Vietnam Visa Checklist — eVisa for US Citizens, What You Need
Vietnam has no visa-free entry for US passports (as of September 2026, not on the official exemption lists — check the official link before travel), but its eVisa is one of the simplest in Asia: fully online, one form, three uploads. Verified against the official portal evisa.gov.vn, September 2026.
First, three quick facts
- Fee: $25 single-entry / $50 multiple-entry — same price for all nationalities, up to 90 days validity, your choice of entry type on one form. Non-refundable even if rejected (official wording).
- Apply up to 1 year in advance — the portal allows it explicitly. Processing is commonly cited at ~3 working days, but the official pages no longer publish a fixed time: apply at least 2 weeks ahead (3 in peak season). No official rush service exists.
- You must be outside Vietnam to apply — the eVisa is only issued to applicants abroad; extend or renew from outside the country.
The document list — just three things
- ✅ Passport photo page upload — the system reads it automatically (ICAO machine-read zone) and fills the form; you correct and confirm. Your name must match the passport's machine-read line exactly, in CAPITALS, middle names included.
- ✅ A 4 × 6 cm digital photo — Vietnam's own size. JPG/JPEG under 2 MB, white background, no glasses, no hat, formal attire, recent, facing forward. No official pixel rule exists; a high-resolution export at the 4:6 ratio (≥600 × 900 px in practice) is the safe move. Make a compliant 4 × 6 cm photo with our free tool →
- ✅ The online form — trip dates, first address in Vietnam, entry gate (from the official list), occupation, travel history for the past year, and honest disclosure of any past immigration violations (concealment = rejection). Timing is calculated in UTC+7.
That's the whole list: no flight or hotel bookings, no invitation letter, no bank statements, no employment letter, no passport by mail. Each traveller — including each child — applies separately and receives a separate PDF.
The photo size almost everyone gets wrong
| Document | Photo size |
|---|---|
| Vietnam eVisa | 4 × 6 cm digital (unique to Vietnam) |
| US visa | 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) — spec → |
| Schengen visa | 35 × 45 mm — spec → |
| Japan eVISA | digital upload, no millimetre spec — spec → |
A 2 × 2 inch US photo cropped onto a 4 × 6 canvas fails the ratio. Make the Vietnam version from scratch: 4 × 6 cm tool → · general passport vs visa photo rules →
One rule nobody mentions: the 30-day passport buffer
Official FAQ wording: your eVisa's validity must be at least 30 days shorter than your passport's remaining validity. A passport expiring in 2 months cannot hold a 90-day eVisa — renew the passport first. (A 10-year passport makes this a non-issue; recently renewed short-validity passports are the ones that get caught.)
Entry gates — you can't land anywhere
eVisa holders must enter and exit through government-designated gates. The list: 15 international airports (Hanoi Noi Bai, Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc, Cat Bi, Can Tho, Phu Bai, Van Don, Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Phu Cat, Lien Khuong, Vinh, Chu Lai), 27 land borders (Moc Bai, Lao Cai, Huu Nghi and others), and 39 seaports. Flying in and leaving overland (or the reverse) is fine — both ends just have to be on the list. Single-entry visas end the moment you exit; re-entering needs a new eVisa (or buy multiple-entry upfront: two $25 trips already cost more than one $50 visa).
After approval: print it, carry it flat
Your eVisa arrives as a PDF with a QR code — it is not a sticker in your passport. Airlines and Vietnamese border checks commonly require the printed A4 copy (official pages stop short of making printing mandatory, but the US embassy's guidance and airline practice treat the printout as standard). Keep the QR code uncreased and carry a digital backup. Worth knowing: this is the exact opposite of Japan's eVISA, which only accepts live online display and rejects printouts — and closer to India's printed ETA.
Free extras the portal offers
- Pre-arrival declaration — Vietnam recommends filing the free form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn before you fly; it speeds up entry processing.
- Progress lookup — check status anytime on the portal with your registration code, date of birth and email.
60-second pre-flight check
- ✅ Passport valid ≥ your entry date + 90 days + 30-day buffer
- ✅ 4 × 6 cm photo, white background, no glasses, JPG < 2 MB (make it free →)
- ✅ Applied only on evisa.gov.vn / thithucdientu.gov.vn
- ✅ Name in capitals, identical to the passport machine-read line
- ✅ Entry gate on the official list (15 airports / 27 land / 39 sea)
- ✅ Single ($25) vs multiple ($50) chosen deliberately
- ✅ Accepted: fees are non-refundable — photo right the first time
- ✅ Applied ≥2 weeks out (up to 1 year allowed)
- ✅ eVisa PDF printed on A4, QR flat, digital backup kept
- ✅ Pre-arrival declaration filed (free, official)
Applying from the UK or Canada?
Same portal, same fees, same 4 × 6 cm photo — the eVisa is country-agnostic. Neither the UK nor Canada appears on the visa-exemption lists we verified, so this checklist works as-is. UK applicants should note the contrast with the UK's own visa process, which accepts no photos at all.
Sources: evisa.gov.vn portal (homepage, instructions, FAQ — captured September 2026), official Vietnam National Tourism Authority visa-exemption announcements. Processing-day figures are legacy official guidance no longer printed on the portal — treat portal notices as authoritative. Paper (embassy) visas for tourism: details vary by mission; ordinary tourists default to the eVisa.