Previously, travelers to Vietnam had only one way to apply for a visa to enter Vietnam, which is to apply for a visa at the Vietnamese Embassy abroad. However, at present, with the development of Internet, visitors have other convenient ways to apply for a visa, which are to apply for a visa at Vietnam airport (visa on arrival) and e-visa.
Basically, applying for an e-visa means that you will get a visa issued by the Immigration Department to foreigners through the electronic trading system before departure to Vietnam, while applying for a visa at Vietnam airport, you will be granted a visa upon arrival at the Vietnamese airport.
Each type of visa application has its own differences in terms of the subjects, procedures, processing time and fees. To help you understand these differences, we have built a comparison between Vietnam e-visa and visa on arrival.
Comparison between Vietnam e-visa and visa on arrival
| Vietnam e-visa | Vietnam visa on arrival | |
| Object | Foreigners who are citizens of the countries are allowed to pilot e-visas according to the regulations of the Vietnamese Government | Travelers enter by air |
| Application | Visa application form, photo, visa card and passport | Visa application form online, visa card |
| How to apply for a visa | Send the information via the electronic visa information page of the Immigration Portal | Send ONLINE to the Vietnam visa center |
| Fee | 25$ | Service fee – pay online to get an official approval letter Stamping fee – pay in cash at Vietnam airport to stamp visa |
| How to check the status of visa application processing | Foreigners who apply for e-visa use their electronic dossier code to check the results at the e-visa information page. | Check online on the system, chat, call or email directly to the service provider |
| Processing Time | No more than 03 working days from the date of receipt of all information required for electronic visa and visa fee | Usually 2 working days 1 working day if applying for urgent visa 2-4 business hours for a super urgent visa |
| Stamping visa | The visas are sent via email | At the visa counter issued at the airport after landing at Vietnam airport |
General assessment
| Vietnam e-visa | Vietnam visa on arrival | |
| Advantages | You can apply onlineSimple processOne-time paymentCost savingNo queue at visa counter at the port of entry | You can apply onlineSimple processValid for up to 3 months, single or multiple entryAvailable for application for multiple persons in one orderThe arrival airport can be changed. |
| Disadvantages | Long processing time, failing to meet urgent needs.Valid for 01 month in single entry onlyAvailable for citizens of 81 countries onlyThe e-visa holders are required to enter Vietnam via the port of entry issued on their e-visaNo application for multiple persons in the same request | High feeMust queue in front of the Visa counter at Vietnam airport to stamp visa |
Should I get an e-visa for Vietnam?
The answer is up to you. If you intend to come to Vietnam for a short time, in a single entry, and you define your port of entry clearly without any further changes, and you belong to the group of subjects granted with e-visa, you can choose it to save money.
If you want to stay in Vietnam longer, enter the country many times or do not belong to the group that can apply for e-visa, you may consider choosing a visa on-arrival.
More about Vietnam e-visa