5 Common Mistakes People Make When Applying for a Visa on Arrival to Vietnam

You must apply online in advance

Many people think that they can get a visa directly at Vietnam airport without applying online (like other countries in Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos..ect). That is NOT true, you may end up having to delay/cancel your flights, or waiting at the airport until the visa is approved. You will need to apply online for an approval letter in order to pick up your visa at a Vietnam airport.

You can’t get a visa on arrival at the border

Visa on arrival works for air travel only, meaning there is NO on arrival visa for overland/border crossing or sea/water entry. So, in case you are NOT entering Vietnam by air, just make sure you have the visa in advance.

Spelling/typo mistakes

Many applicants fill in the application form with the WRONG details: incorrect spelling of full name on passport, passport number or date of birth. This will lead to declined entry at the departure airport, as the information on the ‘letter of approval’ does not match what’s in your passport. So, make sure that you enter everything correctly and carefully.

Arrival date

Many people think that the visa validity will start from the date they enter Vietnam, not from the date stated on the visa letter. This is not correct. The visa validity will commence from the date you provide in advance, not from the date you enter the country. So, just make sure that you make a clear plan of when to enter before ordering a visa to Vietnam. For example: the letter says you are allowed to enter and remain in the country for 1 month from September 25th 2018 - this means you must leave the country on or before October 25th 2018 no matter what day you enter the country.

Visa extension

Many people think that it is easy to extend a visa once they are in Vietnam. In reality, it’s not quite that simple. Extending a visa may be a costly and time-consuming process, so, if you know you may have to stay for longer, apply for a three month visa in advance instead of a one month in order to save money on visa extension

We strongly believe that what we have written here is not a complete list of mistakes. If you wish to share/add something, you are welcome to email us at editors@myvietnamvisa.com.