Lisa_Pham
New Member
Heading back to Vietnam for the third time this year and figured I'd share what I've learned about the eVisa process since it trips up a lot of people on their first attempt.
The basics
You apply online at evisa.gov.vn — USD 25 for single entry, USD 50 for multiple. Both 30-day and 90-day validity cost the same, so always pick 90 days. Processing is 3–5 Vietnamese business days, which means if you apply Friday afternoon your clock doesn't start until Monday morning Vietnam time.
Where most people go wrong
The entry port field is the one that gets people. If you're flying from Australia or the US via Seoul, the transit airport is ICN — but your entry port needs to be the Vietnamese airport where you land (SGN for Ho Chi Minh City, HAN for Hanoi). The portal accepts ICN without flagging it, but immigration review catches it later and your application just... stops. No email, nothing.
Same issue with iPhone photos — the default HEIC format triggers errors. Change your camera settings to JPEG before you take the photo.
When you're cutting it close
I've used vietnamvisaeasy.com a couple of times when I've left it too late. They handle the application for you, check for the common errors before submitting, and have urgent tiers — 1-hour through to same-day weekend processing. Not cheap for the urgent stuff but when you're at the airport it's worth it. They also have a WhatsApp line that replies quickly.
Key things to double-check before submitting
The basics
You apply online at evisa.gov.vn — USD 25 for single entry, USD 50 for multiple. Both 30-day and 90-day validity cost the same, so always pick 90 days. Processing is 3–5 Vietnamese business days, which means if you apply Friday afternoon your clock doesn't start until Monday morning Vietnam time.
Where most people go wrong
The entry port field is the one that gets people. If you're flying from Australia or the US via Seoul, the transit airport is ICN — but your entry port needs to be the Vietnamese airport where you land (SGN for Ho Chi Minh City, HAN for Hanoi). The portal accepts ICN without flagging it, but immigration review catches it later and your application just... stops. No email, nothing.
Same issue with iPhone photos — the default HEIC format triggers errors. Change your camera settings to JPEG before you take the photo.
When you're cutting it close
I've used vietnamvisaeasy.com a couple of times when I've left it too late. They handle the application for you, check for the common errors before submitting, and have urgent tiers — 1-hour through to same-day weekend processing. Not cheap for the urgent stuff but when you're at the airport it's worth it. They also have a WhatsApp line that replies quickly.
Key things to double-check before submitting
- Entry date = Vietnam arrival date, not your departure date from home
- Entry port = Vietnamese airport (SGN/HAN/DAD), not your transit hub
- Photo format = JPEG, white background, no glasses
- Validity = 90 days (same price as 30)
- Full legal name including all middle names from your passport MRZ