The Vietnam Visa application
British citizens need a visa if they intend to stay in Vietnam for more than 45 days. Irish citizens always need a visa to enter the country. You can apply for your visa online by filling in the application form, paying the cost and submitting the required documents. Read on, to find out more about applying for the electronic visa for Vietnam (e-visa).
Warning: the visa on arrival is no longer available
In the past, travellers could buy a so-called ‘visa on arrival’ upon entering Vietnam. It was not necessary to apply for a visa before departure. Vietnam introduced an electronic visa in 2018. Since then, travellers can also apply for their visas online before departing for Vietnam. The Vietnamese authorities stopped issuing visas on arrival when the covid pandemic broke out. It is still unknown whether the authorities will ever reintroduce this visa. Therefore, the best way to meet the visa requirements is to apply for a Vietnam e-visa.
How to apply for a Vietnam e-visa?
You start your application by filling in the online application form. You need to enter some personal details and a few details about your upcoming trip. You need to enter your contact details only once, regardless of whether you submit an individual or a group application. You will also have to give some information about your travel plans. You have to know when you will arrive in Vietnam and how long you will stay there. Once approved, the visa is only valid between the arrival and departure dates that were entered in the application form. Please keep in mind that the e-visa allows you to stay in Vietnam for a maximum of 90 days. To finalise your application, you need to fill in the passport details of all travellers and answer a number of background questions. You can find more information about the application procedure on the page with explanations on the Vietnam visa
Pay the visa cost
You can pay the Vietnam visa cost right after filling in the application form. Make use of any of these well-known and safe payment methods: credit card, PayPal, Trustly, Google Pay and Apple Pay. The visa costs £54,95 per person, and you can choose for urgent processing of your application for a surcharge of £17,50.
Receive the visa
The Vietnam e-visa is issued after 13 days on average. If you need the visa sooner, you can submit an urgent application. Urgent applications are processed in 5 days on average. The visa is issued as a PDF per e-mail. You should print the visa twice in colour or greyscale, and carry both copies during your trip. You are advised to check the issued visa to make sure that all details on the visa match the details in your passport.
Make sure to meet all requirements
You need to meet all e-visa requirements while submitting your application and during your entire trip. Read these requirements thoroughly before you apply for a visa. These relate to the purpose of your travel and the locations where you enter and exit the country.
