The Vietnamese passport ranks 142nd in the world as of January 2023 according to VisaGuide Passport Index. This means that Vietnamese citizens can travel visa-free to 24 countries in the world. However, to enter the remaining countries, Vietnamese passport holders must apply for a visa beforehand.
Where Can Vietnamese Passport Holders Travel Without a Visa?
As of January 2023, Vietnamese passport holders can travel visa free to 24 countries and territories:
- Barbados
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Chile
- Cook Islands
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Haiti
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Micronesia
- Myanmar
- Niue
- Oman
- Panama
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Taiwan
- Thailand
For visa-free travels, you still must have a valid passport — usually six months after your departure date— and you must purchase travel health insurance as required by your destination country.
What Countries Issue eVisa to Vietnamese Citizens?
The following 23 countries issue eVisas for Vietnamese passport holders:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Benin
- Colombia
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Georgia
- India
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Moldova
- Montserrat
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Suriname
- Türkiye
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Zimbabwe
The process of getting an eVisa is more or less the same as applying for a traditional visa. However, in this case, you don’t have to visit a visa application center— you can submit your application online, including the visa payment.
After your application is approved, you will receive an email confirming your visa status along with a document you must print out and bring with you when crossing the border. Your visa will be registered online, but some officers may ask you for a physical copy of the permit; that is why it’s important to keep the copy on your person while traveling.
What Countries Issue Visa on Arrival to Vietnamese Passport Holders?
If you are a Vietnamese citizen, you can get a visa on arrival for the 31 countries listed below:
- Bolivia
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Comoros
- Guinea-Bissau
- Iran
- Kuwait
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Palau
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Saint Lucia
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Zambia
You receive a visa on arrival (VOA) after entering the country that issues such a visa. Usually, there is a separate section at the airport where you can submit your application for your visa on arrival.
Countries With Visa Requirements for Vietnamese Citizens
You need a valid visa to enter the following 148 countries with a Vietnamese passport:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Caribbean Netherlands
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Republic of the Congo
- Costa Rica
- Ivory Coast
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French West Indies
- Germany
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Mali
- Malta
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Norway
- Palestine
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Réunion
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Saint Helena
- Saint Martin
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Gambia
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States Virgin Islands
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Eswatini
The application for a visa goes as follows:
- Make an appointment at the visa center in Vietnam. You must contact a local visa application center in your home country and make an appointment to submit your application. It may take several months to schedule a meeting with the embassy or consulate.
- Get your documents ready. To submit a successful application, you have to prepare the required documents for your visa, i.e., passport, application form, health insurance, etc. Some of your documents must be verified with an apostille stamp or certified by a foreign office.
- Submit your application. Finally, you can submit your application and attend the visa interview—you may also be required to submit your biometrics. Once you translate your documents as required by the embassy or consulate and verify them with an apostille stamp— if possible, then you can submit your application. From then it will take several weeks until a decision is made regarding your visa application.
Please note that if you have a valid visa that allows you to enter more than one country, you don’t have to apply for a new visa.
What Documents Do Vietnamese Citizens Need to Apply for a Visa?
Vietnamese citizens that want to visit countries that require them to apply for a visa beforehand need to submit a few documents. Depending on the country you want to visit, document requirements may vary. However, most countries will certainly require the following:
- Your valid Vietnamese passport (plus a photocopy). Some countries require the passport to be valid for more than six months after the day you plan on departing their country.
- A filled visa application form.
- Passport pictures that are not older than six months.
- Travel health insurance that covers your entire period of stay.
- Proof of paid visa fee.
- Detailed travel itinerary that shows all the places you want to visit.
- Letter of invitation (if applicable)
- Proof of booked return ticket for the flight home.
- Proof of booked accommodation.
- Proof that you have sufficient funds to cover your visit
- Civil status documents (marriage papers, certificates of birth, etc.)
Important: Please note that your visa will most likely be rejected if you have a previous criminal history.
Can Vietnamese Citizens Visit ASEAN Countries Without a Visa?
Yes, Vietnamese citizens can enter other ASEAN countries without a visa for stays up to 14 days or even more depending on the country — since Vietnam is a part of the ASEAN agreement. The ASEAN treaty includes several Southeast Asian countries joined together for an economic agreement. Additionally, member countries enjoy the benefit of entering visa-free to other member countries.
Where Can I Enter Visa-Free With an APEC Card?
If you have an APEC business card from Vietnam, you can enter the following countries visa-free:
- Australia
- Brunei
- Chile
- Hong Kong
- Indonesia
- Japan
- South Korea
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Peru
- Philippines
- Russia
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Taiwan
The APEC Business Travel Card is a travel document that is issued to countries that belong to the APEC agreement. This is an economic arrangement between several countries (participating economies) to make business deals and travel easier. Holders of an ABTC enjoy many benefits that include:
- Visa-free entry to the participating economies.
- Taking on lawful business deals in participating economies.
- An accelerated border crossing process when traveling between member countries.
- An accelerated visa appointment for transitional countries (e.g. the US).
Other Countries
- Countries you can visit visa free with a Cambodian passport.
- Countries you can visit visa free with a Chinese passport.
- Countries you can visit visa free with a Laotian passport.