Vietnam Visa Requirements for Canadian 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 Canadian citizens at a glance

Do Canadian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Canadian passport holders need a visa for every trip to mainland Vietnam, for tourism, business, study or work. Vietnam’s visa exemption list covers 39 countries in 2026, and Canada is not one of them. See our Vietnam visa exemption list.

There are three 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.
• 5-year visa exemption certificate. Canadians 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.

Dual Canadian-Vietnamese citizens

The Government of Canada warns that Vietnam does not recognise dual citizenship. If Vietnam considers you a Vietnamese citizen, it may treat you as one, and Canadian officials may not be able to help you. Vietnamese citizens can also be subject to military service. So decide before you travel which passport you will use, and enter and leave Vietnam on that same passport. If you use your Canadian passport, you need a visa or a visa exemption certificate like any other Canadian.

Vietnamese Embassy and Consulate General in Canada

Vietnam has an Embassy in Ottawa and a Consulate General in Vancouver. There is no Vietnamese consulate in Toronto or Montreal.

The Embassy’s website lists visiting days for consular matters but not the hours, so call before you go. Both offices close on weekends, Canadian statutory holidays and Vietnamese holidays, such as Tet (late January or February) and 2 September.

How to apply at the Embassy or Consulate General

1. Call or email to confirm the visa type, documents, fee, visiting hours and whether you can apply by mail.
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 or by mail, 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. Urgent processing within 24 hours costs 50% more. Transferring a valid visa to a new passport costs USD 5. The office may collect the fee in Canadian dollars, at its own rate.

Before you go to the Embassy

• Distance. Only Ottawa and Vancouver have an office. From Toronto, Montreal, Calgary or Halifax, you need a trip or must mail your passport.
• Your passport is held. If you mail it, use a tracked service and a prepaid, tracked return envelope.
• Expired passport, invalid visa. According to the Government of Canada, a visa in an expired Canadian passport is not valid. If you renew your passport, transfer the visa or get a new one before you fly.
• Holidays. Canadian and Vietnamese holidays both close the offices.
• Apply early. Allow 3 to 4 weeks before your trip.
• Choose the right visa type. A tourist visa does not allow work. Teaching English, for example, needs a work permit and a work visa sponsored by your employer.

Vietnam e-visa for Canadian citizens: the easiest option

The e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Canadian citizens. You apply online from anywhere in Canada, 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.

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 60 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 the Christmas holidays and March break. For a walk-through of the online form, read our Vietnam e-visa guide for Canadian citizens.

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 Canadian applicants

• No second chance. The Government of Canada notes that an e-visa application cannot be edited after you submit it, and the fee is not refunded. Check everything before you pay.
• Name order and middle names. Your names and date of birth must match the passport exactly, in the same order.
• Entry port. You can enter only through the port listed on your approval.
• 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 12 hours ahead of Toronto and 15 hours ahead of Vancouver in winter (one hour less during daylight saving). So for Canadians, the evening before is the time to order. A second 4-hour slot closes at 14:00 Vietnam time. New e-visas can also be processed at weekends and on Vietnamese public holidays. See our guide to expediting a Vietnam visa from Canada. If you applied yourself and the status still shows “In processing”, a speed-up of your application costs less than a new one.

Vietnam visa on arrival for Canadian citizens

With a visa on arrival, you first get an approval letter, arranged before you fly by an agency such as ours. Then you collect a 15-day, single-entry visa at the counter of the airport, seaport or land border on your letter.

On arrival, you also pay a USD 25 stamping fee in cash, in US dollars. You also need the NA1 form with 1 photo attached, plus 1 spare photo; see our NA1 form guide. Read every step in our Vietnam visa on arrival guide.

Which Vietnam visa is best for Canadian citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from any province, up to 90 days, multiple entry possible. Cons: no edits after submitting, and no personal support on the government portal.
• 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.
• Embassy visa. Pros: the route for stays over 90 days, work visas and the 5-year exemption certificate. Cons: only two offices, and your passport is held.

Our advice: Most Canadian travellers should choose the e-visa, with multiple entry for trips that include Cambodia or Laos. Vietnamese-Canadians who visit often should consider the 5-year visa exemption certificate. For stays longer than 90 days, apply at the Embassy before you leave Canada.

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

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 Canadian citizens at the main airports. Complete it free at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn within 3 days before you land at Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Nha Trang) or Phu Quoc, 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.

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 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.

Flights from Vancouver and Toronto usually connect through an Asian hub and land in Vietnam in the evening or at night, right in these peaks. 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 24 hours before your flight. Bookings made later carry an urgent surcharge.

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.
• Change only a little money at the airport. Canadian dollars are less widely exchanged than US dollars, so ATMs are often easier.
• 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 Canadian citizens

Customs checks are the last of the Vietnam visa requirements for Canadian citizens on arrival. In fact, the rules are the same for every nationality, but some items Canadians often pack cause trouble.

Points for Canadian travellers:

• Cannabis. Legal in Canada, but illegal in Vietnam in any form, including edibles, oils and CBD products. The Government of Canada warns that you can be charged even for drugs taken before you arrived. Penalties go up to the death penalty for trafficking.
• Vapes. Bringing, using or selling vapes and vape liquids is illegal in Vietnam.
• Prescription medicine. Bring it in the original container, in your carry-on, with copies of your prescriptions, and only the amount you need for your trip.
• Drones. You can usually bring a small camera drone, but flying it needs a permit.
• Photos. Do not photograph military sites, border crossings or police checkpoints.

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

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Canadian 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.

Registration, exit bans and driving

• 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.
• Exit bans. According to the Government of Canada, authorities can stop you from leaving while you are involved in an investigation, a business or civil dispute, a traffic accident, unpaid debts or work without a permit. You may only find out at passport control.
• Driving. Canadian licences and International Driving Permits are not recognised in Vietnam. Riding a motorbike of 50 cc or more needs a Vietnamese licence, and an accident without one can lead to an exit ban and problems with your insurance.

Do not overstay your Vietnam visa

Finally, the Vietnam visa requirements for Canadian 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. The Government of Canada adds that you may be held from onward travel until the fine is paid.

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? Report it to the local police first. Then contact the Government of Canada for an emergency travel document:

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 Canadian tour groups, school trips or business teams to Vietnam? We prepare e-visas, visa on arrival approval letters 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 Canadian citizens

Do Canadians need a visa for Vietnam?

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

Can I get a Vietnam visa on arrival with a Canadian passport?

Yes, with an approval letter arranged before you fly. You then pay USD 25 in cash at the counter for a 15-day, single-entry visa.

I am Canadian and Vietnamese. Which passport should I use?

Vietnam does not recognise dual citizenship. Choose one passport, and use it for both entry and exit. With the Canadian passport, you need a visa or a visa exemption certificate.

Can I bring CBD or cannabis edibles to Vietnam?

No. Cannabis in any form is illegal in Vietnam, even if it is legal where you bought it.

Is there a Vietnamese consulate in Toronto?

No. Vietnam has an Embassy in Ottawa and a Consulate General in Vancouver. Travellers in Toronto usually apply for the e-visa online.

How long can Canadians 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. For longer stays, apply at the Embassy before you travel.

Facts checked on 9 November 2026: the Government of Canada’s travel advice for Vietnam (updated 19 October 2026), the Embassy of Vietnam in Canada, Vancouver consulate details as listed by My Vietnam Visa, 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.