Vietnam E-Visa 2026: The $25 Official Route, the Sites That Charge $80, and Who Doesn't Need One
How to get a Vietnam e-visa in 2026 on the official government portal: $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry, up to 90 days, about three working days. Which passports get 45 days visa-free, the copycat sites to avoid, and the mistakes that get applications rejected.
Search "Vietnam e-visa" and the first results are often not the government. They are agencies with official-looking names that charge $60 to $120 to fill in the same form you can complete yourself for $25. The government portal is plain, slow on a bad day, and entirely enough.
The official portal and the fee
The official e-visa portal is evisa.gov.vn, run by Vietnam's Immigration Department (it links to the department's other .gov.vn pages). Sites ending in .com or .org, or with names like "vietnam-visa-online", are private agencies, even if they show the national emblem.
On the official portal, since August 2023:
- Single entry, up to 90 days: US$25
- Multiple entry, up to 90 days: US$50
- Open to citizens of every country
- Usually processed in about three working days; allow a week around holidays such as Tết
You pay by international card at the end of the form. The fee is non-refundable if the application is refused.
Related reading: Cost of Living in Hanoi in 2026: A Local's Real Monthly Budget · Tipping in Vietnam: Who Expects It, How Much, and When Not to Bother
Do you need one at all?
Some passports can enter without a visa. Under a policy running from March 2025 to March 2028, citizens of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland get 45 days visa-free. Twelve more European countries were added from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028, and most ASEAN passports have their own visa-free periods (often 30 days).
US, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand passport holders still need a visa. Lists change, and travel sites disagree on the edges, so check your nationality on the Immigration Department's site before you book. If your stay will run past the visa-free period, apply for the e-visa instead; you can't simply extend at the airport.
Filling in the form without getting refused
Refusals that travellers report online mostly come down to small mismatches rather than anything about the applicant.
- Photo: a recent passport-style photo, white background, no glasses, face square to the camera. Phone selfies against a patterned wall are a common reason to be asked for a new photo.
- Passport scan: the full data page, all four corners, no glare across the name or number. Your passport needs at least six months left from the date you enter.
- Names: type them exactly as on the passport, in the same order. A missing middle name is a common reason for a mismatch at the border.
- Entry date and port: the e-visa is valid from the date you choose. Arriving a day early means you're not covered yet. Pick the airport or land crossing you'll actually use; most international airports and the main land borders are listed.
- Address in Vietnam: a hotel name and street address is fine for tourists.
Save the registration code the portal gives you. You need it to check the status and download the visa, and the confirmation email doesn't always arrive, so don't rely on it.
When it arrives
Download the PDF and print it. Immigration officers at Nội Bài and Tân Sơn Nhất will usually look at it on your phone, but a paper copy saves you if your battery or signal dies in the queue. Check the dates and the spelling of your name the moment it arrives; if anything is wrong, contact immigration before you fly, not at the counter.
What about "visa on arrival"?
For most travellers, it no longer makes sense. The old system needed a pre-approval letter bought from an agency plus a stamping fee at the airport. With the 90-day e-visa costing $25, there's no reason to pay more for a letter. If a site sells you "visa on arrival" in 2026, ask yourself what you're actually paying for.
Is an agency ever worth it?
Occasionally: if you're short on time and want someone to chase an urgent application (no agency can approve a visa itself), or you've been refused once and don't know why. Even then, compare the price with the $25 base fee and ask exactly what they do that you can't. For a normal trip with a week to spare, the government portal is the whole job.
Checked in October 2026. Fees and visa-free lists can change at short notice; confirm on evisa.gov.vn and the Immigration Department's site before you travel.
— John Le
Sources
- Vietcetera: Vietnam Visa & Immigration Master Guide 2026
- Vietnam Tourism: Vietnam e-visa 2026, step-by-step guide, rejections and traps
- Frontier Travel Vietnam: Vietnam travel guide 2026
- Jungle Boss: Vietnam visa and entry requirements in 2026
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John Le · Hanoi local · writes about everyday costs and life in Vietnam. Spotted an outdated price? Tell us and we will update it.
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