Vietnam Visa News

Vietnam visa news for October 2026 comes down to five points: citizens of 24 countries can stay 45 days without a visa, the e-visa still lasts up to 90 days for every passport, the government fee is still US$25 for a single entry, a free pre-arrival form is being piloted at airports, and overstay fines are higher. If your passport is not on the exemption list, you can apply for your e-visa in about ten minutes.

Every item below has a date, the legal document behind it and a source we checked. Reports we could not confirm are left out.

Vietnam visa rules at a glance:

Vietnam visa policy in force as of October 2026

Vietnam's visa policy gives most travelers three routes: a 45-day exemption for 24 nationalities, a 90-day e-visa open to every passport, and a smaller set of bilateral or island exemptions. Visa on arrival, an approval letter plus a stamp, works only at four airports.

Your passport decides the route. Visitors flying to Phu Quoc can also stay 30 days without a visa under Law 51/2019/QH14. Every route needs a passport valid for at least 6 months from your entry date, with two blank pages. For answers by nationality, see do you need a visa for Vietnam.

Vietnam visa changes since 2025: a dated timeline

Seven legal documents shaped the rules between 2023 and September 2026. The table lists them by effective date.

Visa exemption: 24 countries and 45 days

Citizens of 24 countries can enter Vietnam for up to 45 days without a visa, under two resolutions: 44/NQ-CP for 12 countries and any purpose, and 229/NQ-CP for 12 European countries and tourism only.

Resolution 44/NQ-CP applies to Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, from March 15, 2025 to March 14, 2028. Resolution 229/NQ-CP applies to Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland, from August 15, 2025 to August 14, 2028. A business trip from this group needs a visa. The visa exemption guide covers the bilateral groups and how the days count.

E-visa: 90 days, every nationality, more border gates

The Vietnam e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, and any nationality can apply. It has worked this way since August 15, 2023, under Resolution 127/NQ-CP and Law 23/2023/QH15.

Resolution 389/NQ-CP of December 2, 2025 added 41 border gates (4 airports, 11 land border gates and 26 seaports) to the 2023 list, as the national tourism authority reports. Some new airports open only once they operate. The full list of entry ports shows the names we check.

Government visa fee under Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC

The government fee for the e-visa is US$25 for a single entry and US$50 for multiple entry up to 90 days, with US$25 for children under 14. Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC has set these amounts since April 1, 2026.

The Ministry of Finance signed the circular on March 27, 2026, according to the Tay Ninh provincial police summary. It replaced the earlier fee circulars but left the e-visa amounts as they were. The Vietnam visa fee page explains what our all-in price adds.

Pre-arrival form: voluntary pilot to wider rollout

The Vietnam pre-arrival form is a free online declaration for foreign air travelers. The Vietnam Immigration Department described the pilot as optional. It started as a pilot at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on April 15, 2026.

Travelers fill it in within three days before arrival at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn and keep a QR code for immigration. The Ministry of Public Security says about 70% of foreign air passengers used it between April 15 and 30 and that other international airports will follow (Ministry of Public Security, May 13, 2026). It does not replace a visa. Reports say some airports now require it, so check our pre-arrival form guide and the government site before you fly.

Overstay fines under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP

Foreigners who stay past their permitted period face administrative fines and possible deportation under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, in force since December 15, 2025. Fines rise with the length of the overstay.

Tuoi Tre reports a range from VND 500,000 for a short overstay to VND 40 million for the longest. Published sources split the middle bands differently, so we do not list them. If you are close to your last day, read how to extend your stay or leave in time.

Decree 286/2026: what it does and does not change

Decree 286/2026/ND-CP regulates how ministries and provincial committees coordinate with immigration authorities. It adds no document, fee or step for tourists. It took effect on September 15, 2026 and replaced Decree 64/2015/ND-CP.

Luat Viet Nam's English summary says the decree now covers foreigners entering on e-visas or under exemption, mainly through information sharing between agencies. Some websites call it a crackdown on e-visa holders. The summary does not support that, and the 90-day e-visa and the exemption lists were not touched.

What the new rules mean for your trip

For most visitors the new visa rules change little. Check whether your passport is on an exemption list, apply for the e-visa if it is not, and leave before your last permitted day.

Exempt travelers should keep a return ticket and count the 45 days from the entry date; e-visa applicants pick an entry gate from the form's dropdown. The next section covers where to follow the news, which reports to skip and how we update this page.

How to follow Vietnam visa news yourself

Government sources worth bookmarking

The Vietnam Immigration Department publishes notices at xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, and the e-visa application and status check are at evisa.gov.vn. Our guide to the evisa.gov.vn site and private services explains how they differ.

Reports we do not repeat until confirmed

Some items circulate online without a text we could open, such as new visa categories for talent or a waiver deal with a smaller country. We leave them out until the issuing agency publishes them.

How we update this page

We review this page when a resolution, decree or circular changes a rule that affects travelers. Arrival numbers live on Vietnam visa statistics.

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. If you want staff to check your file before it goes in, choose a service.