Visa for Vietnam is one of the easier visas to get for Indians. Where do I even start telling you about how amazing Vietnam is? Interesting history and culture, delicious food, even for vegetarians and vegans, crystal clear beaches, historical towns, mountains with rice terrace fields, French gothic architecture, the best coffee you will ever taste in your life, and the wonderful and sweet people. We spent about 6 months in Vietnam and we did not want to leave! The visa process is a very simple one and staying longer is also very simple. Check out our tips below for how to get the Vietnam visa for Indians.

Vietnam Visa for Indians (Stay < 30 Days, E-Visa)

 Good News! Since January 2018, Indians are eligible for E-Visa. 

We no longer need an approval letter.
We no longer need to stand in lines at the airport and get a Visa on Arrival.
Just fill up an online form and get the visa sent to you over e-mail!  

Head over to the following link and follow the instructions.

 https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu

Also, this visa is valid if you are entering Vietnam through a land border crossing! (say from Cambodia!). Planning South East Asia backpacking trips just became easier.

Vietnam Visa for Indians (Stay > 30 Days)

(No land border crossings)

This is how we applied for the visa when we stayed in Vietnam for 5 months in 2017.

This process only applies if you are flying into Vietnam and does not work for land border crossings (like taking a bus from Cambodia). If you are crossing the border on land, you have to apply for the visa at the Vietnamese embassy.

The visa process can be split into 2 steps:

1. Before The Trip

Vietnam provides the visa on arrival to Indian travelers. But you must carry an approval letter issued by the Vietnamese Immigration body. This letter is very easy to obtain. You can obtain this letter online through one of the many online agents which offer this as a service.

We always use https://www.vietnam-evisa.org/

Depending on the length of your visit, these services charge you a fee to obtain the letter. For example (as of Dec 2017) the 1 month, single entry, tourist visa costs 19USD. Once you fill up the online application and pay, you will have the letter emailed to you within 3 to 5 business days.

PS: If you want a letter with only your and your co-traveler’s name, you will have to pay more. By default, your names will be amongst others who have applied through the agent. This is perfectly alright. This letter is valid and is accepted on arrival.

2. When You Arrive In Vietnam

When you land in Vietnam (Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh/Da Nang) head to the Visa on Arrival (VOA) counter. Fill out the VOA form and attach the above letter, the photograph, the passport and submit it at the counter. Your name will be called once the visa is processed. Head to the counter and pay the stamping fee. Collect your passport, check the visa and head to immigration.

The whole process should take 30 mins to an hour depending on the lines.

There are services which do the whole process from beginning to end for you, even stand in line for you but we recommend you don’t opt for those as sometimes you might be tricked into paying more for a simple process.

Conclusion

That’s it! One of the simplest visas we have ever applied for. We have been to Vietnam many times now and always opt for the visa services of Vietnam EVisa. Very easy to do and we’ve never had a problem.

Have you been to Vietnam? Do you have any other suggestions for the Vietnam visa for Indians? Let us know in the comment below and we will update this guide.

If you have more time, you can travel to neighboring countries:

Cambodia (coming soon)
Laos (coming soon)
Thailand (coming soon)

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