Which nationalities can visit Vietnam without a visa?

No, Matthias. German citizens can visit Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days, for any purpose, under Resolution 44/NQ-CP. Your one-week trip to Ho Chi Minh City needs no visa.

What counts is the passport you travel on, not where you live, so your Swiss residence changes nothing. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive.

Countries that can visit Vietnam without a visa

As of November 2026, these are the visa-free countries for Vietnam, in three groups:

• 45 days, any purpose: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, until 14 March 2028.
• 45 days, tourism only: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland, until 14 August 2028 under Resolution 229/NQ-CP.
• Bilateral agreements: the other nine ASEAN countries, plus Belarus, Chile, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Panama. The length of stay differs by agreement.

Everyone else, including US, Canadian, Australian and Indian citizens, needs a visa. Our Vietnam visa exemption guide has the full exemption list, with the stay for each country and the entry conditions.

If your trip runs longer than your exemption, or you travel on business with a passport from the tourism-only group, apply for your Vietnam e-visa online for a stay of up to 90 days. VietnamVisa.com is a private visa agency, not a government website, and you can also apply yourself at evisa.gov.vn.