“Your passport must be valid for 6 months to enter Vietnam” — is this true? The answer may surprise many: not every entry case requires 6 months of passport validity. Vietnamese law imposes the 6-month threshold on only one category.
The 6-month rule applies to one category only (Article 20.1.a)
Point a, Clause 1, Article 20 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam (consolidated document 62/VBHN-VPQH) provides: foreigners must have “a passport or international travel document and a visa, except where visa-exempt under this Law. Foreigners entering under unilateral visa exemption must hold a passport valid for at least 06 months.“
So the “at least 06 months” requirement in the LAW applies only to unilateral visa exemption. The old rule requiring a 30-day gap from the previous entry was abolished by Law 51/2019/QH14 (effective 01/7/2020).
Visa and residence-card holders: only a valid passport is needed
Clause 8, Article 9 provides: “The visa validity shall be shorter than the passport or international travel document validity by at least 30 days.” This means that for holders of a visa, temporary residence card or permanent residence card, the law only requires the passport to be “still valid” — no 6-month threshold. The visa-issuing authority simply will not issue a visa longer than (passport validity minus 30 days).
Similarly, Clause 1, Article 38 requires temporary residence cards to be at least 30 days shorter than the passport validity.
More importantly, Article 21 lists the cases of denied entry — and a “passport under 6 months” is not among them for visa holders. Those failing Article 20 conditions are denied entry (Clause 1, Article 21 and Clause 1, Article 22 — decided by the head of the immigration control unit).
Watch out: the airline may refuse you before the border
In practice, many airlines apply internal rules requiring at least 6 months of passport validity before boarding — fearing denied entry at destination and repatriation costs. This is an airline policy, not Vietnamese law. Practical advice: keep your passport valid for at least 6 months even though the law does not require it for visa holders, and check with your airline in advance. (No claim is made about any specific airline’s 6-month policy — these are internal rules varying by carrier and route.)
Related cases to know
- Bilateral visa exemption: the stay duration follows the international treaty to which Vietnam is a party (point b, Clause 1, Article 31);
- 5-year visa-exemption certificate: a special rule applies — its validity is at least 6 months shorter than the passport. This is a special case outside the scope of this topic.
Scope note: this topic covers Article 20 (62/VBHN-VPQH) for foreigners entering Vietnam only; it does not cover rules on Vietnamese citizens exiting the country.
FAQs
My visa is valid but my passport has only 4 months left — can I enter?
Under the law: yes. Article 20.1.a mandates 6 months only for unilateral visa exemption; Article 21 does not list a sub-6-month passport as a ground to deny entry to visa holders. However, the airline may still deny boarding under its internal rules.
Entering visa-exempt with 5 months left on my passport?
Not eligible under Article 20.1.a — the passport must have at least 06 months. Renew before the trip.
Did the old law require a 30-day gap between entries?
Yes, but that rule was abolished by Law 51/2019 (effective 01/7/2020).
Need help with visas, temporary residence or work permits for foreigners in Vietnam? Reach us via the Contact page of FLAT Law Firm.
The information above is for reference only and does not constitute legal advice.
Transparency note: this article was drafted and quality-checked by the AI Legal Council of FLAT Law Firm under its internal process; it has not been reviewed by a human lawyer.