Vietnam Visa Exemption: Which Passports Get 45 Days Visa-Free, and How to Stay Longer

If you hold one of 24 passports, including the UK, Germany, France and Japan, you can stay in Vietnam for 45 days without a visa. Here’s who qualifies, what to expect at the border, and how to stay longer without an overstay fine.

Vietnam lets citizens of 24 countries in visa-free for 45 days. Most of Western Europe is covered, plus Japan, South Korea and Russia, but the US, Canada, Australia and India aren’t, so those passports need an e-visa.

Half the list can come for any reason until March 2028. The other half is covered for holidays only, until August 2028.

Below we go through how to check your passport, what to have ready at the border, and your options when day 45 comes round: leaving and coming back, switching to the 90-day e-visa, or getting a sponsor to extend your stay. We’ve used about VND25,900 to US$1 for conversions.

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What Is the Vietnam Visa Exemption?

The visa exemption means you just turn up with your passport and get stamped in for up to 45 days. There’s nothing to apply for and nothing to pay. The officer at passport control stamps the date you have to leave by, and that’s the date that counts.

Vietnam has two kinds of visa-free deals:

• The 45-day lists: Vietnam opened these on its own for a set period, and both end in 2028.
• Country-to-country deals: agreements with 15 countries, mostly neighbours, giving 14 to 90 days with no end date.

You can’t walk into an immigration office and extend the exemption yourself. If you want more time, you’ll have to leave and come back, switch to an e-visa, or find a Vietnamese sponsor. We cover each one under How to Stay Longer.

Which Passports Get 45 Days

If you’re from one of the 24 countries below, you get 45 days visa-free, whatever kind of passport you hold. (Verified October 2026.) Which list you’re on decides when the deal ends and what you’re allowed to do while you’re here.

Any Purpose of Visit

If you’re from the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Japan or South Korea, you can come for any reason until 14 March 2028.

Holidays, family visits and business meetings are all fine. Working for a Vietnamese company isn’t; for that you’d need a work permit and a work visa.

Tourism Only

Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland also get 45 days, but only for holidays and only until 14 August 2028. (Verified October 2026.)

Coming over for a conference or to meet clients? Get an e-visa instead.

Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland had a smaller trial in 2025 that only covered tour groups. It ended on 15 August 2025, when all three moved onto this list.

Country	Visa-free stay	Purpose allowed	Runs until
United Kingdom	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Germany	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
France	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Italy	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Spain	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Denmark	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Sweden	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Norway	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Finland	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Russia	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Japan	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
South Korea	45 days	Any purpose	14 March 2028
Belgium	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Bulgaria	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Croatia	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Czech Republic	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Hungary	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Luxembourg	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Netherlands	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Poland	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Romania	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Slovakia	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Slovenia	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028
Switzerland	45 days	Tourism only	14 August 2028

Not on the List

If your passport isn’t on either list and your country doesn’t have its own deal (see the next section), you’ll need a visa before you fly. Most people go for the e-visa, which anyone can apply for on the official Vietnam e-visa portal.

That includes Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Indians. Ireland, Austria, Portugal and Greece aren’t on the 45-day lists either.

Other Visa-Free Options

Fifteen more countries have their own visa-free deals with Vietnam, giving anywhere from 14 to 90 days. (Verified October 2026.) Most are neighbours in Southeast and Central Asia, and the deals don’t expire, though the number of days can change.

Country	Visa-free stay
Chile	90 days
Panama	90 days
Belarus	30 days per visit, 90 days per calendar year
Cambodia	30 days
Kazakhstan	30 days
Kyrgyzstan	30 days
Laos	30 days
Malaysia	30 days
Mongolia	30 days
Singapore	30 days
Thailand	30 days
Philippines	21 days
Brunei	14 days
Myanmar	14 days
Indonesia	14 days (since 15 July 2026, tourism and family visits only)

Indonesia

Indonesians have had 14 days visa-free instead of 30 since 15 July 2026, and only for holidays or family visits. The Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi announced the change on 6 July 2026. (Verified October 2026.)

If you’re Indonesian and want to stay longer, or you’re coming to work or study, you’ll need a visa. The 90-day e-visa is the easiest one to get.

Phu Quoc

Anyone can visit Phu Quoc island for up to 30 days without a visa, as long as you fly straight there from abroad. Connecting through another Vietnamese international airport is fine too, if you stay in the transit area.

It only covers the island, though. If you want to see the mainland as well, you need a visa or one of the exemptions above.

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Chinese Tour Groups to Khanh Hoa

Chinese passport holders can now visit Khanh Hoa province, where Nha Trang is, visa-free on a package tour run by a Vietnamese international tour company. The trial started on 12 October 2026 and runs until 31 December 2027.

Tours can last up to 30 days and have to fly in and out of Cam Ranh International Airport. Independent travellers and Hong Kong and Macau passports aren’t covered.

The 5-Year Visa Exemption Certificate

If you’re of Vietnamese origin with a foreign passport, or you’re the foreign spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen, you can get a visa exemption certificate that lasts up to 5 years. You can stay up to 6 months every time you come in.

You apply at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, and the certificate has to end at least 6 months before your passport does. The Embassy of Vietnam in the US has the document list, which includes things like a marriage certificate or proof of Vietnamese origin.

Before You Fly

To come in on the 45-day exemption, all you really need is a passport with at least 6 months left and a clean record with Vietnamese immigration. (Verified October 2026.) Go through this list before you head to the airport:

• Passport: at least 6 months left on the day you land.
• Immigration record: you’ll be turned away if Vietnam deported you in the last 3 years or made you leave in the last 6 months.
• Kids: under-14s have to travel with a parent, guardian or another adult with permission.
• Onward ticket: not a legal requirement, but have one ready in case the airline asks.
• Pre-arrival form: optional, and it can speed things up at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Travel insurance: not required, but you’ll want it.

Onward Ticket

Vietnam doesn’t legally require an onward ticket, and immigration officers rarely ask to see one. Airlines sometimes check before they let you board.

In the expat forums, regulars say they fly in on the return half of a ticket, or with a flight home months away, and nobody asks at passport control. One traveller flying in from a neighbouring country wasn’t given a boarding pass until they bought a refundable onward flight at the check-in desk.

Tip: Flying in one-way? Book a refundable flight out or an international bus ticket before you get to the airport.

Pre-Arrival Form

Vietnam’s online pre-arrival form is optional for now. It started at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2026 and is being rolled out to Hanoi, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc. You fill it in within three days before you land and show the QR code at passport control instead of a paper card.

If the form won’t work, you can still get in without it. Our guide to the Vietnam pre-arrival form shows you how to fill it in and which fake sites to avoid.

Travel Insurance

You don’t need travel insurance to enter visa-free, but a private hospital bill in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi adds up fast after an accident.

For a trip of a few weeks, SafetyWing or Genki will cover emergencies, and our travel insurance guide compares the main options. If you’re planning months of back-to-back entries, look at expat health insurance in Vietnam instead.

How to Enter Vietnam Visa-Free

Getting in on the 45-day exemption takes no paperwork in advance. You just turn up at the airport or land border with your passport.

1. Check in for your flight: tell the airline you’re entering visa-free, and have an onward ticket handy in case they ask.
2. Fill in the pre-arrival form (optional): if your airport uses it, do it within three days before you land and keep the QR code on your phone.
3. Go through passport control: hand over your passport. You don’t need a visa, and you don’t pay anything.
4. Check your stamp before you walk away: it shows the last day you can stay. Make sure it’s 45 days from your arrival (or the right number for your country’s deal).

How the 45 Days Are Counted

Your 45 days start on the day you arrive, and the date on your stamp is your real deadline. When you leave, immigration goes by that stamp, not by your own count.

Say you land on 1 November. Counting that as day one, day 45 is 15 December. Book your flight out a day or two early in case anything goes wrong.

If Your Stamp Shows the Wrong Date

If your stamp has the wrong date, get it fixed at the airport as soon as you spot it. Otherwise the date on the stamp becomes your deadline.

1. Check it at the desk: it’s much easier to fix before you walk off.
2. Already left the airport? Go back: in the forums, a Danish traveller stamped short of 45 days went to the immigration office in town and was sent back to the airport.
3. Take a Vietnamese speaker if you can: forum posters say it helps to have someone who can explain the problem.
4. Don’t leave it until it’s fixed: as one poster put it, “the date in your passport is the date that matters.“

How to Stay Longer

You can’t extend the 45-day exemption yourself. To stay longer, most people leave and come back visa-free or switch to the 90-day e-visa, and if you have a Vietnamese sponsor, they can apply for an extension for you.

Option	Time you get	Government cost	Leave Vietnam?	Best for
Leave and come back visa-free	45 days per entry	Free (you pay for travel)	Yes	45-day passports with flexible plans
90-day e-visa, single entry	Up to 90 days	US$25	Yes, then enter on it	One long stay
90-day e-visa, multiple entry	Up to 90 days, in and out	US$50	Yes, then enter on it	A Vietnam base with trips around the region
Agency visa run	Usually a 90-day e-visa	US$25 or US$50, plus the agency fee	Yes, back the same day	Spending as little time outside Vietnam as possible
Sponsored extension	Up to immigration	US$10 per extension	No	People with a Vietnamese employer, school or relative

Option 1: Leave and Come Back Visa-Free

If you’re on a 45-day passport, you can leave Vietnam and come straight back for a fresh 45 days. There’s no waiting period, since Vietnam scrapped the old rule that made you stay out for 30 days in July 2020. (Verified October 2026.)

1. Pick your route: a land crossing into Cambodia, Laos or China, or a flight somewhere nearby (see Border Run Routes).
2. Sort out entry to the other country: check whether you need a visa there, and apply online in advance if you can.
3. Leave Vietnam before your stamp runs out: you get stamped out at exit immigration.
4. Enter the other country: stay a few hours or a few days, whatever suits you.
5. Come back into Vietnam: go through passport control again and check your new 45-day stamp.

In the expat forums, same-day runs on the 45-day exemption usually go fine. When a UK traveller asked about one in April 2026, the answer was that “there are currently no restrictions on visa exemptions or any minimum time required between them.“

Option 2: Switch to the 90-Day E-Visa

The Vietnam e-visa gives you up to 90 days for US$25 (single entry) or US$50 (multiple entry), and it costs the same whether you pick 30 days or the full 90. (Verified October 2026.) Officially, it takes 3 working days.

1. Apply at evisa.gov.vn: upload your passport photo page and a portrait photo, then pay by card. Give yourself at least a week before your 45 days are up.
2. Pick single or multiple entry: go for multiple entry (US$50) if you might pop out of Vietnam during the 90 days.
3. Check the approval letter: make sure your name, date of birth, passport number and dates are all right.
4. Leave Vietnam: the e-visa only starts when you enter on it.
5. Come back in through an e-visa border gate: that covers the main international airports and land crossings like Moc Bai and Lao Bao. Show the approval, printed or on your phone.

Nothing in the law says you have to be outside Vietnam to apply, and some people report being approved before they leave. Others report delays or refusals. If your approval hasn’t come through when you cross, be ready to wait it out on the other side.

Tip: Only evisa.gov.vn is the official e-visa site. The lookalike sites charge a service fee on top of the US$25 or US$50.

Everything slows down around Tết, the Lunar New Year in late January or February. If your run falls then, apply a few weeks early.

Option 3: Use a Visa Agency for a Same-Day Run

A visa run costs about US$58 to US$120 per person from Ho Chi Minh City to Moc Bai, and US$87 to US$213 from Da Nang or Hue to Lao Bao, according to one Da Nang visa-run company’s 2026 price breakdown. That covers the visa for the other country, your new Vietnamese e-visa and transport. Agencies in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi also sell packages with an urgent e-visa, so you can come back the same day.

Route	Visa for the other side	New Vietnam e-visa	Transport (round trip)	Total per person
Moc Bai, from Ho Chi Minh City	Cambodia: US$30 on arrival or US$36 e-visa	US$25 to US$50	US$2 (public bus) to US$59	US$58 to US$120
Lao Bao, from Da Nang or Hue	Laos: US$40 to US$50 cash on arrival	US$25 to US$50	US$32 (shared van) to US$200 (private package)	US$87 to US$213

In the forums, people report paying about VND2.5 million (about US$95) for an agency run with the e-visa, or an agent fee of around US$45 on top of the US$25 government fee. Prices vary a lot between agencies, so get two or three quotes before you book.

1. Book a few days ahead: the agency files your urgent e-visa application.
2. Take the agency bus to the border: it’s usually Moc Bai from Ho Chi Minh City or Lao Bao from Da Nang.
3. Exit Vietnam and cross over: some agencies ask you to send a photo of your exit stamp so they can finish the visa.
4. Come back in on the new e-visa: the agency sends you the approval once it’s issued, usually within a few hours.

Doing the e-visa yourself is cheaper, but you’ll usually spend a few days outside Vietnam waiting for it.

Option 4: Get a Sponsored Extension

A sponsored extension lets you stay on without leaving Vietnam, but you can’t apply for it yourself. A Vietnamese sponsor has to do it at the immigration office, and the government fee is US$10. (Verified October 2026.)

1. Find a sponsor: usually a Vietnamese employer, school or relative.
2. Your sponsor applies: they hand in a written request with your passport at the immigration office before your stamp runs out.
3. Wait for the decision: immigration decides how much extra time you get.

Most tourists don’t have a sponsor, so in the forums the answer to “can I extend?” nearly always comes down to leaving and coming back.

Read more: How to Extend Your Vietnam Visa or Stay

Border Run Routes

There’s no limit on how many times you can enter Vietnam visa-free, and no minimum time you have to spend outside between visits. (Verified October 2026.) The officer at the border still has the final say, so if you’ve done a few runs back to back, have an e-visa application ready as a backup.

Route	Starting point	What you need
Moc Bai to Bavet, Cambodia	Ho Chi Minh City, a couple of hours by road	Cambodian visa (online or at the border), passport photos, US dollars
Lao Bao to Laos	Da Nang or Hue	Lao visa or exemption for your passport
Lang Son or Mong Cai to China	Hanoi	Check China’s entry rules for your passport
Flight out	Any international airport	A ticket to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong or similar

Moc Bai to Cambodia

Moc Bai is the go-to border run from Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll need a Cambodian visa, either from Cambodia’s official e-visa site or at the border. If you’re buying it at the border, forum regulars say to bring passport photos and US dollars.

Laos

From Da Nang or Hue, most people cross at Lao Bao, which is also an e-visa border gate. Bus companies and agencies in Da Nang run organised trips, and forum posters say that’s the easiest way to get back the same day.

China

Up north, the Lang Son and Mong Cai crossings take you into China. A British traveller in the forums crossed at Lang Son for an afternoon in May 2026, answered a few questions from the Chinese officer, and got a fresh 45-day stamp on the way back into Vietnam.

Flying Out

Plenty of long-term visitors skip the bus and fly somewhere nearby for a few days. It costs more, but you don’t have to deal with a land crossing. Regulars on expat.com suggest doing some of your runs by air if you’re doing several a year.

Requests for Money at the Border

Entering Vietnam visa-free costs nothing, and most forum posters say nobody’s ever asked them for money. A few mention requests for “coffee money” at the land crossings between Cambodia and Vietnam, mostly travellers on non-Western passports. The usual advice is to say no politely and wait.

Overstay Penalties

Overstaying in Vietnam costs VND500,000 to VND2 million (about US$19 to US$77) if you’re under 16 days over, and VND30 million to VND40 million (about US$1,160 to US$1,550) for a year or more. (Verified October 2026.) Immigration can also deport you, and then you can’t come back for 3 years.

Overstay	Fine
Under 16 days	VND500,000 to VND2 million (about US$19 to US$77)
16 to under 30 days	VND5 million to VND10 million (about US$193 to US$386)
30 to under 60 days	VND10 million to VND15 million (about US$386 to US$580)
60 to under 90 days	VND15 million to VND20 million (about US$580 to US$772)
90 to under 180 days	VND20 million to VND25 million (about US$772 to US$965)
180 days to under 1 year	VND25 million to VND30 million (about US$965 to US$1,160)
1 year or more	VND30 million to VND40 million (about US$1,160 to US$1,550)

What to Do If You’ve Overstayed

If you’re only a day or two over, you can usually sort it out at the airport on your way out. A longer overstay can mean a trip to the immigration office and a wait of one to two weeks before you’re allowed to leave.

1. Get to the airport early: leave plenty of extra time before your flight, because you’ll be taken to an immigration office to pay.
2. Pay the fine and ask for a receipt: forum posters report paying VND1 million to VND3 million for a one-day overstay at Tan Son Nhat Airport, which can be more than the official range for under 16 days.
3. For a longer overstay, go to the immigration office first: one traveller nearly 30 days over, thanks to a wrong date on their e-visa, couldn’t settle it at the airport. They were told to come back in person with a translator and wait 7 to 14 days for the paperwork.
4. Bring a translator and your documents: the office may want a written account of where you stayed and why you overstayed.

Tip: If something out of your hands is going to push you past your date, like a hospital stay or a cancelled flight, keep proof in writing and contact the immigration office before the date passes.

Common Mistakes and Pitfalls

Most visa-free problems that come up in the expat forums start with a wrong stamp or a missed deadline:

• Using a tourism-only exemption for business: the second list (Belgium to Switzerland) covers holidays only. Conferences, client meetings and site visits need an e-visa.
• Not checking the stamp: a stamp a few days short becomes your real deadline unless you get it fixed.
• Applying on a lookalike site: only evisa.gov.vn is official. The others charge extra for the same e-visa.
• Leaving the e-visa too late: 3 working days is the official processing time, and Tết slows everything down.
• Typos on the e-visa: a wrong date of birth or entry date can lead to an overstay or being refused at check-in. Check the approval as soon as it arrives.
• Going by old rules: Indonesians now get 14 days, not 30, and both 45-day lists end in 2028.
• Assuming a border run can’t be refused: there’s no legal limit on entries, but the officer still decides. If you’ve done several runs in a row, keep an e-visa application ready as a backup.

FAQ

Can I work remotely from Vietnam on the 45-day exemption?

Vietnam doesn’t have a digital nomad visa, and the rules don’t say anything about working remotely for a company abroad. If you’re on the tourism-only list, your entry is meant for tourism.

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Any job with a Vietnamese employer needs a work permit. Our Vietnam digital nomad visa guide goes through the options for longer stays.

Will the 45-day exemption be renewed after 2028?

Nobody knows yet. The first list ends on 14 March 2028 and the second on 14 August 2028, and a renewal would need a new government decision. Vietnam last renewed its list in March 2025.

Can I enter visa-free by land?

Yes. The 45-day exemption isn’t tied to particular border gates, so it works at international land crossings as well as airports. The e-visa is different, as it only works at the gates on the government’s e-visa list.

I have two passports. Which one should I use?

Use whichever one gets you the better deal, and leave on the same passport you came in on. A US-Polish dual citizen, for example, gets 45 days (holidays only) on the Polish passport and nothing visa-free on the US one. The e-visa form asks about other passports you’ve used to enter Vietnam, so answer that honestly.

Do children get the same 45 days?

Yes. It goes by nationality, not age. Under-14s have to travel with a parent, guardian or another adult with permission, or they can be turned away.

Is Belarus on the 45-day list?

No. Belarusians get 30 days per visit, up to 90 days a year, under a deal in force since 30 January 2025. Some visa sites still show Belarus as a 45-day country because it was on the older list that ran out in March 2025.

Can US citizens enter Vietnam visa-free?

No. Americans need a visa, and most get the 90-day e-visa at evisa.gov.vn. The same goes for Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders.

Can I switch from the exemption to an e-visa without leaving?

No. An e-visa only starts when you enter Vietnam on it, so you have to leave and come back in through an e-visa border gate. If you really don’t want to leave, the only option is a sponsored extension.