Vietnam Tourist Visa Guide for Indians 2026

The e-Visa is the simplest and cheapest route for Indian citizens — $25 for a single entry, processed in 3-5 working days, with no embassy visit or agency required. The visa on arrival costs the same $25 stamping fee but requires an approval letter purchased through a licensed travel agency for $6-25 extra, making the total $31-50. Both are dramatically cheaper than most Asian visa destinations, and the e-Visa is the clear winner for any trip under 90 days.

Important: Vietnam's e-Visa system was permanently expanded to include Indian citizens in August 2023 — previously Indians were not eligible. The e-Visa allows single or multiple entry for up to 90 days, a significant increase from the earlier 30-day limit. Apply at the official portal evisa.gov.vn — do not use third-party sites that charge $50-100 for the same free-to-access form.

Before you start your Vietnam visa application, make sure you have these essentials ready:

·        Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned departure from Vietnam, with at least 2 blank pages

·        Two recent passport-size photographs, 4cm x 6cm, white background, taken within the last 6 months

·        Completed e-Visa application form with digital photo upload (4cm x 6cm, JPEG format, under 2 MB)

·        Confirmed round-trip flight reservation showing entry to and exit from Vietnam

·        Hotel bookings for every night of your stay, or an invitation letter from a host in Vietnam

·        Bank statements for the last 3-6 months showing consistent salary credits and a stable balance

·        Employment proof — salary slips for the last 3 months, employer NOC letter, or ITR for self-employed applicants

·        Cover letter stating your purpose of visit, travel dates, day-by-day itinerary and ties to India

·        Travel insurance policy — not mandatory but strongly recommended, covering medical evacuation

·        Printed copy of your approved e-Visa (if using the e-Visa route) to present at immigration

The key thing to remember about Vietnam is the passport validity rule — Indian passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry, not 3 months like many other countries. This catches out travellers who assume the standard 3-month rule applies. Check your passport expiry date before applying and renew early if needed.

Important: The e-Visa application requires a digital photo in strict format — 4cm x 6cm, white background, no glasses, full face visible. Photos that do not meet these specifications are the number one reason for e-Visa delays. Use a photo-editing tool to crop and resize before uploading.

The most affordable Southeast Asian destination with direct flights from India. While Thailand and Bali get most of the Indian tourist traffic, Vietnam delivers the same tropical warmth, incredible food and stunning landscapes at lower prices — a full day of street food, temple visits and boat rides in Hoi An costs less than a single meal in Bangkok.

Ha Long Bay is one of the natural wonders of the world and the single most spectacular sight in Southeast Asia. Nearly 2,000 limestone karsts rising from emerald-green waters, floating fishing villages, caves and kayaking — a overnight cruise through Ha Long Bay is the kind of experience that defines a trip. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Hoi An is the most charming town in Vietnam and possibly all of Southeast Asia. A UNESCO Ancient Town of lantern-lit streets, tailor shops, centuries-old merchant houses and the Thu Bon River — Hoi An is small enough to explore on foot and beautiful enough to photograph from every angle. The monthly lantern festival on the 14th of the lunar calendar is magical.

Ho Chi Minh City is the economic engine of Vietnam — a buzzing metropolis of French colonial architecture, street food markets, the War Remnants Museum, the Cu Chi tunnels and a nightlife scene that rivals Bangkok. It is the gateway to the Mekong Delta, where floating markets and rice paddies stretch to the horizon.

India and Vietnam share deep historical and diplomatic ties — India was one of the first countries to recognise Vietnam after independence, and Vietnamese people have a genuine warmth towards Indian visitors. Indian restaurants exist in every major city, vegetarian food is easier to find here than in most of Southeast Asia, and Hindi films are surprisingly popular.

Indian citizens travelling to Vietnam for tourism, sightseeing, family visits or short business trips can apply for a visa. The core requirement is the same as every visa — a genuine reason to return to India, supported by funds for the trip and a clean passport.

The e-Visa route is the fastest and cheapest option for Indian citizens. Available since August 2023, the e-Visa allows single or multiple entry for up to 90 days, is applied for entirely online, and costs just $25-50. No embassy visit, no agency, no biometrics.

The visa on arrival is the alternative for travellers who prefer to pick up their visa at the airport. It requires an approval letter from a licensed Vietnamese travel agency before departure, costs $25 in stamping fees at the airport plus $6-25 for the letter, and allows stays up to 30 days.

For the full document list, eligibility details and all visitor categories, see the main Vietnam visa guide.

Getting your Vietnam tourist visa does not require obscure paperwork. Most of what you need is standard for any international trip:

·        Passport — valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned departure, with at least 2 blank pages. The 6-month rule is stricter than most countries and is checked at both application and immigration.

·        Passport photos — Two recent colour photos, 4cm x 6cm, white background, no glasses, taken within the last 6 months. Slightly taller than the standard Indian passport photo size.

·        Flight reservation — A confirmed round-trip booking with PNR showing entry to and exit from Vietnam. A hold or dummy reservation from an agent works for the e-Visa application — do not pay for tickets before approval.

·        Hotel bookings — Confirmed reservations for every night of your stay, or an invitation letter from the family or friends you are visiting. Refundable bookings from Booking.com or Agoda are ideal.

·        Bank statements — Last 3-6 months of statements showing consistent salary credits and a stable balance of ₹1.5-2.5 lakh for a typical 10-day trip.

·        Travel insurance — Not legally mandatory but strongly recommended. Medical costs for foreigners in Vietnam can be high, and evacuation cover is essential for remote areas like Ha Long Bay or the Mekong Delta.

·        Employment proof — Salary slips for the last 3 months, ITR for the last 2 years, and an employer NOC on company letterhead with your approved leave dates.

Cover letter — A brief, honest letter explaining why you are visiting Vietnam, your day-by-day itinerary (which cities, how many nights each, what you plan to see), how the trip is funded, and why you will return to India. Name specific places like Ha Long Bay, Hoi An's Ancient Town or Ho Chi Minh City's War Remnants Museum — generic "touring Southeast Asia" letters are the first thing officers flag. All of it can be written in English; no Vietnamese translation is needed.

If you are visiting family — Include an invitation letter from your host with their Vietnamese residence details, address and contact number, plus proof of your relationship. Vietnamese immigration may ask for the host's national ID card or residence permit copy. The invitation letter does not need to be notarised for tourist purposes, but having it signed and dated adds credibility.

The Vietnam visa application has two routes — the e-Visa (online, fastest and cheapest) and the visa on arrival (approval letter plus airport stamp). Here is the compressed step-by-step for both:

1.      For the e-Visa: visit evisa.gov.vn, create an account, select India as your nationality, and fill in the online application form with your personal and travel details.

2.      Upload your documents digitally — passport scan (JPEG format, bio-data page), digital photograph (4cm x 6cm, white background, JPEG under 2 MB), and travel details.

3.      Pay the visa fee online using a credit or debit card — $25 for single-entry e-Visa, $50 for multiple-entry. Payment is via international card (Visa/Mastercard).

4.      Wait for processing — 3-5 working days standard, 1 day for urgent processing at extra cost. You will receive an approval email with a PDF e-Visa to download and print.

5.      For visa on arrival: purchase an approval letter from a licensed Vietnamese travel agency (available online, $6-25 depending on speed and agency) — the letter is emailed to you as a PDF.

6.      Print the approval letter, prepare two passport-size photos, and fill in the arrival form (provided on the plane or at the airport).

7.      At the Vietnam airport immigration counter: present your passport, printed approval letter, photos and stamped entry form; pay the $25 stamping fee in cash (USD or VND); receive your visa sticker and entry stamp.

Expert tip: The e-Visa route is significantly faster and cheaper — $25 processed in 3-5 days with no agency fees versus $31-50 for visa on arrival with an approval letter. For any trip under 90 days, the e-Visa is the obvious choice. Apply no later than 2 weeks before your travel date. For visa on arrival, arrive with exact change in USD for the stamping fee — Vietnamese immigration counters do not always have change for large notes.

The sweet spot for Indian tourists is late autumn and early spring, when the weather is pleasant across both northern and southern Vietnam. Summer brings rain to the north and south, while the central coast stays dry.

Using third-party e-Visa websites that charge inflated fees. The official Vietnam e-Visa portal is evisa.gov.vn — the only legitimate site. Third-party websites charge $50-100 for the same application that costs $25 on the official portal. These sites are not scams in the sense that they deliver a real visa, but they charge 2-4x the official fee for filling in the same form on your behalf.

Uploading the wrong photo size. The e-Visa requires a 4cm x 6cm digital photo in JPEG format, under 2 MB. Indian passport photos are typically 3.5cm x 3.5cm — if you upload the standard Indian size, the system may accept it but immigration officers may reject it at the counter. Crop and resize before uploading.

Assuming the 3-month passport validity rule applies. Vietnam requires 6 months of passport validity from the date of entry, not the 3 months that many other countries accept. If your passport expires within 6 months of your planned departure from Vietnam, you will be denied boarding or entry. Renew early.

Buying travel insurance as an afterthought. Vietnam does not legally require travel insurance for tourist visas, but medical costs for foreigners can be high and evacuation from remote areas like Ha Long Bay or the Mekong Delta is expensive. A basic policy covering ₹5-10 lakh is affordable and essential.

Arriving at the e-Visa immigration counter without a printed copy. The e-Visa is issued as a PDF — you must print it and carry it with your passport. Officers at Vietnamese airports will not accept a phone screenshot. Print two copies as a backup.

Ignoring the visa on arrival approval letter timeline. If you choose the visa on arrival route, the approval letter must be purchased 5-7 days before your flight — last-minute purchases may not arrive in time, and airlines will deny boarding without a valid approval letter printed and in hand.

Ha Long Bay is the show-stopper and the reason most Indians book the trip. A overnight cruise through nearly 2,000 limestone karsts rising from emerald waters, kayaking through caves, visiting floating fishing villages and watching the sunset from the deck — it is one of the most photogenic experiences in all of Asia. Budget cruises start from around ₹8,000 per person for an overnight.

The street food is extraordinary and unbelievably cheap. Pho (noodle soup), banh mi (Vietnamese baguette), bun cha (grilled pork noodles), fresh spring rolls and egg coffee — a full street-food meal costs ₹100-200. Hanoi's Old Town and Ho Chi Minh City's Ben Thanh Market are food paradises, and Indian vegetarian restaurants exist in both cities.

Hoi An's Ancient Town is the most atmospheric place in Vietnam. Lantern-lit streets at night, silk tailors who can make a custom suit in 24 hours, centuries-old Japanese covered bridges and Chinese merchant houses — Hoi An is a living museum that you walk through, not look at. The monthly lantern festival is the highlight.

The Cu Chi tunnels and War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City tell the story of the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective — powerful, humbling and essential history. Crawling through the narrow Cu Chi tunnel network and seeing the war exhibits in the museum gives Indian visitors a perspective on resilience and resistance that resonates deeply.

The people are warm, patient and genuinely welcoming to Indian visitors. Vietnam's tourism industry has grown rapidly, but the hospitality has not been lost to commercialism — locals are curious about India, Hindi films are popular, and Indian restaurants in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City serve proper vegetarian thalis alongside Vietnamese cuisine.

Currency: Vietnam uses the Vietnamese dong (VND), at about ₹0.0037 per dong (1 VND is roughly ₹0.0037, or 1 INR is about 270-275 VND). Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and larger shops, but carry cash for street food, markets and smaller towns — Vietnam is still heavily cash-based. ATMs are widely available but charge withdrawal fees of around 50,000 VND (₹185). Exchange money at banks or authorised exchange offices — street exchangers offer better rates but carry counterfeiting risk.

Connectivity: Buy a local SIM card at the airport or any Viettel, Mobifone or Vinaphone shop — tourist packages with data cost around ₹300-500 for 30 days with generous data. eSIMs are also available from providers like Airalo. Free WiFi is available in most hotels, cafés and restaurants. Download offline maps before travelling — Google Maps works well in cities but coverage thins in rural areas and on Ha Long Bay.

Transport: Vietnam's domestic flights (VietJetAir, Bamboo Airways) connect Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and other cities cheaply — book 2-3 weeks ahead for ₹2,000-5,000 one-way. The Reunification Express train runs the full length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in about 35 hours — a legendary journey. Within cities, Grab (ride-hailing app) is the easiest way to get around — far cheaper and safer than negotiating with taxis.

Food: Pho, banh mi, bun cha, com tam (broken rice), fresh spring rolls, banh xeo (crispy pancakes) and egg coffee are must-tries. Vegetarian options are easier to find here than in most of Southeast Asia — look for the word "chay" (vegetarian) on menus. Indian restaurants in Hanoi (Namaste Hanoi), Hoi An (Little India) and Ho Chi Minh City ( Ganesh, Ashoka) serve proper Indian food. Expect to pay ₹100-300 for a full street meal, ₹500-1,000 at a sit-down restaurant.

Weather: Vietnam is long and narrow — the weather varies dramatically from north to south. Hanoi is cool and drizzly in winter (15-20°C) and hot in summer (30-35°C). Ho Chi Minh City is warm year-round (25-35°C) with a rainy season from May-November. The central coast (Da Nang, Hoi An) has its own microclimate — best from February to May. Pack light, breathable clothing and a compact rain jacket.

All trip costs include return flights from India (₹20,000-45,000), the visa fee (₹2,100-4,200), accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Vietnam has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, making it one of the most accessible Southeast Asian destinations for Indian travellers. Return fares typically range from ₹20,000 to ₹45,000 depending on the season and airline, with the cheapest deals on VietJetAir and IndiGo.