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If you’re from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, or Bahrain, Vietnam does not offer visa-free entry. You’ll need an e-visa before you fly, and getting the details right matters more than most travellers expect: a mismatched passport number or the wrong entry date is the most common reason an application gets delayed. Here’s what actually goes into the process.
Do GCC citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. Vietnam’s visa-exemption list covers a short set of countries, mostly in Southeast Asia and Northern Europe, and the GCC states aren’t on it. Travellers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain need a valid e-visa before departure, regardless of the length of the trip.
The e-visa itself comes in two forms: single-entry, valid for one continuous stay of up to 90 days, and multiple-entry, which lets you leave and re-enter Vietnam as many times as you like within the visa’s validity window. Multiple-entry is worth the extra cost if your trip includes a side trip to Cambodia or Laos and a return to Vietnam afterward; otherwise single-entry covers most private tours.
What the application actually asks for
Every applicant needs three things: a passport valid for the full length of the stay, a scan of the passport’s photo page, and a passport-style portrait photo. Beyond that, the form asks for your nationality, your planned entry date, and which visa type and processing speed you want. If you’re travelling with family, each person needs their own passport photo and portrait, but they can go on a single application if you’re arriving together.
The most common reason an application stalls isn’t a missing document, it’s a detail that doesn’t match: a passport number typed with one digit off, or a name that doesn’t read exactly as it appears on the passport’s machine-readable line. Double-check these before submitting, since corrections after the fact take longer than getting it right the first time.
How much it costs and how long it takes
The Vietnamese government charges a stamping fee on top of whatever service handles your application: $25 for single-entry, $50 for multiple-entry. Processing speed is where most of the cost variation comes from. Standard processing (at least a week) is the cheapest option; if you’re booking closer to your travel date, expedited processing exists all the way down to same-day, at a higher service fee.
Applying at least two to three weeks before you fly gives you the most breathing room and the lowest cost. If your trip came together faster than that, expedited processing exists specifically for that situation, it’s not a workaround, it’s a standard option most services offer.
What arrives in your inbox, and what to bring to the airport
Once an application is approved, you’ll receive a PDF e-visa by email. Print it, or at minimum have it saved somewhere accessible offline, phone battery and airport wifi are not things to rely on at immigration. Bring the physical passport that matches the e-visa, since the two are checked together on arrival.
One detail that catches travellers off guard: Vietnam requires your passport to be valid for the entire length of your intended stay, not just valid on the day you arrive. If your passport is close to expiring, renew it before applying, an e-visa tied to a passport that expires mid-trip won’t get you through immigration on the way out.
Where a concierge service actually helps
None of this is complicated, but it’s exactly the kind of paperwork that’s easy to get slightly wrong when you’re also planning flights, hotels, and an itinerary. This is the part of a Vietnam trip we handle for every traveller we work with: we prepare and file the application, check the details against your passport before submission, and let you know the moment it’s approved, so your visa is settled well before you land.
If you’d rather not manage the application yourself, our visa service walks through the same steps outlined here, with the paperwork handled on your behalf. Questions about a specific situation, dual nationality, a passport renewal in progress, travelling with children on separate passports, are easiest to sort out over WhatsApp before you apply.