News report | | 10-01-2023 | ±2 minutes reading time

Critics say western travellers in particular are not travelling to Vietnam and that this is because visa rules are too strict. Currently, only travellers from 25 countries are allowed to travel to Vietnam without a visa. Travellers from other countries must apply for a visa before leaving for Vietnam. The length of stay for visitors who do not require a visa varies depending on their nationality. For example, travellers with Chilean nationality are allowed to stay in Vietnam for 90 days without a visa, but travellers from the UK or Germany, for example, are only allowed to stay for 15 days. By comparison, neighbouring Malaysia allows visa-free travel for all countries in the European Union, among others. Per visit, they are allowed to stay in the country for 90 days without a visa.

According to Vietnamʼs tourism industry, visa rules should be relaxed soon to boost the number of visitors to the country in the short term. For instance, the number of nationalities allowed to travel to Vietnam without a visa should be significantly increased. Also, the maximum length of stay allowed for visa-free travellers should be longer. Instead of the 15 days currently applicable to many countries, the length of stay should become a minimum of 30 days.


The requirements for the electronic Vietnam visa have also been criticised. Travellers from Western countries who are not eligible for visa waivers or who wish to stay in Vietnam for more than 15 days can apply for this e-visa. The e-visa can be applied for online and is valid for a 30-day stay. Several parties in Vietnamʼs tourism sector argue that this permissible length of stay should be increased and the visa should also be able to be used multiple times. Currently, the e-visa can only be used for one trip, regardless of the length of stay in Vietnam. Thus, for future visits, a new visa for Vietnam must be applied for each time.


Before the global COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam also had a visa that was valid for three months and could be used for multiple trips. However, this visa has not yet been reintroduced. The “visa on arrival” that in the past could still be obtained upon arrival at the airport is also no longer available.

Modest expectations for 2023

Despite the disappointing 2022 figures, Vietnam is cautiously optimistic for 2023. The country expects to welcome some 8 million foreign visitors in 2023, more than double the number of travellers who visited the country in 2022. However, this is still much less than the visitor numbers before the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2019, Vietnam welcomed 18 million international travellers.

In December 2022, almost 20 percent more visitors came to Vietnam compared to the previous month. The country hopes this trend will continue, and large-scale marketing initiatives are therefore in the pipeline to encourage foreign travellers to choose Vietnam. Despite pressure from various sectors, the government has yet to give any indication that it plans to ease visa requirements in the short term.

Please note: this news article about the visa for Vietnam is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Vietnam.

e-Visa.ie is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the Vietnam visa. e-Visa.ie is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a visa directly with the immigration service (640.352 VND per visa, via evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.ie, our support centre is available to you 24/7. In addition, we manually check your application and all the documents you provide before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 640.352 VND in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as € 31,38 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Vietnam visa was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.