“Is visa on arrival still available” has two correct answers depending on which layer of the mechanism the asker means. Separating the two layers keeps companies and passengers from planning on a concept that changed a great deal after the 2023 visa reform.
Layer 1 — Checkpoint issuance for special cases (Article 18)
This is the purely statutory mechanism: foreigners in the clause 1, Article 18 cases (from a country with no Vietnamese mission, a relative’s funeral/serious illness, an international travel company’s tour group, urgent technical/medical support, special cases decided by the Minister of Public Security) are issued a visa right at the international checkpoint on arrival. This mechanism has never been abolished — it is the safety valve for situations that cannot wait for prior approval.
Layer 2 — Checkpoint collection after prior approval (the entry approval letter)
This is the form the market knows as visa on arrival: the visa is still approved in advance by the in-country immigration authority through an organization/individual’s sponsorship (or a travel company for tourists in the earlier period); the only difference from an embassy visa is the sticker location — at the checkpoint when the passenger arrives. Millions entered Vietnam this way in the 2010s. After 15 August 2023, the 90-day e-visa for all nationalities (no sponsor, results online) replaced this channel for most personal demand; the approval-letter channel retains value for company-sponsored files wanting control over the collection checkpoint/timing and for cases where an e-visa does not fit.
Which channel for which need — a quick decision table
- Short personal tourism/business: the e-visa is the default choice (self-applied, 90 days, single/multiple entry);
- A company sponsoring an expert delegation: the entry approval letter via the company’s electronic account, visa collected at the checkpoint as registered — the company keeps control of the file;
- Funerals, medical rescues, urgent technical incidents: the Article 18 checkpoint mechanism, carrying documents proving the urgency;
- Departing from a country with no Vietnamese mission and not using an e-visa: an Article 18 point a case, or obtain prior approval for checkpoint collection.
Mistakes that strand passengers at the airport
- Flying in believing “I will just get the visa on arrival” outside the Article 18 cases and without an approval letter — airlines usually refuse carriage at departure because the passenger has no entry basis;
- The letter names one collection checkpoint while the flight lands at another;
- Not preparing the checkpoint visa fee (cash payment at the visa desk by practice) and correctly sized photos — small details that cost hours in the transit area after a long flight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is visa on arrival still available?
Yes — as a mechanism of the Entry-Exit Law, but no longer the mass channel it was before 2020. Article 18 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam governs visa issuance at international checkpoints for the listed cases (see question 3). Alongside it, the channel the market calls “visa on arrival” — a sponsoring organization/individual obtains prior personnel approval from the immigration authority (the entry approval letter), the passenger flies in and collects the visa at the checkpoint — still operates on the prior-approval mechanism. However, since 15 August 2023 the electronic visa, open to citizens of all countries for 90 days, has absorbed most short tourism/business demand, so visa on arrival today matters mainly for special cases and for company-sponsored files choosing checkpoint collection.
What are the steps to collect a visa at the border?
For the prior-approval channel (the common case): (1) the sponsoring organization/individual in Vietnam submits the entry personnel approval request to the immigration authority (via the electronic account on the Immigration portal for organizations), processed in about 5 working days; (2) the passenger receives the approval letter (entry approval) stating the collection checkpoint and the entry window, and carries a printout when flying; (3) at the checkpoint: present the passport, the letter, the application form and photos at the visa desk, pay the visa issuance fee by visa type (single/multiple entry) and receive the visa sticker in the passport before immigration clearance. The make-or-break detail: the letter names a specific checkpoint and the visa must be collected there; a wrong checkpoint or an expired letter window cannot be fixed on the spot.
Which cases receive a visa directly at the border by law?
Clause 1, Article 18 of the Entry-Exit Law lists: (a) foreigners departing from a country with no Vietnamese diplomatic mission; (b) entering to attend a relative’s funeral or visit a seriously ill relative; (c) entering for sightseeing/tourism under a program organized by an international travel company in Vietnam; (d) entering for urgent technical support, patient rescue, or disaster/epidemic relief; (e) other special cases decided by the Minister of Public Security. These are the cases issued directly at the checkpoint without full prior approval — essentially the visa system’s humanitarian/technical safety valve. Outside these cases, every other need must go through the prior-approval channel (entry approval letter), a visa at a diplomatic mission, or the electronic visa.
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FLAT Law Firm advises FDI companies and foreign employees on work permits, visas and temporary residence cards in Vietnam. Contact us for advice on your specific case.
This content is general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice on a specific case.
