Chinese Passport Holder: Vietnam E-Visa Still in Processing and Your Trip Is Close?

If you hold a Chinese passport and your Vietnam e-visa is still in processing, you have one option most other travellers do not: visa on arrival. Chinese e-passports must stop at the landing visa counter at the airport even with an approved e-visa, so many Chinese travellers on short trips switch to visa on arrival when the e-visa is slow. Therefore, this guide helps you choose between waiting, speeding up the e-visa, and switching.

We are a private visa service, not the Vietnamese government. Vietnam Immigration decides every application.

Why Chinese e-passports are different

Vietnam does not stamp visas into Chinese e-passports that print the nine-dash line map. Instead, it issues the visa on a separate sheet, a loose-leaf visa, at the airport. This also applies when you travel with an e-visa, so you queue at the landing visa counter before passport control.

E-visa in processing: which option fits a Chinese passport?

• Your e-visa is in processing and you fly in 4 or more working days: keep waiting and check the status daily.
• You travel in 1 to 3 working days, for 15 days or less: visa on arrival may be the simplest switch. See our visa on arrival service.
• You need more than 15 days or multiple entries: keep the e-visa and speed it up.
• Your e-visa application has a mistake: do not speed it up. Apply again, or switch to visa on arrival.

Speeding up the e-visa you already have

Our expedite service follows up the application you submitted on the government website. It needs your registration code, email, date of birth, entry date and entry port. In addition, you pay no second government fee. Speed-ups run Monday to Friday, Vietnam time: 8 working hours for USD 145 (order before 08:00, result by 18:30), 4 working hours for USD 175 (order before 08:00 for a result by 12:30, or before 14:00 for 18:30) and 2 working hours for USD 200 (order before 08:00, 10:00, 14:00 or 15:00). If the result misses the time you chose, we refund the amount we received. You can pay by Alipay or by card through PayPal. More details are in our main guide for e-visas in processing.

Count time in Vietnam working hours

China is 1 hour ahead of Vietnam. However, Vietnam Immigration and our team count working days Monday to Friday, Vietnam time. Speed-ups pause at the weekend, so a weekend order starts on Monday; the fastest result is then Monday 10:00 Vietnam time (11:00 in Beijing) with the 2-hour option.

Use only the official e-visa addresses

First, be careful with search results: from mainland China, some of them lead to look-alike sites. The Vietnam e-visa portal’s own FAQ lists only two official addresses: evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn. Check your status at the official search page. Also, your name must match the ICAO line of your passport, usually your surname in pinyin first, then your given name.

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 for Chinese travellers

Will I still queue at the airport with an approved e-visa?

Yes, if you hold a Chinese e-passport with the nine-dash line map. You stop at the landing visa counter to receive the loose-leaf visa, then go to passport control.

Can I switch to visa on arrival while my e-visa is in processing?

Yes. However, you will pay for both. So switch only if the visa-on-arrival terms (15 days, single entry) fit your trip.

Do I need cash at the airport?

For visa on arrival, yes. Specifically, you need USD 25 for the stamping fee, plus two passport photos and the NA1 form.

Facts checked on 7 November 2026 against evisa.gov.vn. Visa-on-arrival terms and the loose-leaf rule as confirmed by our operations team.