Vietnam's Digital Arrival Card Is Not Your e-Visa — You Need Both

The mistake that costs people their flight

Vietnam's digital pre-arrival declaration and Vietnam's e-visa are two different requirements, and arriving with only one of them is how travellers end up turned back at check-in. The declaration is an information form you file before you fly. The e-visa is the permission to enter. Filing the first does not grant the second.

If you are unsure which you hold, check your paperwork before you do anything else: an e-visa is a document with an approval number that you applied for and paid for; the arrival declaration is a form you submit shortly before departure and get a confirmation for.

Who has to file it

Foreign travellers, and overseas Vietnamese arriving with a valid visa. It is not aimed at Vietnamese citizens travelling on a Vietnamese passport. If you are arriving on a visa — e-visa, visa on arrival, or one issued at an embassy — plan on filing the declaration as well.

Where it applies

The requirement began at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and is being extended to Vietnam's other international airports. Because the rollout is still moving, check the current position for the airport you are actually landing at rather than relying on a list from a few months ago.

What it is for

It is the digital replacement for the paper form handed out on the plane. It asks for your passport details, your flight, and where you will stay. The confirmation is what you show on arrival, alongside your visa.

Frequently Asked Questions