A Vietnam e-Visa for an Indian passport holder costs USD 25 for a single entry or USD 50 for multiple entries, is valid for up to 90 days, and is applied for on evisa.gov.vn with a passport scan and a 4 x 6 cm portrait photo; the Immigration Department normally approves it in 3 working days. The e-Visa is accepted at 13 international airports, 16 land border gates and 13 seaports, but only at the port named on the application, and validity runs from the entry date you choose rather than the date you land. There is no visa on arrival for independent travellers, and the letter-based product sold by agencies is a pricier version of the same approval.
The short version with the price card and checklist is on the Vietnam e-Visa route page. This article is the long version, with the reasoning behind the port rule, the photo specification and the data errors that cause most rejections.
Do Indians need a visa for Vietnam in 2026?
Yes. India is not on Vietnam's visa-exemption list, so every Indian ordinary passport holder needs a visa before boarding, and airlines check it at check-in. Since 15 August 2023 the e-Visa has been open to all nationalities for up to 90 days with a single or multiple-entry option, which made Vietnam one of the fastest-growing destinations for Indian travellers: Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc now have direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. The e-Visa covers tourism, visiting friends and family, business meetings, conferences and other short purposes; anyone being paid in Vietnam, posted for work or staying beyond 90 days needs the DN business, LD work or TT family routes covered in the Vietnam business visa guide, the Vietnam work visa guide and the Vietnam family visa guide.
Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt under the India-Vietnam agreement, and Indians holding a Vietnamese temporary residence card or an APEC Business Travel Card enter on those documents. Transit passengers who stay airside at Tan Son Nhat or Noi Bai do not need a visa; anyone changing terminals or airports does.
How does the e-Visa portal work, and what does it ask for?
The official portal is evisa.gov.vn, also reachable at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn; dozens of lookalike sites charge USD 60 to 200 for the same visa and sometimes submit wrong data. The form asks for a colour scan of the passport data page (JPG, under 2 MB, six months' validity), a portrait photo of 4 by 6 cm on a white background with no glasses and a neutral expression, the passport issue date, the intended entry and exit dates, the entry and exit ports, the purpose, and an address in Vietnam such as a hotel. Payment is by international debit or credit card, and the portal issues a registration code that you use with your e-mail and date of birth to check the status and download the approval PDF. Approved e-Visas state the exact entry port; arriving at a different port, or before the start date, means refusal at the counter, so an itinerary that lands in Hanoi and connects to Da Nang must name Noi Bai.
How much does a Vietnam visa cost for Indians?
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| e-Visa, single entry | USD 25 | Up to 90 days; non-refundable |
| e-Visa, multiple entry | USD 50 | Up to 90 days; unlimited entries within validity |
| Visa at the embassy (sticker), single entry | USD 25 plus consular handling | Only where an e-Visa is not possible |
| Visa extension in Vietnam | USD 10 stamp plus agent fees | Discretionary; typically 30 days |
| Children and infants | Same fee each | Every traveller needs an e-Visa |
| Travel insurance | Market rate | Recommended |
Indian rupee cards work on the portal (billed in USD), and the fee covers the decision only, so a refused applicant reapplies with a fresh fee. Vistolane charges the USD 25 or USD 50 government fee at the official rate and shows its service separately on the Vietnam destination page.
How does the application run?
- Prepare the scans: passport data page under 2 MB and a 4 by 6 cm portrait on white, with names exactly as printed in the passport and the MRZ.
- Complete the form on evisa.gov.vn: entry and exit dates and ports, hotel address, purpose "tourism", single or multiple entry.
- Pay USD 25 or USD 50 by card and note the registration code shown after payment.
- Check the status after three working days with the code, e-mail and date of birth; download and print the approval PDF.
- Travel through the named port on or after the start date; the officer stamps the stay to the exit date on the visa.
How long does it take from India?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Scans and form | 15 minutes |
| Processing | 3 working days; 5 to 7 around Tet and in December |
| Validity start | Your chosen entry date |
| Extension in Vietnam | 5 to 7 working days through an agent |
Choose the entry date carefully: the 90 days run from the date on the visa, not from arrival, so a traveller who lands late loses days. Multiple-entry visas suit Indians combining Vietnam with Cambodia or Laos, which the travel document checklist helps you plan.
What happens at the border and during the stay?
Immigration officers at Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang and Phu Quoc check the printed e-Visa against the passport, the return ticket and the hotel booking; funds checks are rare. Hotels register guests with the local police automatically, and a private host must register you within 24 hours. The e-Visa does not allow paid work or study; remote work for an Indian employer during a holiday is tolerated but a long stay working from Da Nang should be on a DN or LD visa. Overstaying costs VND 500,000 to 2 million for a few days and up to VND 20 million with deportation and a re-entry ban for longer periods, so ask an agent for an extension before the exit date if plans change; extensions are discretionary and were suspended at times in 2024 and 2025.
Why are Vietnam e-Visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
Data mismatch. Name order, passport number or issue date typed differently from the passport. Copy the MRZ exactly; Vistolane checks every field before payment.
Photo rejected. Glasses, shadows, a cropped head or an old photo. Use a fresh 4 by 6 portrait on white with a neutral expression.
Wrong port or early arrival. Arrived at a port not on the visa or before the start date. Name the first international airport you land at and set the start date at or before the flight.
Previous overstay. An unpaid overstay or deportation record. Settle fines and disclose; apply through the embassy if the portal refuses.
Third-party site errors. Paid a lookalike site that submitted wrong data. Use evisa.gov.vn only and reapply with correct data.
How Vistolane files it
Vistolane completes the official form, checks the photo and port details against the Immigration Department's rejection reasons, charges USD 25 or USD 50 at the official rate and sends the approved PDF for printing. Start with the free eligibility check or the Vietnam e-Visa route page. Travellers comparing the region can read the Thailand visa-free entry guide, the Malaysia visa-free entry guide and the Singapore visa guide.
