A Vietnam visa can be extended in Hanoi only when a sponsor stands behind it, which covers business (DN), work (LD) and family (TT) visas. The 45-day visa exemption and the e‑visa cannot be extended on the spot, so those travellers leave the country and come back. The state fee is about $10 and processing usually takes 5-7 working days, and you can confirm the details on xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. A tourist visa is sometimes extended through an accredited agency. Check your visa type first, because it settles most of the question.
Can you extend a Vietnam visa in Hanoi or do you have to leave?
Hanoi extends sponsored visas: the three above, plus DT (investor) and DH (study). Tourist DL visas and the e‑visa generally cannot be extended in person. Citizens of the 12 countries on the exemption list, Russia among them, get 45 days per entry through 14 March 2028 under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, and nothing stretches that stay on the spot.
The portal evisa.gov.vn handles new applications only. An e‑visa holder who needs more time exits Vietnam and applies for a fresh e‑visa. From Hanoi that exit fits into one day: the Hanoi visa run page covers the car with pickup at your door to Huu Nghi on the China border or to Na Meo for Laos.
Where does a visa run from Hanoi start?
From Hanoi the land exits lead to China through Huu Nghi and Lao Cai, or into Laos through Tay Trang, and many travellers prefer a short flight to a neighbouring country. A domestic flight does not count: the new entry stamp needs a real international border crossing. With dates running tight I would take the flight, because it gives you a fixed departure time while a land crossing depends on border hours.
On the exemption, each fresh entry restarts the 45 days. Law 51/2019 removed the old 30-day gap between exempt entries, yet the officer at the border still decides every time, and several runs in a row can draw extra questions. Routes, border hours and costs are broken down in the guide to a visa run from Hanoi, Laos versus China.
A traveller on an e‑visa or the exemption has no sponsor, which leaves a visa run, where the classic failure is a wrong entry point on the new e‑visa form, which ends in a refusal at the border. The new e‑visa form is filed ahead of the trip, and the result must be in hand before the border. At BestBus Vietnam I run Hanoi departures on request: ground transport from Hanoi costs about $40 (1,000,000 ₫) and the package with an urgent visa about $165 (4,120,000 ₫).The Hanoi visa run covers the trip to the border and the crossing. The 90-day e‑visa is filed ahead through an expedited channel with the right entry point, so the exit and the new visa fit into one day. Message me on WhatsApp with your city and dates, and I will tell you what fits.
How does an extension work in Hanoi, step by step?
A sponsored extension in Hanoi is a five-step chain that runs from checking the visa category to collecting the passport with a new stamp. The sponsor files the paperwork online, the countdown runs from the expiry date in your passport, and a mistake at any step means filing again.
- Confirm the visa category in your passport and line up a sponsor, such as an employer or a Vietnamese relative.
- Make sure your stay is registered. Hotels do it within 24 hours of arrival, a private landlord has to do it by hand, and an extension can be refused without that record. A rented flat is where this slips, since nobody reminds a landlord, and a refusal then eats the days you had left.
- Check the passport: more than six months must remain and the visa must still be valid.
- Have the sponsor file form NA5 online through dichvucong.bocongan.gov.vn, ideally 5-10 working days before the visa expires.
- Wait for the decision and collect the passport with the new stamp.
How much does a Hanoi visa extension cost in 2026?
The state fee is $10 under Finance Ministry Circular 28/2026, in force since 1 April 2026, and agencies say extensions most often run 30 days, sometimes 15. Agencies add their own charge for preparing the file, so the total ends up well above the fee itself.
Office addresses and opening hours for foreigners in Hanoi differ between sources, so confirm them on xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn before you go.
What happens if your visa expires while you wait?
You pay a fine even for one day: up to 16 days costs roughly $20-80 (500,000-2,000,000 ₫), and 16 to 29 days roughly $200-400 (5,000,000-10,000,000 ₫) under Decree 282/2025, in force since 15 December 2025. The scale keeps climbing and long overstays can end in deportation.
Check the current amounts on xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. The day-by-day scale and what it means for later entries are laid out in the guide to the Vietnam visa overstay fine.
Which route should you pick?
A sponsored visa is extended in Hanoi itself, while the exemption and the e‑visa call for a trip abroad and a fresh entry. Start at least 10 working days before the expiry date so the fine scale never begins, and read the visa category in your passport before building a plan.
| Your situation | Main step | When it is done |
|---|---|---|
| DN, LD or TT visa with a sponsor | Extension through the sponsor | After the department decides |
| 45-day visa exemption | Exit and re-entry | On the day you travel |
| E‑visa | Exit and a new e‑visa | Entry on the day you travel, visa filed ahead |
| Tourist DL visa | Extension through an accredited agency | On the agency’s timeline |
You can file the new e‑visa yourself in an evening. When the exemption ends in a week and you would rather skip the guesswork about the border, the entry point and the fine scale, send me your dates on WhatsApp and I will check what works this week.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a new e‑visa while I am still in Vietnam?
The portal evisa.gov.vn is built for applications made before entry, and sources disagree about filing from inside the country. The safe order is to apply ahead of time and have the result in hand before you reach the border.
Can an agency extend a tourist visa for me?
A tourist visa is sometimes extended through an accredited agency, while the immigration offices usually do not take files from tourists directly. That route does not open for an e‑visa or the exemption, which leaves an exit and a fresh entry.
Which day counts as day one of the 45-day exemption?
The day of entry counts as day one. The last permitted day of stay falls 44 days after the entry date, and you need to be out of the country by then.
What if I cannot pay an overstay fine before my flight?
Decree 59/2026, in force since 1 April 2026, allows immediate deportation when a fine goes unpaid. The decision is served at least 48 hours ahead, and during that time you can contact your embassy.
