You don't have a passport in your name, you have a simple identity card or your passport is soon expired or already expired and you want to know if you absolutely need this identity document to travel to Vietnam? Find out the answer to this question, as well as some advice on how to quickly obtain this document and other documents necessary for your trip, depending on the case.
Is a passport essential to travel to Vietnam?
Of course, a passport is absolutely necessary to travel to Vietnam. Remember that Vietnam is not part of the European Union and as such it is not possible to travel there with a simple identity card.
There are also some additional requirements for the passport that you will be presenting when you travel. For British nationals, this passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of return. In addition, the passport must have a minimum of 3 blank pages with 2 facing pages.
Although it is sometimes possible to travel to Vietnam with an emergency passport, this document is not accepted everywhere. You should therefore check beforehand that the region and airport you are travelling to accept this type of passport. Note that in some cases, an emergency passport will also require a visa, even if the visa is exempt.
A nominative passport is also required for children, even if they are minors. When travelling to Vietnam, children who are not accompanied by one of their two parents or legal guardians must also present an authorization to leave the country signed by both parents, as well as a copy of the identity card and passport of both legal parents.
How to obtain a passport to travel to Vietnam?
As we have just seen, a passport is required for travel to most countries outside the European Union, including Vietnam. Also. What if you want to travel to Vietnam and you have not yet obtained your first passport or your current passport has expired?
In this case, you will need to apply as soon as possible to obtain a valid passport in order to be able to travel to Vietnam. Remember that passport applications in the UK can take a long time to process, from a few weeks to a few months depending on the period.
However, once obtained, the passport would be valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors. The new passports issued in the UK also contain an electronic chip that will store personal information including the traveller's fingerprints.
If you need to obtain a passport quickly for travel to Vietnam or to renew a passport that has expired, been lost, stolen or damaged, simply visit the UK government website to fill in an application form in a few clicks. Once you have completed the form, administrative advisers will check the information you have entered and process your application as quickly as possible.
You will need to go to your nearest town hall with the required documents to complete the passport application process. The taking of fingerprints, in particular, generally requires an appointment.
Other documents required to travel to Vietnam:
In addition to the passport and in some cases, other official documents are required to travel to Vietnam. This mainly concerns visas which must be obtained by English travellers in certain specific cases.
Indeed, let's recall that in 2022 and until 2025, English travellers and nationals to Vietnam benefit from a visa exemption for stays of up to 15 consecutive days in the country.
Therefore, if you plan to stay in Vietnam for more than 15 days, you will need to apply for a visa in advance by contacting the Vietnamese embassy in the UK or by applying for a visa online in a few minutes. The latter procedure will of course be quicker and will allow you to obtain a visa for this country in an average of 3 working days. Once obtained, this visa will be valid for a 30 day stay in the country.
How to get a visa for Vietnam if your passport is expiring?
If your passport expires in less than 6 months and you wish to apply for a visa to Vietnam, it is recommended that you renew your passport before applying for your visa.
However, if you do not have time to renew your passport before applying for a visa, you can contact the Vietnamese embassy in your country to find out if you can still apply for a visa with an expiring passport. It is important to note that requirements may vary depending on the embassy and personal circumstances. It is therefore always best to check with the embassy to be sure.
Ideally, it will be necessary to apply to renew your passport before applying for a Vietnamese visa.
Apply for your Vietnam e-visa!