The headline visa story of August 2023 was the 45-day visa exemption for 13 countries. The quieter, broader story was the expansion of Vietnam's e-visa to every country and territory worldwide, with stays of up to 90 days. For most international visitors — anyone not from the ~25 visa-free countries — this is the policy that actually matters.
The arrivals data from the next two years tells the story. India up 48.9% in 2025. Philippines up 81.3%. Markets that don't qualify for visa-free entry, but do get easy e-visa access, surged. Here's what the policy actually does and how to use it.
What changed in August 2023
| Before August 15, 2023 | After August 15, 2023 |
|---|---|
| E-visa available to ~80 countries | E-visa available to all countries and territories |
| Maximum stay: 30 days | Maximum stay: 90 days |
| Single-entry only | Single or multiple entry |
| ~28 entry checkpoints | 42 international checkpoints |
| 30-day gap between visa-exempt entries | No gap for visa-exempt countries |
The reform package was authorised through the National Assembly and detailed in resolutions tied to Resolution 128/NQ-CP. It came into effect simultaneously with the 45-day visa-exempt policy.
How the e-visa actually works
Practical mechanics for travellers using the system in 2026:
- Apply at the official portal: evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn (Department of Immigration). Avoid third-party services unless you genuinely need their concierge — the official portal is the cheapest, fastest, and most reliable option.
- Upload a passport photo and a passport bio-page scan.
- Pay $25 (single-entry) or $50 (multiple-entry) by card.
- Receive PDF approval in 3–5 business days. Print it.
- At the Vietnamese border, present passport + printed e-visa approval.
That's it. No embassy visit, no in-country agent, no airport-counter waiting.
The 42-checkpoint coverage
The August 2023 expansion grew the list of e-visa-recognised entry points from 28 to 42, including:
- Major airports — Hanoi (Noi Bai), HCMC (Tan Son Nhat), Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh, Hai Phong, Vinh, Cat Bi, plus several smaller regional airports.
- Land borders — Cambodia (Moc Bai, Tinh Bien, Ha Tien), Laos (Lao Bao, Cau Treo, Nam Can), China (Mong Cai, Tan Thanh, Lao Cai).
- Seaports — Hai Phong, Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), Phu My (Vung Tau), Cat Lai (HCMC).
This matters for two reasons: (a) regional travel is now genuinely hub-flexible (you can fly into Phu Quoc directly from Bangkok or Singapore on an e-visa), and (b) overland entries from Cambodia, Laos, and China are smoother than they were pre-2023.
What the arrivals data shows
The cleanest evidence that the e-visa expansion worked is in arrival growth from countries that don't qualify for visa-free entry. These markets had no other reason to surge in 2024–2025 unless visa friction had been a binding constraint:
| Source market | 2025 growth (vs 2024) | E-visa eligible? |
|---|---|---|
| India | +48.9% | Yes (no visa-free option) |
| Philippines | +81.3% | Yes (ASEAN 14-day visa-free, but e-visa for longer stays) |
| United States | (significant growth, exact figure not public) | Yes |
| Brazil, Argentina, Mexico | (in residual categories) | Yes |
| African and Middle Eastern markets | (in residual categories) | Yes |
India is the clearest case: a billion-population country with no visa-free arrangement with Vietnam, where Vietnam tourism flow had been growing slowly through the 2010s. Then in 2024–2025, with the e-visa available and stays extended to 90 days, India grew 48.9% in 2025 alone — the fastest Asian-market growth among Vietnam's top 10 sources. By 2025, India was Vietnam's 6th-largest source country at 746,000 arrivals.
The Philippines case is interesting because Filipino travellers have ASEAN 14-day visa-free entry — so they didn't need the e-visa for short trips. The 81.3% growth suggests the longer 90-day option enabled multi-week trips that the 14-day visa-free regime didn't support.
What this means for your trip
1. If you're from outside the 45-day visa-free list, the e-visa is the default
Practical decision tree:
- Visa-free 45-day country (about 25) → no application needed, just arrive. See the 45-day exemption article.
- ASEAN national → 14- to 30-day visa-free entry depending on country. Use the e-visa only if you want a stay longer than your visa-free allotment.
- Everyone else → 90-day e-visa, applied online at the official portal.
For US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, and most Latin American passport holders, the e-visa is the default tourist-entry mechanism in 2026.
2. Don't pay for "visa services" that just resubmit the official form
A small ecosystem of third-party visa services has grown around Vietnamese e-visas, charging $50–$120 to fill in the same official portal you can use yourself for $25. Avoid them unless you genuinely need:
- Expedited processing (24-hour turnaround vs the standard 3–5 business days), or
- Help with an unusual case (long-expired passport, prior overstay, dual citizenship complications).
For a standard tourist application, the official portal is the cheapest, fastest path.
3. Use the multiple-entry option for regional circuits
If you're planning a multi-country Southeast Asia trip — Vietnam → Cambodia → back to Vietnam, or Vietnam → Laos → back to Vietnam — get the multiple-entry e-visa for $50. The single-entry version forces a fresh application (and another 3–5 day wait, plus another $25) every time you want to re-enter Vietnam, which is annoying when you're trying to spontaneously add a Cambodia detour mid-trip.
The 90-day window covers most reasonable regional circuits. If you need longer than 90 days, exit Vietnam, then re-apply for a fresh e-visa — there's no required gap between e-visas.
4. Print your approval. Always.
Vietnamese border posts accept printed e-visa approvals; some don't reliably accept phone-screen versions. Travelers occasionally report being asked for a printed copy at land border crossings. Print at home before flying; if you're already abroad, hotel printers everywhere will help.
5. Watch the policy environment — it's still moving
The expansion of access to e-visa was the August 2023 reform. The expansion of visa-free access has been a 2025 reform. Vietnam tourism authorities have signalled further changes are under consideration: longer e-visa stays, faster processing, more visa-free countries. Always check the official site for your country before booking.
Limitations & caveats
- The 48.9% India and 81.3% Philippines growth figures aren't formally attributed to the e-visa. GSO doesn't publish causal analysis. Our attribution is inferred from timing, the absence of other plausible drivers, and the directional consistency with peer-country natural experiments.
- The e-visa application portal has had reliability issues. Several user reports describe occasional outages and processing delays beyond the stated 3–5 business days. Apply at least 2 weeks ahead of travel as a safety margin.
- Overstaying an e-visa is strictly enforced. Penalties include fines (typically $25/day plus a base fee), exit-stamp issues, and potential re-entry restrictions. Set a calendar reminder for your visa-end date.
- Government policy can change. The 90-day cap is current, but earlier policy iterations capped stays at 30 days. The cap could be revised — up or down — in future reforms. Pre-trip verification matters.
- The e-visa is for tourism and short business visits. Other purposes (study, employment, journalism) require different visa categories with embassy involvement.
Sources & further reading
- Primary source: Embassy of Vietnam in the U.S. — New Policy on Electronic Visa and Visa Exemption (October 2023) — official policy explanation.
- Vietnam Briefing — Vietnam's Tourism Industry: Growth Trajectory, Policies, And Opportunities — analytical overview of e-visa impact.
- Official Vietnam e-visa application portal — Department of Immigration. The only legitimate application channel.
- Vietnam Tourism — Visa Requirements — VNAT's traveller-facing summary.
Related on this site:
- Vietnam visa guide — practical application walkthrough
- 45-day visa exemption research — the parallel policy for European visitors
- 2025 international arrivals record — the macro picture both reforms helped produce