With the exact regex the official site enforces, the error message it returns, and what you probably did wrong. Pre-check your values in the E-Visa page's local validator before pasting.
The string next to "Passport No." on the photo page. 6 to 12 alphanumeric characters. Do not paste from the MRZ at the bottom — those rows include check digits.
^[A-Z0-9]{6,12}$
max 12Full name exactly as on the MRZ row of your passport. Surname first, given names after, all uppercase Latin. No diacritics — even for Vietnamese names, use the ASCII MRZ form.
On the official Vietnam Immigration site, dates are DD/MM/YYYY (the local convention). Use the calendar widget rather than typing — typing in any other format is the most common rejection. Our local validator on this page accepts ISO YYYY-MM-DD as a convenience, but the live form does not.
ISO 8601. Must be at least 6 months after your entry date. Vietnam rejects e-visa applications that don't meet this; airlines also block boarding.
Date you intend to enter Vietnam. The e-visa is single-entry by default; the 90-day validity window is calculated from this declared entry date, not from approval — so don't pick an early entry date just to be safe, it shortens your useful window. Apply at least 4–5 working days before the entry date — standard processing is 3 working days, plus weekend buffer.
Pick from the dropdown of approved e-visa ports. Major airports: Tan Son Nhat (SGN, Ho Chi Minh City), Noi Bai (HAN, Hanoi), Da Nang (DAD), Cam Ranh (CXR, Nha Trang). Land crossings and seaports also listed but limited. You can only enter through the port you picked.
Hotel / homestay / address of your first night in Vietnam. Vietnamese addresses include district numbers (District 1, District 3) — include them. Names with Vietnamese diacritics are accepted in this field (unlike the passport name field).
"Photo does not meet requirements"Background not white, hat or glasses on, wrong ratio, file > 2 MB, or head crop is off. Use 4×6 ratio, white wall, no accessories.
"Invalid passport scan"Scan too dark, too light, or part of the bio page cut off. Re-scan with all four corners visible and good lighting.
"Date format error"You used YYYY-MM-DD or US MM/DD/YYYY. Vietnam's visible UI is DD/MM/YYYY — use the date picker.
"Invalid passport number"Space, dash, or pasted from the MRZ. Use the short number above.
"Port of entry not selected"You typed the city instead of picking from the dropdown. Re-open and select from the list.
"Status: rejected"Log back in with the registration number — the rejection reason is on the page. Most common: photo or passport scan issues. Upload replacements and resubmit.
"Approved but no PDF download"Server-side caching glitch — try a different browser, or wait an hour and re-login. The visa is already issued.
The official site shows a confirmation on screen. Screenshot it — that's your backup.
Within minutes you get a receipt confirming submission. The approved e-visa PDF arrives by email 3 working days later (1 day for express). Don't book travel until you have the PDF — the receipt is not a visa.
Hand the printed e-visa with your passport. Officer scans, stamps. Print the PDF — some airlines refuse boarding without a paper copy.
Some airlines (Vietjet, Bamboo) refuse boarding without a paper e-visa. Vietnamese officers also expect printed. A screenshot on your phone is not enough.
Airlines verify the e-visa at the boarding gate. If the gate rejects you (wrong port of entry, expired window, no approved PDF), there's no in-airport fallback in Vietnam — you'd need to apply again and re-book. Confirm the approved PDF matches your itinerary 24h before departure.
This guide walks through every field the official Vietnam E-Visa form asks, in the order the form presents them. Pre-check your entries below before you paste them into the official site.
The form is in Vietnamese and English on the same page (toggle in the upper right). The English version uses the same field order.
Type your details below. We never send them anywhere. This runs 100% in your browser. View source to verify.
This is the one place an arrival document genuinely does ask for an upload. Two files:
The upload happens only at evisa.gov.vn and only via HTTPS. If a site asks for these files but the URL is not .gov.vn, you are not on the official site.
Your last name as printed on the passport. Latin letters only.
Your first and middle names as printed on the passport.
Format: DD/MM/YYYY on the form (Vietnamese convention). Use the date picker.
MM/DD/YYYY. Use the picker on mobile, type carefully on desktop.All dropdowns or short fields.
San Francisco, USA.None is acceptable.For travelers from countries that issue national ID cards (most EU, China, etc.), enter the ID number. For US/UK/etc. travelers without a separate ID card, enter your passport number again or leave blank if optional.
Where the visa PDF and approval email arrive. Phone with country code (+1 415 555 0100).
Use a monitored inbox. Vietnamese Immigration sometimes sends supplementary requests during processing.
Dropdown: ordinary, official, diplomatic. Most travelers select Ordinary passport.
Letters and digits, no spaces. The short number on the photo page, not the MRZ.
Format DD/MM/YYYY. The expiry date must be at least 6 months after your planned exit from Vietnam, not just after entry.
If you are doing a Cambodia or Laos border run from Vietnam, you need multi-entry. Otherwise single-entry is fine.
The date range you want the e-visa to cover. The system will set 90 days max. The “valid from” is your earliest possible entry date.
Tourism, business, transit, family visit, student, etc. The dropdown has about 12 options. Tourism is the default for most travelers.
Number of days you plan to spend in Vietnam. Can be less than the visa validity. The visa allows up to 90 days but you do not have to stay 90.
The airport, land border, or seaport you will use to enter Vietnam.
SGN (Ho Chi Minh / Tan Son Nhat), HAN (Hanoi / Noi Bai), DAD (Da Nang), CXR (Cam Ranh / Nha Trang), PQC (Phu Quoc).Moc Bai (Cambodia), Lao Bao (Laos), Huu Nghi (China).Saigon Port, Da Nang Port, etc.You can select multiple. Any port you select is valid; the visa is not pinned to one specific port.
Same dropdown list. Defaults to the entry port. Different exit is fine; just select the actual port you’ll use.
Your home address in your home country. Latin letters only.
The first hotel or address where you will stay in Vietnam. Hotel name plus street plus city is enough.
Hanoi La Siesta Hotel, 94 Ma May, Hoan Kiem, HanoiIf yes, the form asks for the dates and previous visa number. If no, skip.
If yes, fill in their info. If no, skip. This does not affect your tourism eligibility; it is informational.
For tourism, most travelers leave this blank or select “No sponsor”. If you have a Vietnamese company or individual inviting you (business trips), enter their details.
The form ends at a payment screen. Government fee:
Pay with credit card (Visa/Mastercard accepted). The payment processor is Vietnam’s official government merchant; the URL stays on .gov.vn.
If a site asks you to pay through PayPal, Stripe, or any non-government processor, you are not on the official site.
The official site offers an express upgrade for an additional $50 USD government surcharge, processing in about 1 working day instead of 3. This is a real government option, not a middleman scam.
[email protected] confirming receipt.“Photo does not meet requirements” Background is not white, you have a hat or glasses, the ratio is wrong, the file is too large (> 2 MB), or the head crop is off. Use a 4×6 ratio crop, white wall background, no accessories.
“Invalid passport scan” The scan is too dark, too light, or part of the bio page is cut off. Re-scan with all four corners visible and good lighting.
“Date format error”
You used YYYY-MM-DD or US MM/DD/YYYY. Vietnam uses DD/MM/YYYY. Use the date picker.
“Invalid passport number” You included a space, dash, or pasted from the MRZ. Use the short number on the photo page.
“Payment declined” Most common cause: the card’s bank flagged the international .gov.vn merchant. Call your bank’s fraud line, mention the transaction is going to the Vietnamese Immigration Department, retry. Some prepaid debit cards are also rejected.
No e-visa email after 3 working days Check spam first. If still missing, log back into the site with your registration number; you can re-download the PDF directly. If status shows “rejected”, the rejection reason is in the page; the most common cause is photo or passport scan issues, which are correctable by uploading replacements and resubmitting.
Approved but unable to download the PDF
This is rare but reported. Retry the download from a different browser. If it persists, contact [email protected] with your registration number.
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