If you hold a US passport, you need a Vietnam evisa, and the official portal is the only sensible place to get one. It costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry, it is valid for 90 days, and the official processing clock is 3 working days.
Those figures come straight from the Vietnam Immigration Department's own portal. Everything else on page one of Google is a reseller adding a markup to the same form.
This guide walks the official process step by step, explains the parts that trip people up (the photo size limits, the registration code, the entry-port list), and gives you an honest read on how long it really takes. It is written for travellers, not lawyers, and every rule below links to the government page it comes from.
Do US citizens need a Vietnam evisa?
Yes. The United States is not on Vietnam's visa-exemption list, so an American tourist needs either an e-visa or a visa issued by a Vietnamese embassy or consulate before travelling. There is no visa-free entry and no reliable "visa on arrival" for US passport holders in 2026; the so-called visa-on-arrival letters sold online are a pre-approval workaround that predates the e-visa and is now unnecessary for tourists.
Vietnam does waive visas for citizens of some countries. The national tourism board's visa requirements page lists 13 countries whose citizens can stay up to 45 days without a visa (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus), and a second wave of 12 European countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic and others) was added on 15 August 2025 under Resolution 229/NQ-CP, valid until 14 August 2028. If you travel on one of those passports, you may not need this guide. If you travel on a US passport, you do.
How does the Vietnam evisa work?
Vietnam opened the e-visa to citizens of every country on 15 August 2023 and, at the same time, extended it from 30 to 90 days with multiple entry allowed. The rules are published by the tourism board at vietnam.travel and the application itself lives on the Immigration Department's portal at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. You complete a short form, upload a portrait photo and a passport scan, pay by card, and receive a registration code by email. When the visa is approved you print it and carry it with your passport. That is the whole process.
How much does the Vietnam evisa cost?
The portal states the fee as $25 for a single-entry evisa and $50 for a multiple-entry evisa. Those fees are non-refundable if your application is refused, which the portal is explicit about.
The confusing part is that a search for "Vietnam e-visa" returns a wall of commercial sites that look official, use the national flag, and charge anywhere from $40 to $150 for what they call "processing". They are agencies filling in the same government form on your behalf. Some are honest about it, some are not, and none of them can make the Immigration Department move faster. The only site that issues a Vietnamese e-visa ends in gov.vn. If the address does not, you are paying a middleman.
| Item | Official portal | Third-party agencies |
|---|---|---|
| Single entry, 90 days | $25 | Typically $40 to $90 |
| Multiple entry, 90 days | $50 | Typically $70 to $150 |
| Processing | 3 working days, stated by the portal | Same government queue, "rush" fees change nothing at immigration |
| Who issues the visa | Vietnam Immigration Department | Vietnam Immigration Department, via the agency's account |
Agency prices above are ranges we observed while researching this guide in September 2026; they change constantly and are not published by any official body, which is exactly the point.
What gets a Vietnam evisa application rejected?
The portal's own warning is blunt: "If there is any missing or incorrect/unidentified information, your application will not be accepted." In practice three things cause most refusals.
1. The passport. The US State Department's Vietnam page, updated 2 July 2026, says your passport must be valid at the time of entry, must have 6 months of validity beyond your arrival date, and must have one blank page available per stamp. It also notes that Vietnam may not accept the 12-page US emergency passport for e-visa entry. Check your expiry date before you pay the fee.
2. The photo. The portal requires a portrait photo "straight looking without glasses" and a scan of the passport data page. Portrait files must be under 50KB and passport scans under 200KB. Those limits are tiny by modern phone standards; a typical phone photo is 3 to 5 MB. Resize before you start or the upload will fail silently and you will wonder why the form will not submit.
3. Matching details. Name, date of birth, passport number and expiry date must match the passport scan character for character. A transposed digit is an automatic refusal and a lost fee.
Step by step on the official portal
| Step | What you do | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open the official application page and choose "For foreigners". | Confirm the address ends in gov.vn. |
| 2 | Upload the portrait (under 50KB) and passport scan (under 200KB). | Plain background, no glasses, no hat. |
| 3 | Enter personal details, passport details, and your intended entry date. | The visa validity starts from the entry date you choose, not the approval date. |
| 4 | Choose single or multiple entry, and your entry and exit ports. | Pick from the approved port list below. |
| 5 | Give an address in Vietnam. | Your first hotel is fine. |
| 6 | Pay $25 or $50 by card. | Non-refundable if refused. |
| 7 | Save the registration code emailed to you. | You need it to check status and to download the visa. |
| 8 | After 3 working days, check status on the e-visa search page. | Download and print. Bring a paper copy. |
The portal describes the flow as: complete the information entry, receive a registration code by email, pay the fee, then check approval using that code. There is no confirmation phone call and no interview.
How long does the Vietnam evisa really take?
The official processing time is 3 working days. Two things stretch it in practice.
Working days means Vietnamese working days. Applications lodged on a Friday evening in the US land on a Saturday in Hanoi and start their clock on Monday. Around Tet, the Lunar New Year holiday that falls in late January or February, and around the 30 April and 1 May public holidays and 2 September National Day, the queue pauses for several days.
Second, some applications are flagged for a manual check. The portal does not publish a statistic for this and neither will we; our practical advice is to apply two to three weeks before you fly, and never later than one week out. That leaves room for a refused application (a bad photo, a mismatched digit) to be resubmitted with a fresh fee without missing a flight.
If your e-visa is still "processing" the day before departure, there is no expedite button on the official portal. Agencies that promise same-day results are relying on the same queue.
Which airports and land borders accept the Vietnam evisa?
The e-visa is only valid at the ports listed by the government. The tourism board's visa page lists 13 international airports, including Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, Cam Ranh (for Nha Trang), Phu Quoc, Phu Bai (Hue), Cat Bi (Hai Phong), Can Tho, Van Don, Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Phu Cat and Lien Khuong (Da Lat). It also lists 16 land border gates, among them Moc Bai and Xa Mat from Cambodia, Lao Bao and Cau Treo from Laos, and Huu Nghi and Lao Cai from China, plus 13 seaports.
You name your entry port on the form. If you plan to fly into Da Nang and leave overland to Laos, say so; entering through a port you did not declare can mean a refused entry. If your plans are not fixed, multiple entry for $50 gives you more room, but the port list still applies.
Single or multiple entry?
Single entry at $25 covers the classic trip: fly in, travel the country, fly out. Multiple entry at $50 is worth it in three cases. You are combining Vietnam with Cambodia or Laos and coming back (the Hanoi to Luang Prabang to Hue loop is common). You are a remote worker planning a visa run to reset the 90 days. Or you simply want the freedom to change your mind for $25 more. The 90-day validity is the same for both.
At the border
Carry a printed e-visa and your passport. Immigration officers at Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat are used to phones, but a printout removes any argument about screen brightness or a dead battery after a long flight. The officer checks that the passport number matches, stamps you in, and you are through. There is no fee at the border for e-visa holders.
One more State Department point worth knowing: there is no vaccination requirement for entry, and no limit on currency you bring in, though amounts above the declared threshold must be reported. Check the State Department page for the current declaration figure before you carry a large amount of cash.
The copycat problem, plainly
Type "Vietnam e-visa" into a search engine and count how many results end in .com, .org or .net. Every one of them is a private company. Some charge a fair service fee and file correctly. Others have been reported by travellers for filing late, filing wrong details, or not filing at all. The government does not license or endorse any of them, and the tourism board's own page sends you straight to the gov.vn portal.
The safest test is the address bar. The official application is at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and nowhere else. If a site asks for more than $25 or $50, or asks for documents beyond a photo and a passport scan, you are not on the official site.
What to do once the Vietnam evisa is approved
- Print two copies and keep one in your passport.
- Book your first nights with the address you gave on the form; our My Khe Beach hotel shortlist is a good start if you land in Da Nang.
- Screenshot the approval email in case the airline counter asks.
- Read where locals eat in Da Nang on the plane, so the first meal is not at the airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Vietnam e-visa for Americans?
$25 for single entry and $50 for multiple entry, paid on the official portal. Both are valid for up to 90 days. Any higher price is an agency fee on top.
How long does the Vietnam e-visa take?
The Immigration Department states 3 working days. Allow longer around Vietnamese public holidays, and apply at least two weeks before you fly so a refusal can be resubmitted.
Can I get a visa on arrival in Vietnam with a US passport?
Not as a walk-up tourist. The pre-approval letters sold online are a legacy workaround. For a holiday, the e-visa is the intended route and the cheaper one.
Do I need to print the e-visa?
The portal instructs you to print it to enter and exit Vietnam. A paper copy in your passport avoids any dispute at the counter.
Can I extend a Vietnam e-visa?
The e-visa is not designed to be extended inside the country. Travellers who want longer usually leave and re-enter on a multiple-entry visa or apply for a new one. Rules on extensions change; confirm on the Immigration Department portal before relying on it.
What if my application is refused?
The fee is not refunded. Fix the reason (usually the photo, the passport scan, or a mismatched detail) and apply again. This is why applying early matters.
Primary Sources
- Vietnam Immigration Department, official e-visa application portal: evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn (fees, processing time, photo requirements, printing instruction)
- Vietnam Immigration Department, e-visa status search: evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/tra-cuu-thi-thuc
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, visa requirements and approved ports: vietnam.travel/plan-your-trip/visa-requirements
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, visa exemptions effective 15 August 2025 (Resolution 229/NQ-CP): vietnam.travel
- US Department of State, Vietnam country information, updated 2 July 2026: travel.state.gov
Last reviewed 17 September 2026 by the Known by Locals Editorial Team against the sources above. Visa rules change; the official portal always wins over this page.