No official Vietnamese rule makes border officers stricter with the 45-day visa exemption than with the 90-day e‑visa - neither Resolution 44/NQ-CP, which grants Russians the 45-day exemption since 15.03.2025, nor immigration procedure mentions a stricter check for exemption travelers. What travelers read as extra scrutiny is really a difference in who decides your stay length, and when.
Who Actually Writes Your Stay Length?
On the visa exemption, an immigration officer hand-writes your permitted days on the stamp at the counter, and forum reports describe cases of officers granting 42 days instead of the full 45 when a traveler didn’t clearly state the length needed. An e‑visa has no such discretion: the 90-day period is already printed on the approved document before you board, so the officer only checks your photo, passport, and QR code against it.
That single difference explains most of the “exemption feels stricter” experience: one entry method decides your days on paper in advance, the other decides them at a counter in the moment.
| Parameter | 45-day exemption | 90-day e‑visa |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets stay length | Officer, by hand, at the stamp | evisa.gov.vn, printed on the visa |
| Day-count discretion | Yes, reports of shortened stamps exist | No, only entry allowed or denied |
| Pre-screening before boarding | None | Yes, 3-5 working days by the Immigration Department |
| Who asks for a return ticket | No one under Vietnamese law | The airline, at check-in |
| Maximum stay | 45 days | Up to 90 days |
| Government fee | Free for listed nationalities | $25 single entry, $50 multiple entry |
| Extension from inside Vietnam | Not available | Not available |
The Digital Arrival Card in 2026
Since 15.04.2026, the Digital Arrival Card at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn has been mandatory, first at Tan Son Nhat airport, then expanded through mid-2026 to Da Nang, Cam Ranh, and the Dong Dang land crossing. As of August 2026, the land border-run crossings used for visa runs - Lao Bao, Moc Bai, Ha Tien, and Prek Chak - are still outside its coverage, and immigration officials have only said they are studying deployment there “in line with actual conditions”, with no date set.
The card applies equally to exemption and e‑visa travelers wherever it’s required - it doesn’t replace either visa, it’s an extra step layered on top at covered checkpoints.
Why the Return Ticket Question Comes From the Airline
Under Article 20 of Law No. 47/2014/QH13, amended by 23/2023/QH15, entry conditions are a valid passport and a visa - for exemption travelers, that means a passport with at least 6 months remaining and at least 30 days since your last exit from Vietnam. Nothing in that article mentions a return ticket or proof of funds.
Airlines ask for a return or onward ticket at check-in because international carrier rules make them financially responsible for flying back any passenger Vietnam denies entry to. That’s an airline cost-control question, not a Vietnamese entry requirement. At land crossings like Lao Bao or Moc Bai this never comes up, because there’s no airline check-in counter to ask.
What an E‑Visa Checks Before You Fly
An e‑visa goes through pre-screening by the Immigration Department over 3-5 working days before you travel, so your application has already been reviewed and approved on paper by the time you board. That’s the real reason border officers rarely question a valid e‑visa - the vetting already happened, days before the counter.
Apply only through evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn. The domain evisagov.vn without a dot before “gov” is a scam clone - never pay or enter passport details there.
Exemption or E‑Visa: How to Decide
If you’re staying under 45 days and deciding last minute, the exemption is simpler and free at the counter. If your trip might run longer, or you’d rather not depend on which officer is working that day, an e‑visa removes that uncertainty with a printed, pre-approved stay length. Check your passport’s remaining validity either way: Vietnamese law won’t issue a visa that ends within 30 days of your passport’s expiry.
Applying yourself on evisa.gov.vn is free, but foreign cards get declined there more often than travelers expect, and a wrong entry point on the form means arguing your case at the actual checkpoint. I’ve been handling Vietnam e‑visa applications for travelers doing land-border visa runs from Da Nang for years, paying the government fee on my own card and matching the entry point on the visa to the real route, so nothing gets flagged at the counter.
If you’d rather skip the portal entirely and just get a working 90-day e‑visa, message me on Telegram with your travel dates and I’ll set up a visa run from Da Nang that lines up with your entry point.