Current visa-free entry rules

Vietnam Visa Exemption: Visa-Free Countries and Stay Limits

International tourists arriving in Vietnam under the visa exemption program

Eligible passport holders may enter Vietnam without a visa for 14, 21, 30, 45 or 90 days. The permitted stay depends on nationality and the exemption that applies. Find your country, check any special limits and calculate your final permitted day.

Check by nationality Calculate my exit date

39 countries for ordinary passport holders

Visa-free stays from 14 to 90 days

Special limits for Kazakhstan and Belarus

How long can you stay in Vietnam without a visa?

The visa-free period depends on your nationality, passport type and the rules that apply to your country.

For ordinary passports, the available stay may be 14, 21, 30, 45 or 90 days. Your arrival date is day one. A 45-day stay beginning on 1 July therefore ends on 14 August, not 15 August.

Visa exemption means that you do not need to obtain a visa before entry. It does not remove passport requirements, immigration checks or the obligation to leave by the permitted date.

Visa-free countries

Vietnam visa-free countries and stay limits

The list below shows active visa-free rules for ordinary passport travel. Find the country in a stay group or use the searchable table.

Active nationalities: 39

Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose

This group has the broadest 45-day exemption.

GermanyFranceItalySpainUnited KingdomRussiaJapanSouth KoreaDenmarkSwedenNorwayFinland

This exemption applies from 15 March 2025 through 14 March 2028. It covers all passport types and is not limited to tourism, provided that the traveler meets Vietnam's other entry conditions.

A qualifying traveler may come for a holiday, private visit, business meeting, negotiations or a job interview.

Visa-free entry is not permission to work. Lawful employment requires a work permit or an exemption from the work-permit requirement.

British National Overseas, BNO, passports do not qualify for the UK 45-day exemption.

Up to 45 days for tourism

For this group, the 45-day exemption applies only to tourism.

BelgiumBulgariaCroatiaCzechiaHungaryLuxembourgNetherlandsPolandRomaniaSlovakiaSloveniaSwitzerland

This exemption applies from 15 August 2025 through 14 August 2028. It covers all passport types, but the purpose of travel must be tourism.

Resolution 229/NQ-CP does not require travelers to buy an organized tour from a licensed Vietnamese tour operator. That requirement belonged to the previous limited program for Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

Up to 30 days

This group has visa-free entry for up to 30 days per entry.

BelarusKazakhstanKyrgyzstanMongoliaMyanmarCambodiaIndonesiaLaosMalaysiaSingaporeThailand

Kazakhstan and Belarus also have cumulative-stay limits.

Up to 21 days

This nationality has a separate 21-day stay limit.

Philippines

Up to 14 days

This nationality has a separate 14-day stay limit.

Brunei

Up to 90 days

These nationalities have visa-free entry for up to 90 days.

ChilePanama

Search countries and stay limits

Search by country

Visa-free stay

Country	Visa-free stay	Note
Germany	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
France	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Italy	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Spain	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
United Kingdom	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose. BNO passports do not qualify for the UK 45-day exemption.
Russia	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Japan	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
South Korea	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Denmark	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Sweden	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Norway	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Finland	45 days	Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose.
Belgium	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Bulgaria	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Croatia	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Czechia	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Hungary	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Luxembourg	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Netherlands	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Poland	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Romania	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Slovakia	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Slovenia	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Switzerland	45 days	Up to 45 days for tourism.
Belarus	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry and no more than 90 visa-free days per calendar year.
Kazakhstan	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry and no more than 90 visa-free days in any 180-day period.
Kyrgyzstan	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Mongolia	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Myanmar	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Cambodia	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Indonesia	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Laos	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Malaysia	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Singapore	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Thailand	30 days	Up to 30 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Philippines	21 days	Up to 21 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Brunei	14 days	Up to 14 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Chile	90 days	Up to 90 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.
Panama	90 days	Up to 90 days per entry for ordinary passport holders.

Special rules for Kazakhstan and Belarus

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan ordinary passport holders may stay visa-free for up to 30 days per entry.

Their total visa-free stay must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period. This is a rolling window, not a calendar-year limit. Leaving and returning does not reset it.

Belarus

Belarus ordinary passport holders may stay visa-free for up to 30 days per entry.

Their total visa-free stay must not exceed 90 days in a calendar year, from 1 January through 31 December.

The key difference

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan: up to 90 visa-free days in any 180-day period.

Belarus

Belarus: up to 90 visa-free days per calendar year.

These limits apply to stays under the relevant visa exemption. Days spent in Vietnam under a valid visa should not automatically be added to the visa-free total.

Visa-free entry conditions

Before traveling, check:

nationality and passport type;
passport validity on the intended entry date;
the purpose of the trip;
the permitted stay;
the planned departure date;
previous visa-free trips if a cumulative limit applies;
any previous overstay or immigration issue.

For unilateral visa exemption, the passport must remain valid for at least six months on the entry date. Bilateral agreements may have their own conditions.

Carry a genuine return or onward ticket within the permitted stay. An airline or immigration officer may ask for evidence that you plan to leave Vietnam on time.

Vietnamese border authorities make the final admission decision.

How to count your visa-free stay

The stay is counted in calendar days. The date you clear immigration is day one, even if you arrive late at night.

Example for a 45-day stay:

entry date: 1 July 2026;
day one: 1 July 2026;
day 45: 14 August 2026;
leave no later than 14 August 2026.

Hotel nights are not used for the immigration calculation.

A delayed flight, canceled bus or booking mistake does not automatically extend your stay. Avoid planning departure for the final minutes of the last day.

Use the calculator before travel, then confirm the permitted date shown by immigration after entry.

Calculate my exit date

Can you enter Vietnam visa-free again?

Vietnamese law no longer imposes the former general 30-day gap for unilateral visa exemption.

You may request a new visa-free entry after leaving Vietnam if your nationality, passport, purpose and other conditions still qualify. A new period starts only after a new entry is granted. It is not an extension of the previous stay.

Each arrival is assessed separately. Frequent short trips do not create a guaranteed right to live in Vietnam continuously without a visa.

Re-entry does not reset the cumulative limits for Kazakhstan or Belarus.

Already in Vietnam and planning to leave and return? Check whether a border run, visa run or new eVisa fits your situation.

Vietnam visa run and border run

When do you need a Vietnam eVisa?

Consider an eVisa when:

your nationality is not on the visa-free list;
your trip is longer than the permitted stay;
the 45-day tourism exemption does not match your purpose;
the Kazakhstan or Belarus limit has been reached;
you need a stay of up to 90 days;
your itinerary includes multiple entries.

A Vietnam eVisa may be valid for up to 90 days and may allow one or multiple entries.

Qualifying for visa-free entry does not prevent you from obtaining an eVisa when it better matches your dates or itinerary.

Vietnam eVisa Vietnam 90-day eVisa

FAQ

What is Vietnam visa exemption?+

It allows eligible passport holders to enter Vietnam without obtaining a visa in advance, subject to a fixed stay limit and the other entry conditions.

Which countries can enter Vietnam visa-free?+

The current ordinary-passport list contains 39 countries with stays of 14, 21, 30, 45 or 90 days.

How long can UK citizens stay without a visa?+

Eligible UK passport holders may stay for up to 45 days. BNO passports do not qualify for this exemption.

Does the arrival day count?+

Yes. The date of entry is day one.

Can I stay for 46 days under a 45-day exemption?+

No. A 46-day trip requires an eVisa or another valid immigration route before entry.

Does visa exemption allow me to work?+

No. It does not replace a work permit or an official exemption from the work-permit requirement.

Can I leave and return immediately?+

There is no former general 30-day gap for unilateral visa exemption, but each new entry is assessed separately and any cumulative limits still apply.

What are the Kazakhstan and Belarus limits?+

Kazakhstan: 30 days per entry and up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Belarus: 30 days per entry and up to 90 days per calendar year.

Do Polish, Czech and Swiss travelers need an organized tour?+

No. Resolution 229/NQ-CP does not include that requirement.

What if my country is not listed?+

Check whether you are eligible for a Vietnam eVisa or another visa route before departure.

Official basis

The information is based on Government Resolutions 44/NQ-CP and 229/NQ-CP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa exemption list and Vietnam's current immigration legislation.

Not sure whether visa-free entry fits your trip?

Select your passport nationality and enter your travel dates. The checker will show the available stay, any cumulative limits and when a visa should be considered.

Check by nationality

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Vietnam Visa Exemption: Visa-Free Countries and Stay Limits

How long can you stay in Vietnam without a visa?

Vietnam visa-free countries and stay limits

Up to 45 days regardless of entry purpose

Up to 45 days for tourism

Up to 30 days

Up to 21 days

Up to 14 days

Up to 90 days

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

United Kingdom

Russia

Japan

South Korea

Denmark

Sweden

Norway

Finland

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czechia

Hungary

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Poland

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Switzerland

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Cambodia

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Singapore

Thailand

Philippines

Brunei

Chile

Panama

Special rules for Kazakhstan and Belarus

Kazakhstan

Belarus

The key difference

Visa-free entry conditions

How to count your visa-free stay

Can you enter Vietnam visa-free again?

When do you need a Vietnam eVisa?

FAQ

Official basis

Related pages

Vietnam visa requirements by nationality

Vietnam eVisa

Vietnam 90-day eVisa

Vietnam visa run and border run

Not sure whether visa-free entry fits your trip?