Quick Answer
US citizens need a Vietnam e-visa. Apply online before departure — valid for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, no embassy visit required.
- Standard: 4–6 business days — USD 50 (single) / USD 75 (multiple)
- Urgent: from 1.5 hours on Mon–Fri — from USD 185
- Emergency (30–60 min): USD 215 — Mon–Fri only, contact team first
- Weekend/Holiday: USD 230 — submit before 15:00 Vietnam time
This guide covers everything a US traveller needs to apply for a Vietnam e-visa online: eligibility, required documents, how to fill in the application correctly, all processing tiers and fees, cutoff times in every US time zone, what to do if your visa is still pending before your flight, and what to verify once your visa arrives. For a full breakdown of what to look for in a reliable Vietnam visa agency for US citizens, see our dedicated guide.
VietnamVisaEasy is a private travel agency — not the Vietnamese government. The official e-visa portal is evisa.gov.vn. This service charges a fee to manage your application and provide urgent processing outside standard government hours.
Contents
1. Eligibility — Who Can Apply
US passport holders are eligible for the Vietnam e-visa. It allows entry at all major Vietnamese airports for up to 90 days — no embassy visit, no prior approval letter.
- Passport validity: Your US passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your Vietnam arrival date. If it expires within 6 months, renew before applying.
- Apply before you depart: The application must be submitted from outside Vietnam. Applications submitted from inside Vietnam are routinely rejected or left unprocessed.
- Children: Every traveller — including infants and children — requires a separate Vietnam e-visa. Do not include a child's details in a parent's application; this risks invalidating both visas at immigration.
- Validity: Always choose 90-day validity. It costs the same as 30 days and gives maximum flexibility.
- Entry type: Single entry (one arrival) or multiple entry (re-enter Vietnam multiple times within the validity period). Choose multiple entry if your trip includes side trips to Cambodia, Laos, or other neighbouring countries with a return to Vietnam.
2. Documents You Need
| Document | Requirements |
|---|---|
| US passport | Valid 6+ months beyond Vietnam arrival date. Format: 1 letter + 8 digits (e.g. A12345678). Machine-readable. |
| Passport biographical page scan | Clear colour scan or photo of the page showing your photo, name, and passport number. All text and the machine-readable zone fully legible — no glare, shadows, or cut corners. JPEG format; convert HEIC before uploading. |
| Passport photo | Recent, white background, face fully visible and centred. JPEG. No hats, sunglasses, or shadows across the face. Same standard as a US passport photo. |
| Vietnam arrival date | The date you land in Vietnam — not the date you leave the US. Flights from the US cross the International Date Line and usually land two calendar days after departure. Check your final itinerary. |
| Vietnamese arrival airport | The Vietnamese airport where your last flight lands: SGN (Ho Chi Minh City), HAN (Hanoi), DAD (Da Nang), PQC (Phu Quoc), or CXR (Cam Ranh). Not your transit hub (Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, etc.). |
| Payment card | Visa or Mastercard (credit or debit). US cards accepted. Payment in USD; your bank handles currency conversion. The USD 25 government fee is included in all prices. |
3. How to Apply — Step by Step
- Go to the application form at vietnamvisaeasy.com/apply.
- Enter your passport details exactly as shown in your passport. Name fields must match character for character — given name(s) first, family name last, with correct spelling and any middle names included.
- Enter your Vietnam arrival date — the date you land in Vietnam. Flights from the US often arrive two calendar days after departure; always check your itinerary for the Vietnam landing date.
- Select your Vietnamese arrival airport — where your last flight lands in Vietnam, not a connecting hub overseas.
- Choose entry type and validity. Single or multiple entry. Always select 90-day validity — same price as 30 days.
- Select your processing tier based on how many days remain before your flight. See the tier table in Section 5.
- Upload your passport photo (white background, face centred) and passport scan (biographical page, all text legible, JPEG).
- Pay by card. The USD 25 Vietnamese government fee is included in the total.
- Receive a reference code (format: E260705…) by email. Keep this — you need it to check status or request Speed Up.
Your e-visa will be delivered as a PDF. Download it, save a copy to your phone, and verify it at evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/search before travel. If your visa does not arrive within the expected window, see our guide on what to do when your Vietnam e-visa is stuck in processing.
4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Entry date = US departure date instead of Vietnam arrival date | Visa validity starts too early — may expire before landing in Vietnam | Check your itinerary for the date you land in Vietnam, accounting for the date line crossing |
| Transit airport entered instead of Vietnamese airport | Visa rejected at check-in or immigration | Enter the first Vietnamese airport you land at: SGN, HAN, DAD, PQC, or CXR |
| Middle name omitted when it appears in passport | Name mismatch — flagged at airline check-in or immigration | Enter name exactly as it appears on the passport biographical page |
| Passport number typo | Number mismatch — flagged at gate or immigration | Copy digit by digit; confirm no 0/O or 1/I confusion |
| Submitting a second application while first is processing | 24–48 hour hold on both applications | Use Speed Up to escalate your existing application |
| Choosing 30-day instead of 90-day validity | Visa expires if trip runs longer or plans change | Always select 90-day validity — same price as 30 days |
| Uploading a HEIC photo or passport scan | File rejected or causes review delay | Convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPEG before uploading |
5. All Processing Tiers and Fees
All prices include the USD 25 Vietnamese government fee. Multiple entry adds USD 25 to any tier.
| Tier | Delivery | New application | Speed Up | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (single entry) | 4–6 business days | USD 50 | — | Mon–Fri |
| Standard (multiple entry) | 4–6 business days | USD 75 | — | Mon–Fri |
| 3-Day | 3 business days | USD 90 | USD 70 | Mon–Fri |
| 1-Day | 1 business day | USD 110 | USD 90 | Mon–Fri |
| 5-Hour | approx. 5 hours | USD 125 | USD 100 | Mon–Fri |
| 2.5-Hour | approx. 2.5 hours | USD 155 | USD 130 | Mon–Fri |
| 1.5-Hour | approx. 1.5 hours | USD 185 | USD 160 | Mon–Fri |
| Emergency (30–60 min) | 30–60 minutes | USD 215 | USD 190 | Mon–Fri only — contact team first |
| Weekend / Holiday | Same day | USD 230 | USD 210 | Sat / Sun / public holidays only — before 15:00 VNT |
Speed Up escalates your existing application. No second USD 25 government fee. You need your reference code (E260705…), registration email, and flight number.
6. Cutoff Times — US Time Zones
Vietnam time (VNT) is UTC+7, no daylight saving. The US observes daylight saving from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Outside that window, clocks fall back one hour (standard time). The table shows cutoffs for both periods.
EDT = UTC-4 (summer) | EST = UTC-5 (winter) | CDT = UTC-5 (summer) | CST = UTC-6 (winter) | MDT = UTC-6 (summer) | MST = UTC-7 (winter / Arizona year-round) | PDT = UTC-7 (summer) | PST = UTC-8 (winter) | AKDT = UTC-8 (summer) | AKST = UTC-9 (winter) | HST = UTC-10 (year-round, no DST)
| Tier | VNT cutoff | New York / East Coast EDT / EST |
Chicago / Central CDT / CST |
Denver / Mountain MDT / MST |
Los Angeles / Pacific PDT / PST |
Anchorage AKDT / AKST |
Honolulu HST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Day / 1-Day | 11:00 | 00:00 EDT 23:00 EST* |
23:00 CDT* 22:00 CST* |
22:00 MDT* 21:00 MST* |
21:00 PDT* 20:00 PST* |
20:00 AKDT* 19:00 AKST* |
18:00 HST* |
| 5-Hour | 13:00 | 02:00 EDT 01:00 EST |
01:00 CDT 00:00 CST |
00:00 MDT 23:00 MST* |
23:00 PDT* 22:00 PST* |
22:00 AKDT* 21:00 AKST* |
20:00 HST* |
| 2.5-Hour | 15:30 | 04:30 EDT 03:30 EST |
03:30 CDT 02:30 CST |
02:30 MDT 01:30 MST |
01:30 PDT 00:30 PST |
00:30 AKDT 23:30 AKST* |
22:30 HST* |
| 1.5-Hour | 16:30 | 05:30 EDT 04:30 EST |
04:30 CDT 03:30 CST |
03:30 MDT 02:30 MST |
02:30 PDT 01:30 PST |
01:30 AKDT 00:30 AKST |
23:30 HST* |
| Emergency | — | Mon–Fri only — contact team via WhatsApp before applying | |||||
| Weekend / Holiday | 15:00 | 04:00 EDT 03:00 EST |
03:00 CDT 02:00 CST |
02:00 MDT 01:00 MST |
01:00 PDT 00:00 PST |
00:00 AKDT 23:00 AKST* |
22:00 HST* |
* Times marked with an asterisk fall on the previous calendar day. Example: 1-Day cutoff of 11:00 VNT Thursday = 23:00 Wednesday EST — you must submit before midnight Wednesday night Eastern time.
7. Speed Up — Visa Still Pending Before Your Flight
If you already submitted a Vietnam e-visa application and it has not been approved yet, Speed Up escalates the existing file to a faster processing queue. You do not submit a new application and do not pay the USD 25 government fee again. For a detailed explanation of why applications stall and how to handle delays, see our Vietnam e-visa stuck in processing guide.
What you need:
- Reference code in the format E260705… (from your confirmation email)
- Email address used when the application was registered
- Your flight number and Vietnam arrival date
Frequently Asked Questions
Standard from USD 50. Urgent from 1.5 hours. Rated 4.9/5 from 153 reviews.
Questions about your Vietnam visa from the USA?
Contact the team via WhatsApp — for urgent applications, Speed Up requests, and error corrections. Available Mon–Fri during Vietnam business hours, with Weekend and Emergency service on request.
WhatsApp: +84 947 754 252Rated 4.9 / 5 from 153 reviews | Private agency — not the Vietnamese government