Extend Vietnam Visa

Wondering how to extend Vietnam visa dates? With an e-visa you cannot simply do it at a counter. You have three real options: a sponsored extension filed by an organization or person in Vietnam, a visa run, or a new e-visa for your next entry. We do not sell extensions, so this page explains how each option works, what the law says, how long you can stay, and what an overstay risks. If a new e-visa is the right answer for you, you can apply for your e-visa from anywhere.

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.

Extend Vietnam visa at a glance:

Can you extend Vietnam visa validity on an e-visa?

Not on your own. A foreigner in Vietnam who wants to stay longer must ask a sponsoring organization or person to file the request, and the immigration authority decides. That is Article 35 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners, in the consolidated text published in the Gazette on November 29, 2023.

The law gives the sponsor a file to submit, with your passport, and the authority reviews a complete file within 5 working days. It does not give an e-visa holder a self-service extension, and we have not found a government rule that promises one. Many guides say e-visas cannot be extended in the country. We treat an extension as uncertain and not something to plan a trip around.

How long can I stay in Vietnam?

A Vietnam e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, and your stay equals the visa's validity (Articles 9 and 31 of the law). How long can a US citizen stay in Vietnam? Up to 90 days on an e-visa, since the United States is not on the exemption lists.

Citizens of some countries enter without a visa for 45 days; the list is on our Vietnam visa exemption page. For a longer stay on an e-visa, see the 90-day multiple-entry e-visa: it lets you leave and return, but it does not add days beyond the dates printed on it.

Two questions follow once the 90 days are not enough: how the three options compare, and what an overstay means.

Three ways to stay longer

The three options differ in who files, how certain the result is, and what you pay. Only the third is under your control.

Which one fits depends on your plans. If you live or work in Vietnam and have a sponsor, ask the sponsor about an extension. If you were going to cross a border anyway, such as a trip to Cambodia or Laos, a visa run adds little to a trip you were already making. If you simply want more days as a traveler and want a result you can plan around, a new e-visa is the dependable choice, because you control the dates and the application.

Option 1, a sponsored extension

A sponsor, usually an organization or an agent, files the request at the immigration authority. The decision is the authority's, so the result is not guaranteed. We do not offer this service and we do not quote fees for it. Ask the sponsor for the cost and the timeline before you commit.

Option 2, a visa run

A visa run means leaving Vietnam and coming back on a new e-visa. In the south, travelers often use the Moc Bai border with Cambodia; Moc Bai Landport is on the e-visa list, as are the other gates in our ports of entry guide. Get the new e-visa approved before you cross.

A visa run does not extend the old visa. Each e-visa is valid up to 90 days from the dates printed on it.

Option 3, a new e-visa

A new e-visa is the clearest route, and the law (Article 16a) sets 3 working days for the authority to issue an e-visa after a complete application and fee.

Our all-in price starts at $47 single and $82 multiple, government fee included. See the full price table for every speed, or the urgent e-visa page for short notice.

Allow for weekends and holidays when you count those 3 working days, and check your passport rules before you pay. Then apply for your e-visa and leave before the old one ends.

What happens if you overstay?

A Vietnam visa overstay is a breach of the law. Under Article 30, a foreigner whose stay has ended and who does not leave can be forced to leave. Under Article 31, an immigration authority can also shorten or cancel a stay when a foreigner breaks Vietnamese law.

Fines and entry bans for overstaying are set in separate rules, and we do not quote amounts, because the figures that circulate on the web are not sourced. If you have already overstayed, contact the immigration authority or an accredited agent before you go to the airport. Do not wait for your departure day.

Choose before day 90, not on it. Apply for your e-visa for your next entry and plan the exit.