Vietnam Visa - Fees and Assorted Tips

Fees for Vietnam Visas

As of March 2008, the fees are as follows:

Single entry, one-month

• Regular service (5 business days) - $65
• Rush service (2 business days) - $85

Single entry, three-month

• Regular service (4 business days) - $110 

Multiple entry:

• Valid for 1 month: $130.00 (3 business days to process)
• Valid for 3 months: $150.00 (3 to 4 business days to process)
• Valid for 6 months: $200.00 (3 to 4 business days to process)

If applying by mail, enclose a self-addressed postage-paid envelope for your passport's return trip. (The Vietnamese Embassy recommends you use a self-addressed pre-paid FedEx Shipping Label with effective FedEx account number, or a pre-paid US Postal Office service envelope).


Vietnam Visa Tips

Want to get a Vietnam visa faster and cheaper than you can get it in the States? Get it from an embassy at a neighboring Southeast Asian country. If you're entering Vietnam from elsewhere in Southeast Asia, that country's Vietnam embassy may be able to process your visa quicker and more cheaply than you ever could in the U.S. The Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok, Thailand is a popular source of Vietnam visas for many travelers.

Take note: the rules are different from embassy to embassy. While the consulates in the U.S. permit you to apply for longer-term visas, that’s not necessarily true of every Vietnamese embassy or consulate. “Some consulates in Southeast Asia only provide a two-week visa for Vietnam,” says Vietnam Visa Center’s Jason D., “and prices from consulate to consulate vary a great deal.”

Don't start the application process until your travel plans are are sure to push through. The official forms require you to state your ports of arrival and departure, and it's far too much trouble to change this at the last minute.

Allow plenty of time for the embassy to process your visa. Don't file for your visa at the last minute.

Vietnam embassies and consulates are closed on Vietnamese holidays too, so take that into account before visiting.

Visitors to Vietnam must finish an entry/exit form and a customs declaration in duplicate. The yellow copy will be given back to you, and you must keep this safe with your passport. You will be required to present this when you leave.

Overseas Vietnamese are exempt from Vietnam Visas, if certain conditions are met. ("Visa exemption for overseas Vietnamese to go ahead", Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)

A knowledgeable Vietnam travel agency may be able to secure a Vietnam visa for you at an additional cost, with minimum headache.