Expediting Vietnam Visa for the USA: Urgent Options for US Passport Holders, at Home or Abroad

Need a Vietnam visa fast and you are in the USA, or you hold a US passport and are already travelling in Asia? Expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA works differently from most countries, because Vietnam’s government working day happens while most Americans are asleep. This guide explains the two ways to get a Vietnam visa quickly, which one fits your situation, and what to order, from where, and by what time.

We are a private visa service, not the Vietnamese or US government. Vietnam Immigration decides every visa, so no service can guarantee approval.

Two ways of expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA

There are two different services, and choosing the right one saves you money and time:

If you are not sure which one you need, ask yourself one question: do you have a registration code from the government website, and are all the details in that application correct? When the answer is yes, speed it up. Otherwise, start a new, checked application.

Where are you right now?

People expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA, or with a US passport abroad, are usually in one of these situations:

• At home in the US, flying in the next few days. Your deadline is your first departure from the US, not your arrival in Vietnam. Most trips from the US connect in Asia, so your e-visa must be ready before you leave.
• Already travelling in Asia, for example in Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo or Singapore, and you decided to add Vietnam. As a result, you are probably 0 to 2 hours from Vietnam time, which makes same-day results much easier to plan.
• At the airport, and the airline will not board you without a visa. If it is a Vietnamese working day and a slot is still open, the 2-working-hour option may still save your flight. If it is the weekend or a Vietnamese public holiday, a new application can still be processed (see the weekend section below).
• On a cruise that calls at Vietnamese ports. First, check what your cruise line requires. If it asks you to arrange your own visa, the e-visa lists seaports such as Chan May and Nha Trang as entry points.
• A US green card holder with another passport. Note that Vietnam decides your visa by the passport you travel on, not by where you live. Instead, read the guide for your passport, for example Indian passport holders.
• A dual US and Vietnamese citizen. However, rules are different for you. Contact a Vietnamese embassy or consulate before you travel.

Vietnam is 12 to 15 hours ahead of the US

From 1 November 2026 to March 2027, Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of New York and 15 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Vietnam Immigration works Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, Vietnam time. So the cut-off times you see on our form fall in the US evening of the day before:

These cut-offs are the key to expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA without losing a day.

In practice: order on Sunday afternoon or evening in the US, and an 8-working-hour result can be in your inbox by early Monday morning US time. An order placed on Friday evening in the US arrives on Saturday in Vietnam, so a speed-up starts on Monday. A new application can still be processed on the weekend.

Prices and time slots for an urgent new e-visa

These are the prices for expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA with a new application.

As a rule, these slots run Monday to Friday, Vietnam time. Order before 08:00 for the 8-working-hour option. Order before 08:00 or 14:00 for 4 working hours, and before 08:00, 10:00, 14:00 or 15:00 for 2 working hours. Prices are per person and include the government fee.

Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays: yes, urgent visas are possible on those days too. See the next section.

Urgent Vietnam visa on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

Vietnam’s government offices are closed at weekends and on public holidays. Even so, expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA is still possible on those days with a new e-visa application, through our weekend and holiday service:

For US travellers, that means ordering in the late evening or night before, US time. Prices include the government fee.

Who can use the weekend service?

The weekend and holiday service is available for citizens of 92 countries and territories, and United States is one of them.

Which days are covered?

Every Saturday and Sunday, and these Vietnamese holidays: New Year’s Day (1 January), Tet (Lunar New Year, dates change each year), Hung Kings’ Commemoration Day (10th day of the third lunar month), Reunification Day (30 April), Labour Day (1 May), the Public Security Traditional Day (19 August, when the Immigration Department is closed) and National Day (2 September).

How the weekend service works

1. First, send us your passport scan, portrait photo, home address, address in Vietnam and email, either through the weekend and holiday form or by email to info@vietnamimmigration.org.
2. Then we check your details and confirm the slot by email, with a PayPal payment link (cards accepted).
3. Next, pay before 14:30 Vietnam time.
4. Finally, your e-visa arrives by email by 18:30 Vietnam time the same day.

Good to know before you order

• New applications only. On these days, a speed-up of an application already in processing waits until the next Vietnamese working day. So if you cannot wait, a new weekend application is the way to get your visa the same day.
• Left Vietnam only a few days ago? Send a photo of the exit stamp in your passport as well. New exit records sometimes take a few days to appear in the system, and the stamp helps avoid a delay.
• Weekend and holiday orders go through our partner site, vietnamimmigration.org. The booking form runs on a third-party form tool that does not load well in every browser. For the fastest reply, email your request directly to info@vietnamimmigration.org. Our team watches this inbox 24/7, including weekends and public holidays, and replies as soon as an urgent visa request arrives.

If the button does not open your email app, copy the address info@vietnamimmigration.org and send your request from Gmail, Outlook or any email account you use. Write “Urgent weekend e-visa request” in the subject line.

Prices for speeding up an application in processing

In this case, you keep the application and government fee you already paid. Speed-ups run Monday to Friday only, Vietnam time:

For this, we need your registration code, the email you used, your date of birth, entry date and entry port. Our guide for a US passport with an e-visa still in processing explains the status and what the State Department says.

Expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA yourself: why it is risky

You can apply on the official portal yourself, and if your trip is weeks away, that is a good choice. When time is short, doing it alone is risky, for practical reasons:

• There is no paid express option on the government portal. Instead, the official target is 3 working days, and it counts only from a complete, error-free application. In our experience, many applications take 5 to 7 working days, and longer before holidays.
• There is no hotline that speeds up your file. The State Department notes that the US Embassy and Consulate General cannot change e-visa details or speed up processing either.
• Small errors cost the most time. A missing middle name, a photo with glasses or glare on the passport scan can lead to a correction request or a refusal, and you start again with a new fee.
• Time zones work against you. By the time you see an email from Vietnam, the working day there is over.

In contrast, we have handled urgent Vietnam visas for more than 10 years. We check every detail before submission, follow the application through each working session in Vietnam, and tell you the expected result time before you pay. If we miss that time, or the visa is refused, we refund the amount we received. PayPal keeps its transaction fee (about 5%), so the amount back may be slightly lower. See our refund policy.

Details that delay US applications

• Middle names. Enter your full name exactly as it appears on the two lines of letters at the bottom of your passport photo page, including middle names.
• Passport validity. The State Department says your passport must be valid for six months beyond your planned stay, with at least one blank visa page.
• Entry port. Enter Vietnam through the airport, seaport or land border you chose in the application.
• Photos. Also, use a plain light background, no glasses, and a clear, recent face photo. Passport photos taken for a US passport renewal usually work well.

Other routes, and when they make sense

When you are expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA, the e-visa is usually the fastest route. The alternatives below fit only some trips:

• Vietnamese embassy or consulates in the US: useful for some long-stay or special visas, but slower and usually needs your passport for days.
• Visa on arrival approval letter: 15 days, single entry. For most US travellers the e-visa is simpler, because it needs no stop at the landing visa counter.
• Phu Quoc only: if you fly directly to Phu Quoc from abroad and stay on the island, you can usually enter without a visa for up to 30 days. Any trip to the mainland needs a visa.

How to order: expediting your Vietnam visa from the USA

1. First, choose the service: urgent new e-visa or speed-up of an existing application.
2. Next, choose the time option. The form shows the expected result time in Vietnam time and the total before you pay.
3. Then upload your passport scan and photo, or enter your registration code for a speed-up.
4. Finally, pay by card through PayPal. We email you the result as soon as Vietnam Immigration releases it.

Before you land, read our Vietnam entry procedure guide (step by step from the aircraft to the arrivals hall) and our Vietnam customs rules guide (duty-free allowance, cash limits and banned items).

FAQ: expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA

What is the fastest way to get a Vietnam visa from the USA?

For expediting a Vietnam visa from the USA, choose an urgent new e-visa with the 2-working-hour option, ordered before 08:00, 10:00, 14:00 or 15:00 Vietnam time on a Vietnamese working day. In the US, that means the evening or night before.

Can I get a Vietnam visa on a Saturday or Sunday?

Yes, also on Vietnamese public holidays, as a new application. Email info@vietnamimmigration.org for the fastest reply, or use our weekend and holiday form. Order before 14:30 Vietnam time for a result by 18:30 the same day. Speed-ups of an existing application are not available at the weekend.

My e-visa has been “in processing” for 4 days. Should I apply again?

Not if all details are correct. Speed up the existing application instead. Apply again only if your application has a mistake.

Does a US holiday such as Thanksgiving slow down my visa?

No. In fact, only Vietnamese working days and public holidays count.

Can I travel while my visa is still processing?

No. Airlines can refuse boarding, and you need an approved visa to enter Vietnam.

How long can US citizens stay on a Vietnam e-visa?

Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. The State Department notes that the e-visa cannot be extended or renewed inside Vietnam.

Facts checked on 7 November 2026 against the US State Department’s Vietnam page, evisa.gov.vn and our price list.