Vietnam Visa Requirements for Colombian 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 Colombian citizens at a glance

Do Colombian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Colombian 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, and Colombia 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. Colombians 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.

Colombians with a Spanish or other European passport

Many Colombians also hold Spanish or another European citizenship. 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 Colombian passport is not valid in your Spanish 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.

Is there a Vietnamese Embassy in Colombia?

No. Vietnam has no embassy or consulate in Colombia. The Vietnamese Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, is accredited to Colombia as well, according to Vietnam’s foreign ministry news service in August 2026. For the Vietnam visa requirements for Colombian citizens, this means one thing in practice: you do not need an embassy at all for a tourist or business trip, because the e-visa and the visa on arrival letter are both arranged online.

You may still need the Embassy in Caracas for:

• The 5-year visa exemption certificate, for Colombians of Vietnamese origin and family members of Vietnamese citizens.
• Consular help for Vietnamese citizens living in Colombia.

The consular protection hotline of the Vietnamese Embassy for Colombia is +58 424 267 4447, and the hotline of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is +84 981 848 484. Contact the Embassy before you plan any trip to Caracas, because opening hours and procedures can change.

Fees. Under Circular 163/2026/TT-BTC, an embassy single-entry visa costs USD 25 and a multiple-entry visa of up to 3 months costs USD 50. These are the same as the government e-visa fees, so the e-visa saves you the trip.

Working in Vietnam? A tourist e-visa does not allow work. Working in Vietnam needs a work permit and a work visa sponsored by your employer in Vietnam.

Vietnam e-visa for Colombian citizens: the easiest option

For almost every Colombian traveller, the e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Colombian citizens. You apply online from Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla 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.

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 December and January holidays, Semana Santa and the mid-year school 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 Colombian applicants

• Two surnames. Colombian names usually have two surnames, and often two given names. Enter every name exactly as printed in the passport, in the same order, without accents.
• Wrong passport. If you have two passports, apply with the one you will actually travel on.
• Entry port. You must enter through the airport or border listed on your e-visa.
• 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 Colombia all year, because neither country uses daylight saving. So the evening before is the time to order. New e-visas can also be processed at weekends and on Vietnamese public holidays. Read more in our urgent Vietnam visa guide. 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 Colombian 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. This option suits short trips, and it meets the Vietnam visa requirements for Colombian citizens just as well as an e-visa.

On arrival, you also pay a USD 25 stamping fee in cash, in US dollars, so buy dollars before you leave Colombia. Bring clean, undamaged notes, because torn or heavily marked dollar bills are often refused in Vietnam. 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 Colombian citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from any city, 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.
• Embassy visa. Pros: the route for the 5-year exemption certificate. Cons: the nearest embassy is in another country, and your passport is held.

Our advice: After a journey of 30 hours or more, most Colombians stay a while, so choose a 90-day e-visa, with multiple entry for a loop through Cambodia, Laos or Thailand. If you also hold a Spanish passport and stay 45 days or less, you may not need a visa at all.

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

Flights and health rules

There are no direct flights between Colombia and Vietnam. Most travellers connect through Europe (Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam or Istanbul), the Gulf or Asia. Colombians can transit the Schengen area without a visa, but a connection in the United States needs a US visa, because the US has no visa-free transit. Colombia has yellow fever risk areas, yet according to the US CDC, Vietnam has no yellow fever vaccination requirement for entry. Check, however, the rules of any country where you transit or stop over on the way, and keep your vaccination card with you.

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 Colombian 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 Spanish).

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 journey across half the world, 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 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.
• Bring US dollars, not pesos. Colombian pesos cannot be exchanged in Vietnam, so bring clean dollar notes or use an ATM.
• 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 Colombian citizens

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

Points for Colombian travellers:

• Drugs. Vietnam’s drug penalties are among the toughest in the world, including the death penalty for trafficking. Never carry a bag, parcel or “gift” for someone else, and pack your bags yourself.
• Vapes. Banned in Vietnam from 1 January 2025, including possession. Customs can confiscate them, so leave them at home.
• Coffee as a gift. Roasted Colombian coffee in sealed retail packs is fine for personal use and gifts, within the VND 10 million allowance. Green (unroasted) beans are a plant product and may need a plant quarantine check.
• Aguardiente and rum. Spirits above 20% fall under the 1.5-litre allowance per adult; anything above that must be declared.
• Prescription medicine. Strong painkillers, 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 Spanish).

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Colombian 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, so check that your international permit is in that format and includes the motorbike class. 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 Colombian 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 consular section of the Colombian Embassy in Hanoi for an emergency travel document:

The contact details above come from the consulate’s own website; call or email before you go, because the website does not list opening hours. 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 Colombian tour groups, incentive 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 Colombian citizens

Do Colombians need a visa for Vietnam?

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

Is there a Vietnamese embassy in Bogotá?

No. The Vietnamese Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, covers Colombia. For tourism and business trips, apply for an e-visa online instead.

I have Colombian and Spanish passports. Which should I use?

Spain is on Vietnam’s visa exemption list, so with a Spanish passport you can stay up to 45 days without a visa. Use that passport to enter and leave Vietnam.

Can I travel to Vietnam with my cédula?

No. The cédula is accepted only in some South American countries. For Vietnam you need your passport, valid for at least 6 months from your entry date.

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

The 4-working-hour service closes at 07:00 and 14:00 Vietnam time, which is 19:00 the day before and 02:00 in Colombia.

How long can Colombians 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 9 November 2026: the Consulate of Colombia in Hanoi, Vietnam’s World & Vietnam Report on the Embassy accredited to Colombia, Colombia’s foreign ministry on the Vietnamese ambassador in Caracas accredited to Colombia, the US CDC’s yellow fever information for Vietnam, 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.