Vietnam’s 90-day e-visa is real, but recent social-media posts describing it as a newly launched policy are several years late. Vietnam expanded its electronic visa system on August 15, 2023, allowing e-visas with validity of up to 90 days for single or multiple entries and extending the framework to citizens of all countries and territories.
For travelers in 2026, the useful questions are not whether the 90-day e-visa exists, but whether you need one, which entry type fits your itinerary, how the validity dates work, and whether your planned border crossing accepts e-visas.
Vietnam 90-day e-visa at a glance
- Maximum validity: Up to 90 days.
- Entry type: Single entry or multiple entry.
- Official single-entry fee: US$25.
- Official multiple-entry fee: US$50.
- Eligibility framework: Citizens of all countries and territories can apply, subject to Vietnam’s immigration requirements and approval.
- Official processing period: The Immigration Department states three working days for e-visa processing.
- Application fee: Non-refundable if the application is refused.
- Border crossings: E-visas can be used only at approved international border gates.
No, Vietnam did not just launch the 90-day e-visa
The most important correction to the viral claim is its timing. Vietnam’s current 90-day e-visa framework took effect on August 15, 2023. The 2026 story is therefore not a new launch.
What remains relevant is that the policy continues to give travelers a much longer online visa option than the earlier maximum, with both single-entry and multiple-entry choices.
If you see a current post saying Vietnam has “just introduced” the 90-day e-visa, treat the underlying visa information separately from the headline. The visa is current; the launch date is not.
“Up to 90 days” does not mean a fresh 90 days from arrival
This is one of the most important practical points and one of the easiest to misunderstand.
An approved Vietnam e-visa has specific validity dates. Travelers should rely on the valid-from and valid-until dates printed on the approved visa rather than assuming immigration automatically starts a new 90-day period on the day they arrive.
For example, if an approved e-visa is valid from October 1 to December 29 and you enter Vietnam on October 20, the visa does not automatically move its expiry into January. The approved end date remains the controlling date.
This matters when flights change, when a traveler decides to arrive later than originally planned, or when a long trip is built around the assumption that “90 days” always means 90 days counted from entry.
Multiple entry does not reset the 90-day validity period
A multiple-entry e-visa allows the holder to leave Vietnam and re-enter during the visa’s approved validity period. It does not create another 90-day period every time the traveler returns.
Suppose a multiple-entry visa is valid from September 1 to November 29. During that window, a traveler could leave Vietnam for another country and return, provided all immigration requirements are met and the chosen border crossings are approved for e-visa use. Re-entering on November 15 would not extend the visa beyond November 29.
This makes the multiple-entry option useful for regional itineraries, but it should not be confused with a renewable 90-day stay.
Single entry or multiple entry: which one fits your itinerary?
The right choice depends on whether you plan to leave Vietnam and then come back during the same visa validity period.
- Choose single entry if you plan to enter Vietnam once, travel within the country, and leave without returning on that visa.
- Single entry may still be enough if you travel from Vietnam to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or another country and then fly home without returning to Vietnam.
- Choose multiple entry if your itinerary includes Vietnam, another country, and then Vietnam again.
- Multiple entry is also more logical when Vietnam is being used as a base for several regional side trips during the approved validity period.
The official price difference is US$25. Paying for multiple entry does not increase the maximum validity beyond the dates approved on the visa; it changes how many times you can use that visa to enter during the valid period.
Check whether you need an e-visa before paying for one
Not every international traveler needs to buy a Vietnam e-visa. Vietnam also has unilateral, bilateral and regional visa-exemption arrangements, and the permitted visa-free period varies by nationality and applicable agreement.
Some passport holders currently qualify for visa-free stays of up to 45 days, while other exemptions use different limits. Before paying for an e-visa, check the current rule for your passport and compare it with the length and structure of your trip.
If your entire trip already fits inside a valid visa-free allowance, an e-visa may be unnecessary. If you want a longer stay, need a different entry pattern, or do not qualify for visa-free entry, the e-visa becomes more relevant.
Citizens of every country can apply, but approval is not automatic
Vietnam’s published e-visa framework applies to citizens of all countries and territories. That means nationality is not limited to a short e-visa eligibility list in the way some older visa systems operated.
However, being eligible to apply is not the same as being guaranteed approval. Each application remains subject to Vietnam’s immigration requirements, and an application can be refused.
Social-media comments sometimes claim that there is a secret or unpublished list of restricted nationalities. The published framework confirms broad all-country eligibility, while immigration approval remains case-specific. Without an official published source for a separate nationality blacklist, that claim should not be repeated as established fact.
Use the official Vietnam Immigration Department e-visa portal
Visa searches produce many commercial websites that look official. Some may provide legitimate paid assistance, but they are not the same as applying directly through the Vietnam Immigration Department.
Vietnam moved its official electronic visa system to newer government domains in November 2024. When applying, verify that you are using the official Immigration Department e-visa service on a Vietnamese government domain before entering passport details or paying a fee.
This matters because third-party services can charge additional service fees, use different processing language, or create confusion about whether an application has actually been filed with the Vietnamese authorities.
How the official application process works
- Prepare the required portrait image and passport data-page image.
- Complete the online application carefully using the same passport you will travel with.
- Enter the intended visa validity dates and the other requested travel information.
- Pay the official e-visa fee for the entry type selected.
- Keep the application information needed to check the result.
- When the visa is approved, review the issued document carefully and print a copy for travel.
The Immigration Department states a processing period of three working days. That should be treated as the official processing period, not as a reason to submit an application at the last possible moment before an international flight.
Weekends, public holidays, incorrect information or requests for correction can reduce the time available to solve a problem. A safer planning approach is to finish the visa process with enough time to check the approved document before departure.
Check the approved visa dates before focusing on the “90 days” headline
Once an e-visa is issued, check the document itself rather than assuming the application was approved exactly as expected.
- Name and passport details: Make sure they match the passport used for travel.
- Valid-from date: Confirm the earliest date the approved visa permits entry.
- Valid-until date: Treat this as the key end point of the visa’s approved validity.
- Entry type: Confirm whether the issued visa is single entry or multiple entry.
For a long trip, these details matter more than memorizing the phrase “90-day visa.”
Your planned border crossing also matters
A valid e-visa cannot automatically be used at every road crossing, airport or seaport in Vietnam. E-visa holders must use international border gates approved for the e-visa system.
For travelers planning Central Vietnam, the current approved list includes airport border gates at Da Nang, Phu Bai, Dong Hoi and Chu Lai. That can make Central Vietnam a direct immigration gateway when suitable international transport is actually operating.
The fact that a border gate is approved for e-visa use does not guarantee that a convenient flight, ferry or land service is operating on your travel date. Transport availability and immigration eligibility are separate checks.
This is especially important for overland itineraries to Laos or Cambodia. Confirm that the exact land border crossing you plan to use is on the current approved e-visa list before arranging transport around it.
Five mistakes that cause more trouble than the visa fee
- Assuming 90 days always starts on arrival. The approved validity dates on the visa matter.
- Buying single entry and then planning to leave Vietnam and return. A used single-entry visa cannot simply be used again.
- Believing multiple entry restarts the visa clock. Re-entry does not create a new validity window.
- Using a commercial website without realizing it is not the official immigration portal. Check the site carefully before submitting passport details or payment.
- Assuming any border crossing can accept an e-visa. The crossing must be on Vietnam’s approved list.
What is correct
- Vietnam offers e-visas with validity of up to 90 days.
- Single-entry and multiple-entry e-visas are available.
- The official fees are US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry.
- The e-visa framework applies to citizens of all countries and territories, subject to immigration approval.
What is misleading
The claim that Vietnam has “just launched” this policy is outdated. The 90-day e-visa framework took effect on August 15, 2023.
What should not be repeated without evidence
Claims about an unpublished nationality blacklist should not be treated as established fact without an official source. Broad eligibility to apply does not guarantee approval, but those are two different issues.
What travelers should decide before applying
The basic visa numbers are easy to remember: up to 90 days, US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry. The more useful planning questions are these:
- Does your passport already qualify for visa-free entry for the full length of your trip?
- Will you leave Vietnam and return during the same trip?
- What exact validity dates do you need?
- Is the border crossing you plan to use approved for e-visas?
Answering those four questions before applying prevents most of the confusion created by simplified social-media headlines.