“How long does it take?” has two answers: how many working days the government queue needs, and how many calendar days that turns into once weekends and holidays are counted. This page explains both, shows how to count with real calendar examples, and sets out what the urgent tiers change and what they do not.
Quick answer:
- Standard processing: officially around 3 working days, in practice often 3 to 5, on Vietnamese working days only. Weekends and public holidays do not count
- A file applied on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday takes 5 calendar days to reach its 3rd working day, because of the weekend
- Urgent tiers: $90 (3 days) down to $215 (30–60 minutes), government fee included, each with a cutoff
- Already applied: Speed Up from $70. Do not reapply
- Errors, holidays and busy periods add time. Decide a date at least one working day before check-in closes, and speed up if nothing has changed
How Long Standard Processing Takes
The standard queue on evisa.gov.vn is officially measured in a handful of working days, usually around 3. In practice many applications are decided within 3 to 5 working days, and some take longer around public holidays and busy periods. The government site has no paid priority option: every file you submit yourself joins the same queue, whatever your travel date.
The unit that matters is the Vietnamese working day. Processing runs Monday to Friday, and Saturdays, Sundays and Vietnamese public holidays do not count.
Counting Working Days With Real Dates
The count is easy to get wrong because the weekend sits in the middle. The table below counts from the working day after you apply, and shows when the 3rd and 5th working days fall, using the calendar of a normal week with no public holiday:
| If you apply on… | 3rd working day falls on | 5th working day falls on |
|---|---|---|
| Applied on Monday | Thursday (3 calendar days) | Monday (7 calendar days) |
| Applied on Tuesday | Friday (3 calendar days) | Tuesday (7 calendar days) |
| Applied on Wednesday | Monday (5 calendar days) | Wednesday (7 calendar days) |
| Applied on Thursday | Tuesday (5 calendar days) | Thursday (7 calendar days) |
| Applied on Friday | Wednesday (5 calendar days) | Friday (7 calendar days) |
Assumption: day 1 is the first working day after the day you apply. The exact start of the count can differ, and a public holiday in the period pushes every date later. Highlighted rows are the ones where the weekend turns 3 working days into 5 calendar days.
The practical lesson: applying on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday adds two calendar days to a 3-working-day file, and a 5-working-day file always lands a full week later. If your flight is eight calendar days away, a 5-working-day file applied today may be decided only on the day before you fly.
What Pauses or Extends the Clock
- Weekends. No processing on Saturday or Sunday on the weekday tiers.
- Vietnamese public holidays. Tet, in January or February, is the long one. The length of the closure varies by year, so check the official holiday calendar and plan for a longer gap if your application falls near it.
- Busy periods. When many travelers apply at once, such as northern-hemisphere summer, the queue can run longer than the usual range. Apply earlier in those months than you would otherwise.
- Errors. A file flagged Amendment Required stops until it is corrected, and after correction it has to go back through review. Plan as if the clock restarts, and ask support how your file is being counted.
Standard vs Priority: What Changes and What Does Not
A priority tier does not change the government’s review or make it more lenient. It changes how your file is prepared and followed: documents checked first, priority submission, and someone watching the file. Prices include the $25 government fee.
| Tier | New application | Speed Up | Delivery | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $50 | — | 3 working days | Mon–Fri |
| 3-Day | $90 | $70 | 3 days | Mon–Fri |
| 2-Day | $100 | $80 | 2 days | Mon–Fri |
| 1-Day | $110 | $90 | 1 day | Mon–Fri |
| 5-Hour | $125 | $100 | about 5 hours | Mon–Fri |
| 2.5-Hour | $155 | $130 | about 2.5 hours | Mon–Fri |
| 1.5-Hour | $185 | $160 | about 1.5 hours | Mon–Fri |
| 30–60 minutes | $215 | $190 | 30–60 minutes | Mon–Fri only |
| Weekend / Holiday | $230 | $210 | typically before 06:00 VNT next morning | Sat, Sun, public holidays |
Speed Up applies when you already submitted on evisa.gov.vn and paid the government fee, so it costs less than a new application at the same speed. Multiple entry adds $25. Do not reapply while a file is in progress.
Cutoffs in your time zone
| Tier | Vietnam (VNT) | New York / Toronto | Los Angeles / Vancouver | London | Sydney / Melbourne | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Day | 11:00 | 00:00 EDT 23:00 (prev. day) EST | 21:00 (prev. day) PDT 20:00 (prev. day) PST | 05:00 BST 04:00 GMT | 15:00 AEDT 14:00 AEST | 09:30 IST |
| 2-Day | 11:00 | 00:00 EDT 23:00 (prev. day) EST | 21:00 (prev. day) PDT 20:00 (prev. day) PST | 05:00 BST 04:00 GMT | 15:00 AEDT 14:00 AEST | 09:30 IST |
| 1-Day | 11:00 | 00:00 EDT 23:00 (prev. day) EST | 21:00 (prev. day) PDT 20:00 (prev. day) PST | 05:00 BST 04:00 GMT | 15:00 AEDT 14:00 AEST | 09:30 IST |
| 5-Hour | 13:00 | 02:00 EDT 01:00 EST | 23:00 (prev. day) PDT 22:00 (prev. day) PST | 07:00 BST 06:00 GMT | 17:00 AEDT 16:00 AEST | 11:30 IST |
| 2.5-Hour | 15:30 | 04:30 EDT 03:30 EST | 01:30 PDT 00:30 PST | 09:30 BST 08:30 GMT | 19:30 AEDT 18:30 AEST | 14:00 IST |
| 1.5-Hour | 16:30 | 05:30 EDT 04:30 EST | 02:30 PDT 01:30 PST | 10:30 BST 09:30 GMT | 20:30 AEDT 19:30 AEST | 15:00 IST |
| 30–60 minutes | Confirm on WhatsApp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Weekend / Holiday (Sat/Sun) | 15:00 | 04:00 EDT 03:00 EST | 01:00 PDT 00:00 PST | 09:00 BST 08:00 GMT | 19:00 AEDT 18:00 AEST | 13:30 IST |
Vietnam is UTC+7 all year. Clocks in your country change, so each cell shows summer and winter time; use the one that applies today. Brisbane and Perth do not follow Sydney’s daylight saving. Weekday tiers run Monday to Friday only. Cutoffs are the last time to submit for that tier. The boarding letter has no cutoff.
Not sure which tier or cutoff fits your time zone? Ask us.
WhatsApp +84 947 754 252Send your reference code (format E260705…) if you already applied.
Status by Status: What to Expect
| Status | What to expect |
|---|---|
| In Process | Waiting in the queue. Count Vietnamese working days only |
| Amendment Required | Processing has stopped for a correction. Plan as if the file goes back through review once it is corrected |
| Approved | Issued. Check the PDF against your passport |
| Rejected | A decision has been made. Find the cause before a new application |
| No record found | Possibly a mistyped lookup, possibly a missing application. Re-check the code, email and date of birth first |
For the full decision between waiting, speeding up and restarting, see stuck on evisa.gov.vn: wait, speed up or restart.
The Entry Port Mistake That Quietly Adds Days
Processing time is the same for every nationality on the same tier. What differs is the mistake each route tends to produce. The form accepts any airport code, so people entering the connecting hub are flagged later and lose days. Enter the Vietnamese airport where your plane lands:
| Your route | The wrong port people enter | The right port |
|---|---|---|
| US or Canada via Seoul | ICN | SGN or HAN |
| Australia, India or the UK via Singapore | SIN | SGN, HAN or DAD |
| Australia or India via Kuala Lumpur | KUL | SGN or HAN |
| US or Canada via Tokyo | NRT or HND | SGN or HAN |
| Europe or India via Dubai or Doha | DXB or DOH | SGN or HAN |
When Waiting Stops Making Sense
Decide a date in advance. Choose a moment at least one full Vietnamese working day before check-in closes, and decide that if the status has not changed by then, you will ask for a speed-up of the same file. Do not start a second application: a duplicate under the same passport can hold both files.
About the boarding letter: it is a letter from us confirming that your e-visa application is in process. It is not a visa, and whether an airline accepts it is the airline’s decision, so we cannot guarantee it. Your approved e-visa is still needed at Vietnamese immigration. See what a boarding letter can and cannot do.
What No Agency Can Honestly Guarantee
No agency can guarantee approval or an exact decision time, because the decision belongs to Vietnamese immigration. What we can state is our refund commitment:
Our refund policy: 100% refund if we cannot complete your visa, or if we do not complete it within the timeframe we committed to. Read the conditions in our Terms & Conditions, and confirm the price, the time and the refund in writing on WhatsApp before you pay. No agency controls Vietnamese immigration’s decision or timing.
Reviews are public on Trustpilot, Google and YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Vietnam e-visa processing take?
Standard processing is officially around 3 working days, and in practice often 3 to 5, on Vietnamese working days only. Urgent tiers through us run from 3 days ($90) down to 30–60 minutes ($215) on weekdays.
How do I count Vietnamese working days?
Count Monday to Friday and skip weekends and Vietnamese public holidays. A file applied on a Wednesday that needs 3 working days usually lands the following Monday, because the weekend sits in between.
Is there processing on weekends?
Not on the weekday tiers. A separate weekend batch exists ($230 for a new application, $210 to speed up an existing one), with a cutoff of 15:00 Vietnam time on Saturday and Sunday.
Why has my application taken longer than 5 days?
Check the live status first. It may be waiting through a weekend or holiday, or it may be flagged Amendment Required for a silent cause such as a transit hub entered as the entry port, a photo in the wrong format, or a name that does not match the passport.
Does the time differ by nationality?
The standard processing time is the same for every nationality on the same tier. The mistakes that cause delay differ by route, which is why the entry-port table above matters.
When should I apply for Tet or other holidays?
Earlier than usual. Public holidays pause processing, and the length of the closure varies by year. Check the official holiday calendar and choose a tier that still fits.
Can I speed up an application I already submitted?
Yes. Speed Up starts from $70 and works on the file you already submitted. Do not reapply. Send support the registration code, the registered email and your flight details.
What is the refund policy?
100% refund if we cannot complete your visa, or if we do not complete it within the timeframe we committed to. Confirm the price, the time and the refund in writing on WhatsApp before you pay.
Related guides
Need it fast? Message our support team.
WhatsApp +84 947 754 252Send your reference code (format E260705…) if you already applied.
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.