Vietnam Visa Updated News 2026: Complete Guide

The biggest piece of Vietnam visa updated news for 2026 is the e-visa's expansion: 90-day multiple entry is now open to citizens of every country, alongside a wider network of border gates and airports that accept it. Three more changes arrived alongside that expansion, and one of them changes what you need to do before you travel.

Below, you will find each update in turn: the e-visa validity change, new entry points including Long Thanh International Airport, a digital arrival card requirement, a new visa category for tech and specialized talent, and how the visa-free exemption list fits into all of this. The last section covers what to do if your trip is close and you need your visa fast.

Most of these updates work in favor of travelers: coverage widened, terms got longer, and only one new step, the arrival card, got added to the checklist. The sections below separate what changed from what did not, so you can tell quickly whether any of it affects your own trip.

In brief:

E-visa validity	Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry
Eligible nationalities	All countries
Border gates and airports	83, including Long Thanh International Airport
Digital arrival card	Required at Tan Son Nhat from 15 April 2026
New visa category	UD1, for IT and specialized talent, up to 5 years
Government fee	USD 25 (single entry) / USD 50 (multiple entry)
Official portal	evisa.gov.vn
Last verified	July 2026

What Is the Latest Vietnam Visa Updated News for 2026?

The short version: Vietnam's e-visa now covers 90-day multiple entry for every nationality, accepts entry at 83 border gates and airports, and sits alongside a new digital arrival card rule and a new long-stay visa category for tech workers. Each of these rolled out on a different date through 2026, so the practical effect depends on when you travel and which route you use.

None of this changes the underlying government fee, which stays at USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry. What changed is coverage, not cost. The next sections walk through each update on its own.

Not every 2026 update applies equally to every traveler. A tourist on a two-week trip mostly benefits from the wider entry-point coverage and longer validity. A business traveler flying repeatedly in and out of Ho Chi Minh City is more likely to run into the new arrival card rule. A long-term technical hire is the group the new UD1 category was built for.

How Has the Vietnam E-Visa Validity and Entry Policy Changed?

The Vietnam e-visa now grants stays of up to 90 days with either single or multiple entry, available to applicants from every country. Previously, multiple-entry approval and the full 90-day term were not consistently available to all nationalities at once.

For a traveler doing a multi-country Southeast Asia trip with a side trip out of Vietnam and back, this closes a real gap. You can now apply once, leave for a few days, and return on the same e-visa instead of arranging a second entry document.

Note: your passport still needs at least six months of validity remaining, and the 90-day term is the maximum available, not a guarantee attached to every application.

The application form itself did not change to accommodate this. You still select single or multiple entry and your intended stay length at the point of application, and the system approves within the new, wider limits rather than defaulting to the maximum automatically. If you need the full 90 days or multiple entry, select it explicitly rather than assuming it applies by default.

What New Border Gates and Airports Accept the Vietnam E-Visa in 2026?

Vietnam's e-visa is now accepted at 83 border gates, airports, and seaports, up from a much narrower list a few years ago. Long Thanh International Airport, the new hub serving the Ho Chi Minh City area, is among the additions.

This matters most if your itinerary includes a land or sea crossing that used to sit outside e-visa coverage. Check your specific port of entry and exit against the current list before you finalize your route, since coverage still varies slightly by checkpoint type.

Air travelers flying into the Ho Chi Minh City area gain the most from this particular change. Long Thanh International Airport is designed to take pressure off Tan Son Nhat as it scales up, and having it accept the e-visa from the start means your entry point does not need to match a specific terminal in advance.

What Is the New Digital Arrival Card Requirement?

Starting 15 April 2026, every foreign passport holder arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City must complete a digital arrival card before landing. The form must be submitted within 72 hours of your arrival time.

This sits on top of your e-visa or visa exemption, not instead of it. Arriving without the card completed can slow you down at immigration even if your visa itself is fully in order. If Tan Son Nhat is your entry point, treat the arrival card as a separate, mandatory step in your pre-departure checklist.

The 72-hour submission window means you cannot complete it too early. If you file the card five days before landing, expect to resubmit closer to your arrival date. Build this into the same checklist pass where you confirm your approval letter and your passport photo (4x6cm, white background, no glasses), rather than leaving it as a separate, easy-to-forget task.

Are There New Vietnam Visa Categories in 2026?

Yes. From 1 July 2026, Vietnam introduces the UD1 visa, aimed at IT professionals, digital technology workers, and specialized talent. It allows stays of up to five years with multiple-entry privileges, a term far longer than anything the e-visa offers.

The UD1 category sits outside the standard tourist and business e-visa track and is not the right fit for a short trip. If you are relocating for long-term technical work rather than traveling, check whether you qualify before defaulting to a standard business visa renewed repeatedly.

Before this update, a common workaround for long-term technical staff was a series of shorter business visas, renewed as each one expired. The UD1 category is built to remove that cycle for the specific group of applicants it targets, at the cost of a narrower eligibility bar than the e-visa's near-universal access.

Which Nationalities Get Visa-Free Exemptions Under the Updated Rules?

Citizens of a defined group of countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea, can enter Vietnam visa-free for stays of up to 45 days. This exemption runs alongside the e-visa system rather than replacing it.

If your passport is on the exemption list and your trip fits inside 45 days, you do not need to apply for anything in advance. If you plan to stay longer, need multiple entries, or your nationality is not on the list, the e-visa is still the route to use.

This is the update most likely to cause confusion, since two separate systems now overlap. A German passport holder, for example, can enter visa-free for up to 45 days, but the same traveler planning a 60-day trip or a second entry within that window still needs the e-visa rather than relying on the exemption alone.

How Do These Updates Affect Your Vietnam Visa Application Today?

For most travelers, the practical effect is a wider set of entry points and a longer, more flexible e-visa term than before, plus one new checklist item if you fly into Tan Son Nhat. The application process itself, form, upload, payment, approval letter, has not changed.

If your travel date is close and you cannot wait for standard processing, that is a separate question from any of the updates above. You can review the current rules directly on the official e-visa portal, apply for your e-visa through vietnamvisa.com, or see the next section for what to do when time is short.

What Other Vietnam Visa Options Should You Know About?

The updates above cover policy, not turnaround time. If your departure is days or hours away, the three points below matter more than any of the 2026 changes.

Urgent Vietnam E-Visa for Last-Minute Travel

If your trip is close, vietnamvisa.com processes urgent applications in as little as 2.5 hours through the Super Urgent tier, with same-day and 1-working-day options in between that and the Standard 5-7 working days processing. Apply for an urgent Vietnam e-visa if your standard application will not clear in time.

Vietnam Visa on Arrival vs E-Visa

Visa on arrival is applicable to air travel only, and it still requires a pre-approval letter arranged before you fly, plus a separate visa stamping fee paid in cash at the airport counter. Most travelers now choose the e-visa instead, since it skips that second in-person step.

Vietnam E-Visa Extension If You Are Already in the Country

If you are already in Vietnam and your plans changed, an extension is processed inside the country rather than through a new e-visa application from abroad. It follows its own timeline, separate from anything in the 2026 updates above.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the latest Vietnam visa update for 2026?

The e-visa now offers 90-day multiple entry to all nationalities, covers 83 border gates and airports including Long Thanh International Airport, and runs alongside a new digital arrival card rule and a new UD1 visa category for tech and specialized talent.

2. Has the Vietnam e-visa validity period changed in 2026?

Yes. The e-visa now grants up to 90 days of stay with single or multiple entry, available to citizens of every country, which was not consistently the case before.

3. Do I need a digital arrival card to enter Vietnam now?

If you arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, yes, starting 15 April 2026. The card must be submitted within 72 hours before your arrival, in addition to your e-visa or visa exemption.

4. Is there a new Vietnam visa category for tech workers?

Yes, the UD1 visa, effective 1 July 2026, for IT, digital technology, and specialized talent. It allows stays of up to five years with multiple entry, aimed at long-term technical work rather than tourism.

5. How do I apply for an urgent Vietnam e-visa if my trip is coming up soon?

Apply through vietnamvisa.com and select the Same-day (4-8 hours) or Super Urgent (2.5 hours) tier, on top of the government fee. This runs independently of the 2026 policy updates and is the faster route when your standard timeline runs out.

Posted Jul. 06, 2026 22:08