Vietnam's immigration system has changed materially in the past 18 months. The 45-day visa exemption was renewed for the 12 historic countries in March 2025 (Resolution 44/NQ-CP), then doubled in August 2025 by adding 12 European countries (Resolution 229/NQ-CP). The 90-day e-visa portal was relaunched at thithucdientu.gov.vn in November 2024. Ports of entry expanded from 42 to 83 in late 2025. Overstay fines roughly tripled under Decree 282/2025. A new 5-year SVEC Talent Visa launched in October 2025. And a mandatory Digital Arrival Card goes live at Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) airport on April 15 2026.
This atlas is the sourced reference for what's actually current. Every figure traces to a primary Vietnamese government source — Resolution numbers, Decree numbers, official portal URLs, fee schedules from the Vietnam Immigration Department's published tariff.
Quick summary — what you actually need
| Need | 2026 answer |
|---|---|
| 45-day visa-free | 24 countries (Resolutions 44 + 229) through 2028 |
| E-visa (all nationalities) | 90 days max, $25 single / $50 multi, thithucdientu.gov.vn |
| Processing time | 3 working days standard; 1-day rush via agents |
| Ports of entry | 83 (17 airports + 27 land + 39 seaports) |
| Overstay fine 1-15 days | $19-76 |
| Overstay fine 16-30 days | $190-380 |
| Digital Arrival Card | Mandatory at Tan Son Nhat from Apr 15 2026 |
| SVEC Talent Visa | 5-year multi-entry; high-skilled workers |
| Visa extension | $10-25 official + $40-75 agent; 5-7 business days |
| Passport validity | 6 months minimum from entry date |
| Blank pages | 2 minimum |
| Onward ticket | Required by airline, rarely by immigration |
Visa-exempt nationalities — the 24-country list
Vietnam's unilateral visa exemption was redrawn twice in 2025. The cumulative effect: 24 nationalities now get 45 days visa-free through 2028.
Wave 1 — Resolution 44/NQ-CP (March 2025)
Renewed the 12 historic exempt countries on a 45-day visa-free regime valid March 15 2025 to March 14 2028:
- France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
- Russia
- Japan, South Korea
- Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland
These countries had previously enjoyed 15-day or 30-day exemptions; Resolution 44 standardized and extended them to 45 days.
Wave 2 — Resolution 229/NQ-CP (August 2025)
Added 12 new European countries on the same 45-day terms, valid August 15 2025 to August 14 2028:
- Czech Republic, Switzerland, Poland
- Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg
- Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece
- San Marino
This was Vietnam's biggest single visa policy expansion in a decade, motivated by post-pandemic tourism recovery and Vietnam's growing economic ties with the EU.
ASEAN bilateral framework
Separate from the unilateral list, ASEAN bilateral agreements give shorter stays to:
- Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia: 30 days
- Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Brunei: 14-21 days depending on country
ASEAN exemptions are routine and rarely change.
Other historic exemptions
Chile has a separate 90-day exemption (bilateral, 2014). Belarus was on prior lists but was dropped in the 2024 update — Belarusian citizens now need an e-visa or full visa.
What "visa-exempt" actually means at the desk
Visa-exempt entry costs nothing and requires nothing but your passport. The immigration officer scans your passport, stamps the entry, and waves you through — usually under 60 seconds. There is no online pre-registration required for visa-exempt entries (only for the new Digital Arrival Card, separately mandated from April 2026 at Tan Son Nhat). The exemption is per-entry, not per-trip — you can leave and re-enter, but to reset your 45-day clock to a new 45 days, you generally need to have been outside Vietnam for 30+ days. Otherwise re-entry continues the same clock.
What's NOT visa-exempt
If you're not on the 24-country list (or the ASEAN list), you need either a 90-day e-visa or a full visa. The non-listed major nationalities include United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. All of these can use the universal 90-day e-visa described below.
The 90-day e-visa
Vietnam's e-visa is universal — open to citizens of all countries — and runs up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. It's the workhorse visa for non-listed nationalities and for anyone who wants longer than 45 days.
Key parameters
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | Up to 90 days |
| Entry type | Single or multi-entry |
| Official cost | $25 single / $50 multi-entry |
| Processing time | 3 working days standard |
| Application portal | thithucdientu.gov.vn (relaunched Nov 11 2024) |
| Older URL | evisa.gov.vn (still works, redirects) |
| Nationalities eligible | All — universal since August 2023 |
| Photo requirement | 4x6 cm white background, taken within 6 months |
| Passport scan | Required (color, all corners visible) |
The portal walkthrough
- Go to thithucdientu.gov.vn (or evisa.gov.vn — redirects to the same portal).
- Click "Foreigners apply for e-visa" → fill out passport details, intended entry/exit dates, entry port.
- Upload passport scan + 4x6 cm photo.
- Pay $25 (single) or $50 (multi) by Visa/Mastercard.
- Receive PIN code by email.
- Wait 3 working days; check status via the portal with your PIN.
- Download the PDF e-visa; print 2 copies.
- Show printed copy + passport at the immigration desk.
The portal is functional in English. The site occasionally times out under load — try again in 30 minutes if your application doesn't submit on the first attempt. Save your PIN code; it's the only way to retrieve a lost e-visa PDF.
Cost — official vs agents
The official cost is $25 single / $50 multi. Private agents and "visa services" advertise prices from $80 to $200 for the same e-visa. The agent's value-add is faster turnaround (some offer 1-day rush) and English-language form-fill help. For most travelers with 3+ days lead time, apply direct on the official portal and save the difference.
Warning on scam sites: search results for "vietnam e-visa" return many lookalike domains that are NOT the official portal. The only official URLs are thithucdientu.gov.vn and evisa.gov.vn. Anything else is a private reseller marking up the official fee.
83 ports of entry (Resolution 389/NQ-CP, December 2025)
The e-visa is now valid at 83 ports of entry, up from 42 in 2023:
- 17 international airports: Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (HCMC), Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), Phu Quoc, Can Tho, Hai Phong, Lien Khuong (Da Lat), Phu Bai (Hue), Vinh, Cat Bi, Phu Cat (Binh Dinh), Tuy Hoa, Chu Lai, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku, Lien Khuong.
- 27 land borders with China, Laos, and Cambodia
- 39 seaports along Vietnam's coast
Major land borders for backpackers: Moc Bai (HCMC ↔ Phnom Penh), Lao Bao (Hue ↔ Savannakhet, Laos), Mong Cai (Hai Phong ↔ China), Tay Trang (Dien Bien ↔ Laos).
Overstay fines — tripled under Decree 282/2025
The old fine schedule under Decree 144/2021 was relatively forgiving. Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP, effective late 2025, raised the caps significantly.
Current fine schedule
| Overstay duration | Fine (VND) | Fine (USD approx) | Real-world impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 days | 500,000 - 2,000,000 | $19 - $76 | Manageable; pay at airport on exit |
| 16-30 days | 5,000,000 - 10,000,000 | $190 - $380 | Significant; entry ban risk begins |
| 31-60 days | 10,000,000 - 20,000,000 | $380 - $760 | Heavy; 1-3 year entry ban likely |
| 61-180 days | 20,000,000 - 30,000,000 | $760 - $1,140 | Severe; 3-5 year entry ban |
| 181 days - 1 year | 30,000,000 - 40,000,000 | $1,140 - $1,520 | Maximum tier; long ban + future visa denial |
How overstay is enforced
Fines are paid at the immigration desk on departure. The officer scans your passport, sees the overstay, calculates the fine per the Decree 282 schedule, and prints a receipt. You pay in VND cash (no card) at the desk, get a stamped receipt, and are then allowed to board your flight. You will not be allowed to leave the country without paying. Travelers who try to leave without paying are detained.
Beyond the fine, an overstay creates a record in the immigration database that affects:
- Future visa applications — overstays of 30+ days routinely cause future e-visa denials
- Re-entry timing — automatic entry bans for serious overstays (3-5 years)
- Other countries' visa applications — Vietnamese overstay records appear on shared regional immigration databases
Avoiding overstay — the practical playbook
- Set a calendar reminder 7 days before your visa expiry.
- Plan extensions 5-7 working days in advance, not after expiry. Extensions submitted post-expiry trigger the overstay fine on top of the extension fee.
- Carry visa documents during day trips. Random ID checks happen, particularly near border zones.
- At airport check-in, confirm your visa status on your boarding pass. Airline staff sometimes catch mismatches that immigration officers miss.
- For long stays, switch from visa-exempt to e-visa. The 45-day exemption with a single 30-day extension is the same total stay as a 90-day e-visa, but the e-visa has cleaner paperwork and lower extension friction.
SVEC Talent Visa — new in 2025
Decree 221/2025/NĐ-CP (effective October 2025) created the SVEC Talent Visa for high-skilled foreign workers — Vietnam's first long-term visa specifically for talent in priority sectors.
Key parameters
- Duration: 5-year multi-entry
- Family: spouses and dependent children get accompanying visas
- Work permit: streamlined pathway; SVEC holders can switch employers without re-applying for the visa
- Issuance: Ministry of Public Security via immigration.gov.vn
Eligible sectors
- Semiconductors and integrated circuit design
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals
- Advanced manufacturing and robotics
- Senior executives in foreign-invested enterprises with $50M+ Vietnamese investment
- Scientists with publication record in priority fields
Application requirements
- Vietnamese employer sponsor (the employer initiates the application, not the worker)
- Notarized degree certificate (typically Master's or PhD)
- Verifiable professional record — patents, publications, or senior-role employment
- Endorsement letter from the relevant Vietnamese sector ministry
- Police clearance from home country
SVEC is not a digital-nomad visa despite some online confusion. It requires a Vietnamese employer sponsor — a foreign remote worker without Vietnamese employment cannot apply.
Digital Arrival Card — mandatory April 15 2026
Vietnam's first mandatory pre-arrival digital form launches April 15 2026 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (HCMC).
Key parameters
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | Mandatory at Tan Son Nhat from Apr 15 2026 |
| Form | Online, 72 hours before arrival |
| Cost | Free |
| Portal | Integrated with immigration.gov.vn |
| Duration | ~5-10 minutes |
| Confirmation | PDF + email; print or screenshot |
The Digital Arrival Card consolidates three previously separate paper forms — customs declaration, health questionnaire, and immigration pre-screening — into one digital workflow. The information goes into the immigration database before your flight lands; the immigration officer at the desk pulls it up via your passport scan.
Rollout plan
- April 15 2026: Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) — pilot
- Late 2026: Noi Bai (Hanoi) and Da Nang International — planned expansion
- 2027: All 17 international airports plus major land borders — planned
For now, only HCMC arrivals need to file. If you're landing in Hanoi or Da Nang in 2026, you don't need to file unless you connect through HCMC inside Vietnam.
What if I don't file?
A passenger who arrives without a Digital Arrival Card filing will be directed to a self-service kiosk in the arrivals hall and asked to complete the form on-site. Allow 15-30 minutes extra at immigration. After three pilot months (April-July 2026), Ministry of Public Security is expected to introduce administrative fines for non-filing; for now, the kiosk option is the friction backup.
Visa extensions and conversions
Extending while in Vietnam
| Action | Where | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-visa → 90-day extension | Immigration Dept (Hanoi/HCMC) | $10-25 official + $40-75 agent | 5-7 business days |
| Visa-exempt → paid extension | Same | $10-25 official + $40-75 agent | 5-7 business days |
| Tourist → business visa | Same | $150-300 via agent | 7-14 business days |
The two main Immigration Department offices:
- Hanoi: 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District
- HCMC: 333 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1
Both have English-language windows; expect 30-90 minutes of waiting. Most travelers use an agent (local hotel or hostel front desk often has one) for $50-100 all-in — the agent fills the paperwork, runs it through the office, and returns your passport with the extension stamp 5-7 business days later. Carry your passport scan separately for the days the agent has the physical document.
Visa runs to Cambodia or Laos
For visa-exempt nationals who want to reset the 45-day clock cleanly, a 2-day border run to Phnom Penh or Vientiane is standard:
- HCMC ↔ Phnom Penh via Moc Bai/Bavet: daily buses $20-30 each way, 6-7 hours, daily departures from Pham Ngu Lao (HCMC) and Sisowath Quay (Phnom Penh)
- Hue ↔ Savannakhet, Laos via Lao Bao: daily buses $15-25, 8-10 hours
- Hanoi ↔ Mong Cai/China via Mong Cai land border (more complex, requires Chinese visa)
To reset the 45-day clock to a new 45 days, you need to be outside Vietnam at least 30 days. Otherwise, re-entry continues your existing clock. Two visa runs in 90 days will trigger immigration scrutiny and may result in a denied re-entry or a shorter stamp. For multi-trip patterns, switch to a multi-entry 90-day e-visa.
Long-stay options — beyond tourism
For travelers planning 6+ months in Vietnam, the practical paths:
| Visa type | Duration | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| 90-day e-visa, twice | 6 months | Renew once for $25, no Vietnamese sponsor needed |
| DT (investor) | 1-10 years | Register a small Vietnamese company; $10K-50K capital depending on sector |
| LD (labor) | 1-2 years | Vietnamese employer + work permit |
| TT (family reunion) | 1-3 years | Spouse or dependent of Vietnamese citizen or LD holder |
| DH (student) | 1-2 years | University enrollment |
| SVEC (talent) | 5 years | High-skilled professional (Decree 221/2025) |
| NN1/NN2 (NGO) | 1 year | NGO sponsorship |
| DN (business) | 1 year multi-entry | Foreign company rep |
The "no digital nomad visa" reality leaves three practical loopholes for long-stay remote workers:
- Renew 90-day e-visa twice — six months at $50 total fees, no Vietnamese sponsor. The most popular path. Immigration officers occasionally push back on second-renewal applications from the same passport; have a return flight booked as backup.
- Register a Vietnamese sole proprietorship for $10K-15K in capital, then apply for DT (investor) visa. Worth it only if you'd run the company anyway; otherwise the accounting + tax overhead exceeds the visa benefit.
- Marry a Vietnamese spouse and apply for TT family-reunion visa. Romantic if applicable; otherwise n/a.
There's been press speculation in 2025-2026 about a future Vietnamese digital-nomad visa modeled on Thailand's Long-Term Resident (LTR) or Indonesia's Second Home visa. Nothing official has been announced as of May 2026.
Documents and requirements
Photo specs
- Size: 4 cm × 6 cm
- Background: white only
- Glasses: no
- Date: taken within 6 months
- Format: digital scan (JPEG/PNG) for e-visa; physical print for extensions
Passport requirements
- Validity: at least 6 months from date of entry (strictly enforced)
- Blank pages: at least 2 blank pages
- Damage: torn or water-damaged passports are rejected; renew first
Health and yellow-fever vaccination
- Yellow fever: required only for arrivals from yellow-fever-risk countries (sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South America). For arrivals from these regions, bring your International Certificate of Vaccination.
- COVID-19: no testing or vaccination required as of May 2026.
- General travel health: Hepatitis A/B, Typhoid, Japanese encephalitis recommended but not required.
Onward ticket — the airline-vs-immigration split
- Vietnamese immigration: rarely asks for onward ticket
- Airline check-in (especially budget carriers AirAsia, VietJet, Scoot): often asks
- Practical solution: book a refundable onward flight (Cambodia or Laos return), use an "onward ticket rental" service (~$15 for a 24-hour fake reservation), or book a $20 Phnom Penh bus ticket as proof
Once you've cleared airline check-in, the Vietnamese immigration officer will not ask.
Limitations and honest caveats
- Visa policy can change without warning. The August 2025 expansion was announced 2 weeks before its effective date. Verify on the official Vietnamese government portal (chinhphu.vn or mofa.gov.vn) within 48 hours of your flight.
- The 45-day exemption applies per entry; re-entry rules are interpreted by individual officers. Be conservative — if you've been in Vietnam recently, the officer may shorten your stamp or refuse re-entry.
- E-visa applications occasionally get rejected for unclear reasons. Reapply with a different entry port or slightly later entry date; rejection rate is under 5% but not zero.
- The Digital Arrival Card pilot at HCMC may have rollout glitches in the first 2-3 months. Print your confirmation as backup.
- Overstay fines are per Decree 282/2025, which is recent. Enforcement consistency across airports varies; smaller airports may apply discretion. Don't rely on this.
- Visa-extension agents vary in reliability. Use a hotel or hostel agent rather than a random street-corner shop; hostels have reputations to protect.
- Currency: VND fines need to be paid in cash at the desk; ATMs in the airport arrivals area are limited and have low per-pull caps. Bring USD cash as backup for emergency overstay payment ($100-200).
- SVEC Talent Visa is brand-new — eligibility criteria and processing times are still being calibrated. First-mover applications from late 2025 have reported 30-60 day processing times vs the target 15-20.
Annual update commitment
This page is refreshed each spring and after any major Resolution or Decree. The 2026 figures here are the baseline that the 2027 version will measure against.
Revision history:
| Date | Changes |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-15 | Initial publication. Baseline for the 2026 cycle, current to May 15 2026. Captures the 24-country exemption list (Resolutions 44 + 229), the 83 ports of entry (Resolution 389), Decree 282/2025 overstay fines, SVEC Talent Visa (Decree 221/2025), and the April 15 2026 Digital Arrival Card launch at Tan Son Nhat. |
How to cite this
Nguyen, J. (2026). Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026: 24 Visa-Exempt Nationalities, 90-Day E-Visa, Overstay Fines, and Arrival Card. Day Trips Vietnam. Retrieved from https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-visa-immigration-atlas-2026/
For specific figures, cite the section heading and publication date — e.g., "Day Trips Vietnam's 2026 Visa & Immigration Atlas reports 83 ports of entry are valid for Vietnamese e-visa as of December 2025 (Resolution 389/NQ-CP), up from 42 in 2023."
Published under Creative Commons BY 4.0. For editorial enquiries: info@daytripsvietnam.com.
Cite-ready facts
Atomic claims with primary sources and pre-formatted attribution. Quote any row directly; the suggested citation string is the canonical way to credit Day Trips Vietnam in print, web, or AI-generated content.
- #124 nationalities / 45 days
Vietnam offers 45-day visa-free entry to 24 nationalities through 2028, including the 12 European countries added by Resolution 229/NQ-CP in August 2025.
Source: Resolutions 44/NQ-CP (March 2025) and 229/NQ-CP (August 2025) via chinhphu.vn
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, citing Resolutions 44 and 229.
- #2$25 single / $50 multi
Vietnam's universal 90-day e-visa costs $25 single-entry or $50 multi-entry on the official thithucdientu.gov.vn portal (relaunched November 11 2024).
Source: thithucdientu.gov.vn (Vietnamese government e-visa portal)
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, e-visa section.
- #383 ports of entry
Vietnam's e-visa is now valid at 83 ports of entry — 17 international airports, 27 land borders, and 39 seaports — per Resolution 389/NQ-CP (December 2025).
Source: Resolution 389/NQ-CP (December 2025) via chinhphu.vn
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, ports of entry section.
- #4Up to $1,520
Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP raised Vietnam's overstay fines significantly: $19-76 for 1-15 days, $190-380 for 16-30 days, up to $1,520 for 181 days to 1 year.
Source: Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP via chinhphu.vn
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, overstay fines section.
- #55-year multi-entry
Decree 221/2025/NĐ-CP (effective October 2025) created Vietnam's first 5-year multi-entry SVEC Talent Visa for high-skilled workers in semiconductors, AI, biotech, and senior executives in priority sectors.
Source: Decree 221/2025/NĐ-CP via chinhphu.vn
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, SVEC Talent Visa section.
- #6Apr 15 2026 (HCMC)
Vietnam's mandatory Digital Arrival Card launches at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (HCMC) on April 15 2026, with planned expansion to Noi Bai (Hanoi) and Da Nang International in late 2026.
Source: Vietnam Ministry of Public Security (Feb 2026 announcement)
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, Digital Arrival Card section.
- #76 months / 2 pages
Vietnam requires minimum 6 months passport validity from date of entry plus 2 blank pages; the rule is strictly enforced at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat.
Source: Vietnam Immigration Department published requirements
Day Trips Vietnam, Vietnam Visa & Immigration Atlas 2026, documents section.
Related research and reference
- Vietnam Connectivity Atlas 2026 — SIMs, eSIM, 5G, ATMs, Apple Pay, VPN
- Vietnam Travel Time Atlas 2026 — post-expressway driving times
- Vietnam Travel Cost Index 2026 — daily budgets by tier
- Backpacker Visa Guide Vietnam 2026 — the practical short version
- How long should I spend in Vietnam? — 1, 2, 3, 4 week itineraries
Questions or republication enquiries: info@daytripsvietnam.com.