Vietnam Visa Requirements for Taiwanese Citizens 2026: Entry Procedure, Customs and Exit Rules

We are a private visa service, not the Vietnamese government or a Vietnamese office. 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 Taiwanese citizens at a glance

Do Taiwanese citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Holders of Taiwan (Republic of China) passports need a visa for every trip to mainland Vietnam, whether for tourism, business, a family visit or work. Taiwan is not on Vietnam’s 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. However, Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs warns that some low-cost airlines do not offer transfers in Vietnam. In that case you must pass immigration and check in again, so you need a visa.
• 5-year visa exemption certificate. Taiwanese spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens, and people of Vietnamese origin, can apply for a visa exemption certificate. It is valid for up to 5 years, with stays of up to 180 days each time.

What changed for Taiwan passports

For years, Taiwan passports could not use the Vietnam e-visa, so travellers had to use a visa on arrival or the office in Taipei. Since Vietnam opened the e-visa to all nationalities, Taiwanese travellers apply online like everyone else. Also, Taiwan passports do not need a loose-leaf visa: the e-visa is used directly at passport control, and a visa on arrival goes into the passport.

Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei

Vietnam has no embassy in Taiwan. Visas are issued by the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (駐台北越南經濟文化辦事處).

The office does not publish visa hours on its website, so call or email before you go. For fees and every step, see our guide to the Vietnam office in Taipei.

How to apply at the office in Taipei

1. Confirm the visa type, documents, fee and submission time by phone or email.
2. Prepare your original passport (valid for at least 6 months, with blank pages), the 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 collect your passport on the date you are given.

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 office may collect the fee in New Taiwan dollars.

Visa types Taiwanese travellers often need

Always state the real purpose of your trip. According to Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, a visa used for a different purpose can be cancelled, with a fine. Also, the visa must end at least 30 days before your passport expires.

Before you go to the office

• Only in Taipei. Travellers from Kaohsiung, Taichung or Tainan need a trip to Taipei, often twice: to submit and to collect.
• Your passport is held while the visa is processed.
• Holidays. The office closes on both Vietnamese and Taiwanese holidays, including Lunar New Year and Vietnam’s National Day on 2 September.
• Apply early. Allow 2 to 3 weeks before your trip.

Vietnam e-visa for Taiwanese citizens: the easiest option

For most travellers, the e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Vietnam visa requirements for Taiwanese citizens. You apply online from anywhere in Taiwan, 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 Lunar New Year 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.
• 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 Taiwanese applicants

• Passport details. Copy the passport number, dates and nationality exactly as printed in your passport. A single wrong digit means the airline can refuse you at check-in.
• Names. Enter your name in the romanised spelling printed in your passport, not your Chinese name or an English nickname.
• Entry port. You must enter through the airport, seaport or land border listed on your e-visa.
• Single entry. If you also visit Cambodia or Laos 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 1 hour behind Taiwan. New e-visas can also be processed at weekends and on Vietnamese public holidays. See our guide to expediting a Vietnam visa from Taiwan. If you applied yourself and the status still shows “In processing”, a speed-up of your application costs less than a new one. Read what to do when a Taiwan e-visa is still in processing.

Vietnam visa on arrival for Taiwanese 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. The visa goes into your passport.

On arrival, you also pay a USD 25 stamping fee in cash, in US dollars. You also need the NA1 form with 1 photo attached, plus 1 spare photo; see our NA1 form guide. For more, read our earlier guide to the visa on arrival for Taiwanese citizens and the Vietnam visa on arrival guide.

Which Vietnam visa is best for Taiwanese citizens?

Pros and cons:

• E-visa. Pros: online from any city in Taiwan, up to 90 days, multiple entry possible. Cons: the details must match the passport exactly.
• Visa on arrival. Pros: quick approval letter. Cons: only 15 days and single entry, plus a counter stop and USD 25 in cash.
• Office visa. Pros: the route for VR family visas and long-term visas. Cons: you go to Taipei, and your passport is held.

Our advice: Tourists and short business trips: choose the e-visa. Factory managers and engineers who travel often: choose a multiple-entry e-visa, or ask your company in Vietnam about a business visa and work permit. Spouses of Vietnamese citizens: consider the 5-year visa exemption certificate, which saves applying before every trip.

Entry procedure: Vietnam entry requirements for Taiwanese 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 Taiwanese 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.

Flights from Taipei and Kaohsiung often land in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in the busy evening hours. 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. New Taiwan dollars are hard to exchange 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 Taiwanese citizens

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

Points for Taiwanese travellers:

• Vapes and heated tobacco. Banned in Vietnam since 1 January 2025, including possession. Customs can confiscate them.
• Meat snacks. Jerky, pork floss and sausages can be checked or held by quarantine officers. Bring packaged sweets, tea or pineapple cakes as gifts instead.
• Gifts for family and staff. Gifts count towards the VND 10 million allowance. Large amounts for a factory or a wedding can be taxed.
• Medicine. Bring it in the original packaging, with your prescription, for your own use.
• Drones. You can usually bring a small camera drone, but flying it needs a permit.

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

Leaving Vietnam: exit requirements for Taiwanese 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.

Staying with family: register your stay

Hotels register foreign guests with the police automatically. If you stay in a private home, for example with your spouse’s family, the host must register your temporary residence with the local police. Do this on arrival, because officers can check it.

Do not overstay your Vietnam visa

Finally, the Vietnam visa requirements for Taiwanese 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.

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 Taiwan’s office for a new passport or entry permit:

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 Taiwanese tour groups, factory staff 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 Taiwanese citizens

Can Taiwan passport holders apply for the Vietnam e-visa?

Yes. Taiwanese travellers now apply for the e-visa online like other nationalities, for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry.

Do Taiwanese travellers need a loose-leaf visa?

No. The loose-leaf visa applies to mainland Chinese e-passports. Taiwan passports use the e-visa directly, and a visa on arrival goes into the passport.

Is there a Vietnamese embassy in Taiwan?

No. The Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei issues visas and handles consular services.

Can I get a Vietnam visa on arrival with a Taiwan 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.

My spouse is Vietnamese. Which visa should I get?

For short trips, the e-visa is simplest. For frequent visits, apply for the 5-year visa exemption certificate, or a VR visa for longer stays.

How long can Taiwanese citizens 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 Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs pages on Vietnam entry, the Hanoi office and the Ho Chi Minh City office, 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.