Do you want to go to Vietnam without a visa? This is possible under certain conditions which we will explain in detail.
Travelling to Vietnam does not require a visa for British and some other European citizens. Indeed, there is currently a visa exemption which allows you to stay for a limited period of time in this country without having to apply for this official document. In this article, we will explain the conditions under which you can go to Vietnam without a visa and what are the different criteria to be fulfilled to benefit from this visa exemption.
The Vietnamese government has introduced a visa waiver allowing certain travellers to visit Vietnam for up to 45 days without the need for a visa.
To benefit from this visa waiver, all you need to do is travel to Vietnam with a valid passport that is valid for 6 months after your intended return date. A free temporary visa will be issued to you on arrival and will allow you to stay in the country for a maximum of 45 days (44 nights).
There is no need to take any steps to obtain this visa waiver, which is completely free. Currently, the visa waiver programme for Vietnam has a fixed duration of 15 March 2025. However, the measure could be extended thereafter.
However, it should be noted that this visa waiver only concerns certain citizens, including British citizens, and will only be valid for a single entry into the country.
As for the travellers entitled to benefit from this visa exemption, they are mainly travellers from 13 different countries including Germany, Belarus, Denmark, Spain, France, Finland, Italy, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, Russia, the Republic of Korea and Sweden
If you are a citizen of one of the 13 countries, you can therefore enjoy a stay of up to 45 days in Vietnam without the need to apply for a visa. The visa exemption does not apply to other citizensof other EU countries.
If you plan to stay in Vietnam for more than 45 days or have several entries into the country, for example if you are going to visit several neighbouring countries during your stay, you will of course need to apply for a visa or e-visa before your departure.
However, if your trip has two entries into Vietnam and the first entry only allows you to stay in the country for less than 45 days, you will only need to apply for a visa for the second entry.
If you are a citizen of one of the above countries, you do not need to take any steps to obtain a visa waiver for a stay of 45 days in the country.
All you have to do is present yourself to the Vietnamese immigration authorities on arrival in the country. They will simply ask you to present your passport, which will be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your intended exit from the country, and proof of your return to the UK, such as your return flight ticket.
Of course, as the visa waiver is only functional for stays of up to 45 consecutive days in Vietnam, it will not be possible to extend this period. If you exceed the 45-day limit, you risk a fine of $25 per day of delay and other possible problems with the authorities. If you know that your stay in Vietnam will be longer, we advise you to apply for a visa before your departure.
It will not be possible to apply for two visa exemptions in a row. Indeed, between two visa exemptions, you will have to wait a minimum of 90 consecutive days. It should be noted that the Vietnamese government is currently discussing extending the validity of visa exemptions to 90 days.
As we have just seen, it is possible to stay in Vietnam without a visa for a period of 45 days if you are an British citizen. You will of course need to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the date of return to the UK and you must be an eligible citizen.
If this is not the case or if your stay includes 2 or 3 entries in Vietnam or lasts more than 45 days, you will have to apply for a visa or e-visa on a mandatory basis to be allowed to visit Vietnam.
In this case, you have the possibility to apply for a visa online, which is a simple procedure of a few minutes. This procedure would allow you to obtain a visa for Vietnam in less than 3 working days.
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.
The Vietnam visa waiver for UK and other European citizens only covers stays of up to 45 consecutive days in the country, including 14 nights. If your stay is longer, you will need to apply for a regular visa or an e-visa which will allow you to stay for up to 90 days in Vietnam.
If you do not qualify for a visa waiver for Vietnam, there are several ways to apply for a visa for Vietnam. The first and most time-consuming way is to apply at the Vietnamese embassy. The second way, which is quicker and easier, is to apply for a Vietnam visa through a service provider such as the one we recommend.
Although there is a visa waiver for some travellers wishing to visit Vietnam, these travellers must in any case be in possession of a valid passport, the validity of which must cover at least 6 months after the date of return to the UK. This is because Vietnam is not part of the European Union and therefore it is not possible to travel there with just an identity document.
