Vietnam Visa on Arrival 2026: How It Works, Step by Step

What Is the Vietnam Visa on Arrival?

The visa on arrival, usually shortened to VOA, is one of the oldest ways to get into Vietnam, and it still works in 2026. The name confuses a lot of people, so let's clear that up first: you do not simply show up at the airport and buy a visa. You need an approval letter before you fly, issued by a licensed agency. The "on arrival" part is where the visa actually gets stamped into your passport, which happens at the immigration counter after you land.

VOA lost some of its spotlight after the e-visa opened up to more countries in 2023, but it never went away. Plenty of travelers still use it every day. Some nationalities cannot use the e-visa at all. Others need multiple entries, or they are flying in a few days and cannot wait for an online application. For all of those cases, VOA is the practical answer.

The whole process has two stages. Stage one happens from home: you fill out a short form, pay a service fee, and receive a PDF approval letter by email. Stage two happens in Vietnam: you hand over the letter at the airport, pay the stamping fee in cash, and get the visa sticker in your passport. Total time at the counter is usually 15 to 30 minutes, assuming the line is normal.

This guide walks through every step: who needs VOA in 2026, how the approval letter works, what happens at the airport, which airports handle it, what everything costs, and the mistakes that get people into trouble. If you already know you need a letter, jump straight to the section on how to get one. If you are still deciding between VOA and the e-visa, read our VOA vs e-visa comparison first, then come back.

One thing worth saying up front: the rules for VOA have been stable for years, which is rare in the visa world. The fees, the letter system, and the airport counters work the same way in 2026 as they did in 2024 and 2025. What changes is the paperwork you bring and how fast you need it. Both of those are covered below.

Who Actually Needs VOA in 2026

Not everyone can use the e-visa, and not everyone should. The e-visa covers citizens of more than 80 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and most of Europe. If your passport is on that list and you only need a single entry for a holiday, the e-visa is usually the cheaper and simpler route: apply online, pay $25, get a PDF in about 3 working days. Our e-visa guide covers that whole process.

So who ends up using VOA? Four groups.

First, passport holders from countries outside the e-visa list. India, the Philippines, and several African and Middle Eastern nations fall into this category in 2026, depending on your specific passport. If the e-visa portal does not accept your nationality, VOA is the standard alternative.

Second, travelers who need multiple entries. A single-entry e-visa will not cut it if you plan to hop over to Cambodia or Laos for a weekend and come back. The VOA letter can be issued for multiple entries up to 30 days, which suits short regional trips.

Third, people in a hurry. The e-visa takes working days. If your flight leaves in 48 hours, an urgent VOA letter can be turned around in 4 to 8 hours for an extra fee. This is also the main reason NamVisa gets contacted at 11pm by someone flying the next morning. See our urgent visa page for those options.

Fourth, anyone who wants a paper trail in their passport. Some travelers prefer the physical stamp and the certainty of dealing with an officer face to face. It is a personal choice, but it is a real one.

There is also a smaller group: people whose e-visa application was rejected or is stuck in processing with a flight approaching. VOA works as a backup because it runs through a completely different system, a licensed agency on the ground rather than the government portal.

The Approval Letter: Your Ticket to Board

The approval letter is a one-page document issued by Vietnam Immigration through a licensed agency. It states your name, passport number, nationality, the visa type you qualify for, and your entry date. Without it, you cannot board the plane, and the airline will not let you check in. This is the part people forget, and it is the part that causes the most panic at the departure gate.

Getting the letter takes five minutes of form filling. You give the agency your passport details, your travel dates, and your entry airport. You pick single or multiple entry, and you pick a processing speed. Standard processing costs around $15 to $25 and takes 1 to 2 business days. Urgent processing costs more, roughly $30 to $50, and can come back in 4 to 8 hours. Same-day and 1-hour options exist for genuine emergencies, which is where a local team matters.

Once the letter is issued, it comes to your email as a PDF. Print two copies. One goes with your passport for check-in, and the other is for the immigration officer at the stamp counter. A copy on your phone is not enough. Officers want paper, and airlines often do too. If you lose the printout at the airport, some agencies can email a fresh copy to a nearby internet cafe or hotel front desk, but that is a stressful way to start a trip.

A word on who to buy from. The letter must come from a licensed agency; Vietnam Immigration does not sell letters directly to individuals for VOA. Anyone can print a piece of paper, but only a licensed agency's letter will match the immigration database when you land. That database check is why the price range exists, and why the cheapest random website you find at 2am is a gamble. NamVisa has issued letters for travelers since 2016 and our team is on the ground in Vietnam, which matters when something needs fixing fast.

At the Airport: Stamping, Step by Step

Landing with a VOA letter is straightforward once you know where to go. Here is the sequence, the same at every international airport in Vietnam.

Step one, on the plane: fill out the entry and exit form, form NA5, before you land. The crew hands these out during the flight. If you miss it or the airline does not carry them, blank forms sit on a table near the VOA counter. Filling it out in advance saves you ten minutes and a crowded table at the terminal.

Step two, after you deplane: follow the signs for immigration. At most airports you will pass a desk labeled "Visa on Arrival" or "Landing Visa" before the main immigration rows. At Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City and Noi Bai in Hanoi the counter is clearly signed. At smaller airports like Cam Ranh or Phu Quoc it is a quieter desk, but it is always there for arriving flights.

Step three, at the counter: hand over your passport, your printed approval letter, the completed NA5 form, and two passport photos. The standard photo size is 4x6 cm on a white background. Officers at the counter have seen every photo failure you can imagine, and most airports have a photo booth nearby if yours are wrong, at $5 to $10.

Step four, the stamping fee: this is cash only, USD or VND, and it is separate from the letter fee. Single entry is $25, multiple entry is $50. Bring small bills. Change is not guaranteed, and handing over a $100 note for a $25 fee gets you a long, unhappy conversation. Credit cards are not accepted here.

Step five: the officer processes the letter, stamps the visa into your passport, and hands it back. Then you join the main immigration queue like everyone else, get your entry stamp, and you are in. From counter to passport in hand, budget 15 to 30 minutes in a normal line, more at peak hours when several international flights land together.

Which Airports Handle Visa on Arrival

Every international airport in Vietnam runs a VOA counter. The list has not changed in years, so if your flight lands at one of these, you are covered:

Airport	Code	City	Notes
Noi Bai International	HAN	Hanoi	Dedicated counter near immigration hall
Tan Son Nhat International	SGN	Ho Chi Minh City	Busiest; counter can get long lines in the evening
Da Nang International	DAD	Da Nang	Clear signage, usually quick
Cam Ranh International	CXR	Nha Trang	Smaller counter, fine outside peak season
Phu Quoc International	PQC	Phu Quoc	Counter runs for arriving flights
Cat Bi International	HPH	Hai Phong	Less traffic, quick processing
Can Tho International	VCA	Can Tho	Quiet counter
Lien Khuong International	DLI	Da Lat	Small airport, counter available on arrival
Phu Bai International	HUI	Hue	Serves central Vietnam
Van Don International	VDO	Quang Ninh	Serves Ha Long Bay area
Tho Xuan International	THD	Thanh Hoa	Charter-heavy traffic

The airport on your approval letter must match where you actually land. If your letter says Tan Son Nhat and you fly into Noi Bai, the system flags it and you will have problems. Double check this when you book, and again when the letter arrives. Changing the airport after the letter is issued usually means a new letter, so get it right the first time.

For land border crossings, VOA does not apply. If you are crossing from Cambodia or Laos by road, you need an e-visa or a visa issued in advance, or you arrange a visa run at the border itself. Different process, different rules. If you are already in Vietnam and planning a border run, the Lao Bao and Moc Bai guides cover those crossings.

What It All Costs in 2026

Two separate fees make up the total, and keeping them apart in your head prevents a nasty surprise at the counter. The first is the agency fee for the approval letter, paid online. The second is the government stamping fee, paid in cash at the airport. You will hear people quote "$25 visa" and "$50 visa"; they usually mean the stamping fee alone.

Item	Price (USD)	When you pay
Approval letter, standard (1-2 business days)	$15 - $25	Online, before flying
Approval letter, urgent (4-8 hours)	$30 - $50	Online, before flying
Approval letter, same day / 1 hour	$60+	Online, emergency only
Stamping fee, single entry	$25	Cash at airport counter
Stamping fee, multiple entry	$50	Cash at airport counter
Passport photos, if yours are wrong	$5 - $10	Airport photo booth

A standard single-entry trip therefore lands around $40 to $50 total, letter plus stamp. An urgent multiple-entry trip runs closer to $80 to $100. Compare that with the e-visa at $25 flat for eligible nationalities, and you can see why the e-visa is the default choice when it is available. VOA earns its keep when the e-visa is not an option or not fast enough.

Two money rules. One: the stamping fee is cash only, USD or VND, and officers rarely have change for big notes. Two: never pay the stamping fee to anyone before you land. A legitimate agency charges only for the letter. Anyone asking you to wire the stamping fee in advance is running a scam, and you will pay it again at the counter anyway.

Common Mistakes That Ruin VOA Trips

After years of helping travelers, the same handful of mistakes shows up again and again. All of them are avoidable.

Wrong airport on the letter. This is the number one problem. People book a flight to Hanoi, apply with Ho Chi Minh City as the entry point, and only notice when the counter officer shakes their head. The letter names a specific airport, and immigration matches it against your arrival. A mismatch means a new letter or a long conversation with a supervisor.

Passport too close to expiry. Vietnam requires six months of validity from your arrival date, plus two blank pages. The airline checks this at check-in, before you even get near a Vietnamese officer. If your passport expires in five months, no letter will save you.

Not printing the letter. Officers need paper. A screenshot on your phone gets you nowhere, and airport printing is expensive or nonexistent. Print two copies before you leave home.

Wrong photo size. The requirement is 4x6 cm, white background, no glasses. Passport photos from your home country are often a different size. Bring two correct ones, or budget for the airport booth.

Arriving with no cash. The stamping fee is cash only. ATMs exist at the arrivals hall, but the line at the counter does not wait for you to find one. Carry $25 or $50 in small notes, or the VND equivalent.

Confusing VOA with e-visa rules. If you hold a printed e-visa, you skip the VOA counter entirely and go straight to immigration. If you hold a VOA letter, you must stop at the counter. Trying the wrong line wastes time and confuses everyone.

The good news: every one of these is a five-minute fix before you leave home. Check the airport, check the passport, print the letter, bring cash and photos, and the counter is a formality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a visa on arrival without an approval letter?

No. The approval letter is mandatory. It is what the immigration officer checks against the database before stamping your visa. Without it, you cannot board the flight, and there is no way to buy a visa at the counter on the spot.

How far in advance should I apply for the letter?

For standard processing, apply at least 3 to 5 business days before departure. That covers the 1 to 2 day processing time plus a buffer for weekends and public holidays. Vietnam shuts down for Tet, and agencies process nothing during the holiday week.

Is VOA cheaper than the e-visa?

No, usually not. The e-visa is a flat $25 for eligible nationalities. VOA runs $40 to $50 for a standard single entry once you add the letter fee to the stamping fee. Choose VOA for nationality, multiple entries, or speed, not for price.

Do children need their own approval letter?

Yes. Every traveler needs a letter in their own name, including infants. A child's name on a parent's letter is not valid, and children pay the same stamping fee.

Can I extend a visa obtained on arrival?

Yes. Extensions are handled at immigration offices inside Vietnam, not at the airport. You can extend a tourist visa once, typically for 30 days. Our visa extension page covers the process, and NamVisa can arrange it while you are in the country.

What if my flight is diverted to a different airport?

If you land somewhere other than the airport on your letter, tell the counter officer immediately. In practice, officers can often process it, but expect questions and delays. This is rare, but it happens with weather diversions, so keep the agency's contact number handy.

The Short Version

Visa on arrival in 2026 works exactly like this: get the approval letter before you fly, print it twice, land at the airport named on the letter, stop at the VOA counter with your passport, photos, and cash, pay the stamping fee, and walk through immigration. The letter costs $15 to $50 depending on speed. The stamp costs $25 single or $50 multiple, cash only.

If you are eligible for the e-visa and have time, use it. It is cheaper and you skip the counter entirely. Come back to VOA when your nationality needs it, when you need multiple entries, or when the clock is running out. And if you are already in Vietnam and want to stay longer without the airport shuffle, a visa run to Cambodia through SaigonVisaRun or a 5-year exemption for overseas Vietnamese are both worth a look.

When the clock is running out is exactly what NamVisa does best. Our team is on the ground in Vietnam, we have issued approval letters since 2016, and we can turn around urgent letters in hours, not days. You get a real person to message, not a ticket queue, and we check your details before anything goes to immigration, which is why our letters rarely hit problems at the counter. If you are already in Vietnam and need an extension, a correction, or overstay help, we handle that too.