Vietnam Visa Requirements for Hong Kong Residents 2026: Entry Procedure, Customs and Exit Rules

We are a private visa service, not the Vietnamese government, a consulate or the Hong Kong government. 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 Hong Kong residents at a glance

Do Hong Kong residents need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Vietnam’s visa exemption list covers 39 countries in 2026, and the Hong Kong SAR passport is not on it. The BN(O) passport is not covered by the exemption for British citizens either, because it is a different passport. 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. Hong Kong residents 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.

Which visa for which document?

• Hong Kong SAR passport. All visa types are open to you. The e-visa is the best choice for most trips. See our guide to the best Vietnam visa type for Hong Kong citizens.
• BN(O) passport. The e-visa portal does not accept BN(O) passports, so use a visa on arrival or a consulate visa. Read our guide for BN(O) passport holders.
• Document of Identity (HKDI). The e-visa is not available, so use a visa on arrival or a consulate visa. Read our guide for HKDI holders.
• Two documents? If you hold both a Hong Kong SAR passport and a BN(O) or foreign passport, choose one, apply with it, and use that same passport to enter and leave Vietnam.
• Mainland Chinese passport. Different rules apply; see our guide for Chinese citizens.

The Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong

Vietnam’s office in Hong Kong is a Consulate General, not an embassy. It also serves Macau residents.

For directions and more details, see our page on the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong.

How to apply at the Consulate General

1. Call or email to confirm the visa type, documents, fee and processing time for your travel document.
2. Prepare your original passport or HKDI (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 collect your document.

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. The Consulate General may collect the fee in Hong Kong dollars, at its own rate.

Before you go to Wan Chai

• Go early. The Consulate General closes at lunchtime, from 12:30 to 14:00.
• Your document is held until the visa is ready, so do not book other travel in the meantime.
• Holidays. Hong Kong and Vietnamese holidays both close the office, including Tet (late January or February) and 2 September.
• Apply early. Allow 1 to 2 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 Hong Kong SAR passport holders: the easiest option

With a Hong Kong SAR passport, the e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Hong Kong residents. You apply online, 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 1 to 2 weeks before you fly, and earlier for Chinese New Year, Easter, Christmas 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. Read what to do when a Hong Kong e-visa is still in processing.
• 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 Hong Kong applicants

• English names. Enter only the names printed in your passport. An English name that is not in the passport, such as “Peter”, must not be added.
• Nationality. Choose the option that matches a Hong Kong SAR passport, not mainland China, and use the passport number, not your Hong Kong identity card number.
• Entry port. You must enter through the airport, seaport or land border listed on your e-visa. If you travel overland through mainland China, choose the land border you will actually use.
• 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 only 1 hour behind Hong Kong, so you can place an urgent order on the morning of a working day, or by 15:00 for the afternoon slot. New e-visas can also be processed at weekends and on Vietnamese public holidays. See our guide to expediting a Vietnam visa from Hong Kong. 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 Hong Kong residents

The visa on arrival is the main option for BN(O) and HKDI holders, and a quick option for short trips on a Hong Kong SAR passport. 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, so change some money in Hong Kong before you fly. 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 Hong Kong residents?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online, up to 90 days, multiple entry possible, valid at airports, seaports and land borders. Cons: only for Hong Kong SAR passports, and the details must match the passport exactly.
• Visa on arrival. Pros: open to BN(O) and HKDI holders, quick approval letter. Cons: only 15 days and single entry, plus a counter stop and USD 25 in cash on arrival.
• Consulate visa. Pros: open to every document, and the route for work visas and the 5-year exemption certificate. Cons: your document is held, and you must go to Wan Chai during office hours.

Our advice: With a Hong Kong SAR passport, choose the e-visa, and a multiple-entry one if you fly to Vietnam several times a year. With a BN(O) passport or HKDI, choose a visa on arrival for trips of up to 15 days, and the Consulate General for longer stays.

Entry procedure: Vietnam entry requirements for Hong Kong residents at the airport

Flights from Hong Kong

Direct flights of about 2 to 3 hours connect Hong Kong with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and other Vietnamese airports. Check that your e-visa or approval letter lists the airport where you will actually land.

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 Hong Kong residents 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.

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, including Hong Kong.
4. Cam Ranh (CXR), Nha Trang: when charter flights land together.
5. Phu Quoc (PQC): shorter, but growing fast.

On a short weekend trip, an hour in the immigration queue is a big part of your holiday. 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. Hong Kong dollars can be exchanged in the big cities, but rates for US dollars are usually better.
• 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 Hong Kong residents

Customs checks are the last of the Vietnam visa requirements for Hong Kong residents on arrival. In fact, the rules are the same for every nationality, but some items cause trouble on both sides of the trip.

Points for Hong Kong travellers:

• Vapes and heated tobacco. Banned in Vietnam from 1 January 2025, including possession. Hong Kong also bans importing them, with heavy fines and prison terms, so do not buy them in Vietnam to bring home.
• 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, and only the amount you need.
• Drones. You can usually bring a small camera drone, but flying it needs a permit.
• Photos. Do not take photos at border crossings or military sites.

Coming home to Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s duty-free allowance is much smaller than Vietnam’s: 19 cigarettes, or 1 cigar, or 25 g of other tobacco, and 1 litre of spirits above 30% for adults. Hong Kong identity card holders must also have been outside Hong Kong for at least 24 hours to bring in duty-free alcohol. Declare anything above these limits in the red channel.

For more details, read the complete Vietnam customs rules guide.

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Hong Kong residents

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, and Hong Kong also controls endangered species on arrival.
• 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.

Do not overstay your Vietnam visa

Finally, the Vietnam visa requirements for Hong Kong residents also apply on the way out. Leave by the last day on your e-visa or entry stamp. A 15-day visa on arrival ends quickly, so count the days from your entry date. 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 get help for a new travel document:

BN(O) holders can contact the British Embassy in Hanoi. With the new document, go to the Vietnamese immigration office for an exit visa before you fly.

For travel agencies, tour operators and companies

Do you send Hong Kong 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 mixed documents, 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 Hong Kong residents

Do Hong Kong residents need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes, for mainland Vietnam, with a Hong Kong SAR passport, a BN(O) passport or an HKDI. The only visa-free option is Phu Quoc island, for up to 30 days, when you fly there directly from abroad.

Can I apply for the Vietnam e-visa with a BN(O) passport?

No. BN(O) holders use a visa on arrival or a visa from the Consulate General in Hong Kong.

Can HKDI holders visit Vietnam?

Yes, with a visa on arrival approval letter or a visa from the Consulate General. The e-visa is not available for the HKDI.

Where is the Vietnamese Consulate in Hong Kong?

On the 15th floor of Great Smart Tower, 230 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai. It is open Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:00.

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

The 4-working-hour service closes at 08:00 and 15:00 Hong Kong time, which is 07:00 and 14:00 in Vietnam.

How long can Hong Kong residents stay in Vietnam?

With a Hong Kong SAR passport, up to 90 days per entry with an e-visa. With a visa on arrival, 15 days for every document. On Phu Quoc island only, up to 30 days without a visa.

Facts checked on 9 November 2026: the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong as listed on our consulate page, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department’s duty-free concessions, the Department of Health’s reminder on alternative smoking products, the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit, 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.