Long Thanh Airport Fast Track (LTH): Arriving at Ho Chi Minh City’s New International Airport

Long Thanh International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City’s new gateway in Dong Nai, starts commercial operations on 1 December 2026. If your ticket shows Long Thanh (LTH) instead of Tan Son Nhat (SGN), you will arrive at a brand-new terminal that most travellers, and many drivers, do not know yet. Our Long Thanh airport fast track service meets you with a name board before the immigration counters, helps at the visa-on-arrival counter if you need it, and takes you through the priority lane.

This guide explains what is opening, which flights move to Long Thanh and when, what to expect at immigration in the first months, and how to get to the city.

We are a private travel service, not the Vietnamese government. Vietnam Immigration still checks your passport and visa and decides on your entry.

Long Thanh airport at a glance

Which flights move to Long Thanh, and when

The government has set out a staged transfer of international flights from Tan Son Nhat, as reported by Dan Tri in September 2026:

• 1 December 2026 – 27 March 2027: airlines are encouraged to move international flights to Long Thanh, but there is no compulsory move yet. In July 2026, Tien Phong reported that Vietnam Airlines had registered Long Thanh routes to Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou and Manila, plus Hanoi, and that Vietjet planned domestic routes and at least two international ones.
• From 28 March 2027: all long-haul international flights move to Long Thanh, for example from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East and South Asia.
• From 30 October 2027: the remaining international flights move to Long Thanh, except routes under 1,000 km flown by Vietnamese airlines, which may stay at Tan Son Nhat.

Therefore, the airport you land at depends on your airline and travel date. Always check the airport code on your ticket: LTH is Long Thanh, SGN is Tan Son Nhat. For Tan Son Nhat arrivals, see our Tan Son Nhat airport fast track guide.

What to expect at immigration at Long Thanh

Long Thanh is built for very large numbers of passengers, with a terminal of about 400,000 m² in its first phase. Even so, a new airport takes time to settle. In the first months, signs, staff routines and passenger flows are all new, so waiting times are hard to predict.

The pattern will also change over time:

• December 2026 to March 2027: fewer flights, mainly regional routes such as Hong Kong and mainland China. Queues depend on how many flights land together.
• From late March 2027: long-haul flights from Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas arrive at Long Thanh. Like at Tan Son Nhat today, these flights tend to land close together in the early morning, so immigration waves are likely.
• Visa on arrival adds a stop at the landing visa counter, and Chinese e-passport holders collect a loose-leaf visa there too.

Arriving at Long Thanh on a charter flight

Tour operators bring many groups to Ho Chi Minh City on charter flights. During the transfer period, a charter may use either Long Thanh or Tan Son Nhat, so check the airport on your tour voucher. If your charter lands at Long Thanh, expect these points:

• A new terminal for everyone. In the first months, passengers, tour guides and drivers are all still learning the new building, so finding the right counters and the meeting point can take longer.
• Group paperwork at the visa counter. When a tour group arrives with visa-on-arrival letters or Chinese e-passports that need loose-leaf visas, many passports reach the landing visa counter together, and independent travellers on the same flight wait behind the group.
• A longer road trip afterwards. Long Thanh is about 40 km from the city centre, and group coaches leave only when the last passenger is out.

With Long Thanh airport fast track, our staff meet you before the counters and take you through the priority lane, so you are out ahead of the group. You can book for yourself, your family or the whole tour group, using the charter flight number on your tour voucher.

Do you need Long Thanh airport fast track?

Long Thanh airport fast track is worth booking if:

• you arrive in the first months after opening and want a guide in an unfamiliar terminal;
• you land on a long-haul flight from late March 2027, when early-morning arrival waves are likely;
• you need a visa on arrival or a loose-leaf visa;
• you travel with children or older relatives, or have a long road trip to the city ahead.

However, if you land at a quiet time, already have an e-visa and travel light, you may not need it. Business-class passengers and top-tier frequent flyers of Vietnamese airlines, ABTC holders and diplomats can usually use the priority lane without our service.

How fast track works at Long Thanh

1. Meet our staff. First, our staff wait with your name board at the entrance to the arrival immigration area.
2. Visa counter, if needed. Then we help you at the landing visa counter. You pay the USD 25 stamping fee in cash.
3. Priority lane. After that, we take you through the priority lane at passport control.
4. Baggage and customs (VIP). Finally, we help you at the baggage belt and through customs to the exit, where you meet your driver.

Because Long Thanh is new, please enter your flight number, the airport code LTH and your arrival time when you book. We confirm the arrangement with you by email.

Fast track speeds up immigration, but the arrival steps and the customs rules stay the same for every traveller. For every step from the aircraft to the arrivals hall, see our Vietnam entry procedure guide. For duty-free limits, cash declaration and the e-cigarette ban, see our Vietnam customs rules guide.

Packages and prices for Long Thanh airport fast track

At Long Thanh, the VIP + domestic connection package helps you reach your domestic flight in the same terminal. However, no package includes the visa itself, the USD 25 government stamping fee for a visa on arrival, photo fees or transport.

Therefore, please book at least 24 hours before your flight, so we can arrange staff at Long Thanh. In addition, bookings made 2 days, 1 day or less than 24 hours before arrival carry an urgent surcharge of USD 20, USD 30 or USD 50. The booking form shows it before you pay.

Also, remember that fast track is not a visa. If you still need one, apply on the official portal evisa.gov.vn or through our e-visa service before you fly.

How to book Long Thanh airport fast track

1. First, open our fast track booking form and choose Arrival Fast Track Service.
2. Next, select Long Thanh (LTH) as your airport, choose your package and enter your flight number and arrival time in Vietnam time.
3. Then upload each traveller’s passport and visa, or send them later by email.
4. Finally, pay by PayPal (cards accepted) or Alipay.

We work 24/7, and our staff follow your flight if it is delayed. For example, if your flight lands two hours late, you do not need to rebook. If your flight is cancelled and you do not arrive, or our staff cannot find you at the meeting point, we refund the amount we received. See our refund policy.

Getting from Long Thanh airport to Ho Chi Minh City

• By road: the main route is the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway, about 40 km to the city centre. Allow at least an hour, and more at rush hour.
• Buses and shuttles: according to VOV (October 2026), the airport operator ACV is planning bus and shuttle services at fixed intervals, 24/7, including a direct service between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh. Check the latest routes before you travel.
• Taxi and ride-hailing: cars wait in a holding area and are called to a dedicated pick-up lane in front of the terminal.
• Rail: a light-rail link to Thu Thiem and a high-speed rail station are planned, but not yet operating.

Long Thanh airport fast track FAQ

When does Long Thanh airport open?

Commercial operations start on 1 December 2026.

Is my flight landing at Long Thanh or Tan Son Nhat?

Check the airport code on your ticket: LTH is Long Thanh, SGN is Tan Son Nhat. Until the later transfer phases in 2027, many international flights still use Tan Son Nhat.

Do you offer fast track at Long Thanh?

Yes. Book with your flight number and choose Long Thanh as your arrival airport, and our staff meet you before the immigration counters.

How far is Long Thanh from District 1?

About 40 km. Allow at least an hour by car, and more in heavy traffic.

My flight lands at 5 am. Will your staff be there?

Yes. We work 24/7 and follow your flight if it is delayed.

Do I need a visa for Vietnam?

Fast track is not a visa. You need an e-visa, a visa-on-arrival approval letter, or visa-free entry if your passport qualifies.

I am on a charter flight with a tour group. Can I book?

Yes. Charter passengers are welcome, and you can book just for yourself, for your family, or for the whole group. Enter the charter flight number from your tour voucher, and our staff follow the flight if the time changes.

For every package detail, customs rules and what to bring, see our main guide to Vietnam airport fast track.

Airport information checked on 7 November 2026. Sources: Dan Tri / DTiNews (September 2026) on the opening date and traffic transfer; Tien Phong (July 2026) on planned routes; VOV (October 2026) on ground transport; Wikipedia on capacity and terminal size.