Vietnam Visa Requirements for Israeli 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 Israeli citizens at a glance

Do Israeli citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Israeli passport holders need a visa for every trip to mainland Vietnam, whether for a trip after the army, a family holiday or business. Vietnam’s visa exemption list covers 39 countries in 2026, and Israel is not one of them. See our Vietnam visa exemption list.

Some older websites still say that Israelis cannot use the e-visa. That is out of date: since 15 August 2023, citizens of every country can apply for a Vietnam e-visa of up to 90 days.

There are three exceptions to the visa rule:

• 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. Israelis 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.

Israelis with a second, European passport

Many Israelis also hold a passport from a European Union country, and that can change the Vietnam visa requirements for Israeli citizens completely. Vietnam’s visa exemption depends on the passport you travel on, not on where you live. So if your second passport is from a visa-exempt country, you can enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days on that passport. With a German, French, Italian, Spanish or British passport, this applies for any purpose of travel. With a Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian or Dutch passport, among others, the 45 days are granted for tourism. A Portuguese, Austrian or Greek passport is not exempt. Check the current list on our exemption page before you book.

Keep three rules in mind:

• One passport for the whole trip. Enter and leave Vietnam on the same passport, and book your flights with that passport’s details.
• A visa belongs to one passport. An e-visa issued for your Israeli passport is not valid in your European passport, and the other way round.
• Longer stays. For more than 45 days, you need a visa even with an exempt 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.

Travel document instead of a passport? If you travel on an Israeli travel document (laissez-passer) rather than a passport, contact the Embassy before you apply for a visa.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Tel Aviv

For special visa types, the Embassy is where the Vietnam visa requirements for Israeli citizens are handled in person. Vietnam’s only office in Israel is the Embassy in Tel Aviv. Several websites still list an old address on Weizmann Street; the Embassy’s own website now gives the address below.

The website does not list the opening hours on its main page, so call or email before you visit.

How to apply at the Embassy in Tel Aviv

1. Email or call 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. Urgent processing within 24 hours costs 50% more. The Embassy may collect the fee in shekels, at its own rate.

Before you go to the Embassy

• Different weekends. The Embassy follows the Israeli calendar for holidays, but Vietnam’s offices work Monday to Friday. Plan around both.
• Your passport is held until the visa is ready, so do not book other travel in the meantime.
• Holidays. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and Vietnamese holidays such as Tet (late January or February) and 2 September can all close the Embassy.
• Apply early. Allow 2 to 3 weeks before your trip.
• Choose the right visa type. A tourist visa does not allow work. Teaching English or working in a hostel, for example, needs a work permit and a work visa sponsored by your employer.

Vietnam e-visa for Israeli citizens: the easiest option

For almost every Israeli traveller, the e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Israeli citizens. You apply online from anywhere in Israel, 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 before Passover, Sukkot and the summer holidays, when many Israelis travel to Asia.

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 Israeli applicants

• Name spelling. Copy your name exactly as it appears in Latin letters on your passport. Do not use another English spelling of a Hebrew name.
• 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 on a long trip. 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 5 hours ahead of Israel in winter and 4 hours ahead in summer. So order the evening before, or use the second 4-hour slot, which closes at 09:00 Israel time in winter. Also remember that the Vietnamese working week runs Monday to Friday: an order placed on Sunday in Israel waits until Monday in Vietnam, while Friday is a working day in Vietnam. New e-visas can also be processed at weekends and on Vietnamese public holidays. See our guide to expediting a Vietnam visa from Israel. 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 Israeli 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, so bring dollars from Israel. 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 Israeli citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from anywhere in Israel, 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 work visas and the 5-year exemption certificate. Cons: your passport is held, and you must go to Tel Aviv.

Our advice: Backpackers after the army should choose a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa for a loop through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. If you also hold an exempt European passport and stay 45 days or less, you may not need a visa at all. Families from Israel’s Vietnamese community who visit often should consider the 5-year visa exemption certificate.

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

Flights from Israel to Vietnam

Arkia has flown direct between Tel Aviv and Hanoi since January 2026, and El Al announced its own Tel Aviv–Hanoi flights from late October 2026. Other routes connect through a hub such as Bangkok, Dubai or Istanbul. Check the current schedule with the airline, because routes and frequencies change. With a direct flight, your e-visa must list Noi Bai (Hanoi) as the entry 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 Israeli 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.

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.

When a full wide-body flight from Tel Aviv lands in Hanoi, hundreds of passengers reach the immigration hall at once. 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 shekels. Shekels are hard to exchange in Vietnam, so bring dollars or use an ATM in the arrivals hall.
• 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 Israeli citizens

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

Points for Israeli travellers:

• Vapes. Vaping is common in Israel, but Vietnam bans e-cigarettes and heated tobacco from 1 January 2025, including possession. Customs can confiscate them, so leave your vape at home.
• Medical cannabis. Even with an Israeli medical cannabis licence, any cannabis product is illegal in Vietnam. Vietnam’s drug penalties are among the toughest in the world, and they also apply to drugs offered in hostels or at parties.
• 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.
• Kosher and packaged food. Sealed, packaged food for personal use is usually fine. Fresh meat, dairy and fruit can be stopped for quarantine checks.
• 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.

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

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Israeli 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, registration and exit problems

• Riding a motorbike. Many Israeli backpackers ride the northern loops, such as Ha Giang. A motorbike of 50 cc or more needs a valid licence for that class, and Vietnam only recognises international driving permits issued under the 1968 Convention. Check your licence and your travel insurance before you ride: an accident without the right licence can mean no insurance cover and an exit ban until the case is settled.
• Registration. You must be registered with the local police where you stay. Hotels and hostels do it for you and may keep your passport for a short time; ask for it back once registration is done.
• Exit bans. Authorities can stop you from leaving while you are involved in an investigation, a traffic accident or a dispute.

Do not overstay your Vietnam visa

Finally, the Vietnam visa requirements for Israeli citizens also apply on the way out. Leave by the last day on your e-visa or entry stamp. Long backpacking trips make this easy to forget, so set a reminder. 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 Embassy of Israel for an emergency travel document:

Israel has no consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, so travellers in the south also contact the Embassy in Hanoi. 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 Israeli tour groups, backpacker 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 Israeli citizens

Do Israelis need a visa for Vietnam?

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

Can Israelis apply for the Vietnam e-visa?

Yes. Since 15 August 2023, the e-visa is open to all nationalities, including Israelis, for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry.

I have Israeli and German passports. Which should I use?

Germany is on Vietnam’s visa exemption list, so with a German passport you can stay up to 45 days without a visa, for any purpose. Use that passport to enter and leave Vietnam, and book your flights with it.

Can I get a Vietnam visa on arrival with an Israeli 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.

Where is the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel?

On the 13th floor of Beit Amot Mishpat, 8 Sderot Sha’ul HaMelech, Tel Aviv. Call +972 3 527 5452 before you go.

How long can Israelis 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 Embassy of Vietnam in Israel, the Embassy of Israel in Vietnam, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s emergency information, reports on the Tel Aviv–Hanoi flights by Vietnam Government News and Viet Nam News, 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.