Vietnam Visa for Indians (2026): e-Visa, Fees & Step-by-Step Process
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-22
Vietnam visa for Indian citizens is the most painless entry in Southeast Asia right now: no embassy visits, no sponsor letters, no invitation needed. You fill a form, pay the fee, and get a PDF in your inbox. For broader trip planning after the visa is sorted, see our Southeast Asia backpacking hub.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa type for Indians | e-Visa only (no visa-on-arrival for Indian passport) | ₹2,413 (~25 USD) |
| Max stay per entry | 90 days, multiple entry | included in fee |
| Processing time | 3 working days (official), often faster | included in fee |
| Photo spec | 4x6 cm, white background, <6 months old | free at any photo studio |
| Where to apply | Official portal only | evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn |
The 2026 e-Visa System: What’s Changed
Vietnam stopped issuing visa-on-arrival pre-approvals to Indian passport holders in 2022. What replaced it is the e-Visa, run by the Immigration Department of Vietnam directly. You apply online, you get a stamped PDF, you print it. There is no separate “approval letter” stage the way Cambodia or Laos still does it. You may also find Mui Ne useful for this trip.
Two practical things worth knowing before you start:
- The official portal is the only place to apply. Third-party “e-Visa service” websites charge a markup for the same application. They type your details into the same form. Don’t use them.
- The e-Visa is now valid for 90 days, multiple entry. Earlier versions were 30 days single entry. If you are planning Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and back, multiple entry lets you pop into Cambodia and come back without reapplying.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Apply at least a week before your flight, not three days. The system says “3 working days” but processing can slip around weekends and Vietnamese public holidays. If your flight is on a Monday, apply the previous Monday to be safe. The portal lets you backdate your intended entry date by up to 30 days, so you can apply early and still arrive on the day you bought the ticket for.
Who Needs a Vietnam Visa?
All Indian passport holders need a visa to enter Vietnam. There is no visa-free arrangement for Indians the way there is for Thailand (60 days), Malaysia (30 days), or Indonesia (30 days for certain entry points). Even if you are transiting through Hanoi to catch a flight elsewhere, you need the e-Visa to clear immigration.
The only exception: if you hold a diplomatic or official passport, the rules are different. For ordinary Indian citizens with a standard maroon passport, e-Visa is the only path.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Step 1: Get your documents ready (15 minutes)
You will need:
- A digital passport photo (4x6 cm, white background, taken within the last 6 months, full face visible, no glasses, no hat)
- A scan of your passport bio page (the page with your photo, name, passport number). Use a common image format such as PDF or JPG, and keep the file small enough to upload without issues.
- A valid email address (the visa PDF comes here)
- A credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, or JCB accepted on the portal)
For the photo: do not use a US-size 2x2 inch photo. Vietnam is specific about 4x6 cm, which is slightly taller than wide. Any photo studio in India can print one in 10 minutes for ₹50 (~$0.52) to ₹100 (~$1.04). Most studios do not have 4x6 cm as a preset, so tell them you need it at 300 DPI for a visa application. They’ll know what to do.
Safety Alert: Do not scan your passport at random shop photocopiers. Use a phone scanner app or your own scanner at home. Passport bio pages end up in the wrong hands more often through print shops than through any actual hacking.
Step 2: Create an account on the official portal
Go to https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and click “Register.” You will set up an account with your email and a password. The portal is government-run and the only legitimate site. Bookmark the URL, do not Google “Vietnam e-Visa” and click whatever comes up first; several paid aggregator sites rank above the official page in search results and charge a 100% to 200% markup for the same ₹2,413 (~25 USD) fee.
Step 3: Fill the application (20 to 30 minutes)
The form asks for:
- Personal details: full name (exactly as on passport), date of birth, gender, nationality, passport number, passport issue date, passport expiry date
- Contact details: email, phone number, address in Vietnam (your hotel/hostel name and city is fine)
- Travel details: intended entry date, intended exit date, entry port (airport name like Noi Bai International for Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat for Ho Chi Minh City, or a land border like Lao Bao or Moc Bai)
- Purpose of visit: tourism
- Number of entries: single or multiple (multiple is the same price, pick multiple unless you don’t need it)
Take your time here. Typos in name or passport number are the single most common reason for rejection. Match every character, including the order of given name and surname. Indian passports list surname first in capital letters. On the e-Visa form, type it in the order shown on the bio page.
Step 4: Upload photo and passport scan (5 minutes)
The portal accepts JPG and PNG for the photo (typically under 1MB) and PDF or JPG for the passport scan (under 2MB). If your photo file is rejected, the most common reasons are: wrong dimensions, the face takes up less than 70% of the frame, or the background isn’t pure white. Use a photo taken against a white wall in daylight, no shadows.
Step 5: Pay the fee
The application fee is ₹2,413 (~25 USD) (around ₹2,413 (~$25) at current rates). Payment is by Visa, Mastercard, or JCB. The portal does not accept UPI, netbanking, or any Indian domestic cards directly. You will need an international debit or credit card, or a forex card. If you do not have one, this is the moment to get a Niyo Global or similar zero-markup forex card from your bank; they all work on the portal.
The fee is non-refundable, even if your application is rejected. So double-check every field before paying.
Step 6: Wait for processing
Official processing time is 3 working days from the date of complete application submission. In practice, most applications come back within 24 to 72 hours. You will receive an email with the e-Visa PDF attached when it is approved. Print this on A4 paper, in colour if possible (black and white works too), and carry it with your passport.
If you do not hear back within 4 working days, log back into the portal and check your application status. The portal tracks it in real time.
Step 7: At the airport
When you land in Vietnam, walk to the immigration counter for foreign passport holders (it’s usually marked “Foreign Passport / Visa Required”). The officer will scan your passport, glance at your printed e-Visa, and stamp you in. The whole thing takes under two minutes if your documents are in order.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Keep two printed copies of the e-Visa: one in your hand luggage for immigration on arrival, one tucked into your passport wallet. Some travellers keep a third digital copy in their phone’s photo album and on email. Immigration at Vietnamese airports is quick but if there’s a line, you don’t want to be fumbling for a printout.
Fees in Indian Rupees (2026)
The official fee is $25 USD. At current rates (1 USD ≈ ₹96.53), that’s roughly ₹2,413 per application. The portal does not charge in INR, so this is a straight dollar-to-rupee conversion on your card statement.
What you might also spend:
| Item | Cost in INR |
|---|---|
| Passport photo (4x6 cm) at a studio | ₹50-₹100 (~$0.52-$1.04) |
| Passport scan (if done at a shop) | ₹20-₹50 (~$0.21-$0.52) |
| Forex card application fee (one-time) | ₹0-₹500 (~$0-$5.18) |
| Screenshot/printing of e-Visa PDF at airport if you forgot | ₹50-₹100 (~$0.52-$1.04) |
Total realistic out-of-pocket for a single applicant: ₹2,500 (~$25.90) to ₹2,800 (~$29.01), assuming you have a forex card already. No other hidden fees, no agent commission, no embassy stamp fee.
Processing Time: Real Talk
Officially 3 working days. Realistically:
| When you applied | When you got it |
|---|---|
| Monday morning | Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning |
| Friday afternoon | Tuesday or Wednesday |
| Day before Vietnamese public holiday | Up to 5-7 working days |
Vietnamese public holidays in 2026 include 30 April (Reunification Day), 1 May (Labour Day), and 2 September (National Day). If your travel falls around these dates, apply at least 10 days early.
The portal accepts applications up to 30 days before your intended entry date. So you can apply a month ahead if you have already booked your flight. There is no benefit to applying earlier than 30 days out.
Documents Checklist
Before you click “Submit”:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your entry date
- Passport has at least 2 blank pages
- Digital photo (4x6 cm, white background, recent)
- Digital scan of passport bio page
- Working email address
- Visa or Mastercard for the ₹2,413 (~25 USD) payment
- Hotel/hostel name and address in Vietnam (any city is fine; you can change plans later)
Common Mistakes That Get Applications Rejected
1. Photo issues. Wrong size, busy background, face too small in frame, glasses on, hat on. About 40% of rejections are photo-related. Get it done at a photo studio, tell them “Vietnam visa 4x6,” and ask them to send the digital file as well.
2. Name mismatch. Your name on the form must match your passport exactly. If your passport says “SHARMA, RAJESH KUMAR” then your form should have surname first as SHARMA, given name RAJESH KUMAR. Indians used to Western forms (Rajesh Sharma) often fill it in Western order and get bounced.
3. Wrong entry port selection. If you say you are entering at Noi Bai (Hanoi) but your flight lands at Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), the visa is technically only valid at Noi Bai. Pick the correct entry port. Multiple-entry visas let you enter at any approved port, but you still need to list your first entry port correctly on the form.
4. Applying through aggregator sites. You pay ₹4,826 (~50 USD) to ₹7,722 (~80 USD) to a third-party site that does the exact same form-filling you would do yourself. Worse, some of them are scams and never submit the application. Always use evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn directly.
5. Forgetting to print the e-Visa. The visa is digital but the immigration officer at Vietnamese airports expects a printout. Print it before you leave home. If you forget, you can usually print at the airport (some airports have business services that charge ₹200 (~$2.07) or so), but it’s a hassle you don’t need at 11 pm after a 4-hour flight.
6. Submitting the same application twice. If you do not receive the visa within 3 working days, log in and check status. Do not submit a second application. Multiple applications for the same person with overlapping dates create confusion and slow down the first one.
Is There Still Any Visa-on-Arrival Option for Indians?
No. The “visa-on-arrival” system that Vietnam used to run for Indians (where you’d get a pre-approval letter from an agency, fly in, and pay a stamping fee at the airport) was discontinued. What you might see online as “Vietnam visa on arrival for Indians 2026” is either outdated content or a third-party service trying to sell you the standard e-Visa at a markup.
If you arrive in Vietnam without an e-Visa, you will be refused boarding at your departure airport (most airlines check before letting you on the plane) or turned back at immigration. There is no fallback.
Safety Alert: Vietnamese immigration has been known to deny entry to travellers with damaged passports (torn pages, water damage on the bio page), passports with less than 6 months validity, or previous Vietnamese visa overstays. If your passport is in poor condition, get it renewed before applying. Vietnamese embassies in India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai) do not process tourism visa applications directly; for ordinary Indian tourist passport holders, the e-Visa is the only practical path.
Extending Your Stay in Vietnam
If 90 days is not enough (and for slow travellers, it isn’t), you can extend your e-Visa once for an additional 90 days, in Vietnam, through a local visa agency. The extension costs around ₹4,826 (~50 USD) to ₹9,653 (~100 USD) depending on the agency and your visa type. The agency will hold your passport for 5 to 10 working days while processing. Travellers report this works smoothly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Travellers report this also works: doing a visa run to Cambodia or Laos, then coming back with a fresh e-Visa. Cambodia tends to be the cheapest of the three options. Do this only if you have the time and the budget for the bus; the extension is simpler if you have 5 working days to spare.
What If You’re Already in Southeast Asia?
If you are already in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, or another nearby hub and decide to add Vietnam to your trip, the e-Visa process is the same. You do not need to be in India to apply. The portal is online, the application is the same, the PDF comes to your email. Apply from a cafe in Bangkok and pick up the visa in your inbox the next morning. Once you land, Ho Chi Minh City is one of the easiest entry points for the e-Visa.
Safety: Before You Travel
Check the official Indian government travel advisory at mea.gov.in before booking your flight. Vietnam is generally rated safe for Indian travellers but the advisory gets updated, and it’s worth a 5-minute read before you fly. The same goes for the Vietnamese government’s own public notices on immigration; the e-Visa portal itself posts any policy changes on the home page.
For the visa specifically, the main safety points:
- Only use the official portal. Do not share passport scans with WhatsApp-based “visa agents.”
- Print your visa and keep a digital backup. Phone theft happens; a paper copy in your luggage is your backup.
- Carry your hotel/hostel address in Vietnam on a separate note, in case the immigration officer asks beyond what is on the form.
What to Do Once You Land
Once you land, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are both easy bases for the first night; day cruises and day trips can be booked locally at the hostel or once you arrive. If you have more time, the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City overland route via Ninh Binh and Da Nang is one of the great overland trips in Southeast Asia.
For day trips from Hanoi, Ninh Binh is a top pick — limestone karsts, boat rides through caves, and a completely different pace from the city.
FAQ
Can Indians get a Vietnam visa on arrival in 2026? No. The visa-on-arrival pre-approval system for Indians was discontinued. Only the e-Visa is available, and it must be applied for in advance at the official portal.
How much does the Vietnam e-Visa cost for Indian citizens? The official fee is ₹2,413 (~25 USD). Third-party “visa services” charge more for the same form. Apply directly at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn.
How long does the Vietnam e-Visa take for Indians? Officially 3 working days. In practice, most applications are approved within 24 to 72 hours. Apply at least a week before your flight to be safe.
What documents do I need for the Vietnam e-Visa? A passport valid for 6+ months, a 4x6 cm white-background photo, a scan of the passport bio page, an email address, and a Visa/Mastercard for the fee.
Can I extend my Vietnam e-Visa once I’m in the country? Yes, once, for an additional 90 days. Costs ₹4,826 (~50 USD) to ₹9,653 (~100 USD) through a local visa agency, who will hold your passport for 5 to 10 working days.
Do I need a separate visa if I’m just transiting through Vietnam? If you are not leaving the airport transit area, no. If you want to step out during a long layover, you need the e-Visa. Most Indian travellers book long layovers in Hanoi or HCMC, so getting the visa in advance is the safer call.
Is the Vietnam e-Visa refundable if rejected? No. The ₹2,413 (~25 USD) is non-refundable. Double-check every field, especially name and passport number, before paying.
Subodh’s Take
The Vietnam e-Visa is the most painless visa process in Southeast Asia for Indians right now. No embassy visit, no sponsor letter, no agent, no paperwork. Stick to the official portal and you skip the upsell layer entirely. Stick to the official portal, pay $25 with a forex card, get your PDF in three days. That’s the whole game.
