Line for the Vietnam Visa On Arrival at Noi Bai International Terminal 2 (Source: Flickr)
Here is the quick list of the top two agencies for getting a visa on arrival for Vietnam. I’ll go into more detail in my reviews later in this article.
Depending on what country you are from, you will most likely need to get a visa if you plan to visit Vietnam. And while you certainly can get a visa at your nearest consulate or embassy, the most hassle-free way to get a visa for Vietnam is to get one upon arrival. You will need to bring with you two color passport-sized photographs (4cm x 6cm or 2in. x 2in., identical, and taken within the last 6 months), some cash for the stamping fee (US$150 will be more than enough for any length of stay), and a visa approval letter from a Vietnam visa agency. You’ll present all these items to Immigration after you land in Vietnam.
To receive a visa approval letter, you will have to select a reputable Vietnam visa agency, fill out an application form and then pay a small service fee. The approval letter should be received within two business days.
If you do a search on Google for “Vietnam visa agency” or “Vietnam visa service,” you will see tons of results. However, there are quite a few unreliable agencies out there. Based on personal and reader feedback, I’ve compiled a list below of the best Vietnam visa agencies for visa on arrival. These companies specialize in helping both tourists and business travelers in getting that important visa approval letter that you will need to have as soon as you land in Vietnam.
Reliable Vietnam Visa Agencies
With offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Hotels-in-Vietnam.com (also known as Tun Travel) is another solid visa agency. You will find that they have a nice, clean website. If you have any questions, you can give them a call. They have customer service agents that speak English, French, and German.
Hotels-in-Vietnam.com (a.k.a. Tun Travel)
The second visa agency is MyVietnamVisa.com. Although I’ve never used their services, I hear good things about their customer service from my readers, so it makes this list.
My Vietnam Visa
The letter you get from one of these agencies above will look like this:
Vietnam Visa Approval Letter (Source: VietnamsVisa)
While applying for a visa through standard procedures is a time proven and reliable method, in the case of getting a visa for Vietnam, it will just result in unnecessary headache. When last minute opportunities present themselves, not all travelers have time to wait the two to three weeks it can take to get a normal visa. That’s where the visa on arrival comes in.
Summary of the Vietnam Visa on Arrival Process
The visa on arrival is every bit as legitimate as a regular visa. It is simply a more convenient alternative to receive your proper travel documents to enjoy your stay in Vietnam, particular for those who do not live in an area of the world with easy access to a Vietnamese Consulate.
Once you work with a Vietnam Visa agency in order to get your approval letter, you will be permitted to fly to Vietnam, with the full assurance that you will be granted your official visa upon arrival in the country.
Obtaining an Approval Letter
The visa on arrival does hinge upon you having what is commonly referred to as a Private Vietnam Visa Approval Letter prior to leaving on your trip. To get the letter, you will need to make contact with a registered travel agency or tour operator that deals with Vietnam (I’ve listed some reliable ones above).
These agencies all work pretty much the same way. They will ask for your passport information and travel itinerary, along with any other pertinent documents that they might require. You can easily send those items to them via email.
Next, they will obtain the requisite signatures in Vietnam and email the signed approval letter back to you in a PDF file within a matter of days. You will then just need to print that out and take that with you to Vietnam. Upon arrival, you take the letter with you to the visa on arrival counter and pay your fee, and you will be on your way in no time.
Restrictions for the Visa on Arrival
Danang International Airport (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
It is important to note that the visa of arrival is only valid for entry into Vietnam by air at one of the four main international airports servicing the country. Those include the following:
- Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City
- Cam Ranh International Airport in Nha Trang
- Danang Airport in Da Nang
If you wish to enter the country by either land or sea, you will need to secure a visa from the Vietnam Embassy in your home country prior to departing for your trip.
Photo Requirement
Similar to most countries in the world that require a visa for arrival into their country, you will need to submit two standard size photographs along with your approval letter when you arrive at the airport in Vietnam.
The photographs should be passport size, roughly 4x6cm. It is also interesting to note that you can get these photographs taken at the airport in Vietnam for an extra fee if you find that you have forgotten this step in the process. Keep in mind, however, that Vietnam is not responsible if, for whatever reason, those services are unavailable when you arrive. I recommend that you depart for Vietnam with the proper documents you need to complete the visa on arrival process.
As such, it is always recommended that you get these photographs together prior to leaving on your trip. You can easily go to a CVS Pharmacy (for you who live in the U.S.) or some other quick photo processing center to get these taken for you.
Dates to Include on your Application
Many times, applicants may not yet know the exact date of their arrival into Vietnam. This is OK because the letter you get will indicate approval for travel for the duration of the length of visa that you applied for. You will just want to make sure that the date you put in your application is not later than the day you actually intend to arrive in the country.
Conclusion
In short, providing you have everything collected and ready to go prior to departure, the process of getting your visa on arrival should be a snap. You will need to submit your visa approval letter (that you got with the help from a Vietnam Visa agency….note: I’ve listed a few above that can do this for you), then 2 standard passport size photographs, and then the stamping fee to get your visa.
Currently, the fee for the visa on arrival is between 25 and 50 USD per person, depending on if you desire a single or multiple entry visa. I always recommend bringing with you $150 in cash to be safe.
Note to U.S. Citizens: 1-month, 3-month (single/multiple entry), 6-month (multiple entry), and 1-year visas (multiple entry) on arrival are available.
Vietnam Visa Fees on the Wall at Ho Chi Minh City ***Note: Fees Subject to Change*** (Source: Flickr)
There you have it. This is everything you really need to know about getting your visa on arrival into Vietnam. One more item to be aware of is that the stamping fee is paid at the airport, while the application fee will be paid directly to the agency that you use to get your approval letter. While that fee can likely be paid via credit card, you will need to pay for the stamping fee in either US Dollars or Vietnam Dong directly at the airport upon arriving in Vietnam (make sure you have the cash before you depart).
Enjoy your trip!
A Celebration in Vietnam
Further Reading
Want Professional Visa Help? If you are a U.S. citizen and want professional help with getting a visa, check out my post on the 4 Best Travel Visa Services in the United States.
Worldwide Moving Guide: Everything you need to know in order to plan your move to 65+ countries around the world.
Find an Embassy or Consulate: Check my Worldwide Embassy and Consulate Finder to find the diplomatic representation nearest you.
Worldwide Jobs Guide: Be sure to check out my posts on how to find jobs in any country in the world.
Worldwide Dating Guide: Also, check out my posts on the best online dating sites in 60+ countries around the world.
About Addison Sears-Collins
Hey! I'm Addison Sears-Collins, the founder of Visa Hunter. You can learn more about me here. Connect with me by liking my fan page on Facebook, connecting with me on Twitter, or check out my website Automatic Addison where I build robots and embedded systems.
Visahunter.com accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the accuracy of the information contained on this site. Please read the Visitor Agreement and Disclaimer. If you think there is an error in the information, please bring it to our attention so that we can correct it. Also, some of the links above could be advertisements or affiliate links, which means that I will earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) should you decide to click on the links and make a purchase. I recommend sites from time to time, not because I earn money or get a tiny commission if you click on the affiliate links and make a purchase, but because, I want you to focus on the places that will deliver you the most value and the best results. Good luck!