Vietnam Visa for American Citizens

American travellers need a visa for Vietnam — there is no exemption for US passports — and the e-visa is the simplest way to have one. Vietnam's Immigration Department issues it online, the portal takes applications from every nationality, and it allows a stay of up to 90 days. You can have it as a single-entry visa for USD 75 or a multiple-entry visa for USD 100, all-in, filed by us once a person has checked your details.

Two documents complete the application: a scan or clear photo of your passport's data page, with all four corners and the two lines of machine-readable text visible, and a recent portrait on a plain white background, no glasses. That is the whole document list. You will not be asked for proof of funds, an itinerary or an invitation for a tourist e-visa, though we do need your entry and exit points, your departure date and an address in Vietnam, such as your hotel.

Multiple entry earns its extra cost on trips that dip into a neighbouring country. Plenty of itineraries add Angkor Wat in Cambodia, by air or overland through crossings such as Moc Bai, and then return to Vietnam to fly home. With a single-entry e-visa that second arrival would need a new visa; with the multiple-entry one you simply come back through any gate on the Government's list — every international airport, 27 land crossings and the seaports.

Timing is the part to get right, because the 90 days count from the day the e-visa is issued rather than the day you arrive. Apply two to three weeks before departure. The official processing time is three working days; we promise three to five after our check, with extra days around Tet in late January or February. Your passport should be valid for 6 months, and each traveller with a passport of their own needs an e-visa of their own.