Entry/Exit Requirements

To enter Vietnam, you need a valid U.S. passport with at least six months validity remaining beyond the date of your arrival and a Vietnamese visa, a visa exemption document, or a written approval letter for a visa upon arrival. You may obtain a visa, or in limited circumstances, a visa exemption document from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate prior to traveling to Vietnam. To obtain a written approval letter, you must contact a travel agency prior to departure for Vietnam. U.S. citizens have reported unscrupulous travel agencies taking advantage of travelers and charging extremely high fees upon landing. If you arrive without an appropriate Vietnamese visa, exemption document, or written approval for a visa upon arrival, you will be denied entry and subject to immediate deportation. Vietnamese visas are usually valid for a single entry, unless the traveler specifically requests a multiple-entry visa, which may incur additional fees. If you plan to leave Vietnam and re-enter from another country, be sure that your visa is valid for multiple entries into Vietnam. If it is valid for only a single entry, you will have to obtain another visa prior to returning to Vietnam.

Please be aware that Vietnam has two fees: 1) the visa fee and 2) the visa processing fee. The visa fees are sometimes posted on the Vietnamese Embassy's website, but U.S. Embassy and Consulate officials have received reports of processing fees that vary from one applicant to another and from one issuing entity to another. We have also received reports of additional fees being charged by Vietnamese officials at land borders. We have brought this concern to the attention of Vietnamese officials, but the problem persists.

Even if you have a valid visa, you may be refused entry into Vietnam. Note that Vietnamese immigration regulations require foreigners entering Vietnam to undertake only the activity for which their visas were issued. Travelers who plan to perform volunteer or charitable work should obtain the correct visa classification before traveling to Vietnam. If you change the purpose of your visit after you have received your visa, you must obtain a new visa outside of Vietnam appropriate for your new activities before beginning those activities. Individuals intending to work in Vietnam must first obtain a work permit before applying for their work visa. If you plan to travel from Vietnam to Laos by land, you should request that your visa be affixed to your passport. Lao immigration requires proof that travelers have departed Vietnam, something that can only be shown with an adhesive visa. Vietnamese officials remove detachable visas from passports when travelers depart Vietnam, leaving travelers with no proof of their Vietnam departure. This situation can result in Lao officials requiring the traveler to return to Vietnam.

If your U.S. passport is lost or stolen in Vietnam, you must obtain both a replacement passport and a replacement Vietnamese visa. In the event of an emergency, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General can issue you a limited validity replacement passport in as little as one day; however, the Vietnamese government requires three to five working days to issue a replacement visa. Unfortunately, neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Consulate General can assist you in expediting the replacement of your Vietnamese visa.

Note: The Government of Vietnam treats the use of falsified travel documents very seriously. Travelers attempting to enter Vietnam for any purpose with an altered or otherwise fraudulent travel document are likely to face criminal prosecution and possible imprisonment.

Visit the Embassy of Vietnam website for the most current visa information. The Vietnamese Embassy’s website also releases warnings about websites suspected of being fraudulent and strongly recommends U.S. citizens not make online visa applications to these websites.

Vietnam Embassy
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 861-0737
Fax: (202) 861-0917
info@vietnamembassy.us
vnconsular@vietnamembassy.us

Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco, California
1700 California Street, Suite 430
San Francisco, CA 94109
tel. 415-922-1577, fax 415-922-1848
info@vietnamconsulate-sf.org
http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org

Consulate General of Vietnam in Houston, Texas
5251 Westheimer Rd, Suite 1100
Houston, Texas 77056
Tel: 713-850-1233; Fax: 713-810-0159
http://vietnamconsulateinhouston.org/

Permanent Representative Mission to the UN, New York and the Consulate General of Vietnam in New York

Consulate of Vietnam in New York
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 435
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: 212-644-0594/212-644-0831/212-644-2535
Fax: 212-644-5732
info@vietnamconsulate-ny.org 

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Vietnam. Immunization information for travelers can be found on the Centers for Disease and Control’s websit. 

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.