Over the past few years we’ve seen some incredible Premium Cabin fares from various OneWorld airlines (Qatar and Cathay) from Vietnam back to the United States. I’ve personally been fortunate enough to jump in on a few of these fares which has been a ton of fun.
However, beginning a trip in Vietnam presents a unique challenge. No, not getting there… The challenge is entering Vietnam. See, to enter Vietnam as a US Passport holder you must first receive a Vietnamese travel Visa.
The process of getting a Visa isn’t all that difficult, but it can be a bit of a hassle. I’ve written about this before, but essentially you have to apply, get a letter, visit a Visa on Arrival office, wait, and then a Visa is stuck on a passport page. The whole process is mostly painless, but it does cost about $25 for the Visa application and another $25-$50 “stamping fee” upon arrival. Finally, the other thing I dislike about the Visa on Arrival process is that the visa and subsequent stamps take up at least two valuable passport pages as you can see below.
When I first applied for a Vietnam Visa back in 2017, this was the only way to get one. Until very recently I thought that was still the case. Thankfully, during the first leg of my Cathay Pacific First Class trip from Hanoi to Hong Kong I met another FlyerTalk member who informed me of the “new” (since mid-2017) Vietnam E-Visa!
Getting Started On A Vietnam E-Visa
One of the things that’s confusing about applying for a Vietnam Visa is that from the beginning the process seems a bit sketchy. Most of the websites offering Visa services look fake so it can be hard to figure out which website to use. Generally, I always recommend using the official immigration website to avoid getting taken advantage of. Applying for an E-Visa is similar in that regard and again I recommend using the Vietnam Immigration Website.
Once on the above homepage click on the Electronic Visa (E-Visa) image to reach the E-Visa application site.
Next, on the above site, click the button which best fits your situation. In my case, I clicked on the “For Foreigners” page as it best described the purpose of my visit. After clicking that link you’ll reach the following application page.
Filling out the application takes just a few minutes, but make sure to do it quickly. I’ve noticed the application doesn’t work properly if not filled out in a timely manner.
Applying For A Vietnamese Electronic Visa
Filling out the Vietnamese Electronic Visa application is fairly straightforward. The only “difficult” part is scanning a photo of yourself and your passport data page into the application. After that, simply type in the data required exactly as it appears in your passport.
After filling out the application in its entirely you must click the box confirming that you have filled out the application truthfully before clicking the “review application form” button at the bottom of the page. After clicking that button you will reach a payment page. As expected simply fill out your payment information to pay the $25 E-Visa Application Fee. Once you’ve entered your payment information the next step is critical!
Once you’ve submitted your application and completed payment you will receive a registration code. It is imperative that you record that registration code! Applicants are supposed to receive a few emails with their application. One should include the registration code and another should let you know when your application is processed. However, I’ve heard occasionally, after submitting payment, there is no such communication. In that case, if you don’t have your registration code you may have to start the entire process over and perhaps even pay another $25 application fee. To avoid this, do yourself a favor and save your registration code!
Receiving My Vietnam E-Visa
For my Vietnamese Electronic Visa I was one of the lucky ones who did receive several emails with regards to my application status. The first email arrived a few hours after submitting my application.
This email contained my registration code which matched the one I was given previously. The second email came within minutes of the first and confirmed payment of my $25 E-Visa Application fee. Finally, a few days later, I received another email from the Vietnam Immigration Department with the subject line “E – visa Vietnam: Announcement result.” The email did not list the result, but instead again listed my registration code and directed me to check my E-Visa status on the E-Visa Search Menu page.
After clicking on the included link the website directed me to enter my registration information. Once entered I recached another page which notified me that my E-Visa was granted. This page also included a copy of my E-Visa confirmation letter. From this page, make sure to save the letter to your phone and print out at least one copy. Airlines typically require a printed copy of the E-Visa or Visa On Arrival paperwork at check-in.
Entering Vietnam With An Electronic Visa
The past two times that I’ve been to Vietnam I’ve used the Visa on Arrival program. Visa on Arrival follows essentially the same application process above, but is much more difficult after landing in Vietnam. Previously I had to visit the Visa on Arrival counter, wait, pay a stamping fee, wait, and then I received my Visa. It was a frustrating process to go through after flying 20 or so hours around the world.
The E-Visa process was much easier. When I landed in Hanoi I simply went straight to the immigrations line and presented my passport and E-Visa letter to a customs agent. Within about 30 seconds the officer stamped my passport and I was allowed to enter the country. The E-Visa process takes much less time than the dated Visa on Arrival process and most importantly, costs much less in the end. With an E-Visa you are not required to pay a “stamping fee” when you arrive in Vietnam.
Final Thoughts
I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have been told about the E-Visa process. Applying for an E-Visa takes the same amount of time and effort as applying for a Visa on Arrival, but costs less and is much quicker. The only frustrating thing about the E-Visa is that it seems to almost always take 3 day to process. This isn’t an issue if you are good at planning ahead. However, if you are in a bind and need a quicker turnaround time it seems your only option is the dated Visa on Arrival process.
Overall I’m extremely pleased with the Vietnam E-Visa process. It’s much simpler and cheaper than the old process. Going forward I’ll definitely continue to use E-Visas over the VOA process.
