Vietnam 2024 Visa Costs: A Complete Breakdown for Hassle-Free Travel

As an avid traveler with over 7 years of experience exploring Southeast Asia, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Vietnam multiple times. With its rich culture, mouthwatering cuisine, stunning landscapes, and welcoming locals, Vietnam has become one of my favorite destinations in the region. Read below about “Vietnam 2024 Visa Costs: A Complete Breakdown for Hassle-Free Travel”.

However, navigating Vietnam’s visa requirements can be confusing for first-time travelers. After several trips under my belt, I’ve learned how to secure my Vietnam visa in the most convenient and cost-effective way possible.

In this article, I’ll provide a complete breakdown of Vietnam’s 2024 visa costs so you can plan your trip worry-free. I’ll also share insider tips from my own travels to Vietnam so you can avoid common visa mistakes.

An Overview of Vietnam’s Visa Policy

Unlike some of its Southeast Asian neighbors, Vietnam requires visitors of most nationalities to obtain a visa before arrival. Some exceptions include ASEAN countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

For everyone else, there are three main types of visas for entering Vietnam:

1. Visa on Arrival (VOA): Allows you to receive your visa when you land in Vietnam. Note that you must apply and pay for approval letter before departure.
2. E-visa: An electronic visa you apply and pay for online. It’s usually valid for 30 days.
3. Visa from a Vietnamese embassy/consulate: A traditional paper visa you obtain by submitting an application to your closest Vietnam diplomatic mission.

The Vietnamese government occasionally changes its visa regulations, but most travelers choose the E-visa for its convenience. As I’ll explain below, it’s also often the most budget-friendly option.

Vietnam 2024 Visa Costs: E-Visa vs VOA vs Embassy Visa

The cost of your Vietnam visa mainly depends on whether you choose an E-visa, VOA (visa on arrival), or embassy visa.

Here’s a breakdown of the current pricing for 2024:

Vietnam E-Visa

• Single entry: $25 USD
• Multiple entry: $50 USD

E-visas allow either 30 or 90 days stays, with 30 days being the standard duration.

Vietnam VOA (Visa On Arrival)

• Single entry: $60 USD
• Multiple entry: $95 USD

VOA allows stays between 30-90 days depending on the letter you apply for before departure.

Vietnam Embassy Visa

• Single entry: $80-$135 USD
• Multiple entry: $135-$275 USD

Embassy visa validity and duration varies by consulate. Some allow multiple entry visas valid for up to 12 months.

As you can see, the E-visa offers the best value for short-term travelers wanting to keep costs low. The VOA makes sense for multiple entry visas, while embassy visas are ideal for long-term visitors needing 12-month validity.

I’ll expand more on each of these options below…

Get Your Vietnam E-Visa to Save Time and Money

Thanks to Vietnam’s convenient E-visa program, applying online takes just 5-10 minutes. As a busy working traveler, I love the ease of getting approval within 1-3 business days without visiting an embassy or consulate.

The $25 USD single entry E-visa fee is budget-friendly too. And you don’t have to deal with slightly higher VOA costs or pay for expensive visa photos required for embassy applications.

I should also mention the E-visa approval letter can be shown in digital or paper format at immigration checkpoints. I normally access mine using the Vietnam Evisa app on my phone when I land at Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City airports.

Some key tips for your Vietnam E-visa:

• Make sure your passport has 6+ months validity or else you may be denied boarding your flight
• Double check your personal details when applying as any errors can cause issues
• Print a copy of the approval letter as back-up in case of tech problems
• Know you can extend the 30-day E-visa up to 90 days total once inside Vietnam

Get a Vietnam VOA for Longer or Multiple Trips

If you require longer durations or plan on visiting Vietnam more than once in the next few months, a VOA (visa on arrival) makes sense.

Just remember you still must apply and pay for pre-approval before departure – this is basically your “visa stamping fee”. Once you have the letter, present it at immigration when you land to get your actual VOA permit into Vietnam.

I went the VOA route last year when I stayed in Vietnam for 2.5 months to visit my Vietnamese friends in multiple cities. The $95 USD fee for a 6-month multiple entry VOA was totally worth it!

Some tips for your Vietnam VOA:

• Apply for your VOA letter at least 4-5 days pre-departure to ensure enough processing time
• Print your VOA letter and have your return ticket ready for immigration officers
• Know you can extend a 30-day VOA to 90 days max, and a 90-day VOA up to 180 days total

Get a Vietnam Embassy Visa for 12-Month Business or Resident Trips

If you’re looking to stay in Vietnam for an extended period (like over 6 months), I’d recommend securing an embassy visa from your closest Vietnam diplomatic mission.

When I spent 1 year in Vietnam on an entrepreneur visa, the consulate staff helped me obtain a 12-month multiple entry visa within 7 business days. It was quick and they even allowed paying the $200 USD fee using a money order.

The benefits of getting my visa directly from the Vietnamese embassy were clear:

• Long 12 month validity so I didn’t need to extend my visa in-country
• Multiple entries allowed so I could exit/re-enter Vietnam whenever needed
• Assurance of an official visa from diplomatic staff

That said, the visa application process was more tedious compared to applying online. I had to submit paper forms, passport-sized photos, passport photocopies, a return envelope, and other supporting documents. A travel agent could’ve helped compile all these items but I chose to gather them myself.

If you’re relocating more permanently, there are other long-term visa options too. Vietnam has retirement visas for elderly expats along with temporary/permanent resident cards.

How To Avoid Common Vietnam Visa Problems

Over my past 7 years of traveling in Vietnam, I’ve seen some tourists run into frustrating visa problems that could’ve easily been avoided.

Here are some of the biggest mistakes to steer clear of:

Mistake 1: Not having 6+ months of passport validity

I once met a girl at my Hanoi hostel who wasn’t allowed to board her flight in Bangkok because her passport expired in 5 months. All visas require your passport to be valid for at least 6 more months. Avoid this headache by checking your expiry date well in advance.

Mistake 2: Misspelling your name or birthday on the visa application

A friend of mine put the wrong birth year on his E-visa application and his mistake wasn’t caught until he arrived at the airport in Vietnam. After hours sorting out the issue with immigration officials, he finally got his visa but the process was extremely stressful.

Triple check your details before submitting any Vietnam visa application!

Mistake 3: Not applying early enough for your VOA letter

I recently spoke to a girl who applied for her VOA letter just 2 days before her departure flight, only to find out it takes 5 days processing time. She unfortunately had to cancel her trip.

For VOAs, submit your application 5-7 days pre-departure. For E-visas, apply at least 3 days before your trip.

Mistake 4: Overstaying your 30-day visa exemption

Some nationalities like Swedes, Italians, and Filipinos get 30 days visa-free in Vietnam. An American friend of mine assumed this meant 30 days stay from when she first landed…but it’s actually 30 days from your original date of entry. She overstayed by a week and had to pay steep fines!

Carefully track your visa exemption dates if you have one.

Conclusion: Vietnam 2024 Visa Costs: A Complete Breakdown for Hassle-Free Travel

I hope this guide gives you a better idea of Vietnam’s current visa costs and policies for 2024. Just remember…

Secure your visa WELL in advance of your departure date. Double check all your application details before submitting them. And print/save digital copies of your approval letters as back-up.

By getting your ducks in a row early, you’ll breeze through visa formalities once you arrive in incredible Vietnam!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions. I’m happy to share more tips from my 7 years of experience traveling extensively across Vietnam. I hope you like reading “Vietnam 2024 Visa Costs: A Complete Breakdown for Hassle-Free Travel”.