How Long Does a Vietnam E-Visa Really Take?
The official Vietnam e-visa processing time is 3 working days after the Immigration Department receives a complete application and the fee. If your application has to be verified by the police, the portal says the result can take 3 to 15 working days. In practice, many applications take 4 to 7 working days, and longer before Tet. This page explains how the days are counted, what slows an application down, and when you should apply.
visa-vietnam.hk is a private visa service, not the Vietnamese government. The Immigration Department makes every visa decision.
The official answer: 3 working days
Vietnam’s immigration law (Article 16a of Law 47/2014/QH13, as amended) sets 3 working days for an e-visa, counted from when the Immigration Department receives a complete application and the fee. The portal evisa.gov.vn says the same, and adds that applications that need police verification can take 3 to 15 working days.
Three things in that rule matter:
- Working days only. Monday to Friday. Saturdays, Sundays and Vietnamese public holidays do not count. Holidays in your own country do not matter.
- Complete application. The clock runs only once nothing is missing. If the officer asks for a correction or a document, the count starts again after you resubmit.
- Vietnam time. The Immigration Department works 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, Vietnam time (GMT+7).
How to count working days
| You apply (complete, paid) on | 3 working days are | Earliest official result |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday | around Thursday |
| Thursday | Friday, Monday, Tuesday | around Tuesday |
| Friday evening or Saturday | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday | around Wednesday |
Add every Vietnamese public holiday that falls in between. The biggest is Tet (Lunar New Year): in 2027 the Immigration Department is closed from 4 to 10 February. See Vietnam visa around Tet 2027.
Why it often takes longer than 3 working days
From what we see every week, applications on evisa.gov.vn often take 4 to 7 working days. The usual reasons:
- A request for more information. The officer asks you to fix a detail or add a document (an itinerary, a hotel booking, an onward ticket). The count starts again after you resubmit. See every Vietnam e-visa status and what it means.
- Police verification. Some applications are checked by the police. The portal says this can take 3 to 15 working days.
- Busy periods. Before Tet, Christmas, summer holidays and long weekends, more people apply and results come later.
- Mistakes in the form. A name that does not match the passport, an unclear photo or a blurry passport scan often leads to a correction request. See common mistakes on Vietnam e-visa applications.
“Processing” for several days is normal and does not mean refused. The portal never shows the word “refused”: an application that keeps coming back for amendments and is never approved is, in practice, refused. See Vietnam e-visa refused.
If you apply through us: our delivery times
When you order through visa-vietnam.hk, you choose a delivery time and we check your details before we submit. The times below are our delivery times, from your paid order to the moment we email you the e-visa, on Vietnamese working days. Single entry, 30 days, tourism:
| Delivery time | Order and pay before (Vietnam time) | E-visa by (Vietnam time) | Price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 working days (standard) | 09:30 | 4th working day | USD 60 |
| 3 working days | 09:00 | 18:30 on the 3rd working day | USD 80 |
| 2 working days | 09:00 | 18:30 the next working day | USD 100 |
| 1 working day | 08:00 | 18:30 the same day | USD 160 |
| 4 working hours | 07:00 or 14:00 | 12:30 or 18:30 the same day | USD 190 |
Prices include the government fee. Orders after the cut-off move to the next slot. On Saturdays, Sundays and Vietnamese public holidays we take new urgent applications only; see our urgent visa guide.
Real orders, October–November 2026
These are e-visa orders handled by our team, with times taken from our order system (Vietnam time). They used different delivery options, so read them as examples of how weekends and working days work, not as an average. Order numbers, e-visa numbers and personal details are not shown.
| Order placed | E-visa ready | Total wait | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct, 12:51 | Fri 23 Oct, 16:07 | 3 days 3 hours | No weekend in between |
| Wed 21 Oct, 15:28 | Tue 27 Oct, 14:41 | 6 days | Weekend in between |
| Thu 22 Oct, 09:12 | Tue 27 Oct, 14:43 | 5 days 5 hours | Weekend in between |
| Fri 23 Oct, 08:52 | Tue 27 Oct, 14:48 | 4 days 6 hours | Weekend in between |
| Fri 23 Oct, 13:08 | Wed 28 Oct, 15:20 | 5 days 2 hours | Two e-visas in one order; weekend in between |
| Sat 24 Oct, 19:30 | Thu 29 Oct, 12:07 | 4 days 17 hours | Ordered on a Saturday: the count starts on Monday |
| Sun 25 Oct, 22:47 | Wed 28 Oct, 15:21 | 2 days 17 hours | Ordered on a Sunday: the count starts on Monday |
| Mon 26 Oct, 08:45 | Thu 29 Oct, 12:08 | 3 days 3 hours | No weekend in between |
| Mon 2 Nov, 16:28 | Fri 6 Nov, 15:30 | 4 days | No weekend in between |
| Mon 2 Nov, 19:59 | Tue 3 Nov, 10:40 | 14.5 hours | Urgent option |
| Mon 2 Nov, 22:47 | Fri 6 Nov, 15:30 | 3 days 17 hours | No weekend in between |
| Thu 5 Nov, 01:46 | Thu 5 Nov, 15:15 | 13.5 hours | 1-working-day option, ready before the 18:30 deadline |
What the table shows: without a weekend in between, the non-urgent orders above were ready in about 3 to 4 days. An order placed on a Thursday, a Friday or at the weekend waits longer in calendar days, because Saturday and Sunday do not count. If you need the e-visa by a fixed date, count working days, not calendar days.
If we miss the time you chose, we refund the full amount we received (PayPal keeps its fee of about 5%). See our refund policy.
When to apply: decide by your flight date
| Your flight is | What we suggest |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks or more away | Apply now. Applying yourself on evisa.gov.vn or our standard 4 working days both fit |
| 5 to 10 working days away | Apply today. If you apply yourself, a single correction request can use up the time; our 3 or 4 working day option gives you a fixed date |
| 2 to 4 working days away | Use the 1 or 2 working day option |
| Today or tomorrow (weekday) | Use the 4 working hour option before 07:00 or 14:00 Vietnam time |
| On a weekend or public holiday | Use our weekend and holiday service for a new e-visa |
Already applied and still waiting?
You don’t need to apply again. If your details are correct and the status is Processing, you can expedite the application you already submitted, with results in as little as 2 working hours on weekdays. If you received a request for more information, fix it first.
FAQ
How long does a Vietnam e-visa take?
The official time is 3 working days after a complete application and payment, or 3 to 15 working days if police verification is needed. Many applications take 4 to 7 working days.
Does the 3 working days include weekends?
No. Only Monday to Friday count, and Vietnamese public holidays are excluded.
Can I get a Vietnam e-visa in 1 day?
Not through the government portal on its own. Through our urgent service you can get it in 1 working day or 4 working hours on weekdays, or the same day at weekends and on public holidays.
My e-visa has been processing for a week. Is that normal?
It is common, especially before holidays. Check the status on evisa.gov.vn. If your flight is close, you can expedite the existing application.
Does processing start again if I fix something?
Yes. Each correction or added document starts the count again from when you resubmit.
Facts checked on 10 November 2026 against evisa.gov.vn (search page, payment page and portal notices), Article 16a of Law 47/2014/QH13 (as amended) and our order system.
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