Do American citizens need a visa to transit to Vietnam airport?

• Do Portugal citizens need a visa to transit to Vietnam airport?
• Do Taiwanese citizens need a visa to transit to Vietnam airport?

For long-haul flights, there are usually one or more stations. According to the regulations of each country, including Vietnam, in this case, you may need to hold a transit visa. Do American citizens need to apply for visas when crossing Vietnam? Is it OK to apply for a landing visa at Vietnam Airport?

Do American citizens need to apply for visas when crossing Vietnam?

Application for a transit visa depends on the provisions of each specific country, including Vietnam. Therefore, before starting the journey, you need to contact the booking airline for details of the journey:

• If the flights before and after your transfer are flights of the same airline, you do not need to claim baggage or apply for a transit visa. Usually, the check-in counter will print your tickets for two flights with the airline at the first airport. It is better to contact the support department of the airline where you booked your ticket for more details.
• If it is a flight on 2 or 3 different airlines, you need to pick up your checked baggage after arriving at the transfer airport and continue to check your bags on the next flight. Therefore, you must enter Vietnam to pick up your luggage and transfer it. In this case, American friends should not forget to apply for a visa (because Vietnam does not grant visa exemption for Americans, American citizens who want to enter Vietnam, whether for transit or tourism, need to apply for a Vietnamese visa). The airline will not let you board if you do not have a visa.

Can American citizens apply for a landing visa (visa on arrival) at Vietnam Airport?

Can American citizens apply for a landing visa (visa on arrival) at Vietnam Airport?

No. Vietnamese landing visa must be completed before the trip.

Many American friends do not apply for visa approval for Vietnamese landing visas in advance because they think Vietnam is the same as Thailand. But, the Vietnamese landing visa requires that the visa approval be applied for before boarding, and the airline will not allow you to board if you have not received this letter.

Steps to apply for a Vietnamese landing visa:

1. For online application submission, please fill in the application form online: https://www.vietnam-visa.in/apply-vietnam-visa/. At least fill in the required information: full name (same as passport), date of birth, nationality (passport issued by the country), passport number, date of arrival, return date, visa type, etc. Then pay and receive a confirmation letter via email.
2. Wait a few working days (urgent case: few working hours) to obtain the pre-approval letter via email (attach Vietnam visa application NA1 form).
3. You print out the approval letter and form, fill in the Vietnam visa application form, and prepare two passport-size 4x6cm photos and cash as the stamp fee (single entry: $25; multiple entries: $50).
4. Take the abovementioned things and passports to the Visa on arrival office of Vietnam Airport to get your visa.