Overstay Vietnam Visa

Special notes:

• If you overstay your visa for less than 3 days, you do not need to contact the local Immigration Office, you can go to the airport directly and pay for the penalty (about 22 USD per day ~500,000 VND) and get an exit visa to leave the country.
• If you overstay your visa exemption period for just 1-2 days, you can do the same thing as above.

Overstaying a Vietnam visa is a violation of immigration laws and can result in serious consequences. The specific consequences of overstaying a Vietnam visa can vary depending on the individual case and the circumstances of the overstay, but may include fines, restrictions on future travel to Vietnam, or even deportation.

Avoid it whenever you can

Before discussing the possible penalty you may face at the time of departure for overstaying your visa, it is best to avoid it in the first place.

• Always check the date on your visa stamp: There have been cases where the officials gives a wrong date on the stamp (postdating it back 1-2 months compared with the correct one can be a huge issue and you will not be able to explain all the details when caught violating the laws). Make sure that the visa you get shows all the correct details, especially the valid dates.

• Keep a note or set an alarm of the last date you must leave the country: Sometimes you may be held off because of an extended trip, a wedding, hospital treatment or loss of documents which lead to the overstay. It's always helpful to remind yourself of this important date so as to avoid any possible penalty or consequences.

What to do when you overstay your Vietnam visa

• Know the penalties: You will have to pay a fine fee for overstaying and either (1) extension fee if you plan on staying longer or (2) exit visa fee if you plan to exit. In case you plan to exit Vietnam right after overstaying, the situation may not be as serious and the penalty fee is not high - you can pay by yourself in the Vietnam Immigration Office at the airport and then leave the country. According to the 150/2005/NĐ-CP Decree, the fine will be between VND 500,000 and VND 2,000,000 (Source: http://www.moj.gov.vn/)

• If you overstay for an extended period of time, you must submit your original passport and pay all dues at the local Immigration Office in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. This is to avoid any potential delay or hold-off at the airport you may face later.

Overstay due to loss of passport

• In case you lose your passport and stay beyond the visa valid date, go immediately to ward police and fill the Passport Lost Report and get confirmation sealed by the Ward Police. Then contact your Embassy in Vietnam for passport renewal which may take a few weeks. If your country does not have an embassy in Vietnam, you can contact the nearest Embassy in another country and ask for diplomatic note.

• Your embassy or consulate will issue a letter to the Vietnam Immigration Department and request their support for a new visa or travel document for you to exit the country. You can then leave Vietnam using the new passport and exit visa.

How to exit Vietnam with an expired visa

You need to pay all the fines and complete any procedure as required by the local officials such as submitting a letter of explanation. If you overstay for just a few days, you can pay the fine directly to the Immigration Officer at Vietnam airport when you leave.