Vietnam eVisa for UK Citizens: When You Need One — and When You Don't

Updated 2026-07-02

UK citizens do not need a visa for stays in Vietnam of up to 45 days: British passports are covered by a visa exemption that runs until 14 March 2028. For anything longer, the answer is the eVisa — up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, with a government fee of US$25 or US$50. This guide covers when the exemption is enough, when to apply for the eVisa instead, and the documented mistakes that get travellers turned around at the border.

Do UK citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

No — not for short trips. British passport holders can enter Vietnam without a visa and stay up to 45 days under Resolution 44/NQ-CP. The exemption applies regardless of passport type or entry purpose, and the UK Foreign Office confirms it covers stays of up to 45 days for tourism or business. It runs from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028.

If your trip is longer than 45 days, or you want a multiple-entry visa covering a longer window, you need Vietnam's eVisa, which allows a stay of up to 90 days. That is the pivot point for UK travellers: under 45 days, you board with just your passport; over 45 days, you apply for the eVisa before you travel.

How the 45-day visa exemption works

The UK is one of 12 countries granted a 45-day exemption under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, alongside Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea and others. (A further 12 European countries received 45 days for tourism under Resolution 229 in August 2025.) There is no application, no fee and no paperwork in advance — you are stamped in at the border.

Back-to-back trips are allowed. The old rule requiring a 30-day gap between visa-free entries was abolished by Law 51/2019/QH14, so you can leave Vietnam and re-enter visa-free with no waiting period.

Two habits worth building at the border, both from official FCDO advice: check the exit date the officer stamps in your passport before you leave the airport or land border — immigration will not change it afterwards — and use the same passport to exit that you used to enter.

• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond arrival
• At least 2 blank pages
• Passport in good condition — the FCDO notes British nationals have been denied entry and exit due to passport damage
• Check your stamped exit date before leaving the border area

When do you need the 90-day eVisa instead?

Vietnam's eVisa has been open to all nationalities since 15 August 2023. It allows a stay of up to 90 days and can be issued as single-entry or multiple-entry — double the exemption window, with the flexibility to come and go if you choose multiple entry.

It is the right route when your trip will run past 45 days in one stretch — an extended stay, a longer business visit, or scoping a move or project — or when you want one multiple-entry visa covering side trips to neighbouring countries within a 90-day window.

One timing point from the FCDO matters here: if you obtain an eVisa while already inside Vietnam on the exemption, you must leave and re-enter Vietnam to use it. So if your trip might run past 45 days, the clean approach is to apply for the eVisa before you fly.

What does the Vietnam eVisa cost and how long is it valid?

The only official cost is the government fee, paid on the official portal. It is non-refundable, even if the application is refused. Anything charged above these amounts is an agent's service fee — a separate, private charge, never a government cost — which is worth knowing so you can compare offers like for like.

The eVisa is valid only at the entry and exit ports you select on the application. As of Resolution 389/NQ-CP (December 2025), 83 ports of entry accept the eVisa — but yours must be among the ones named on your visa.

• Government fee, single entry: US$25
• Government fee, multiple entry: US$50
• Maximum stay: up to 90 days
• Fee is non-refundable, even if the application is refused
• Valid only at the ports selected on your application

How do UK citizens apply, and how long does it take?

The official application portal is evisa.gov.vn, operated by the Vietnam Immigration Department. You enter your passport details exactly as they appear on the biographical page, choose your entry and exit ports, and pay the government fee on the portal.

Processing is officially 3 working days; in practice it is commonly quoted at 3 to 5 working days. Build that margin into your booking — apply before you confirm non-flexible travel where you can.

Note that eVisa applications made on an emergency passport may be refused, so travel on a full British passport that meets the validity and condition requirements above.

Common mistakes that catch British travellers

None of these are edge cases — nearly all are documented in official UK or US government travel advice, and the last is a widely reported commercial pattern, and each is avoidable with a few minutes of checking.

• Typos and name mismatches: even minor differences between your eVisa application and your passport — a misspelling or a missing middle name — can result in denial of entry
• Arriving at a port that is not listed on your eVisa: the visa is only valid at the ports you selected
• Travelling on a damaged passport: British nationals have been denied both entry and exit over passport damage
• Not checking the exit-date stamp at the border — immigration will not change it after you have left
• Entering and exiting on different passports
• Overstaying: Vietnam has increased penalties and enforcement, including substantial fines, deportation and possible entry bans
• Paying a look-alike commercial website believing it is the official fee — only evisa.gov.vn is the official portal

Where InTimeVisa fits in

If you're visiting Vietnam for under 45 days on a British passport, you don't need a visa — and you don't need us. Enjoy the trip.

Where we earn our fee is the eVisa cases: trips longer than 45 days, multiple-entry plans, and applications on a deadline. We check every detail of your application against your passport before it is submitted — names, dates, ports — because the exact-match rule is the single most documented reason travellers are refused at the border.

For tight timelines, our urgent service offers express and same-day handling on top of the standard 3–5 working-day government processing, so a late decision to stay longer doesn't have to derail your plans.