Vietnam Transit Visa

A Vietnam transit visa is a visa that permits travelers to pass through Vietnam on their way to another destination.

When flying from one country to another, one or more stops at an international border gate before going to the third country are called a transit. Passengers can rest on the plane during transit or move to the transit area to wait for the next flight. Depending on particular circumstances, foreigners are required to obtain a transit visa for Vietnam.

Passengers are waiting at the transit area

What is a transit visa?

Transit visa is a visa issued for foreigners who are not exempted from a visa for Vietnam, have a connecting flight and a stopover in Vietnam, and are listed in one of the following cases:

  • Foreigners who stay in Vietnam airport for over 24 hours and plan to leave the airport to sightsee around Vietnam.
  • Foreigners who stay in Vietnam airport within 24 hours but must leave the transit area for a while due to compulsory reasons (such as collecting luggage to transfer to the next flight, exploring Vietnam, personal reasons, etc.).

Who does not need a transit visa?

A visa transit is not required when you are transiting through a Vietnam airport in some cases:

  • You have a Vietnam visa exemption
  • You have a connecting flight within 24 hours
  • You are not going to leave the transit area prescribed by the competent agency of the international border gates
  • You have proof of your trip to the final destination such as a visa, passport.

In these cases, foreigners must comply with some conditions to transit in Vietnam without a transit visa:

  • Having a valid passport (6 months valid at least ) or international travel documents
  • Having a ticket showing the journey to the third country
  • A valid visa to the third country, except for visa exemption cases

How to apply?

Like many other visa types to Vietnam, you can opt for one of 3 ways to get a transit visa.

  • Transit visa at Embassy: This is the most common way in which you submit documents to the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate in your residing country and get a transit visa in advance of your trip. The cost varies on the policy of the Embassy in each country.
  • Transit visa online (e-visa): More convenient and time-saving, an e-visa requires all information and documents submitted online. It takes 3 working days for the review process but only applies to citizens of 81 countries accepted for e-visa issuing. The fee is US25 per time.
  • Transit visa on arrival: This is the easiest way to get a visa thanks to the help of a third party (a visa agency) but only available for air-way travelers. You can fill out the information online to apply for a pre-approved visa letter and prepare some other documents (visa application form, photos, passport), and get the visa stamp at the airport in Vietnam. The approval letter fee varies based on time (urgent or regular), and the agency’s policy. The stamping fee is US$25 and must be in cash.

Important notes when traveling with a transit visa

  • Important notes when traveling with a transit visa
  • Due to the time zone difference among different countries, you should adjust the clock to Vietnam time to avoid missing flights.
  • Make sure you follow the Transit Gate instead of the Immigration Gate.
  • Remember or frequently check your flight time and number on the electronic board in case of any change in boarding gate or flight time.
  • Check your luggage carefully and reduce hand luggage if possible to avoid luggage loss.
  • Although there are lots of food options at the port, the price could be a bit higher than outside so you can prepare some snacks if you have a long transit time.

Questions and Answers (21)

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Q
Daniela OKeefe
Australia on May 31, 2023

Heya, I am flying from Melbourne to Frankfurt and will have a 13 hour stop over in Ho Chi Minh and would like to explore the city while I am there. Do I need an e visa? Thank you, Danny

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 31, 2023

@Daniela OKeefe, Yes, if you exit the airport and visit Ho Chi Minh City, you will require a visa for entry.

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Q
Avi Kanchan
India on May 31, 2023

I have a flight from Bali to Delhi , which lands at Ho Chi Min City on 7th Oct and has a layover for 22 hours and 55 min then the connecting flight is on 8th Oct from Ho Chi Min City to Delhi. I have a layover of 23 hrs (approx) , Do I need a visa to go out of the airport and visit the city as the layover is less than 24 hours ?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 31, 2023

@Avi Kanchan, Yes, you will need a visa to exit the airport and explore the city regardless of how long your stay is.

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Q
Brendon Redmond
Australia on May 30, 2023

Hi, I am looking to fly from Sydney to London via Ho Chi Min City. I am looking at having one or two nights to break the flight. Will I need a transit visa?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 30, 2023

@Brendon Redmond, To exit the transit area and stay at a hotel outside of the airport, you can apply for an e-visa for the short-term visit!

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Q
Scott
United Kingdom on May 30, 2023

Hi, I am a UK citizen flying from Sydney to London via Hanoi. We will only have a short 4 hour layover in Hanoi. Will we need any form of visa in order to transit through this airport? We will not be leaving the airport at any time. Thank you!

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 30, 2023

@Scott, You do not need a visa or any sort of document in this case because you do not exit the airport as well as UK passport holders are exempt from visa requirements for 15 days!

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Q
SHLOK Parmar
India on May 30, 2023

Hello I am an Indian student traveling to Australia and have layover at ho chi Minh airport for 13 hours, my baggage is not checked through for the connecting flights and i have to self check in into it then would I require a transit visa ?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 30, 2023

@SHLOK Parmar, If your baggage is not checked through for the connecting flights and you need to self-check-in, you may require a transit visa for this flight. You can either contact the embassy of Vietnam in Australia for visa instructions or apply online for an e-visa!

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Q
Graham Huges
Australia on May 29, 2023

Hi I'm an Australian Citizen flying to Sydney from Chiang Mai Thailand. I will be flying to Ho Chi Minh city and will need to self transfer to a Jetstar flight for Sydney within 6 hours, do I need a travel transit visa? if yes, the other problem is on the e-visa website form, it asks for an address for staying in Vietnam but I will be just staying at the airport and going strait to the Jetstar flight. Thanks in advance, Graham.

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 29, 2023

@Graham, You will need a visa for self-check-in for the next flight at Ho Chi Minh City airport. For the temporary address that is required on the form, you can fill in with the address of the airport or airport name!

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Q
Anish
Singapore on May 29, 2023

Hi I'm an Indian passport holder flying from Singapore to Kochi via Ho Chi Minh transit for almost 6 hours. I am an Employment pass holder in Singapore. Can I exit the airport for few hours given I will already have a ticket to India as proof?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 29, 2023

@Anish, You will need a valid visa to exit the airport, Singapore employment pass holder is not eligible for the 30 day visa exemption!

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Q
Mitchell Nour
Australia on May 26, 2023

Hi I’m an Australian citizen I’m flying into Ho Chi Minh city to catch my connecting flight to Sydney 6 hours later so I still get a visa ? Thanks

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 26, 2023

@Mitchell Nour, As long as you do not exit the transit area, no visa is required!

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Q
William Wang
United States on May 25, 2023

Hi my wife and I are US/Taiwan citizen transiting in Vietnam go to go HK, we need exit and enter via the flight detail, do we need a transit visa and the flight is in 3 days, is it too late to get them or is there transit visa on arrival?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 25, 2023

@William Wang, If you exit the airport for your next flight check-in, we are afraid that you will need a visa and it is possible to obtain an emergency e-visa within 24 hours. Therefore, if your flight is in 3 days, you are still able to apply for a visa for your entry.

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Q
Caroline Spence
New Zealand on May 24, 2023

Hello, I’m a New Zealand passport holder. I flew into Ho Chi Minh on the 13th of May with a Vietnamese visa and then on to Thailand on the 20th. We’re flying home via Ho Chi Minh from Thailand on Friday. Do we need a visa to re-enter Vietnam if we’re not leaving the airport ?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 24, 2023

@Caroline Spence, If you do not exit the transit lounge or pass the custom check, you do not require a visa for your second entry to Vietnam!

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Q
Eadaoin Mc
Ireland on May 23, 2023

I am an Irish (EU) passport holder flying through Hanoi as a layover on the way to France from Japan. I have a 10 hr layover in Hanoi and both flights are with Vietnam airlines. Will I need a transit visa as I am staying less than 24 hrs? I had a terrible experience before flying from Cambodia with a connection in Ho Chi Minh where I was informed I could not travel because of not having a transit visa for a VietJet connection and want to avoid this again! Info on the airline websites is super murky!

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 23, 2023

@Eadaoin Mc, If you do not plan to leave the transit area or go outside of the airport, you do not require a visa. However, if you wish to exit the airport and explore the city, you will need a visa to pass the immigration counter. For more information, you can check out the official website of Vietnam Airlines below:

https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/en/travel-information/airports-transit/airport-guides

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Q
Ajitanshu Vedrtnam
India on May 22, 2023

I am traveling from Delhi to Singapore and transiting at Ho Chi Minh city. I am an Indian national and Employment pass holder in Singapore. The transit time is less than 3 hours. I don't have any check in luggage. However, I am not sure if I need to pass through the immigration for boarding my flight to Singapore at Ho Chi Minh airport. I'll remain on airside if that is not needed. Could you please confirm if I'll need a visa for transiting? Your response will be highly appreciated and will be very helpful for me.

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 22, 2023

@Ajitanshu Vedrtnam, Based on the information provided, it is highly unlikely that you will need a visa in this case, as you will not be exiting the transit lounge. Even if you need to board the plane to Singapore, it should still be within the transfer area. However, we advise that you also contact your airline for detailed routing information.

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Q
Cassandra Lubin
Australia on May 21, 2023

Hi, we are flying from Melbourne Australia, to Paris, France Return with a stop over in Ho Chi Minh. On the way there our stopover is 5.5hrs and on the way back it is 14.5 hrs. We don’t plan on leaving the airport, only on using the sleep pod service when there. Are these located in the transit area? And furthermore is it correct that we will NOT require a visa. We have seen some conflicting answers to this. thank you!

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 21, 2023

@Cassandra Lubin, You do not need a visa in your case since you will not be exiting the transit area. The Ho Chi Minh City airport offers sleep zone services, which you can book directly with the airport authority on their website provided below:

http://sleepzone.sasco.com.vn/en/

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Q
Troy Harris
Australia on May 21, 2023

We are flying from Melbourne to Paris and transiting through Ho Chi Minh City. We have a 6 hour stop over so can we get a visa to enter Vietnam to visit a Ho Chi Minh City restaurant then travel back to the airport to catch our connecting flight?

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 21, 2023

@Troy Harris, That is fine, you can apply for an e-visa to visit Ho Chi Minh City. However, please consider your plan as 6 hours is a short time to dine at a restaurant and complete flight check-in/check-out procedures.

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Q
Jayden Collins
Australia on May 14, 2023

I am flying from London to Sydney, transiting through Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. We don't leave the airport in Hanoi but in Ho Chi Minh City I believe we have to move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. Will I need to get a visa for this reason? Our layovers are about 3 hours in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

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A Lina Tran Answered on May 14, 2023

@Jayden Collins, You do not need a visa as long as you stay within the transit area and do not pass through customs. Otherwise, a valid visa is required!

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Q
Phil
Thailand on May 12, 2023

I have a two ticket flight meaning I have a one way flight into vietnam, and then the next leg is within 24 hours. I might have to exit in order to pick up my checked luggage and go back through security. Will I need a visa?

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A Mai Le Answered on May 12, 2023

@Phil, Yes, you will need a visa to exit the transit area. We advise that you contact your airlines for assistance in collecting your baggage.

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Q
Vanessa Spitty
Australia on May 12, 2023

I am flying from Sydney to HCMC, then taking a flight a couple hours later to Phnom Penh. They are with different airlines so I will need to collect my luggage at HCMC. Do I need a visa for that or can I collect luggage without leaving the transit area?

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A Lan Answered on May 12, 2023

@Vanessa Spitty, Most airlines will assist you with the collection of your luggage (even with code-share flights). Therefore, we advise that you contact the airline directly for assistance. If you have to leave the transit area to collect your luggage, you may need a visa in that case.

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Q
Catherine
Indian on May 01, 2023

I am an Indian citizen and have a connecting flight to Japan in Ho chi minh and it’s a separate flight. Do i need a transit visa?

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A Lan Answered on May 01, 2023

@Catherine, The rule is simple: if you stay within the transit area, then no visa is required; if you exit the transit area, then a visa is needed.

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Q
Camilla Dias
Japan on April 29, 2023

I'm Brazilian and fly from tokyo to london with a connection in Ho Chi minh, i do not go out, do i need visa for that?

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A Lina Tran Answered on April 29, 2023

@Camilla Dias, If you do not exit the transit area, you will not need visa!

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Q
Jaque Bannerman
Australia on April 23, 2023

My husband and I are flying from Sydney to Paris via Ho Chi Minh City and on our way back (28/07/23) we have 13 hours to connect the flight to Sydney. We only would like to go to a hotel and maybe sightseeing while we wait for our flight. We are both Australian citizens and our flights details are attached.

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A Lina Tran Answered on April 23, 2023

@Jaque Bannerman, Australians are eligible for the e-visa application, the process is simple so you can apply for an evisa to exit the airport and stay a night in Ho Chi Minh city.

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Q
Clemens Ruben
Germany on April 23, 2023

I'm looking to apply for a visa for my wife. She is a Chinese citizen and I was told by the embassy here in Germany, where I am from, that we would need to apply for the visa through an agency. Can you help us get a visa? We will fly to Hanoi on Sept. 9 and then fly onto Indonesia on Sept. 10. So we have 24h in Hanoi and would love to explore the city.

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A Lina Tran Answered on April 23, 2023

@Clemens Ruben, If you exit the airport transit area, you will need a visa to visit Vietnam. You can apply for an e-visa which is a convenient way to get a visa for Vietnam now.

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Frequently asked questions

1. I am a Japanese passport holder, do I need a Vietnam transit visa if I stay in the airport for only 5 hours and do not leave the airport?

If you stay in the airport for less than 24 hours but still leave the transit area for collecting luggage, you still need a transit visa to pass the Immigration gate. You should check your flight to know whether your luggage is automatically transferred to the next flight or not.

2. How much is a transit visa on arrival?

A transit visa on arrival costs US25 for the stamping fee. Besides, you need to pay a fee to the Vietnamese visa agency to get a visa approval letter before traveling to Vietnam.

3. Where should I go after landing in Vietnam for a transit?

When getting off the plane at the transit airport, follow the direction of the Transit Gate to exit the security gate and check your luggage before boarding the plane for the next flight. Find the correct terminal for the next flight.

4. Can I transit through Vietnam without a visa?

Yes. You can transit through Vietnam without a visa if

  • You have nationality exempted from a Vietnam visa
  • You stay at Vietnam International border gate for no more than 24 hours and do not leave the transit area
  • You have all documents: a 6-month valid passport, an onward ticket to the 3rd country, a visa to the 3rd country (except for visa exemption cases)

Contact sales if you have additional questions.

Contact support if you already submitted your visa application on our website.

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