Prepare your trip to Vietnam with the list of essential documents to travel in this country legally.
To organize your next trip to Vietnam, you must make sure you have all the necessary official documents. Among these documents, there is of course the passport, but also the visa which applies to certain travellers. We will detail here the conditions to be fulfilled and the documents to be presented when boarding your flight to Vietnam.
Of course and to travel to Vietnam, which is outside the European Union, you must have in your possession a valid passport and whose validity covers at least 6 months after the date of return for English nationals.
Please note that the contact details on the passport must be provided to the Vietnamese authorities in advance.
The passport which will be presented during the trip and in order to be prepared for any eventuality, must have a minimum of 3 blank pages, 2 of which must be facing each other.
Regarding the emergency passport, please note that this official document is not accepted everywhere in Vietnam. In some cases, this type of passport may also require a visa application even for travellers who are exempted with their ordinary passport.
Finally, and still on the subject of passports, please note that if you are travelling with children to Vietnam, these children, even if they are minors, must also have their own individual passport. Children travelling without one of their parents must also have an exit permit.
If you do not yet have a valid passport and wish to prepare your trip to Vietnam efficiently, we advise you to apply for a passport as soon as possible. The time taken to obtain a passport in the UK can vary from a few weeks to several months depending on the level of demand.
Currently for UK nationals, a visa is not required to travel to Vietnam if the intended stay in the country is less than or equal to 45 consecutive days between the date of entry and the date of exit inclusive.
These travellers can benefit from a free visa which will be granted to them upon arrival in the country. This visa is of course a single entry visa. And if the traveller has to leave the country and then return during these 45 days, he will have to obtain a second visa, this time paying.
So, if your trip to Vietnam lasts more than 45 consecutive days, you will have to apply for a visa beforehand and pay the necessary fees to obtain this document. For this visa application, you will need your passport in accordance with the conditions indicated above as well as 2 completed application forms and 2 passport photos if you apply at the embassy.
If you do not meet the conditions to travel for 45 consecutive days in Vietnam without a visa, you can also apply for this visa directly online with the e-visa procedure.
Here is the procedure to follow if you wish to benefit from this simplified procedure:
With an e-visa, you can stay in Vietnam for up to 90 days, regardless of the reason for your visit. Another advantage of the e-visa is that once obtained, the traveller will not need to fill in the visa application once arrived in Vietnam. Only the verification by the immigration authorities of the visa on the date of entry will be necessary. However, you should remember to print out the visa you have obtained by email beforehand in order to present it both when you board your flight to Vietnam and when you arrive in the country at the border control.
To travel to Vietnam, it is important to prepare in advance by ensuring you have the required documents and credentials. Foreign travellers must have the following to enter Vietnam:
In order to best prepare for your future trip to Vietnam, you must first of all make sure you have a valid passport as well as a residence permit such as a visa (if the conditions of your stay require it) which you can obtain directly online from a specialised site such as the one we recommend on this page.
Adeline HARMANT
As a web writer and globetrotter with a passion for travel and tourism, I have acquired in-depth knowledge of the procedures that are essential for travellers. I help travellers to complete all the formalities required for a successful trip, particularly when it comes to obtaining a visa online. With several years' experience in this field, I'd like to offer you some valuable advice to help you discover the world with complete peace of mind.
It is not compulsory to take out insurance if you want to plan a trip to Vietnam. However, it is advisable to take out insurance if you wish to be covered in the event of an accident, illness or need for hospitalisation in Vietnam or if you require repatriation during your stay. However, you can travel freely to Vietnam without the need for such insurance.
As mentioned earlier in this article, it is not possible to travel to Vietnam with just an identity card. Indeed, as Vietnam is not part of the European Union, you will need to present a valid passport to travel to this country. Furthermore, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.
If you have the possibility to benefit from a visa exemption for Vietnam, especially if you are an English traveller wishing to stay less than 45 consecutive days in the country, you will not have any particular step to accomplish. A free temporary visa will be issued to you by the authorities upon your arrival in the country. This visa exemption is valid until 2025. If your stay in Vietnam lasts longer than 45 days, you will need to apply for a visa before you embark.
