Change Vietnam Visa Entry Date: Arriving Earlier or Later Than Your E-Visa

You cannot enter Vietnam before the valid-from date on your e-visa, so if your plans moved earlier you need to change Vietnam visa entry date details before you fly. A later arrival is fine as long as it falls inside the validity period printed on the e-visa. This page shows what to do for an early or late arrival, what happens with the entry gate, and what a fix costs. For other mistakes, see our hub on how to correct Vietnam visa details, or choose a service if you are unsure.

eVisaVietnam.com is a private visa service operated by TK VIET NAM., JSC, not the Vietnamese government. You can apply yourself at evisa.gov.vn for US$25.

Entry date problems at a glance:

Can you arrive earlier than your e-visa date?

No. Arriving before your e-visa start date is not allowed, even by one day. The Embassy of Vietnam in India says on its e-visa page: "You cannot enter Vietnam before or after the validity period specified in your e-Visa" (as of October 2026).

The validity period begins on the date printed on the approved e-visa, which is the entry date you chose when you applied, not the day the e-visa was approved. Airlines check the PDF at check-in, so an early arrival can end at the airline desk before the Vietnamese border. For that situation, see our checklist for denied boarding over a Vietnam visa.

For example, an e-visa valid from November 10 does not let you land on November 9.

Can you arrive later than the date on your e-visa?

Yes, as long as you arrive inside the validity period. The same embassy page says you can enter on any date within it. A trip that slips by a few days is therefore not a problem if the new date is still before the end date on the e-visa.

If you arrive after the end date, the e-visa is no longer valid. The embassy's advice in that case is to apply for a new e-visa.

How to change Vietnam visa entry date

To change the Vietnam visa entry date on an issued e-visa, use our Update E-Visa service. It costs $65 for the Same day option and $85 for the weekend and public holiday option. Use the Update E-Visa form and give us:

1. Your e-visa: Its code and the email address used on it.
2. Two files: Your passport scan and the e-visa you hold now.
3. The change: A note with your new arrival date.

We email the corrected e-visa by the delivery time shown on the form before you pay. A weekday order placed before 9:00 Vietnam time (GMT+7) is due at 14:00 the same day, and one placed from 9:00 to 14:44 is due at 18:30. Our hub explains how long a correction takes in full.

Always compare the corrected dates with your flight before you confirm. The embassy's own advice, for a date outside the validity period, is a new application; either way, the e-visa you show at check-in must cover the day you arrive.

Can you change the entry gate?

Travelers often ask how to change the entry port on a Vietnam e-visa. The two government statements below differ, so read both.

The Embassy of Vietnam in India says your actual entry checkpoint does not have to match the one you gave in the application. Other governments word it more strictly: the Government of Canada's travel advice, updated June 22, 2026, says entry is limited to the port on the e-visa.

Because the two statements differ, the safest plan is to enter at the gate you listed. If your route changed, message us on WhatsApp at +84 879 932 635 (8:00 to 21:00, GMT+7) before you travel and we will explain the options. The e-visa is accepted at 79 border gates: 15 airports, 26 land border gates and 38 seaports (as of October 2026).

Update E-Visa or a new application?

If your flight is within days, Update E-Visa is usually the better choice. A new application at Standard speed costs $47 but takes 5 to 7 working days, so it only suits a flight at least a week away.

Once the new dates are confirmed, you can apply for your e-visa from scratch, or choose the correction. Our full price table lists every speed.