British passport holders entering Vietnam in 2026 have one of the most generous entry arrangements in Southeast Asia. A 45-day visa exemption applies to UK travellers arriving for tourism, business, or family visits, with no application required before flying. For longer stays of up to 90 days, Vietnam runs a direct e-Visa portal at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn that costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry. This guide explains who qualifies for visa-free entry, when an e-Visa is genuinely needed, and how to avoid third-party processing fees that triple the official cost. It does not provide regulated immigration advice.
TL;DR - The 60-Second Answer
- British passport holders can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days per visit.- For stays longer than 45 days, the official Vietnam e-Visa costs $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry.
- e-Visa applications are made directly at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, no agent is required.
- Processing typically takes three working days; faster timelines are not offered by the government portal.
- Visa-on-arrival via an approval letter is still available but is generally slower and costlier than the e-Visa.
- Third-party expediter sites often charge £50 to £80 to process what is a $25 government application.
Last reviewed: May 2026 · Sourced from GOV.UK
Vietnam visa exemption for UK passport holders
The headline rule is straightforward. British citizens may enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days per visit. The exemption applies for any standard visit purpose including tourism, business meetings, attending conferences, and visiting family or friends. The passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry and must contain at least one blank visa page.
This 45-day exemption was extended from the previous 15-day allowance in August 2023 as part of Vietnam's tourism recovery programme. It is unilateral, granted by Vietnam without reciprocity from the UK side, which means UK citizens do not need to lodge any application before flying. The exemption resets on each entry, so a traveller who leaves and returns can claim a fresh 45 days, although Vietnamese immigration may question repeated short exits used to extend a visit.
What disqualifies you from the exemption
A small set of travellers cannot use the 45-day visa-free entry. These include applicants with previous overstay violations in Vietnam, travellers entering for paid work regardless of duration, and anyone whose stated activity falls outside the standard visit categories. Journalism, study, and missionary activity each require their own visa class. Holders of emergency travel documents or temporary passports should check with the Vietnam Embassy in London before travel as the exemption typically applies to standard full-validity British passports only.
Documents you may be asked for at the border
Despite no advance paperwork being required, Vietnamese immigration officers can request proof of onward travel, accommodation booking, and adequate funds. A return or onward flight ticket is the most commonly checked document. Travel insurance is not legally required for visa-free entry but the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office strongly advises it. The British government's foreign travel advice for Vietnam covers the current health entry requirements and any temporary changes to the visa-free rule.
When you need a Vietnam e-Visa
The 45-day visa exemption covers most UK leisure travel comfortably. The Vietnam e-Visa becomes the right route in three specific scenarios. First, if the planned stay exceeds 45 days but is shorter than 90 days, the e-Visa fills the gap directly. Second, if the visit involves multiple entries, for example a regional trip to Cambodia or Laos with re-entry to Vietnam, the multiple-entry e-Visa at $50 keeps each entry valid without a fresh exemption clock. Third, if the visitor has any reason to want pre-approved entry documentation in their passport before travel, the e-Visa provides it.
The e-Visa is valid for stays up to 90 days from the date of entry and is issued either as single or multiple entry. It can be used at all international airports in Vietnam and at the major land border crossings with Cambodia, Laos, and China. The visa is electronic and presented on a printout at immigration, though some travellers report that immigration officers prefer to see the e-Visa on a phone screen with the original PDF accessible.
e-Visa versus visa exemption: a practical comparison
For a tourist on a two-week holiday, the visa exemption is the obvious choice. There is no fee, no application, and no documentation requirement beyond a valid passport and onward ticket. For a freelancer planning a six-week working remotely arrangement, the exemption still works because it covers 45 days and remote work for a foreign employer is generally tolerated. For a long-distance partner visit of two months or for digital nomads planning to stay through a multi-month season, the 90-day single-entry e-Visa is the correct route.
How to apply for the Vietnam e-Visa directly
The official Vietnam e-Visa portal is evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, operated by the Vietnam Immigration Department. The application takes around 20 minutes for a first-time user. Required materials are a colour passport photo on white background, a scan of the passport biographical page, the proposed date of entry and exit, and the point of entry and exit (these can be different border crossings). Payment is by credit or debit card. Hotel booking confirmation is not strictly required at application but the applicant must declare an accommodation address in Vietnam.
After submission, the applicant receives a registration code by email. The status of the application can be checked on the portal using this code, the email used, and the applicant's date of birth. When approved, the e-Visa PDF is downloaded from the same portal and should be printed in colour. The PDF includes a QR code that immigration scans on arrival.
Common application errors
The most frequent reasons for an application being rejected or requiring resubmission are passport details entered with typos, photos that fail the format check (incorrect aspect ratio, glasses, smiling, shadows on the background), and inconsistent dates between the planned entry date and the visa validity start date. The portal does not provide a rejection reason, only a denial notice, which is why getting the application right first time matters.
Cost: official fees and third-party markup
The official Vietnam e-Visa fees, payable directly on evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, are $25 for a single-entry e-Visa and $50 for a multiple-entry e-Visa. Both prices are in US dollars and the card payment is converted to sterling by the applicant's bank at the prevailing rate. There is no separate processing fee on the government portal.
A long-running and visible practice among third-party visa websites involves charging UK applicants £50 to £80 to lodge what is the same $25 government application. The third-party site collects the applicant's details, lodges them through the same official portal, and pockets the difference. Where the applicant is confident with the official portal and reads English, there is no service offered by the third party that the government does not already provide. Where genuine value can exist is for complex multi-entry business visas or visa runs requiring approval letters, neither of which applies to a standard tourist e-Visa.
Processing time and common delays
The Vietnam Immigration Department's stated processing time for the e-Visa is three working days from a complete application. In practice, simple applications often process within two days and complex applications can take five or more. The government portal does not offer expedited or premium processing; any service marketing 24-hour Vietnam e-Visa processing is either using an unofficial channel or simply lodging the application in the same queue.
Applications lodged immediately before Vietnamese public holidays, particularly the Lunar New Year (Tet) in late January or early February, can take significantly longer. Applicants planning to enter Vietnam during this period should lodge at least two weeks in advance. Where the application is denied without explanation, the applicant cannot appeal but can submit a fresh application correcting any errors they identify.
Alternatives, longer stays, and what to avoid
For stays beyond 90 days, the e-Visa is not the right route and a multi-entry tourist visa, business visa, or temporary residence card must be obtained through the Vietnam Embassy in London or in-country sponsor channels. The DN visa for investors, the LD visa for those with work permits, and the TT visa for family of Vietnamese nationals each carry their own application path and document set. Anyone planning to live in Vietnam for an extended period for work, study, or family reasons should consult the Vietnam Embassy in London directly.
The visa-on-arrival route via approval letter still exists but has been largely overtaken by the e-Visa. It requires the traveller to apply through a Vietnamese travel agent for an approval letter, collect a stamp at the airport, and pay a stamping fee in US dollars cash. For most British travellers this involves more steps, more cost, and more risk of delay than the direct e-Visa, with no offsetting benefit.
Editorial Disclaimer
Content on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute regulated immigration, legal or financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and does not provide regulated immigration advice. Rules, fees and processing times change without notice. Verify current information directly with GOV.UK, HM Passport Office, or an OISC-registered adviser before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do British passport holders need a visa for Vietnam in 2026?
British passport holders do not need a visa to enter Vietnam for visits of up to 45 days per arrival. The 45-day visa exemption applies to tourism, business meetings, conferences, and family visits. For stays longer than 45 days but up to 90 days, an electronic visa (e-Visa) is required, costing $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry, applied directly on the official Vietnam Immigration Department portal at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn.
How long does the Vietnam e-Visa take to process?
The Vietnam Immigration Department's stated processing time is three working days from a complete and correctly lodged application. Simple applications can process in two days; more complex ones may take five or more. The government portal does not offer expedited service. Applications during the Lunar New Year period in late January and early February typically take longer, so travellers planning to enter Vietnam during this window should lodge at least two weeks in advance.
Can the 45-day visa-free entry be extended in Vietnam?
The 45-day visa exemption cannot be formally extended from inside Vietnam. The intended route for longer stays is to leave Vietnam before the 45 days expire and re-enter, which resets the clock, or to obtain an e-Visa in advance for stays of up to 90 days. Vietnamese immigration may question repeated short exits clearly used to extend tourism, so this approach is best limited to genuine regional trips.
What happens if you overstay your Vietnam visa or exemption?
Overstaying any Vietnamese visa or the visa exemption period results in a fine, payable in US dollars at the airport on departure. Fines escalate by the length of overstay and can range from $25 for a few days to several hundred dollars for longer overstays. Overstays of more than a few days can also lead to a temporary ban on future entry. Departing the country with proper documentation, even with a fine, is materially better than ignoring the issue.
Is the Vietnam visa-on-arrival service still available?
Visa-on-arrival via approval letter is still technically available but has been largely superseded by the e-Visa. It requires arranging an approval letter through a Vietnamese travel agent before flying, then paying a stamping fee in US dollars cash on arrival. For most UK travellers the e-Visa is faster, cheaper, and lower-risk because the visa is confirmed before departure rather than at the airport in Vietnam.
Why are third-party Vietnam visa sites so much more expensive than the official portal?
Third-party Vietnam visa sites typically charge £50 to £80 for a service that costs $25 on the government portal. The third-party site collects the applicant's details and lodges them through the same official channel, retaining the difference as a service fee. For a standard tourist e-Visa where the official portal is in English and the application is straightforward, third-party services rarely add value beyond presentation of the form.
How we verified this
Fees and entry rules this guidere verified against the Vietnam Immigration Department e-Visa portal at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for Vietnam, both checked in May 2026. The 45-day visa exemption extension is documented in Vietnam's Resolution 127/NQ-CP of August 2023 and confirmed on the Vietnam Embassy in London website. Where guidance differs between sources, the Vietnam Immigration Department portal is treated as authoritative for visa fees and the FCDO is treated as authoritative for British traveller advice.
Primary Sources
- Vietnam Immigration Department e-Visa portal - official application and current fees
- UK Foreign Travel Advice for Vietnam - entry requirements for British nationals
- Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the United Kingdom - visa categories and consular services
- UK Foreign Travel Advice for Vietnam - overview and safety information
- UK Foreign Travel Advice for Vietnam - health entry requirements
