Vietnam Visa Requirements for Mexican 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 Mexican citizens at a glance

Do Mexican citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Mexican 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 Mexico 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. Mexicans 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.

Mexicans with a second passport

• Spanish passport. Spain is on Vietnam’s exemption list (45 days, any purpose, until 14 March 2028), so with a Spanish passport you may not need a visa.
• US passport. The United States is not exempt, so a US passport also needs a visa. See our guide for US citizens.
• One passport for the whole trip. Enter and leave Vietnam on the same passport, and book your flights with that passport’s details. An e-visa issued for your Mexican passport is not valid in another 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.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico City

Vietnam’s embassy in Mexico is in Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City. It is the only Vietnamese office in Mexico.

The Embassy’s website does not show its opening hours on the main page, so call or email before you go.

How to apply at the Embassy

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 pesos, at its own rate.

Before you contact the Embassy

• Distance. From Guadalajara, Monterrey or Cancún, applying in person means a trip to Mexico City, so most travellers use the e-visa instead.
• Your passport is held until the visa is ready, so do not book other travel in the meantime.
• The Mexican Embassy cannot help with visas. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry states that its embassy in Hanoi does not process Vietnamese visas, fines or immigration status.
• 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 Mexican citizens: the easiest option

For almost every Mexican traveller, the e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Mexican citizens. You apply online from anywhere in Mexico, and the approval arrives as a PDF. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry notes that the answer can take more than 5 working days, so do not leave it to the last minute.

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 3 weeks before you fly, and earlier for Holy Week and the December 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 Mexican applicants

• Two surnames. Enter both surnames 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 13 hours ahead of Mexico City all year, because central Mexico no longer uses daylight saving. So the evening before is the time to order: before 18:00 for the fastest service. In Cancún, add one hour; in Tijuana, subtract one or two hours depending on the season. 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 Mexican 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 buy dollars before you leave Mexico. 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 Mexican citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from any state, 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: only one office, and your passport is held.

Our advice: After a journey of more than 24 hours, most Mexicans stay a while, so choose a 90-day e-visa, with multiple entry for a loop through Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.

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

Flights and transit documents

There are no direct flights between Mexico and Vietnam. Before you book a connection, check the transit rules of the country where you change planes. The United States, for example, has no visa-free transit, so a connection there needs a valid US visa. Canada has its own entry rules for Mexican citizens too. Many Mexicans therefore connect through Europe, the Gulf or Asia instead.

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 Mexican 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. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry reminds travellers that you need this entry stamp to leave the country.
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 one of the longest journeys to Vietnam, 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. Pesos are hard to exchange in Vietnam, so bring 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 Mexican citizens

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

Points for Mexican travellers:

• Vapes. Banned in Vietnam from 1 January 2025, including possession. Customs can confiscate them, so leave them at home.
• Drugs. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry warns that trafficking and possession, even of tiny amounts, can be punished with the death penalty in Vietnam. Never carry a bag or parcel for someone else.
• Gambling and prostitution. Both are illegal, according to Mexico’s Foreign Ministry.
• Prescription medicine. Bring it in the original packaging, with your prescription and a doctor’s letter in English, and only the amount you need.
• Tequila or mezcal as a gift. Stay within 1.5 litres of spirits above 20% per adult.

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

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Mexican 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, your entry stamp 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.

Driving and registration

• Driving. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry says foreign and international driving permits are not valid in Vietnam, and that you need a Vietnamese licence to rent any vehicle. An accident without one can void your travel insurance and lead to an exit ban until the case is settled.
• Registration. Foreigners must register their address with the local police. 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 Mexican 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 at the nearest police station first, and get a police report. Then contact the Mexican Embassy for an emergency passport:

The consular section issues emergency passports Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00, without an appointment. Use the emergency line only for real emergencies, such as an accident, hospitalisation, detention or a death. 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 Mexican 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 Mexican citizens

Do Mexicans need a visa for Vietnam?

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

Can Mexicans 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.

Where is the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico?

At Sierra Ventana 255, Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City. Call +52 55 5540 1632 before you go.

Can I drive in Vietnam with my Mexican licence?

No. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry says foreign and international permits are not valid; you need a Vietnamese licence.

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

The 4-working-hour service closes at 07:00 and 14:00 Vietnam time, which is 18:00 the day before and 01:00 in Mexico City.

How long can Mexicans 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: Mexico’s Foreign Ministry (SRE) travel guide for Viet Nam, the Embassy of Mexico in Viet Nam’s consular protection page, the Embassy of Vietnam in Mexico, 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.