Vietnam Visa Requirements for Indian 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 Indian citizens at a glance

Do Indian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Every Indian passport holder needs a visa for mainland Vietnam, for tourism, business, a wedding or a family visit. Vietnam’s visa exemption list has 39 countries in 2026, and India is not one of them. See our Vietnam visa exemption list.

There are two 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. If you continue to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang or Hanoi, you need a visa. In April 2026, the Embassy of India in Hanoi advised Indians to get a Vietnam visa even for a Phu Quoc-only trip. A medical emergency or a flight disruption may force you to travel to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, and without a visa that can mean delays and immigration problems.
• Airside transit. If you change planes in Vietnam and stay in the international transit area, you do not need a visa.

Diplomatic and official passports follow separate agreements, so check with the Vietnamese Embassy.

Vietnamese Embassy and Consulate General in India

Vietnam has an Embassy in New Delhi and a Consulate General in Mumbai. They issue visas stamped into your passport, including visa types that are not available online. However, there is a catch most guides miss: the Embassy issues a visa only against an approval letter from Vietnam’s Immigration Department. So even at the Embassy, someone in Vietnam, a company, a host or an agency, must first get that letter for you.

Both offices close on Indian public holidays and on Vietnamese holidays, such as Tet (late January or February) and 2 September.

How to apply for a Vietnam visa at the Embassy in New Delhi

According to the Embassy’s visa page, you need:

1. The approval letter from the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security), or from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A copy is accepted.
2. The NA1 application form, completed online at visa.mofa.gov.vn or downloaded from the Embassy website, with a photo attached.
3. Your original passport and one copy. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from arrival, with at least 1 blank page.
4. Two colour photos, 4 × 6 cm.

Processing time. Up to 5 working days from the day the Embassy receives a complete application with the approval letter. The Embassy warns that it can take 2 weeks or more, so it advises applying before you buy your flights. Urgent same-day processing is possible for a surcharge, depending on the case.

How you submit. In person at the Embassy, during the submission hours above. An agent may also submit and collect for you without a power of attorney. The Embassy’s page does not mention applications by post.

Fees. The Embassy says fees depend on the visa type, length and entries, and are not refundable. As a guide, Vietnam’s official fee schedule for its offices abroad (Circular 163/2026/TT-BTC) sets USD 25 for a single-entry visa and USD 50 for a multiple-entry visa of up to 3 months. The office may collect the fee in rupees, at its own rate.

What to consider before you visit the Embassy

• You still need an approval letter. In practice, that means arranging it through a sponsor or an agency first, then queuing at the Embassy as well.
• Distance. Many travellers live far from Delhi or Mumbai. A visit can mean a flight or a long train ride, plus a day off work, and the submission window is only one or two hours a day.
• Your passport is held. While the office processes the visa, you cannot use your passport for other trips.
• Holidays. Both Indian and Vietnamese holidays close the office, so check the calendar before Diwali and Tet.
• Apply early. Allow 3 to 4 weeks before your trip.
• Choose the right visa type. A tourist visa does not allow work. Business, work and study visas need a sponsor in Vietnam.

Vietnam e-visa for Indian citizens: the easiest option

For most travellers, the e-visa is the simplest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Indian citizens. You apply online, from anywhere in India, and receive the approval 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, as a JPG file.
• 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 Diwali, Christmas and the summer holidays, when many Indian families travel. For a full walk-through of the online form, read our Vietnam e-visa guide for Indian 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 Indian applicants

• Single-name passports. If your passport shows only a given name and no surname, copy it exactly as printed. Do not invent a surname or add your father’s name.
• Name order. Enter the surname and given names in the same order as the passport, and not as you write them day to day.
• Card payment. Some Indian cards are declined on the government portal. If yours fails several times, use another card, or apply through a service that accepts PayPal.
• Entry port. You must enter through the airport or border listed on your e-visa.
• Single entry. If you also visit Cambodia 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?

If you fly in a few days, apply through our Vietnam urgent visa service:

Vietnam is 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of India. New e-visas can also be processed at weekends and on Vietnamese public holidays. If you applied yourself and your status still shows “In processing”, a speed-up of your application costs less than a new one. See our guide for an Indian e-visa still in processing.

Vietnam visa on arrival for Indian 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 visa on arrival counter at 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 buy clean, undamaged dollar bills in India before you leave.

At the counter you need:

• Your passport and the printed approval letter.
• The NA1 form, filled in, with 1 photo attached, plus 1 spare photo. See our NA1 form guide.
• USD 25 in cash per person.

Read every step in our Vietnam visa on arrival guide.

Which Vietnam visa is best for Indian citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from any city, up to 90 days, multiple entry possible. Cons: every detail must match the passport, 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 work and long-stay visas. Cons: you need an approval letter first, then you travel to Delhi or Mumbai, and your passport is held.

Our advice: Families and tourists should choose the e-visa. Wedding parties and tour groups should apply together, early, with one multiple-entry e-visa per person if the itinerary includes another country. Business travellers on short trips can use the e-visa. However, work and long stays need a sponsor in Vietnam.

Entry procedure: Vietnam entry requirements for Indian 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 Indian citizens at the main airports. Complete the free pre-arrival declaration 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. Then save the QR code on your phone. 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. Choose the green lane if you have nothing to declare. Choose the red lane for gold of 300 g or more, or cash above the limits.
6. Arrivals hall. Buy a SIM card, withdraw dong, and find your transport.

As a result, most travellers are in the arrivals hall 45 to 90 minutes after landing. 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 Korea and China.
4. Cam Ranh (CXR), Nha Trang: when charter flights land together.
5. Phu Quoc (PQC): shorter, but growing fast.

Many flights from India land late at night or early in the morning, at the busiest times. Families with children and older parents often find this the hardest part of the trip. 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. Rupees are rarely accepted in Vietnam, so bring US dollars 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 Indian citizens

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

Points for Indian travellers:

• Gold jewellery. Families travelling for a wedding often carry more gold than they think. If the total is 300 g or more, declare it on arrival in the red lane, and keep the stamped form. You will need it to take the gold out again.
• Rupees. Indian rules allow you to take only up to INR 25,000 in cash out of India, and rupees are hard to exchange in Vietnam. Carry US dollars and a card instead.
• Food. Packaged snacks, sweets and spices for your own use are usually fine. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products can be checked or held by quarantine officers.
• Medicine. Bring it in the original packaging, with your prescription, in quantities for your trip.
• Wedding supplies. Large amounts of decorations, clothes or gifts for a group can count as goods above the VND 10 million allowance. So ask your wedding planner to check how they are shipped.

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

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Indian 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 date of your entry.
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. So arrive early, or you risk missing your flight.

What you cannot take out of Vietnam

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

Do not overstay your Vietnam visa

Finally, the Vietnam visa requirements for Indian citizens also apply on the way out. Leave Vietnam by the last day on your entry stamp or e-visa. 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.

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 Embassy of India in Hanoi or the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City for an Emergency Certificate or a new passport. Finally, take it to the Vietnamese immigration office for an exit visa before you fly. The exit visa usually takes several working days, so allow time before you rebook your flight.

For travel agencies, wedding planners and companies

Do you send Indian tour groups, wedding parties, MICE groups 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 Indian citizens

Is Vietnam visa-free for Indian citizens?

No. Indians need a visa 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 Indian citizens get a Vietnam visa on arrival?

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.

How much is the Vietnam e-visa for Indians in rupees?

The government fee is USD 25 for single entry and USD 50 for multiple entry, charged in US dollars. Your bank converts it to rupees at its own rate, often with a foreign transaction fee.

Can I use my Vietnam e-visa at a land border?

Yes, if that border gate is listed on your e-visa. Choose the right entry point when you apply.

How early should Indian travellers apply?

At least 2 to 3 weeks before your trip, and earlier during Indian holiday seasons. If you are short of time, use the urgent service.

Can I extend my Vietnam e-visa in Vietnam?

Extensions depend on your visa type and are decided by the Immigration Department, usually through a sponsor. It is simpler to apply for the full stay, up to 90 days, from the start.

Facts checked on 9 November 2026: the Embassy of Vietnam in India, the Embassy of India in Hanoi advisory on Phu Quoc reported by VnExpress, Mumbai contact 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 Bao Tay Ninh, and the official pre-arrival portal. Rules can change, so check official sources before you travel.