Vietnam Arrival Card: How to Complete the PAI Form

PAI stands for Pre-Arrival Information. It is a digital declaration with basic information about the traveller, entry basis and itinerary.

The Immigration Department launched the system as a pilot at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in April 2026. Its official launch article states that the pilot was optional rather than mandatory for international air travellers. A later notice published by the Embassy of Viet Nam in Singapore on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website listed several major airports and strongly encouraged all foreign travellers to complete the declaration.

What this means in practice:

• completing PAI before departure is the safer practical choice and may reduce waiting time;
• the official material reviewed does not list a missing advance QR code as an automatic reason for refusal of entry;
• an airline may give a stricter operational instruction for a particular flight;
• PAI does not replace an eVisa, visa-free eligibility, a passport or any other entry document.

Treat an airline check-in instruction separately from the general immigration rule. If your carrier asks for a completed PAI declaration before boarding, follow that instruction for your flight.

Official website:

prearrival.immigration.gov.vn

You can submit the digital arrival card during the three days before arrival in Vietnam. A later official notice also permits completion upon arrival, although submitting it before departure is normally more convenient.

What to prepare

• passport details;
• local arrival date;
• the flight number on which you enter Vietnam;
• arrival airport;
• address of your first accommodation;
• visa details, when applicable;
• contact information.

The exact fields may change as the portal develops. Follow the live form shown on the official website when you submit.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Open prearrival.immigration.gov.vn.
2. Choose an available language.
3. Start a new declaration.
4. Enter the CAPTCHA code.
5. Complete the personal, visa and travel sections.
6. Check the passport number, name, arrival date, flight and airport.
7. Submit the form.
8. Save the QR code to your phone.

How to complete the main fields correctly

Full name. Copy it from the passport. Do not translate, shorten or rearrange it unless the form specifically separates surname and given names.

Passport number. Check every letter and number. Use the passport that you will present at immigration.

Flight number. Enter the flight on which you physically arrive in Vietnam. A wrong airline code or flight number may prevent the declaration from matching booking data.

Arrival date. Use the local calendar date on which the aircraft lands in Vietnam, not the date you leave your first country.

Accommodation address. Enter the first hotel, apartment or other place where you plan to stay after entry.

Visa information. Enter the details of the visa you will use. PAI cannot correct errors in an eVisa or extend your permitted stay.

After a successful submission, the system generates a QR code. Save it on your phone and print it if convenient. The official guidance does not present a paper copy as a separate mandatory entry condition.

Wrong flight number

The Immigration Department reported unsuccessful declarations caused by flight details that did not match Passenger Name Record data.

Check:

• airline code;
• flight number;
• arrival date;
• airport of entry.

Wrong passport details or date

Do not use a QR code linked to incorrect information. Follow the official portal instructions for correction or resubmission. If the required option is unavailable, ask the airline or immigration authorities how to proceed. Never edit the QR image manually.

Flight or airport changed

Compare the declaration with the new booking. When the flight, airport or arrival date has materially changed, update or resubmit the information only through the process currently available on the official portal.

The official PAI website is not working

Try the following:

1. Reload the page later.
2. Use another current browser.
3. Switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi.
4. Disable automatic page translation when it interferes with the form.
5. Confirm that the address is exactly prearrival.immigration.gov.vn.

Do not switch to an unfamiliar paid website because the official portal is temporarily unavailable. If the portal is still unavailable before departure, keep evidence of the failed attempt, check your airline's guidance and follow immigration instructions after arrival.

The same service may be described as the Vietnam arrival card, digital arrival card, arrival form or immigration form. Its official name is Pre-Arrival Information, abbreviated as PAI.

The difference is straightforward:

• PAI provides passenger and journey information;
• a visa or visa-free status provides the legal basis for entry;
• a health declaration relates to health measures when such a form applies;
• a customs declaration covers goods, cash and other items that must be declared.

One declaration does not replace another.