Incorrect passport number
A single incorrect digit creates a mismatch between the passport and visa.
Before you travel
Vietnam Entry Requirements: Documents and Travel Checklist
Check your passport, visa or visa-free eligibility, document details and airline rules before departure. This practical guide brings the main Vietnam travel requirements into one checklist for boarding and immigration.
Passport and entry basis
Airline document checks
Preparation for immigration
Before departure
Quick checklist before departure
Before travelling, check that:
- Your passport remains valid for your nationality and entry basis.
- You qualify for visa-free entry or hold the correct visa.
- The details in your passport, booking and visa match.
- Your visa dates, number of entries and border checkpoint fit the itinerary.
- You have saved a return or onward ticket and your first accommodation address.
- You have checked airline and transit-country requirements.
- You have prepared documents for children and controlled medicines.
- You have completed PAI voluntarily when it is useful for your trip.
Not every item is mandatory for every passenger. Requirements vary by nationality, entry basis, itinerary, airline and country of departure.
Documents
Passport validity
Check your passport before buying non-refundable tickets.
The requirement depends on your nationality and entry basis. A condition that applies to one visa exemption programme does not automatically apply to every foreign visitor.
Entering with a Vietnam electronic visa
A Vietnam electronic visa can be valid for up to 90 days. Its expiry date must be at least 30 days earlier than the passport expiry date.
In other words, at least 30 days must remain on the passport after the visa expires.
Entering without a visa
Before relying on visa-free entry, check:
- whether your nationality is eligible;
- the permitted length of stay;
- the required passport validity;
- whether the exemption covers your passport type;
- whether the programme has any additional conditions.
Visa exemption rules vary by nationality, passport type and programme.
Important requirement of our service
To apply for a Vietnam electronic visa through our service, your passport must be valid for at least six months on your intended date of entry.
This is an internal requirement of our service, not a universal official rule for every way of entering Vietnam. It does not replace a nationality-specific check.
Entry basis
Visa, electronic visa or visa-free entry
Before travelling, identify the document or exemption that allows you to enter Vietnam.
Visa-free entry
Citizens of certain countries can enter Vietnam without a visa for a specified period. The permitted stay, eligible passport types and additional conditions depend on nationality.
Vietnam electronic visa
A Vietnam electronic visa may allow a single entry or multiple entries and can be valid for up to 90 days. It can be used through approved international border checkpoints.
Another visa or residence document
A traveller may also enter with another valid visa, a temporary or permanent residence card, or another document recognised under Vietnamese law.
Before boarding
Check the details in your booking and visa
Even a small error can lead to extra checks, unsuccessful online check-in or problems at the airport.
Compare these details with your passport:
- full name;
- passport number;
- date of birth;
- nationality;
- issuing country;
- passport expiry date;
- visa validity dates;
- number of permitted entries;
- intended border checkpoint.
Full name
The name in your booking and visa should match your passport. Check the spelling, name order and any double or middle names.
Passport number
Do not assume that a visa issued for an old passport will transfer automatically to a replacement passport.
Electronic visa dates
A Vietnam electronic visa is valid from the date printed on the document.
You cannot enter before the start date. Entering later does not move or extend the expiry date.
Border checkpoint
Confirm that your airport, seaport or land checkpoint is approved for entry with an electronic visa.
Number of entries
A single-entry electronic visa can be used once. A trip that involves leaving Vietnam and returning usually requires a multiple-entry visa or another valid basis for re-entry.
Airline checks
What the airline may check before boarding
Your documents may be checked in the country of departure before you are allowed to board.
The airline may ask for:
- a valid passport;
- a visa or proof of visa-free eligibility;
- matching details across your passport, booking and visa;
- suitable visa dates;
- transit documents;
- documents for children;
- a return or onward ticket;
- other documents required for the itinerary.
Why the airline may request a return ticket
An airline may have to arrange and pay for a passenger's return if entry is refused. For that reason, staff may ask for evidence that you will leave Vietnam within your permitted stay.
It is safer to have a genuine confirmed ticket, such as:
- a fully refundable ticket;
- a cancellable fare with clear fees;
- a ticket that allows date changes;
- a genuine onward ticket that matches your itinerary.
Before purchasing, review the fare rules, refund amount, cancellation deadline and possible fees.
Do not use forged tickets, edited confirmations or reservations that cannot be verified.
A return ticket is not a document that every traveller is always asked to show at Vietnamese immigration. In practice, the airline may request it before departure.
Online check-in and a boarding pass do not guarantee entry. The final decision is made by Vietnamese immigration authorities.
Pre-arrival
PAI and pre-arrival information
PAI means Pre-Arrival Information. It allows an air passenger to submit passport, visa and travel details before arriving in Vietnam. The system then creates a QR code.
Is PAI mandatory?
PAI is not currently a general mandatory entry condition for every foreign traveller.
It is used voluntarily as part of a pilot process. It may reduce waiting time, but not completing the form does not by itself prevent entry.
PAI:
- is voluntary;
- may speed up arrival procedures;
- is not a visa;
- does not replace an electronic visa or visa-free eligibility;
- does not guarantee admission;
- is not a health declaration.
The form can be submitted within three days before entry. Save the QR code on your phone after completing it.
Official address, non-clickable text only:
prearrival.immigration.gov.vn
Do not enter passport or payment details on websites with similar addresses. Vietnamese authorities have reported fake sites impersonating the PAI system.
The rules may change after the pilot stage. Before departure, check any current message from your airline.
Return ticket and accommodation address
Return or onward ticket
Save the ticket on your phone and as a separate PDF so that you can show it without internet access.
The departure date should fall within your permitted stay. When your plans may change, choose a refundable or cancellable fare, or a ticket that allows date changes.
Accommodation address
Save:
- the name of your first hotel or apartment;
- the full address;
- the city or province;
- the property's telephone number;
- the booking confirmation.
A printed hotel booking is not a universal entry requirement for every foreign traveller. However, the address may be useful when completing a form, answering airline questions or speaking to an immigration officer.
Family and health
Entering Vietnam with children
Before travelling, check the rules of the country of departure, any transit countries, the airline and Vietnam.
Prepare:
- the child's valid travel document;
- a visa or proof of visa-free eligibility;
- the child's ticket;
- a birth certificate when proof of relationship may be needed;
- the accompanying adult's documents;
- parental consent or authorisation when required for the itinerary.
Consent from the second parent is not a universal Vietnamese requirement for every family trip. It may depend on the child's nationality, country of departure, accompanying adult and airline rules.
When a child is included in a parent's passport instead of holding a separate passport, check whether this is accepted for the child's nationality and entry basis.
A child with a separate passport uses that passport and their own basis for entry.
Are vaccinations required?
A standard vaccination certificate is not normally required from every tourist.
Medical advice may depend on the region, length of stay, season, age, health conditions and plans to visit rural areas.
Medical advice is not the same as an immigration requirement. Vietnam may introduce temporary health measures for specific groups if an infectious-disease risk arises.
Is a health declaration required?
From 1 July 2026, health declarations are not routinely required from every person entering, leaving or transiting through Vietnam.
A declaration may be introduced temporarily for specific groups and a limited period when required by the infectious-disease situation.
Do not confuse a health declaration with PAI:
- PAI contains passenger and travel information;
- a health declaration relates to sanitary and epidemiological conditions.
Medicines during your trip
Keep ordinary medicines for personal use in their original packaging.
For prescription, psychotropic, narcotic or other controlled medicines, prepare:
- the prescription;
- a doctor's letter;
- the international name of the active substance;
- the dosage;
- the quantity needed for the trip.
Restrictions may depend on the active substance, so do not rely only on the brand name.
At the border
What to present at immigration
Normally required
Prepare:
- the original valid passport or another recognised travel document;
- a valid visa when required;
- proof of visa-free eligibility;
- another document confirming your legal basis for entry, when applicable.
May be requested
An immigration officer may ask about:
- the purpose of your visit;
- your return date;
- your accommodation address;
- your itinerary;
- documents for a child;
- contact details of a host;
- documents for controlled medicines;
- a PAI QR code if you completed the form voluntarily.
A return ticket, accommodation booking or travel insurance does not guarantee admission on its own. The decision depends on your documents and the circumstances of the trip.
Common reasons for problems before boarding
The booking name does not match the passport
Problems may result from missing names, reversed name order or incorrect transliteration.
The visa has not started yet
The passenger arrives at the airport before the visa start date.
The trip ends after the visa expiry date
The return or onward ticket falls outside the permitted stay.
The border checkpoint cannot be used with the electronic visa
The actual airport, seaport or land checkpoint is not approved for entry with an electronic visa.
A single-entry visa has already been used
After leaving Vietnam, the traveller cannot use the same single-entry visa again.
Transit requirements were not checked
A connection may require immigration clearance, baggage collection or a domestic flight. This can change the route requirements.
There is no return or onward ticket
The airline cannot confirm that the passenger plans to leave within the permitted stay and requests an additional check.
Documents for a child are missing
The traveller has not prepared the child's travel document, proof of relationship, consent or authorisation when required.
Final airport checklist
Passport packed
Passport validity checked
Visa or visa-free eligibility confirmed
Visa details match the passport
Visa dates cover the trip
Border checkpoint and number of entries fit the itinerary
Return or onward ticket saved
First accommodation address saved
Airline and transit requirements checked
Documents for children prepared
Prescriptions and medicine documents prepared
PAI completed voluntarily
PAI QR code saved if the form was completed
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to enter Vietnam?+
The main documents are a valid passport or another recognised travel document and proof of your basis for entry, such as visa-free eligibility, a visa, an electronic visa or a residence card. The airline or an immigration officer may also request a return ticket, accommodation address or documents for a child.
How long must my passport be valid?+
The requirement depends on nationality and the basis for entry. For an electronic visa, the visa expiry date must be at least 30 days earlier than the passport expiry date. To apply through our service, the passport must be valid for at least six months on the intended date of entry. This is an internal service requirement.
Is a return ticket mandatory?+
Not for every traveller in every situation. However, the airline may request a return or onward ticket during check-in or boarding. It is safer to have a genuine confirmed booking with suitable cancellation or refund terms.
Is PAI mandatory?+
No. PAI is currently a voluntary pre-arrival system. It may make arrival procedures faster, but it does not replace a visa and does not guarantee entry.
Are vaccinations or a health declaration required?+
A standard vaccination certificate is not normally required from every tourist. From 1 July 2026, health declarations are not routinely required from all travellers, but they may be introduced temporarily for specific groups.
What documents does a child need?+
A child needs a valid travel document and a suitable basis for entry. Depending on the route, additional documents may include a birth certificate, parental consent or written authorisation.
Can I carry prescription medicines into Vietnam?+
Keep ordinary medicines in their original packaging. For prescription or controlled medicines, carry a prescription or doctor's letter showing the active substance, dosage and quantity needed for the trip.
Can an airline refuse to let me board?+
Yes. Airlines check entry and transit documents before departure. A passenger may be refused boarding or sent for an additional check because of an invalid passport, missing visa, mismatched details, unmet transit requirements or a missing onward ticket when it is needed for the itinerary.
Check your documents before you travel
Select your nationality and travel dates. The checker will show whether visa-free entry is available, whether you need a Vietnam electronic visa and which permitted stay may suit your itinerary.