The numbers
Taken from Vietnam’s own e-visa portal, run by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security.
Single entry. Multiple entry is $50. Paid on the portal and not refunded if the visa is refused.
Maximum. You choose single or multiple entry when you apply.
Working days is the usual guidance. Allow longer in peak season.
The separate pre-arrival declaration costs nothing and takes about ten minutes.
What it actually costs
The e-visa is the same document whoever submits it. The gap is somebody else’s commission.
evisa.gov.vn, single entry. You fill in the form yourself and pay by card.
Typical third-party pricing for the identical e-visa. Some also charge for the arrival form, which is free.
If your application is refused, the fee is not returned. That is stated on the government portal, so it is worth getting the details right the first time.
Which site is the real one
This is the most searched question about the Vietnam e-visa, and for good reason. Type vietnam evisa into a search box and the results are full of addresses built to look governmental.
evisa.gov.vn
Official
prearrival.immigration.gov.vn
Official, arrival form
evisagov.vn
Not the government
vietnamvisa.govt.vn
Not the government
The pattern is worth learning because it repeats for every country. A genuine Vietnamese government address ends in .gov.vn exactly. Anything that puts gov in the middle of the name, or bolts on a word like official, is a private company. They are usually legal, but they are not the government and they charge more.
The same warning exists for the American system. US Customs and Border Protection says it has no way of knowing whether the information a third-party site passes on is accurate, and recommends checking directly with the official system that your authorisation really exists.
The second document nobody mentions
A visa is no longer enough on its own. Vietnam now requires a separate pre-arrival declaration, and it is easy to miss because it is new and it is free.
Do I need it if I already have an e-visa?
Yes, bothThey are two different things. Immigration expects the QR code from the declaration as well as your e-visa. The US Embassy in Hanoi issued a notice on 17 June 2026 confirming it applies to every passenger who does not hold a Vietnamese passport.
When do I fill it in?
Within 3 daysOn arrival, or no more than three days before. Complete it at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn and keep the QR code on your phone. It can also be done at the airport by QR code or on paper, but the queue is the reason to do it early.
Should I pay an agent for it?
No, it is freeIt costs nothing and takes about ten minutes. Some sites bundle it into a package fee. There is nothing to buy.
Photo and passport rules
Two uploads reject more applications than anything else on the form.
- The photograph
-
A 4 by 6 centimetre portrait on a plain white background, taken within the last six months, uploaded as a .jpg file. No glasses, head uncovered, face fully visible.
A phone photo against a white wall is normally fine. The usual reasons for rejection are glasses, a shadow behind the head, or a picture cropped so tightly that the chin or the top of the head is cut off.
- The passport page
-
A clear scan or photograph of the full data page, also as a .jpg. All four corners must be visible and the machine-readable lines at the bottom must be legible.
Your passport needs at least six months of validity remaining and two blank pages.
- Names must match exactly
-
Type your name exactly as it is printed in the passport, including middle names. A mismatch between the visa and the passport is a common reason to be stopped at the gate, and correcting it means paying again.
Single or multiple entry
The choice costs $25 and catches people out on Southeast Asia trips.
Vietnam only, arriving and leaving once
Single entry, $25The cheaper option and the right one for most holidays. It is used up the moment you leave the country.
Side trip to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand and back
Multiple entry, $50Leaving Vietnam on a single-entry visa voids it, even if you plan to return the next day. If your route loops out and back, pay the extra $25 up front rather than buying a second visa from abroad.
How to apply
Allow two weeks before departure. The stated processing time is 3 to 5 working days, but it stretches in peak season.
- Go to evisa.gov.vn. Check the address carefully against the list above before entering anything.
- Upload the portrait photo and the passport data page, both as .jpg files.
- Choose single or multiple entry, and enter the port you plan to arrive at.
- Pay $25 or $50 by international credit or debit card. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
- Wait for the decision, then download and print the e-visa. Keep a paper copy.
- Separately, within three days of travelling, complete the free arrival declaration at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn and save the QR code.
What goes wrong
Four failures that are specific to Vietnam and expensive to discover at the airport.
- Arriving at a crossing the e-visa does not cover. The e-visa is only valid at international border gates the government has designated. Overland crossings in particular are not all included, so check the list against your route before booking.
- Leaving the country on a single-entry visa. It is spent, even for a two-day trip to Cambodia.
- Turning up with the visa but no arrival QR code. Since 2026 immigration expects both.
- A name or passport number that does not match. The fee is not refundable, so an error means paying twice.
What changed
Vietnam has altered its entry rules twice recently. Older guides are wrong in both directions.
The e-visa is extended to 90 days and opened to multiple entry, up from 30 days single entry.
The e-visa portal moves to evisa.gov.vn. Older links and bookmarks stop being the right address.
Twelve more European countries gain visa-free entry. The United States is not among them and never has been.
The pre-arrival declaration is confirmed as mandatory and expanded to all airports. This is the requirement most guides still omit.