UAE residents can get a Vietnam visa in two ways: a single or multiple-entry e-Visa valid for 90 days, applied for online at the official Vietnam e-Visa portal for USD 25; or a Visa on Arrival, which requires a pre-approved letter arranged through a licensed agency before travel, then a stamp collected at a Vietnamese international airport. UAE passport holders do not currently receive visa-free access to Vietnam.
UAE residents can get a Vietnam visa through two main routes: the Vietnam e-Visa, applied for online before departure, or the Visa on Arrival (VOA), which requires pre-arrangement and is only available at international airports. The e-Visa is the simpler, more affordable option for most travellers from the UAE, costing USD 25 for either a single or multiple-entry visa valid for 90 days. Both options are open to travellers regardless of their passport nationality, provided their country is eligible.
The Vietnam e-Visa is an official electronic visa issued by the Vietnamese Immigration Department. It is valid for up to 90 days and covers both single and multiple entries. As of 2023, Vietnam expanded its e-Visa programme to cover nationals from all countries, which means virtually every UAE resident, regardless of passport nationality, can apply.
The e-Visa allows entry through over 13 international airports, 16 land border gates, and 13 sea border gates in Vietnam. If you are flying into Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, or Phu Quoc, the e-Visa is accepted without any issue.
Key facts about the Vietnam e-Visa:
You do not need to visit an embassy or consulate to apply. The entire process is online, and the approved visa is sent to your email as a PDF to print or save on your phone.
The application process takes around 20 minutes and requires a few standard documents. Here is the step-by-step process:
Before starting your application, have the following ready:
Visit the official Vietnam e-Visa portal and fill in your personal details exactly as they appear in your passport. Select your entry point, visa type (single or multiple entry), and your travel dates. Upload your photo and passport scan.
Pay USD 25 by card. After payment, you receive a reference code to track your application. Processing takes around 3 business days.
Once approved, download the e-Visa PDF from the portal using your reference code. Print a copy to present at immigration, or save it digitally. The visa number on the document is what the immigration officer verifies on arrival.
The Vietnam e-Visa application form asks for your intended entry and exit dates and your entry point, but it does not require you to upload a confirmed, paid flight ticket as a mandatory document. That said, having a confirmed itinerary ready before you apply is sensible, as the dates you enter on the form become the parameters of your issued visa.
Where a flight reservation becomes practically important is at the airport check-in counter in the UAE. Airlines flying to Vietnam are required under their carrier liability obligations to ensure you hold valid onward travel documents. If you have not yet booked a return ticket, the check-in agent may ask for proof of onward travel before boarding you.
For travellers who have not finalised their return dates or who plan a multi-country itinerary, a verified flight reservation from Dummy Ticket 365 is a practical solution. Starting from USD 13, Dummy Ticket 365 issues a genuine flight reservation with a valid PNR code in standard airline booking format, delivered to your inbox within minutes. The reservation is not a paid ticket and cannot be used for boarding, but it satisfies the proof-of-onward-travel requirement at check-in and can be used to complete visa applications where an itinerary is needed. Dummy Ticket 365 also issues verified hotel reservations accepted as proof of accommodation, which is useful if you need to show where you plan to stay.
The Visa on Arrival (VOA) is a stamp visa collected at one of Vietnam's international airports on arrival, but it is not truly issued on the spot. You must obtain a pre-approval letter before you travel, and without it, you cannot get the VOA stamp. This is the key difference from a true visa-on-arrival that some countries offer.
The process works like this:
The VOA is only available at these international airports: Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), and Phu Quoc. It is not available at land or sea borders.
For most UAE residents, the e-Visa is the better choice. Here is a direct comparison:
The VOA made more sense before Vietnam expanded its e-Visa programme. Now that e-Visas are available to all nationalities and cover multiple entries for 90 days at USD 25, the VOA offers no meaningful advantage for travellers departing from the UAE.
Whether you apply for an e-Visa or a VOA, the document requirements are similar. Here is what you need:
Your UAE visa or residence permit is not required as part of the Vietnam e-Visa application, but immigration officers at Vietnamese airports may ask about your residency status on entry as a standard check.
Vietnam does not make travel insurance a mandatory visa requirement the way Schengen countries do, but travelling without cover is a significant financial risk. Healthcare costs for foreign visitors in Vietnamese private hospitals can be substantial, and public hospitals outside major cities have limited English-speaking staff and medical resources.
Medical emergencies, flight cancellations, lost baggage, and trip disruptions are all real possibilities, and none of them are cheap to resolve out of pocket. A comprehensive travel insurance policy protects you against all of these scenarios for a fraction of the cost.
Travl offers travel insurance for UAE residents issued by AXA, with plans starting from AED 30. The single trip insurance plan is well-suited to a Vietnam holiday, covering emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, repatriation, and trip cancellation under one policy. If you travel internationally several times a year, the annual multi-trip plan from AED 245 covers unlimited trips on a 12-month basis and works out significantly cheaper per trip.
For comprehensive worldwide protection including higher medical limits, the international travel insurance plan offers EUR 80,000+ medical coverage, plus baggage loss and flight delay benefits, starting from AED 70.
Here is a clear cost breakdown for both visa options:
In AED terms, USD 25 is approximately AED 92 at standard exchange rates, though the exact amount varies. The e-Visa is clearly the more cost-effective option, particularly for multiple-entry travel.
The Vietnam e-Visa takes 3 business days to process from submission. Applications submitted on weekdays are generally processed within this window. There is no official expedited processing available through the government portal, so apply at least 5 to 7 days before your travel date to allow for any minor delays or document corrections.
Visa on Arrival approval letters also take 2 to 4 business days through most agencies. Some agencies advertise same-day or next-day processing for an additional fee, but this is not guaranteed.
If your Vietnam trip falls close to a Vietnamese public holiday, build in extra time, as the Immigration Department may operate on reduced capacity during these periods.
Yes. Vietnam's e-Visa programme is open to all nationalities, including Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, British, and other passport holders residing in the UAE. Your nationality determines your eligibility for any visa-free arrangements, but for the paid e-Visa, there are no nationality restrictions.
Indian passport holders, for example, are not eligible for visa-free access to Vietnam, but can obtain the e-Visa for USD 25 with no additional complications. The same applies to Pakistani and Filipino passport holders.
British passport holders residing in the UAE do receive 30 days of visa-free access to Vietnam under the existing bilateral arrangement, but this applies to tourist stays of up to 30 days only. For longer stays or multiple-entry travel, the e-Visa is still the right choice.
These are the most frequent errors that lead to delays or entry problems:
Vietnam e-Visa rejections are uncommon but do happen. The most frequent reasons include mismatched information between the application and the passport, poor quality document scans, or incomplete forms. If your application is rejected, the USD 25 fee is non-refundable, but you can reapply immediately after correcting the issue.
If you are rejected and cannot identify why, apply through the VOA route via a licensed agency, as they can communicate directly with the Vietnamese Immigration Department to resolve the issue. For general questions about visa documentation and requirements, the Travl FAQ page covers common document queries for UAE travellers.
Beyond the visa, here is a short checklist of things to sort before departure:
For tips on avoiding common pitfalls with visa applications from the UAE, the article on Schengen visa rejection reasons offers broadly applicable advice on document preparation that translates well to other visa processes. If you are also planning a Europe trip, the Schengen visa documents checklist for UAE residents is a useful companion resource.
If you need proof of onward travel for your airline check-in or want to show a flight itinerary alongside your visa application, get a verified flight reservation from Dummy Ticket 365 starting from USD 13, delivered to your inbox in minutes with a valid PNR code. Dummy Ticket 365 also issues verified hotel reservations accepted as proof of accommodation at immigration. For full trip protection, cover your Vietnam journey with single trip travel insurance from Travl, issued by AXA and starting from AED 30, covering medical emergencies, hospitalisation, repatriation, and trip cancellation.
