Transiting through Vietnam is tricky if you don’t have a visa. But it’s possible. Here’s how to do it.
Obtaining a visa in advance is not necessary if you arriving into Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang. You will, however, need to obtain an approval letter in advance to purchase a visa on arrival. I recommend Vietnam Visa to obtain one. You can also obtain a e-visa directly from the government for a bit cheaper.
But a visa is not necessary at all if you satisfy each of the following five guidelines:
- You must be transiting to a third country within 24 hours (for example, from Bangkok to Hanoi to Singapore – you cannot “transit” back to the country you started in, like Bangkok to Hanoi to Phuket)
- You must have a valid onward ticket
- You cannot leave the international transit area of the airport
- You must have a valid entry document to your final destination
- You must be traveling on a full-service airline (low-cost carriers like Vietjet and Jet Star will not transport you without a visa, even if you are quickly connecting to a third country)
Note, in particular, the last point. I nearly got burned recently because I was not aware that Vietjet and Jet Star automatically deny boarding to passengers without visas. I had booked a Vietjet ticket from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City and a connecting flight to Doha on Qatar Airways. Even though my layover was just three hours and I had no intention of leaving the airport, I was denied boarding in Bangkok.
> Read More: How I Nearly Ruined My Qatar QSuite Trip
Thankfully, I was able to buy a ticket on Vietnam Airlines leaving around the same time and successfully transit without a visa. I only had to present a copy of my onward itinerary (including confirmation code and ticket number).
One you arrive in Vietnam, simply follow the transit signs. In Ho Chi Minh City, the signs take you to a central immigration hall where you can collect your boarding pass for your connecting flight then re-clear security and proceed upstairs to the departure gates.
If you have arranged a visa on arrival, the visa desk is also in the same area.
CONCLUSION
Obtaining a visa isn’t a huge pain and will only set most passport holders back $35. But understand that it is often not necessary if you are just connecting. As long as you meet the five criterion above, you’ll have no trouble transiting without a visa in Vietnam.
Actually the Vietnam eVisa costs $25 plus ~$1 service charge to pay with a credit card if going through the official Vietnamese government website (linked from US State Dept website). It takes about three days to get your eVisa and takes 15-20 minutes to complete online. Also, no Visa is required if you are only going to the beach resort of Phu Quoc.
Approval letter for visa on arrival is now the 2nd best option.
You can get an e-visa direct from the Vietnamese Gov’t, save money, avoid an unnecessary line. Apply direct here:
https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt
$25 + 0.96 cents processing fee versus VOA which is $25 + whatever the vendor charges. Plus, you don’t get an approval letter with yours and other people’s info.
@The Flight Deal + Bob — I’ve included a link to the e-visa service as well. What I don’t like about that is you don’t get the full visa sticker, just a detachable endorsement in your passport.
Hello Matthew,
Thank you for this useful post on transiting in Vietnam.
I want to make sure I understood: I am landing in SGN transiting to Cambodia with Vietnam Airlines ( won’t leave the airport of course) to spend a few days there and will continue to Da Nang afterwards. A single entry vietnamese visa instead of multiple entry one will be sufficient right? (in addition to Cambodian Visa of course). since I am entering Vietnam once. I will obtain the visas before arriving in Vietnam.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
Hi Sophie, you are correct: a single-entry visa will be sufficient for Vietnam. Enjoy your trip!
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for the post.
I have 12 hour connection, everything is according to the rules, but I have checked luggage…
Can I still avoid need for a visa? Any air side hotel?
Thank a lot!
Hi Elad, is your bag checked through? No airside hotel. I would not stay in the terminal — head into Saigon and try the Park Hyatt!
Hello
I want to make sure I understood: I have long land over in Hanoi airport due to the transiting to Laos Vientiane with Vietnamese Airlines,
I have too 17 hours and 12 hours when return , Can i still avoid Vise to stay in Airport hotel
or i have too have Vietnamese Visa?
please kindly reply
Thanks you
Nancy
You can avoid the visa, but I would not bother. With layovers that long just pay the double entry visa price and get a nicer hotel in the city.
I recently flew from Brazil to Vietnam on Qatar. I had purchased the Vietnam e-visa via the Official Vietnam Government website for $25 and had the Home printed visa document. Qatar checked my visa meticulously at checkin before issuing my boarding pass. While waiting in the Business Class lounge I was paged, went to the front desk and was told to bring my visa for further inspection by Qatar staff at the gate. In the end everything was fine with the visa. I’m sure it was only due to the fact that I was traveling on a US passport from Brazil (with the appropriate Brazil visa) and Qatar wanted to make sure the documents were correct and not get stuck transporting me back to Brazil or to the US at their expense if I was refused entry to Vietnam. Note I was staying in Vietnam and not transiting.
Your suggestion that people save $25 by transiting without a visa seems a bit short sighted. How much extra did it cost you when you were refused boarding by Viet Jet and had to make a last minute ticket purchase on Vietnam Airlines? I suspect it was more than $25.
Just buy the visa, it’s easy. Vietnam needs the revenue. You’ll save yourself a bunch of heartache and real money if things somehow go wrong with your scheme to save $25. Just because something is “possible” doesn’t make it a smart idea for the average traveler.
thanks a lot!
I’m guessing this strategy may not work if you have checked luggage to collect, right? I’m arriving doh-sgn and have 4 hour layover to connect to Air Asia sgn-dmk. Anyone have advice? Or I guess I’ll have to enter Vietnam to collect my luggage and then go right to departures level?
Hi Nicky,
I have a similar problem to you. How did you go transiting? Did you have to collect your baggage, go through immigration and then have to re-checkin?
Hey there,
I’m wondering the same. Did you gain any insight into this?
Thanks!
Are Macau and Hong Kong considered third countries? Or part of one China? I was planning to arrive from Macau on aur Macau and depart to Hong Kong on Cathay Dragon
Thanks for sharing informative information. If required eVisa is indeed the cheapest, otherwise it’s VOA. Official Vietnam Visa provides simplest solution to process your Vietnam visa, Vietnam eVisa, Vietnam visa on arrival Apply vietnam visa in 5 minutes. https://www.officialvietnamvisa.com/
Could I ask a question? I am UK citizen arriving into Vietnam from UK on 13th April, departing to Cambodia on 24th and then coming back from Cambodia via Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines to UK on single ticket. UK citizens do now not need a visa for stays of 15 days, but would we need one to cover Siem Reap – Hanoi – London leg of trip?
Hi Lee, a visa will not be necessary.
I’m flying to Hanoi and wonder if I can fly low-cost carriers out of the country without visa? Thanks!
No. Visa needed.
And CX won’t give me any trouble as long as I have the out going ticket right? Thank you very much!
sorry I mean if I don’t fly to Hanoi and just leave from Hkg
Hello Matthew,
I’m going from Poland to Vietnam with Aeroflot (russian airlines) and then I’m changing the plane for Vietnam Airlines to Laos. I will be about 2 hours at the Hanoi airport. Should I apply for a visa? I will take just a hand luggage and probably I’m gonna try to do a check in online for the next flight.
Waiting for the answer,
Greetings from Poland,
Lucas.
To be safe, I would apply for a visa.
Hi Mathew,
I just got the tickets for my wife who is traveling from Sydney to Taiwan by Vietnam Airlines. There is a short transit of less than 4 hours but the terminal arriving to Ho Chi Minh City is T1 and departing to Taiwan is T2. Not sure if she may need a visa as the terminal is different.
No transit visa needed if both flights are on Vietnam Airlines.
Hi Matthew,
I am flying to Ho Chi Minh on Friday and staying in Vietnam for 7 days. We then depart to Siem Reap in Cambodia for and then fly back to London via Hanoi 5 days later (connection time of around 3 hours.) Am I right in thinking we will not need a visa?
Many thanks!
Hi Anna, you will need a visa. Which passport do you have?
Hi Matthew,
I’m flying in from Singapore via Vietnam Airlines with a layover in HCM of about 4 hours and then I depart via Korean Air back to the US. Would I be able to check-in for my Korean Air flight via the transfer counter, thereby bypassing the need of a visa to go through immigration to check-in streetside?
Thanks!
Hi John, you would. No need for a visa in your case. Safe travels!
Thanks Matthew! One final question, I would be able to get an actual physical boarding pass from Korean Air at the transfer counter correct? As I won’t have a boarding pass otherwise to board my flight. This is my first time traveling to a country with visa requirements so I want to be certain. Thanks again!
Hi Matthew my son is flying with Vietjet Air from Cambodia to Hanoi and then back to the UK on Emirates.
Will he need a visa?
Thanks for your help.
I strongly recommend he obtains a visa.
Hi John
We are flying from Bangkok go Sydney and transiting in Vietnam for 4 hours
We have checked in luggage that we will need to collect in Vietnam. Will we need a visa in this case?
Hoping you can answer one more question.
I have a flight landing at SGN at 5:50AM on JAL and would like to transfer quickly to a flight to Phnom Penh. There’s an 8:30AM flight on Cambodia Angkor Air to PNH. These flights will not be on the same ticket. I will have carry-on luggage (no checked luggage) coming from JAL though CAA may force me to check a bag.
Would 2 hours and 40 minutes be enough to transfer between these flights?? What is the transfer procedure for an international transfer such as this? According to their website, CAA has a transfer counter at SGN. As I see it, I would just need to go to the CAA transfer desk and not need to go through immigration. Am I correct? Many thanks!
More than enough time. Enjoy your trip!
Hi,
I have a flight landing in SGN on Dec 10th at 11;00am on China Airlines and transferring to fly to Bangkok at 5pm on Vietjet the same day. Then Flying back to SGN on Vietjet Dec 17th. Will I be okay with a single entry E-visa or should I get a multi entry?
Thanks
I strongly recommend double-entry visa.
Hi Matthew,
We are flying to Ho CHi Minh City from Chicago. Our luggage is only checked upto Ho CHi Minh city. We then have a few hours to catch our Cambodia Angkor Air flight to Siem Reap. We already have our Cambodia e-visas.
Do we need a vietnam visa? multiple entry visa? or ? if we need to collect our checked bags after customs and then proceed to re check in for our flight to Cambodia? We then fly back to Ho Chi Minh city and repeat process for our flight back to chicago. ..been getting conflicting info. on this.
Thanks.
You should be able to transit without visa, but I underscore should. How are you getting from ORD to SGN? Where is your connection?
Cambodia Angkor air says we need a visa? ORD to SGN is by Qatar Airways. So, it looks I need 2 single entry visas per person when going roundtrip from SGN to Siem Reap, right?
Hello Matthew,
I will be doing a turn from Tokyo-Narita to Hanoi back to Tokyo-Narita for a review flight of JAL. I will be on the same plane both directions with on the ground time of 90 mins. This is booked on 2 separate JAL tickets. Should I apply for the visa ?
Many thanks
Thomas
Yes, for sure. Because under transit rules you are technically not “transiting” if you are returning to the same country you started in (Japan).
Hello Matthew,
I am travelling tomorrow to India from Taiwan with vietjet airlines. My connecting flight is at Hanoi with 5hrs lay-off. Do I need transit visa? Please let me know
My understanding is that you will 100% need one.
I have a flight to catch for San Francisco from Kolkata, India via Vietnam & Hong Kong within 7 hours. I have a lay-over at Ho Chi Minh City for 9 hours but I just realized I will have to check-out & check-in my luggage there. I dont have any transit visa. I have applied for Super-urgent visa & waiting for approval letter. But hasn’t received anything yet, will I be allowed to board from Kolkata on the flight?
Will I get a transit visa on arrival as I have 9 hours to do everything there?
Unlikely you will be allowed to board without it being approved. Please let me know here if they let you board without a transit visa and if they do, what happened on the ground in SGN.
Hello Matthew,
I am traveling from Sihanoukville (Cambodia) to Ho chi Minh just to take my flight home. I am a Greek citizen. I am flying with Cambodia Angkor air and the return ticket is with Scoot airline. I will be in Ho Chi Minh airport only for three hours and I have only a handbag. Do I need a visa for this? I have my return ticket, I won t leave the transit area and I don t need to collect luggage.
Thanks!
Are you able to check-in online for your Scoot flight?
They don t have a web check in for flights leaving Vietnam but I think it s worth trying to communicate with them to send me via mail my boarding pass a few hours before my flight. If they can do that, would I be ok?
Hi Matthew, I have a flight from Hong Kong to Laos, transiting through Hanoi, Vietnam, the transit time is 17 hours and I only have my hand luggage with me. Both flights are from Vietnam Airline, first one landindg at 3:45 pm on Feb 2nd and the next one on Feb 3rd at 9am.
Should I apply for a visa, I intend staying in the airport all the time.
You won’t need a visa if you intend to stay in the airport, but I’d spend the little extra money to enjoy some time in Ho Chi Minh City. The airport doesn’t look all that comfortable to spend the night in.
Hi Matthew,
I have a flight to vietnam on the 2nd of February. My layover is in Istanbul. Will I have any complications entering vietnam? I heard that in order to enter vietnam. I need to be arriving from countries that are on the approve list?
Please advise.
Lam
Hi Matthew,
We are traveling to hi chi minh and staying for a week, then traveling to Cambodia. We were going to get single entry visa’s for both countries. On our way back to Canada we have a 12 hour layover in Ho chi minh. Do we need a multiple entry visa or is there a hotel by the airport that us in the “in transit” zone.
When I looked on the vietnam gov site it looked like you cannot get a multiple entry visa right now?? Not sure if that is right?
Thanks for your help
That’s odd – you should be able to get a double entry visa. Where are you seeing that only single entry visas are being given?
> That’s odd – you should be able to get a double entry visa.
All tourists can get right now are single entry E-Visas. Pre-approved visa letters aka VOA never came back when Vietnam reopened.
Hey Matthew, I am traveling from India to Indonesia with Vietjet air(both flights) and 4 hour layover at Hanoi. I need to transit from terminal 1 to terminal 2. Will I need a visa for this and will I have to take my baggage and check it in again.
My understanding is that you do require a visa to make a termianl change.
Hi Mathew, I am travelling from Japan to India. I have two tickets with different PNR. First ticket is from Narita (Japan) to Hanoi and on the same day (after 5 hours wait) second flight is from Hanoi to Delhi (India). As I understood since my tickets have different PNR, it means I have to go for VISA and therefore I have taken the eVISA through Vietnam government site (soft copy received on email). Could you please help to know if anything else I need to do in advance or at airport? Thank you in advance.
I would get a visa just to be safe, but theoretically you don’t need one unless you are traveling on a budget carrier. Are you flying on Vietnam Airlines on both segments? (or JAL or ANA?) If traveling on VietJet, you will need a visa.
Hi Mathew, Thank you for the reply. My both flights are with VietJet. I have already taken the eVISA (soft copy received on email) from Vietnam Government site (https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu). Would like to know if I have to do anything else…Like at Narita airport or Hanoi airport.
No, as long as you meet the entry requirements for Vietnam and New Delhi, you should be just fine.
Ok, Thank you.
Hi Mathew, just want to confirm that I have taken Tourist eVISA . Hope that will be ok for transition.
Hi Mathew, please help to confirm on below point ” just want to confirm that I have taken Tourist eVISA . Hope that will be ok for transition.”
Yes, tourist visa will be fine for the transit. You’ll get a big sticker that will take up a full page of your passport, but it will do the trick.
Thank you so much Mathhew.God bless you…
Hi matthew – just a question – we are flying from Bali to Hanoi on vietjet with connecting flight in hanoi (2 hours later) to Narita in Japan – JAL is not letting me do online check in and I dont have visa for tomorrow (our vietnam visa expired today) – is there a place in the transit area where i can get my boarding pass for my JAl flight
Theoretically yes, but I don’t think VietJet will let you board. Let me know what happens.
Wow, Matthew–you can see how valuable your original post was since you continue to get comments for 5 years. I’m not sure my situation was answered in the comments (most seem to be connecting FROM Vietjet vs. TO Vietjet).
Here is my situation:
*I’m flying from SFO to SGN on Vietnam Airlines, then connecting to Vietjet to Bali (DPS).
*We have checked bags and these are separate PNRs.
*Four hour layover.
So–I assume we will have to go through immigrations and customs when we land and reboard–is that right? And will we require an eVisa (or even a multiple eVisa if we have to leave the secure area and then reenter)?
I really appreciate any guidance you can provide–as you can tell from your comments, it is really opaque. Fortunately, we have until August to (try t0) sort this out.