Direct Answer
Citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland can now enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days, with no requirement to book through a tour operator — under Resolution 229/NQ-CP, effective August 15, 2025 through August 14, 2028. This replaced a narrower, earlier rule from January 2025 that only applied to organized tour travel. Nine other European countries got the same exemption at the same time. Beyond 45 days, or for a handful of other specific situations, an e-visa is still required.
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Two Resolutions, Eight Months Apart — Worth Getting the Timeline Right
This particular update has genuinely changed twice within the same year, which is exactly the kind of thing that leaves outdated information circulating online. Here's the accurate sequence:
| Date | Resolution | What It Did |
|---|---|---|
| January 15, 2025 | Resolution 11/NQ-CP | 45-day exemption for Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland — but ONLY for travelers on tours booked through Vietnamese tour operators |
| August 15, 2025 | Resolution 229/NQ-CP | Superseded the January rule — full 45-day exemption, no tour requirement, plus 9 more countries added |
The January resolution's narrower, tour-only version officially ceased to be effective the same day the August resolution took over. So if you've seen older content describing a tour requirement for these three countries, that's now outdated — current policy has no such restriction.
Who's Actually Covered as of Today
Under Resolution 229/NQ-CP, 12 countries received this exemption simultaneously:
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland — all with the same terms: 45 days, tourism purpose, any passport type (ordinary, diplomatic, or official), effective through August 14, 2028.
This is separate from, and in addition to, an earlier group of 13 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belarus) that already had a similar 45-day exemption, also extended through 2028.
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When You'd Still Need an e-Visa, Even Under This Exemption
The exemption covers most trips, but not every situation. An e-visa is still worth applying for if your trip runs longer than 45 days, if you're re-entering sooner than the required gap between visa-free stays allows, or if you want a stamped document to show a landlord, employer, or bank as proof of legal status. If any of these apply, see our full e-visa explainer.
The e-Visa, if You Need It
| Processing Time | Fee (government fee included) |
|---|---|
| Standard (4–6 days) | $50 |
| 3 days | $90 |
| 30–60 minutes (fastest) | $215 |
Full 9-tier list on our urgent Vietnam visa service page.
A Note on Regulatory News Generally
This exact topic — a rule that changed twice in eight months — is a useful reminder that visa exemption policy is genuinely dynamic, not fixed. We've verified the details here against multiple official and authoritative sources as of the time of writing, but regulations can change again. Always confirm current status against an official source close to your actual travel date, rather than relying solely on any single article, including this one.
What We Actually Stand Behind
If you do need an e-visa and we don't deliver within the timeframe you paid for, the processing fee comes back — a genuine commitment on the process we control. Regulatory accuracy on updates like this one is something we take seriously enough to verify against primary sources, not just repeat from other secondary guides.
Why Travelers Trust Us for Accurate Updates
Regulatory information checked against primary government sources, not copied from outdated secondary content. Support genuinely available around the clock if your specific situation needs an e-visa despite the exemption, transparent pricing, and a public review record you're welcome to verify yourself — 4.9 out of 5 across 150+ Trustpilot reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Polish, Czech, and Swiss citizens need a visa for Vietnam now?
Not for stays of 45 days or less — as of Resolution 229/NQ-CP (effective August 15, 2025, through August 14, 2028), citizens of these three countries can enter visa-free for tourism, with no requirement to book through a tour operator.
Wasn't there an earlier rule requiring an organized tour?
Yes — an earlier resolution (January 2025) granted the 45-day exemption only for travelers on tours through Vietnamese travel operators. That narrower rule was superseded by the broader August 2025 resolution, which removed the tour requirement entirely.
Which other countries got this same 45-day exemption in August 2025?
Nine additional countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia — alongside Poland, Czech Republic, and Switzerland, for 12 total under this specific resolution.
When would someone from these countries still need a visa?
If your trip runs longer than 45 days, if you need multiple entries without the required gap between visa-free stays, or if you want a stamped document as proof of legal status for a landlord, employer, or bank.
How reliable is this kind of visa-exemption news generally?
Regulations can change again — always confirm current status against an official source (like Vietnam's tourism authority or your country's Vietnamese embassy) close to your travel date, rather than relying solely on any single article, including this one.
Related Guides
- 👉 What is the Vietnam e-visa? Everything you need to know
- 👉 Vietnam visa for Korean citizens: 45-day free entry explained
- 👉 Urgent Vietnam visa service: full pricing and options
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VietnamVisaEasy.com is a private travel agency, not affiliated with the Vietnamese government. We charge a fee to assist with visa applications. If you don't need assistance, you can apply directly on the official government website, evisa.gov.vn. For questions, visit our contact page.