A trial of a new digital arrival card has been underway at Ho Chi Minh City Airport since 15 April 2026. The Minister for Public Security intends to roll out the digital arrival card nationwide once the trial period has concluded. The aim is to streamline and speed up the arrival process. In this way, the Vietnamese government hopes to reduce waiting times for travellers and digitise the procedures.
The new digital arrival card for Vietnam
The Vietnamese Immigration Service plans to digitise the arrival procedure. The first step in this direction was the trial phase of the new arrival card, also known as ‘PAI’. The abbreviation stands for “Pre-arrival Information”. From 15 April 2026, all foreign travellers arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport were able to use the ‘PAI’ system. It is expected that travellers will soon be required to use the new system. By then, the paper arrival card is likely to have disappeared completely.
The new PAI system
Before the new system was introduced, foreign travellers arriving in Vietnam were given a paper form to fill in either on the plane or in the arrivals hall. The form was collected from them during passport control.
Under the new digital system, international travellers must provide the necessary information at least three days before their arrival in Vietnam. To do so, they must complete an online form. The form is available in several languages and can be completed free of charge via the immigration service’s website.
The fields to be filled in largely correspond to the Vietnam e-Visa application form. Travellers who have applied for an e-visa prior to arrival will therefore need to fill in their details twice. They will also need to provide a passport photograph. Once the arrival card has been successfully submitted, travellers will receive a QR code which they must show on arrival.
What details do I need to fill in on the arrival card?
To obtain the digital arrival card, travellers must have the following details to hand: passport number, date of issue and expiry date of the passport, full name, gender, date of birth, nationality, a telephone number, an email address and (where applicable) details of the (electronic) visa for Vietnam. In addition, details of the planned journey must be provided.
How will the PAI check-in card continue to be rolled out?
The Vietnamese Immigration Department has already given a positive assessment a few weeks after the start of the trial phase for the PAI arrival card. It appears that 70% of international travellers have used the new system. In total, 161,596 travellers have used the new arrival card, of whom 119,000 have successfully submitted their applications.
The most common reason why travellers were unable to submit their arrival card correctly was that the flight number had not been entered correctly. As a result, the arrival card could not be linked to the travellers’ details held by the airline.
The Vietnamese Immigration Service is pleased with the results of the trial phase and now wishes to improve the new arrival card based on travellers’ feedback. The new arrival procedure will first be rolled out at other international airports and, possibly, at land border crossings at a later date.
The difference between the Vietnam (e-)visa and the new “PAI” arrival card
It is important for travellers to fully understand the differences between the arrival card and the (e-)visa for Vietnam. In fact, these are two entirely separate procedures. The (e-)visa is a travel permit that some travellers need in order to travel to Vietnam. British nationals can travel to Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days for a holiday.
Do you wish to stay in Vietnam for more than 45 days, or are you planning to travel to Vietnam on business? If so, you will need an (e-)visa. You can apply for an e-visa for Vietnam on this website request it easily in Dutch. With the Vietnam e-visa, you can stay in the country for up to 90 days. The cost is € 54,95 per person, and applications are usually processed within 13 days. If you are planning to travel to Vietnam soon, you can submit an urgent application.
An arrival card is mandatory for all foreign travellers arriving in Vietnam. It does not matter whether the traveller already holds a valid visa or not.