to apply for a visa in advance. We can make this visa in 30 minutes and we have staff at the airport who will take care of all the procedures for you when you arrive.

Pre-applying VISA at Vietnam Embassies (in person or by e-mail)

Prepare all of those documents and put them into 1 package when submitting it to the Vietnam Embassy in the United States. It will cost you 3- 5 working days to possess a Vietnam VISA. Keep in mind that the embassy reserves the right to request further information and documents from you as well as deny your request without explanations.

• An application form of Vietnam VISA. You can fill the online form at the official website of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affair, double check the information and print it out. Or you can ask for it at the embassy but it is not recommended.
• Your passport (original or copy) in the eligible condition (we mentioned in the first part). Submit the original passport might result granted an adhesive VISA and the copy one result a loose-leaf VISA.
• 1 passport photo which is 2×2 inches in size (fix the requirements we mentioned in the first part). If you issue a loose-leaf VISA, submit 2 photos.
• The service fee: Prepare the service fee when submitting to the embassy. It can be cash, cashier’s check or certificated check payable to the Embassy of Vietnam in the United States.
• Prepaid self-addressed return envelope: If you prefer receiving your VISA by mail, you should prepare 1 prepaid self-addressed return envelope. According to the embassy, it is recommended to use certified mail service offered by FedEx, UPS or USPS. You can read more about it in Vietnam Embassy in the United States official website.

The validity of Pre-applying Vietnam visa

You can issue any type of visa for Vietnam which you need with its maximum validity. Travel VISA features up to 90 days consecutively of validity and business allow you to stay in Vietnam for 1 year.

The cost to get Pre-applying Vietnam VISA

As you do all the process by your all, there is no further service fee than the VISA stamping fee. Even though, you should consider the cost of moving between places and mailing fee. Besides, it is recommended to make a contact in advance with the Vietnam Embassy in the United States for updating requirement to avoid repeat visit.