Vietnam entry requirements for Australian passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Visa (Smartraveller): Read the official visa text below
Passport validity (Smartraveller): Read the official text below
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – Vietnam travel advice, section “Travel” · page updated 24 September 2026, still current at 18 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
Whether Australians need a visa for Vietnam and how long an Australian passport must be valid, as published by Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service, quoted word for word with the date of the official page.
Other passports: British passport · Canadian passport
Driving in Vietnam, do you need an international driving permit? Australian licence · UK licence · Canadian licence
Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The first official sentence does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Visas and border measures”:
Each country or territory decides its own entry and exit rules, including health border screening measures. To find out what you need to enter a destination, ask their embassy, consulate or immigration office.
Visas
To enter Vietnam, you must have either a:
- visa
- visa exemption certificate
Australian passport holders can't get a visa on arrival.
Learn more about visa requirements.
You can now apply for an eVisa for tourism or business purposes. It allows eligible travellers to stay up to 90 days in Vietnam if granted. The eVisa is valid for single or multiple entries.
You can complete the visa application form online. As there have been reports of difficulties in accessing eVisas during airport check-in, once granted, you should consider printing a hard copy of the visa approval document.
Check your details - once when lodging your visa and again when you receive your visa.
- When applying for a visa, make sure you enter your details correctly. The visa details must match exactly the information on your passport's biodata page, such as your full name and date of birth.
- When you're issued a visa, check again that all your visa details are correct, match the information in your passport, that your full name is listed, and that there are no spelling or other errors.
- On arrival, your passport will be stamped with the date that indicates when you must exit Vietnam. You must check that the visa expiration date written on your passport is correct before leaving immigration/border control, as this date may vary from what is shown on your visa. You could be charged a fine for overstaying if the expiry date is incorrect.
If there are any errors or name omissions, you may be charged a significant fee at check-in or on arrival to correct the visa error, not be able to board your flight, refused entry and deported.
For stays longer than 90 days, contact the nearest embassy or consulate of Vietnam.
If your visa expires or is no longer valid, you may be detained and/or fined when leaving.
The Australian Government can't sponsor your visa application or extension.
Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice.
Visa scams
Travellers have been scammed by private online visa services and travel agents.
Only apply for your visa through the Government of Vietnam’s official website or offices.
Vietnamese spouse or parent visas
If your spouse or parent is a Vietnamese national, you can apply for a visa exemption certificate.
Changes to visa status and visa extensions
You can't change the status of your entry visa to any other visa type in Vietnam. For example, you can't change a tourist or a spouse visa to a working visa.
Vietnam doesn't issue automatic visa extensions. If your visa has expired, contact the Vietnamese immigration authorities to make arrangements to exit. Visa extensions are only possible before your visa expiry date.
To get a visa extension from the Vietnamese immigration authorities, your passport must have at least 6 months validity left at the time of application.
Border measures
If you enter Vietnam via international airports, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Phu Quoc, you're encouraged by the Vietnamese Government to complete a Digital Pre-Arrival Form online within 72 hours of arrival. The pre-arrival registration system is expected to be expanded to other international airports and land border crossings across Vietnam in the future. However, the timeline for this rollout hasn't yet been confirmed.
From 1 July, if you travel to or transit through Vietnam, you may be required to complete a health declaration, which may include providing proof of vaccinations. Check official guidance from Vietnamese authorities for instructions on how to complete the declaration, as details of the process have yet to be announced.
Visa, travel and entry requirements may change rapidly. Contact your nearest Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate for details on entry and exit requirements.
Also in the official “Travel” section:
Other formalities
Import and export of prescription medication
If you're travelling with prescription medication, check the value and quantity restrictions on the import and export of prescription medication. Make sure you have enough medication for your trip.
More information:
Medication and medical equipment
Register place of residence
All foreigners must register their place of residence with the local police within 24 hours of arrival.
The Australian embassy and consulate can't provide translation services to help with registration.
If you stay at a hotel, check that you'll be registered as part of the normal check-in process. They'll need your passport details.
Many hotels ask foreigners to leave their passport with hotel staff for registration purposes. It isn't a legal requirement for hotels to keep your passport for the time you stay there.
If you stay with family, friends or in another private residence, you need to register at the local police station. Use a translator if needed.
Local hosts need to pre-register foreign guests. If you stay in a private residence, make sure your host has followed this legal requirement.
When you check-in at hotels, or register with local police if you stay in non-commercial accommodation, make sure you use the passport you used to enter Vietnam. If you're a resident in Vietnam, you must carry both your passport and residence document, such as a Temporary Residence Card.
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – Vietnam travel advice, section “Visas and border measures” · page updated 24 September 2026, still current at 18 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
How long must my Australian passport be valid for Vietnam?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The official sentence does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Passport”:
Validity
Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months before entering or departing. This includes for transit.
If your passport expires too soon, you might not be able to travel.
The Australian Government doesn’t make these rules. Check your passport’s expiry date before you go. If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to get a new passport.
The same section also has Smartraveller's general notes (“Lost and stolen passport”, “Passport with 'X' gender identifier”), the same on every destination page: read them on the official page.
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – Vietnam travel advice, section “Passport” · page updated 24 September 2026, still current at 18 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
For Australian passport holders. These rules are published by Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), for Australian citizens. Before You Fly is an independent site: it is not an Australian Government site and is not endorsed by DFAT. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice. British passport? See the UK (FCDO) rules.
Read the full official travel advice for Vietnam (safety, health, local laws) before you travel.
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