Vietnam Visa for Australians: How the e-Visa Works

We checked every rule in this guide on 26 October 2026 against Smartraveller's Vietnam advice, Vietnam's e-visa portal and the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra. Entry rules can change at short notice, so check those pages again before you apply.

Australian passports need a Vietnam visa, with a few narrow exceptions

Smartraveller says you need either a visa or a visa exemption certificate to enter Vietnam. The embassy's FAQ page gives Australians the same answer: yes, you need a visa. Australia isn't on the list of visa-exempt countries on the embassy's visa page.

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Trip length doesn't change that. A long weekend of Vietnamese street food in Ho Chi Minh City needs a visa just like a month on the road.

A few cases work differently, according to the embassy:

• Flight connections. You don't need a visa if you stay in the airport's transit area between flights. If you clear immigration to re-check bags or catch a domestic flight, you do.
• Cruise stops. Passengers who stay in the seaport's transit area while the ship is in port don't need a visa.
• Phu Quoc island. You can stay up to 30 days without a visa only if you fly into Phu Quoc directly from outside Vietnam, or connect at a Vietnamese international airport without leaving the transit area. Smartraveller doesn't mention this exemption, so confirm it with the embassy before you rely on it.
• Vietnamese family ties. You may be able to get a 5-year visa exemption certificate instead of a visa (below).

The 5-year visa exemption certificate for Vietnamese families

Smartraveller says you can apply for a visa exemption certificate if your spouse or parent is a Vietnamese national. The embassy's exemption page says it's issued to foreign passport holders of Vietnamese origin and to their husbands, wives and children, for family visits or private matters.

The certificate lasts 5 years, or until 6 months before your passport expires. Each stay can last up to 6 months, and the embassy says it can be extended once, by up to 6 months, for a valid reason. You apply through the embassy with an online form, a passport with at least a year's validity, two photos and certified copies of the documents that prove your Vietnamese origin or family link. The embassy issues the certificate only after Vietnam's Immigration Department approves your application in writing. The embassy says those checks can take up to four weeks in some cases.

Vietnam e-visa fees, entries and the 90-day limit

The e-visa costs US$25 for a single entry and US$50 for multiple entries, as listed on the official portal. You pay by card on the portal, and the portal says the fee isn't refunded if the visa is refused.

Smartraveller says the e-visa covers tourism or business and allows a stay of up to 90 days if granted. For stays longer than 90 days, it says to contact the nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate.

Single entry means one entry. Cross into Cambodia or Laos and that visa is used up, so choose multiple entry if you'll come back within the visa's dates. Planning Angkor Wat as a side trip? Sort out mobile data for Cambodia before you cross.

The Vietnam e-visa application on evisa.gov.vn, step by step

The whole process runs on one government site, evisa.gov.vn, which belongs to Vietnam's Immigration Department. You don't need an agent, and the embassy in Canberra says it can't help with e-visa applications.

Step 1: Go direct to evisa.gov.vn

Smartraveller warns that travellers have been scammed by private online visa services and travel agents. Type the address yourself rather than clicking an ad. If an agent already got you an e-visa, check it's genuine on the portal's e-visa search page, which the embassy points to.

Step 2: Get your photo and passport scan ready

The portal asks for two images before the form opens:

• A recent 4x6 cm photo in JPG or JPEG, under 2MB, facing straight ahead, with no hat or glasses and a white background
• A clear image of your passport data page, with no corners cut off

The portal reads your passport details from the image and fills in the form for you. Check every field it fills before you go on.

Step 3: Complete the form in English

Fill in every answer in English. Smartraveller says your details must match your passport's biodata page exactly, including your full name and date of birth. Then choose single or multiple entry, your dates, and your intended entry and exit points.

E-visa holders must enter and leave through border gates on the government's list. It includes the main airports, such as Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc, plus land crossings such as Moc Bai and Lao Bao and a number of seaports. Pick the gates that match your flights or route.

Step 4: Pay the fee by card

Check the summary, then pay through the portal's payment gateway with a credit or debit card and confirm with a one-time code. Save your electronic profile ID. You'll need it, with your date of birth and email address, to look up your application.

Step 5: Allow at least four working days

The embassy says applicants normally get their e-visa at the end of the fourth working day, Vietnam time, if Immigration doesn't ask for changes. If it does, allow four more working days after you fix the application. The embassy also says many applications are rejected, and it advises applying months before you travel.

Step 6: Check the e-visa and print a copy

When the e-visa arrives, check that every detail matches your passport and that your full name is there with no spelling errors. Smartraveller says an error or a missing name can mean a big fee to fix it at check-in or on arrival, a flight you can't board, or refused entry. It also suggests printing the approval. Some travellers have had trouble opening their e-visa at airport check-in, and you may be asked to show a printed copy at check-in and on arrival.

Stuck at any step? Vietnam's Immigration Department answers e-visa questions through the portal's support page.

Vietnam visa mistakes that trip up Australians

• A lookalike visa site. Apply only on evisa.gov.vn (step 1).
• A name that doesn't match. A typo or a missing middle name can stop you boarding (step 6).
• The wrong entry type. A single-entry e-visa ends when you leave, so a side trip and back needs multiple entry.
• Applying late. Four working days is the normal wait, and a requested fix adds four more (step 5).
• Skipping the passport stamp. The exit date stamped on arrival is your real deadline (below).

Vietnam visa on arrival: Smartraveller and the embassy disagree

Smartraveller says Australian passport holders can't get a visa on arrival in Vietnam. The embassy's FAQ page describes one: you need an approval letter from Vietnam's Immigration Department before you fly, two passport photos with a white background, and US$25 (single entry) or US$50 (multiple entry) in cash for the stamp at the airport, for 30 days.

With Australia's own advice saying no, the e-visa is the safer plan. If you can't use the e-visa, the embassy asks you to email it about a sticker visa or a visa on arrival. The address is on its visa page.

Landing in Vietnam: pre-arrival form, passport stamp and hotel registration

Smartraveller's overall advice level for Vietnam is "Exercise normal safety precautions". It says the storm season usually runs from June to November and can disrupt flights, roads, power and phone services, so check with your airline or tour company before you travel.

If you fly into Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Phu Quoc, Smartraveller says Vietnam encourages you to fill in the Digital Pre-Arrival Form online in the 72 hours before you land. If you don't, you may be asked to fill it in on arrival. The Immigration Department says sending it in advance helps cut your wait at immigration.

Smartraveller also says you may need to complete a health declaration, which can include proof of vaccinations. Your airline can confirm what to carry.

At the counter, the officer stamps the date you must leave Vietnam into your passport. Check it before you walk away. Smartraveller says it can differ from the date on your e-visa, and a wrong date can lead to an overstay fine.

Smartraveller says all foreigners must register their address with local police within 24 hours of arrival. At a hotel, check that it registers you at check-in. It needs your passport details, but it isn't a legal requirement for hotels to keep your passport while you stay. Staying with family or friends? Your host must pre-register you, and you need to register at the local police station.

For domestic flights, Smartraveller says you must carry the passport you used to enter Vietnam, or you may be refused boarding. Use that same passport when you check in at hotels.

Your stay ends on the date stamped in your passport

That stamped exit date is the one that counts. Smartraveller says Vietnam doesn't extend visas automatically. You can only apply for an extension before your visa expires, and your passport needs at least 6 months' validity left when you apply. You also can't switch a tourist visa to a work visa inside Vietnam.

If your visa expires or stops being valid, Smartraveller warns you may be detained, fined, or both when you leave. If it has already expired, contact Vietnam's immigration authorities to arrange your exit.

Your passport needs time left too. Vietnam's e-visa form requires it to stay valid for at least 30 days after the e-visa's end date. On passports in general, Smartraveller notes that many countries want at least 6 months' validity when you enter or leave, transit included. Check your expiry date before you apply, and if you're not sure, it suggests getting a new passport. Our pre-trip checklist for Australian travellers covers the passport timing.

Getting online in Vietnam before you leave the airport

Data makes landing easier: messages home, maps, and booking a ride into town.

HelloRoam's Vietnam plans run on Viettel Mobile, Vinaphone and MobiFone, the networks listed on our Vietnam plan page. You can pick a set amount of data or an unlimited plan. Unlimited plans carry no daily data cap. Fair-use terms apply.

Set it up at home. First check your phone works with eSIM. Then install the eSIM before you fly, so data is ready when you land.

Not sure how much to buy? Estimate your trip's data use from the apps you'll use. If you'd rather roam on your Australian plan, compare roaming with a travel eSIM before you go.