In 2026, a Vietnam e-visa is the right answer for almost everyone. It costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry, lasts up to 90 days, and you apply online at evisa.gov.vn before you fly. Visa on arrival is an airport-only backup that still needs a pre-paid approval letter, and it’s close to pointless for ordinary tourists now. A visa run is a different thing entirely — it’s how you extend a stay you’re already on, not a way to enter the country. And if you hold a UK, Russian, most-EU, Japanese or Korean passport, you may not need any visa at all for the first 45 days.
I’ve lived in Southeast Asia for years, run the Da Nang border circuit more times than I can count, and walked clients through e-visa applications dozens of times. Nothing here is sponsored — no agency, border or service paid for a place in this guide, Best Bus included. These are the real numbers and the honest trade-offs.
The four Vietnam entry options at a glance (2026):
| Option | What it actually is | Government cost | How long it lasts | Where you get it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free stamp | Free entry stamp on landing | $0 | 45 days (most Western/RU passports); 14–30 for others | Automatic at the border | Short trips by exempt nationalities |
| E-visa | Online visa, single or multiple entry | $25 single / $50 multiple | Up to 90 days | evisa.gov.vn, before you fly | Almost everyone needing >45 days or not exempt |
| Visa on arrival | Airport stamp using a pre-paid letter | ~$10–30 letter + $25/$50 stamp | Up to 90 days | Airports only, never land borders | Genuine last-minute or organised tours |
| Visa run | Leaving and re-entering to refresh a stay | Trip cost (e.g. $37–40 from Da Nang) | Resets/extends current stay | A land border or a flight out and back | Extending a stay you’re already on |
What is the Vietnam e-visa, and why is it the default in 2026?
The e-visa is the option to reach for first. It costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry, is valid for up to 90 days, and since 15 August 2023 it has been open to citizens of every country in the world. You apply entirely online — no agency, no approval letter, no embassy visit.
Official processing is 3 working days, but I tell everyone to allow 5–7. Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays don’t count, so a Friday-night application doesn’t start ticking until Monday. The multiple-entry version is the quiet hero: for $50 you can leave and come back as many times as you want inside the 90 days, which kills most of the old reasons to do a border run. Whenever it’s approved, you download the PDF and print it — Vietnam never emails the visa as a finished document.
One rule above all: apply only on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn. Search results are full of lookalike sites that copy the government layout and charge $60–90 for the same $25 visa, with no speed gain. If a payment page wants more than $50 for a single-entry visa, you’re not on the real site. For exact waits by nationality and what slows approvals down, see our Vietnam e-visa processing times.
Is visa on arrival still worth it in 2026?
For a normal tourist, no. “Visa on arrival” doesn’t mean you turn up and pay at the desk. You still have to buy a pre-approved letter from a licensed agency first — usually $10–30 — then pay a separate stamping fee of $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry, in US-dollar cash, at the airport counter. Bring small bills.
It only works at international airports — Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang and a handful of others — and never at a land border. Since the e-visa opened to all nationalities, visa on arrival has been squeezed into a narrow corner: genuine last-minute travel, emergencies, and some organised tour packages that arrange it for you. The one scenario where it still earns its keep is if you have to fly within a day or two and simply can’t wait out the e-visa processing window. Otherwise you’re paying an agency markup for more hassle, not less. I broke down the full airport reality in Vietnam visa on arrival vs e-visa.
What is a visa run — and do you still need one?
A visa run isn’t a visa at all. It’s the act of physically leaving Vietnam and coming back to refresh your stay — usually a day trip to a land border with Laos or Cambodia, or a quick flight out and back. The key fact people miss: Vietnam never issues a visa on arrival at a land border, so you must already hold a valid e-visa before you cross, and that e-visa has to name the exact gate you’ll use or you can be refused entry.
In 2026, far fewer people need a run than a few years ago. The 90-day multiple-entry e-visa means most travellers can come and go legally without it. A run still makes sense in three cases: your single-entry visa is about to expire, you’re resetting a visa-free stay, or you fancy a Laos or Cambodia trip anyway and want to handle the stamp at the same time. From Da Nang the cheapest run is Lao Bao into Laos — about $37–40 for one long day. I compared all three central and southern crossings in Lao Bao vs Moc Bai vs Ha Tien, and looked at where to base your run separately.
Not sure which one you need?
Best Bus sorts your Vietnam e-visa, extension or visa run end-to-end — and tells you exactly what to print before you fly.
Ask Tanya on Telegram →Do you even need a visa? The 45-day visa-free stamp
Before you pay for anything, check whether you’re exempt. Around 30 nationalities get a free entry stamp on landing — no paperwork, no fee. The 45-day stamp, in force since 15 August 2023, covers the UK, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Nordic countries, Japan and South Korea, and that list is confirmed through 2028. Many other passports get a shorter 14–30 day exemption. You need just two things: a passport valid for at least 6 months and an onward or return ticket.
The old rule that forced you to wait 30 days before re-entering on a fresh visa-free stamp was scrapped years ago, so technically you can leave and come straight back. In practice, border officers do notice obvious back-to-back hops, so don’t build a long stay around it — that’s exactly what the 90-day e-visa is for.
New in 2026: the mandatory digital arrival card (and it’s not a visa)
One genuinely new 2026 step trips people up: a mandatory digital arrival card, completely separate from your visa. It’s rolling out at major airports — Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City from 15 April 2026, Phu Quoc from 1 June 2026, and Noi Bai in Hanoi from 10 June 2026. Holding a valid visa or visa-free stamp does not exempt you from it.
The card is free and takes a couple of minutes to fill in online before you land. It’s not a way to enter the country and it doesn’t replace any visa — it’s an extra form, like the immigration cards other countries use. Do your visa first, then file the arrival card close to your travel date. The official US Embassy notice on the Tan Son Nhat entry change is a useful reference if you want the source.
How to choose the right Vietnam visa option
Five questions settle it, in order of weight:
- How long are you staying? Under 45 days and from an exempt country → the free visa-free stamp is all you need. Longer, or not exempt → e-visa.
- How soon do you fly? A week or more of runway → e-visa, every time. Flying in a day or two and out of options → visa on arrival is the only backup that’s fast enough.
- Are you already in Vietnam with a visa about to run out? That’s a visa run or an extension question, not a new-entry question — don’t confuse the two.
- Are you entering by land? E-visa only, with the correct gate named on it. No visa on arrival exists at land borders.
- Long stay, work or business? That’s the embassy or sponsored route — roughly 3–7 working days and $25–150 depending on type — not the tourist e-visa.
For Da Nang folks who’d rather not juggle the portal and the border logistics, I usually point them at Best Bus — fair price, English-speaking help, and they sort the gate details. But be honest with yourself first: the option you choose matters far more than who books it.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a Vietnam e-visa and visa on arrival?
The e-visa is fully online: you apply at evisa.gov.vn before you fly, pay $25 (single entry) or $50 (multiple entry), and get up to 90 days. Visa on arrival still needs a pre-paid approval letter from an agency, only works at airports, and you pay a stamping fee in US-dollar cash at the desk. For almost everyone in 2026, the e-visa is cheaper and simpler.
Is visa on arrival still available in Vietnam in 2026?
Yes, but it’s largely obsolete for ordinary tourists. Since the e-visa opened to every nationality on 15 August 2023, visa on arrival has been pushed into last-minute, emergency, and organised-tour use. It only works at international airports such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Nha Trang — never at a land border.
How much does a Vietnam e-visa cost — single vs multiple entry?
The official government fee is $25 for a single-entry e-visa and $50 for a multiple-entry e-visa, both valid for up to 90 days. You pay it directly on evisa.gov.vn. If a site asks for $60–90 for a single-entry visa, you’re on a lookalike scam site, not the official portal.
Can I get a Vietnam visa on arrival at a land border?
No. Vietnam never issues a visa on arrival at land borders — only at certain airports. If you’re crossing in by land, for example on a visa run from Laos or Cambodia, you must already hold a valid e-visa, and that e-visa has to name the exact gate you’ll use, or you can be turned back.
Do I still need a visa run if I have a 90-day e-visa?
Usually not. The 90-day multiple-entry e-visa lets you exit and re-enter as often as you like within the window, so most people no longer need to physically leave to stay legal. A visa run mainly makes sense if your single-entry visa is about to expire, you’re resetting a visa-free stay, or you just want a Laos or Cambodia trip anyway.
What is the official Vietnam e-visa website?
The single official portal is evisa.gov.vn. It’s the only place to pay the real $25/$50 government fee. Search results are full of clones that copy the layout and charge two to three times more for the same visa — type the address in directly instead of clicking an ad.
Need a hand with your Vietnam visa or a fresh e-visa?
- Best Bus — danangvisarun.com — book your visa run, e-visa or transfer directly on the site.
- Telegram @learnx1000 — message Tanya for visa, e-visa and visa-run help.
- WhatsApp — write
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