Vietnam Visa Requirements for Algerian Citizens 2026: Entry Procedure, Customs and Exit Rules

We are a private visa service, not the Vietnamese government or an embassy. The Vietnam Immigration Department decides every visa. You can always apply for an e-visa yourself on the official portal evisa.gov.vn for the government fee only. Facts checked in November 2026.

Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens at a glance

Do Algerian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Algerian passport holders need a visa for every trip to mainland Vietnam, whether for a holiday, business or a family visit. Vietnam’s visa exemption list covers 39 countries in 2026. Algeria is not one of them. See our Vietnam visa exemption list.

There are four exceptions:

• Phu Quoc island. All nationalities can stay on Phu Quoc for up to 30 days without a visa when arriving there directly from abroad. You need a visa as soon as you travel on to the mainland.
• Airside transit. If you change planes in Vietnam without leaving the international transit area, you do not need a visa. With two separate tickets, however, you collect your bags and pass immigration, so you need a visa.
• Diplomatic and official passports. A visa exemption agreement between Vietnam and Algeria, in force since 2 January 1995, covers these passports only. It does not apply to ordinary passports.
• 5-year visa exemption certificate. Algerians of Vietnamese origin, and spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens, can apply for a visa exemption certificate. It is valid for up to 5 years, with stays of up to 180 days each time.

Algerians with a French or other second passport

If you also hold a French or other European passport, note that Vietnam’s visa exemption depends on the passport you travel on:

Keep two rules in mind: enter and leave Vietnam on the same passport, and book your flights with that passport’s details. An e-visa issued for your Algerian passport is not valid in your other passport.

Dual Vietnamese citizens. Vietnam does not generally recognise dual citizenship. If you also hold Vietnamese citizenship, Vietnam may treat you as a Vietnamese citizen, so enter and leave on the same passport.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Algiers

The Vietnamese Embassy in Algiers is the only Vietnamese office in Algeria, and the place to go if the Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens point you to a paper visa or a 5-year exemption certificate.

The Embassy’s website does not show its opening hours, so call or email before you go.

How to apply at the Embassy in Algiers

1. Contact the Embassy to confirm the visa type, documents, fee and opening hours.
2. Prepare your original passport (valid for at least 6 months, with blank pages), the visa application form, 2 recent colour photos (4 × 6 cm, white background), and supporting documents for business, work or family visas.
3. Submit in person, pay, and check every detail of the visa when you get your passport back.

Fees. Under Circular 163/2026/TT-BTC, a single-entry visa costs USD 25 and a multiple-entry visa of up to 3 months costs USD 50. For urgent processing, ask the embassy or consulate for its official fee.

Before you contact the Embassy

• Distance. From Oran, Constantine, Annaba or the south, applying in person means a trip to Algiers, so most travellers use the e-visa.
• Your passport is held while the Embassy works on the visa.
• Holidays. Algerian and Vietnamese holidays both close the Embassy, including Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, 5 July, 1 November, Tet (late January or February) and 2 September.
• Apply early. Allow 3 to 4 weeks before your trip.
• Choose the right visa type. A tourist visa does not allow work. Working in Vietnam needs a work permit and a work visa sponsored by your employer.

Vietnam e-visa for Algerian citizens: the easiest option

For almost every traveller, the e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens. You apply online from Algiers, Oran, Constantine or anywhere else, and the approval arrives as a PDF.

What you need:

• A clear scan of your passport photo page.
• A recent portrait photo, 4 × 6 cm, white background, looking straight at the camera, without glasses.
• Your entry and exit dates, and the airport, seaport or land border where you will enter.
• Your hotel or host address in Vietnam.
• A card for the payment. Many Algerian bank cards work only inside Algeria, so use an international Visa or Mastercard, or ask a relative abroad to pay.

Cost and time. The government fee is USD 25 for single entry and USD 50 for multiple entry. The official target is 3 working days, but busy periods take longer. Through our service, a 30-day single-entry e-visa starts at 80 USD in 4 working days, government fee included, and you can pay by PayPal or Alipay.

Apply when? At least 2 to 3 weeks before you fly, and earlier for Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and the summer holidays.

Check your e-visa status and print it

• Save your registration code when you submit. You need it, with your email and date of birth, to check the status on evisa.gov.vn.
• Check the status yourself. The portal does not always email you when it asks for a correction, so a status that stays “In processing” can hide a request for more information.
• Print two copies of the approved e-visa, and check every field against your passport before you fly.
• Your e-visa dates are the limit. You can enter and stay only between the “from” and “to” dates on the e-visa.

Common e-visa mistakes by Algerian applicants

• Latin spelling of your name. Copy your name exactly as printed in Latin letters on the passport’s data page, not your own transliteration from Arabic, and without accents (for example, “BENALI” and “BEN ALI” are different names to the system).
• Wrong passport. If you have two passports, apply with the one you will actually travel on.
• Entry port type. Choose the right type of entry point. In practice, an e-visa for an airport works at any international airport, but not at a land border or seaport.
• Single entry. If you also visit Cambodia, Laos or Thailand and come back, choose a multiple-entry e-visa.
• Look-alike websites. The official portal is evisa.gov.vn. Other sites, including ours, are private services that charge a service fee. Be careful with any site that promises guaranteed approval, shows countdown timers, or asks for your passport before it states its full price.

For more examples, see our guide to Vietnam e-visa mistakes.

Need a Vietnam visa urgently?

Vietnam is 6 hours ahead of Algeria all year, because neither country uses daylight saving. So order before you go to bed, or by 08:00 Algerian time for the 14:00 cut-off of the 4-hour service. Note that Vietnam’s working week runs Monday to Friday, not Sunday to Thursday. The 2-hour service has four order slots, and the last one closes at 15:15 Vietnam time (09:15 in Algeria). For weekends and Vietnamese public holidays, email our partner at info@vietnamimmigration.org. Read more in our urgent Vietnam visa guide. If you applied yourself and the status still shows “In processing”, we can also speed up the application you already submitted.

Vietnam visa on arrival for Algerian citizens

Our service does not offer the visa on arrival for Algerian passports. Order the e-visa through us instead: it allows up to 90 days with single or multiple entry, and on arrival you go straight to passport control, with no stop at the visa on arrival counter and no stamping fee to pay in cash. See the e-visa section above, or apply for your e-visa.

Which Vietnam visa is best for Algerian citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from anywhere in Algeria, up to 90 days, multiple entry possible. Cons: the details must match the passport exactly, and the government portal gives no personal support.
• Visa on arrival. Pros: quick approval letter. Cons: only 15 days and single entry, plus a counter stop and USD 25 in cash on arrival. Our service does not offer it for Algerian passports.
• Embassy visa. Pros: the route for work visas and the 5-year exemption certificate. Cons: only one office, and your passport is held.

Our advice: For a two- or three-week trip, a 30-day single-entry e-visa is enough. Choose a 90-day e-visa, with multiple entry, for a longer loop through Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.

Entry procedure: Vietnam entry requirements for Algerian citizens at the airport

Flights and leaving Algeria

There are no direct flights between Algeria and Vietnam, so most travellers connect through Doha, Dubai, Istanbul or Paris. A connection in Europe needs a Schengen visa if you leave the airport or change airports. With two separate tickets, leave plenty of time between flights, because you may need to collect your bags and check in again.

Before you land: the pre-arrival declaration

The pre-arrival declaration is not a visa, but it is now part of the Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens at every international airport. Complete it free at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn within 3 days before you land, and save the QR code. If you travel on a visa on arrival, fill it in at the airport after the visa counter, because it asks for your visa details. It is mandatory for foreign travellers at every international airport in Vietnam. Unless you travel on a visa on arrival, complete it before you leave home, because Wi-Fi and mobile data at the arrival airport can be slow. If you have not done it before the flight, scan the QR codes in the immigration area and fill it in there.

Step by step from the aircraft

1. Leave the aircraft and follow the “Arrivals” and “Immigration” signs.
2. Visa on arrival counter, only with an approval letter: hand in the NA1 form, photos and USD 25, then wait for your name.
3. Passport control. Show your passport and e-visa. Then check the entry stamp before you leave the counter.
4. Baggage claim. Report a missing bag at the airline desk before customs.
5. Customs. Green lane for nothing to declare, red lane for cash or goods above the limits.
6. Arrivals hall. Buy a SIM card, withdraw dong, and find your transport.

Read our full Vietnam entry procedure guide (also in Arabic and in French).

Which airports have the longest queues?

From our airport team’s experience, queues are longest at these airports, from worst to lightest:

1. Tan Son Nhat (SGN), Ho Chi Minh City: late evening and early morning.
2. Noi Bai (HAN), Hanoi: evening peaks.
3. Da Nang (DAD): evening waves of flights from North Asia.
4. Cam Ranh (CXR), Nha Trang: when charter flights land together.
5. Phu Quoc (PQC): shorter, but growing fast.

After a long journey with a connection, a long immigration queue is the last thing you want. With our Vietnam airport fast track, our staff meet you before immigration and take you through the priority lane, from USD 45 per person. Book at least 3 days before your flight: bookings for a flight 2 days ahead, the next day or the same day carry an urgent surcharge of USD 20, 30 or 50 per person.

Avoid scams at the airport

• Use official transport. Choose the taxi rank, a Grab ride booked in the app, or well-known taxi companies such as Vinasun, Mai Linh or Xanh SM.
• Agree the fare first, or check that the meter is on.
• Bring US dollars or euros, not dinars. Algerian dinars cannot be exchanged in Vietnam, so bring clean dollar or euro notes, and an international card for ATMs.
• Keep your passport with you. No one in the arrivals hall needs it to “help” with your visa.
• Count your change. The VND 20,000 and VND 500,000 notes are both blue and easy to mix up.

Vietnam customs rules for Algerian citizens

Customs checks are the last of the Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens on arrival. In fact, the rules are the same for every nationality, but a few common items in a traveller’s luggage need care.

Points for Algerian travellers:

• Shisha tobacco. Flavoured shisha tobacco counts towards the 250 g tobacco allowance; anything above that must be declared.
• Dates, sweets and spices. Deglet Nour dates, makrout and other sweets in sealed retail packs for personal use and gifts are normally fine within the VND 10 million allowance. Meat and dairy products are animal products and may be checked by quarantine officers.
• Vapes. Banned in Vietnam from 1 January 2025, including possession. Customs can confiscate them, so leave them at home.
• Drugs. Vietnam’s drug laws are very strict: trafficking can carry the death penalty. Never carry a bag or parcel for someone else.
• Prescription medicine. Strong painkillers such as tramadol, ADHD medicines and some sleeping tablets are controlled. Bring them in the original packaging, with your prescription and a doctor’s letter in English, and only the amount you need.

For more details, read the complete Vietnam customs rules guide (also in Arabic and in French).

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Algerian citizens

Departure step by step

1. Arrive 3 hours before an international flight, more if you claim a VAT refund.
2. VAT refund: show your goods and invoices at the customs refund desk before check-in.
3. Check in and drop your bags.
4. Exit passport control: officers check your visa and the dates of your stay.
5. Security, then duty-free shops and your gate.

Duty-free shopping and VAT refund

After passport control, airport duty-free shops sell goods without Vietnamese taxes. For shopping in the city, you can claim part of the VAT back:

• Buy at shops with a “Tax Refund” sign, and show your passport when you pay.
• Each invoice must be at least VND 2 million, and dated within 60 days before you leave.
• You receive 85% of the VAT paid; the refund bank keeps 15% as a fee.
• Refund desks can have long queues. Arrive early so you do not miss your flight.

What you cannot take out of Vietnam

• Antiques. Genuine antiques need an export permit. Keep the receipt for reproductions.
• Wildlife products. Ivory, rhino horn, turtle shell and many corals are banned.
• Cash and gold above the limits: more than USD 5,000 or VND 15 million in cash, or 300 g or more of gold, without your arrival declaration or a bank paper.
• Drugs and weapons, without exception.

Motorbikes and registration

• Riding a motorbike. A motorbike of 50 cc or more needs a valid licence for that class. Vietnam recognises international driving permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention only, so check whether your permit qualifies before you ride. If it does not, use Grab or a driver instead. Check your travel insurance too: an accident without the right licence can mean no cover and an exit ban until the case is settled.
• Registration. You must be registered with the local police where you stay. Hotels do it for you and may keep your passport for a short time; ask for it back once registration is done.

Do not overstay your Vietnam visa

Finally, the Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens also apply on the way out. Leave by the last day on your e-visa or entry stamp. From 15 December 2025, Decree 282/2025/ND-CP sets these fines:

For an overstay of 16 days or more, the authorities can also deport you, and deportation can lead to a ban on future entry.

What to do if you have overstayed

1. Contact the Immigration Department or the immigration office of the provincial police before you go to the airport.
2. Pay the fine, and get the exit visa or paperwork you need to leave.
3. Then book your flight, so you are not stopped at passport control.

Lost your passport in Vietnam?

Report the loss to the local police first. Then contact the Algerian Embassy in Hanoi for an emergency travel document:

The contact details come from the Embassy’s own website; call or email before you go, because opening hours are not published. Finally, take the new document to the Vietnamese immigration office for an exit visa before you fly.

For travel agencies, tour operators and companies

Do you send Algerian tour groups, incentive trips or business teams to Vietnam? We prepare e-visas and airport fast track for groups, with one contact person and one invoice. Email us at info@visa-vietnam.hk with your expected number of travellers per month to receive our partner rates.

FAQ: Vietnam visa requirements for Algerian citizens

Do Algerians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes, for mainland Vietnam. The only visa-free option on an Algerian passport is Phu Quoc island, for up to 30 days, when you fly there directly from abroad.

Can Algerians apply for the Vietnam e-visa?

Yes. The e-visa is open to all nationalities, including Algerians, for stays of up to 90 days with single or multiple entry.

Where is the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria?

At 30 Rue Chénoua, Hydra, Algiers. Call +213 23 48 54 70 or email sqvnalgerie@mofa.gov.vn before you go.

What time should I order an urgent e-visa from Algeria?

The 4-working-hour service closes at 08:00 and 14:00 Vietnam time. That is 02:00 and 08:00 in Algeria, all year.

Where can I get help in Vietnam as an Algerian citizen?

At the Algerian Embassy in Hanoi, 13 Phan Chu Trinh Street (+84 24 3933 2151).

How long can Algerians stay in Vietnam?

Up to 90 days per entry with an e-visa, 15 days with a visa on arrival, and up to 30 days without a visa on Phu Quoc island only.

Facts checked on 10 November 2026: the Embassy of Vietnam in Algeria, the Embassy of Algeria in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Embassy in the USA’s list of visa exemption agreements (Algeria, in force 2 January 1995), our Vietnam visa exemption list, Circular 163/2026/TT-BTC, Decree 282/2025/ND-CP as summarised by Khanh Hoa provincial police, and the official pre-arrival portal. Rules can change, so check official sources before you travel.