Vietnam embassy visa: when Americans should skip the e-visa and apply in Washington
The e-visa covers up to 90 days for $25 or $50. The embassy route is for longer stays, sponsored work and family visas, and the one-year multiple-entry visa it offers U.S. citizens.
Americans still need a visa for Vietnam, and most visitors never need more than the e-visa. This page covers the paper route: what the Embassy of Vietnam issues, what it costs in 2026, and what it takes to stay past a vacation.
Vietnam Embassy Visa
Apply in person or by mail at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Required for stays longer than 90 days or for purposes not covered by e-Visa or VOA. Processing time and requirements may vary by embassy.
- Government cost
- $80
- Processing time
- ~5 days
- Timeline
- Varies (typically 30 or 90 days)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Key requirements
- Valid U.S. passport (at least 6 months validity)
- Completed application form
- Passport-sized photos
- Visa fee
- Possible additional documents (e.g., invitation letter for business visa)
Embassy or e-visa
Pick the route by why you're going
Scouting or spending a season? The online e-visa takes 3 working days and is the easy call. Just know that neither it nor a tourist visa can be extended once you're in Vietnam, so ask for enough time up front.
Go through the embassy when you want the one-year multiple-entry visa it says U.S. citizens can get, or when an employer or family sponsor in Vietnam has an approval letter from the Immigration Department for you.
- Tourist (DL) visas top out at 3 months under Vietnam's entry law
- Business visas run up to 12 months, work visas up to 2 years
- Your visa must end at least 30 days before your passport does
What Vietnam charges for the visa itself (2026)
$25
Single-entry visa
Circular 28/2026
$50
Multiple entry, up to 90 days
Circular 28/2026
$95
Multiple entry, 90 to 180 days
Circular 28/2026
$135
Multiple entry, 180 days to 1 year
Circular 28/2026
How to apply
Applying at the embassy in Washington
The Embassy of Vietnam takes visa applications in person or by mail, never online or by email. Its price bundles the government fee with approval, handling, postage and any rush service, and the total isn't posted on its site, so confirm it before you send payment. Fees aren't refunded if you're turned down.
- Application form, downloadable or on paper at the counter
- Passport valid at least 6 months past your entry date
- One 2x2 inch photo (two if you send a passport copy)
- By mail: money order, cashier's check or company check to "EMBASSY OF VIET NAM", plus a prepaid, tracked return envelope
- In person: Visa or Mastercard, Monday, Wednesday or Friday, 9:30 a.m. to noon
- About 5 to 7 working days without an approval letter, 3 with one, plus a day for return mail
Here's the catch
The embassy can ask for more documents or refuse an application without saying why. There's no appeal process on its site, so send a complete, clean file the first time, and pay for tracked mail both ways.
Staying longer than a visit
Work visa (LĐ)
Your employer in Vietnam sponsors it, for up to 2 years. Since August 2025, experts need a bachelor's degree and two years' experience (one in priority sectors), plus a criminal record check under 180 days old.
Family visa (TT)
For spouses and children under 18 of work, investor and student visa holders, filed by the sponsor's employer and valid up to 12 months. Legalizing and translating certificates takes 2 to 4 weeks. No work allowed.
Temporary residence card
Work, family, investor and student visa holders can trade the visa for a card: 2 years for workers, 3 for family members, up to 10 for the largest investors. Cards cost $145 to $165 (2026).
New in July 2026: UĐ1
Law 118/2025 added a visa of up to 5 years for high-skilled digital technology workers, and UĐ2 for their spouses and kids. Detailed qualifying rules were still pending at last check.
Staying legal
Fines, police registration and taxes
Vietnam raised overstay fines under Decree 282/2025 in December 2025, and an overstay of 16 days or more can end in deportation. One useful switch: if you came in on an e-visa and land a work permit, you can change to a work visa without leaving the country.
- Overstay under 16 days: VND 500,000 to 2 million
- Overstay of 16 to 30 days: VND 5 to 10 million
- Your hotel or landlord registers your stay with police, on paper within 12 hours
- 183 days in Vietnam makes you a tax resident, taxed there on worldwide income
- The 2015 U.S.-Vietnam tax treaty was never ratified, and there's no Social Security totalization deal
Help with the move
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
U.S. expat tax service that prepares returns for Americans living abroad.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
Healthcare coach for Americans sorting out medical care abroad.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Broker for global health insurance plans.
Vietnam embassy visa questions
Can I extend a Vietnam tourist visa or e-visa while I'm there?
No. If you entered on a tourist (DL) visa or an e-visa, you can't extend it inside Vietnam, so apply for enough time before you go. The exception is an e-visa holder who gets a work permit, who can switch to a work visa without leaving.
What happens if I overstay in Vietnam?
You pay a fine before you can leave or get a new visa. Under Decree 282/2025, fines start at VND 500,000 to 2 million for less than 16 days and reach up to VND 40 million for more than a year. Overstaying 16 days or more can also get you deported.
Can Americans get a one-year visa for Vietnam?
The Embassy of Vietnam in Washington says U.S. citizens can be granted multiple-entry visas of up to one year. You apply in person or by mail, and the embassy's price includes its own handling charges on top of the government fee. Ask the embassy how long each entry allows before you plan around it.
Do U.S. citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. The U.S. isn't on Vietnam's visa-exemption list, so Americans need either an e-visa or a visa from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate before they fly. The e-visa is open to every nationality and covers stays of up to 90 days.
Can I apply for a Vietnam embassy visa online?
No. The Embassy of Vietnam in Washington accepts visa applications only in person or by mail. The online option is Vietnam's separate e-visa, filed on the government's e-visa portal.
Can my spouse come with me on a Vietnam work visa?
Yes, on a TT family visa, which your employer files and which lasts up to 12 months. It can be swapped for a 3-year temporary residence card. Your marriage certificate needs consular legalization and a Vietnamese translation, and a spouse on a TT visa can't work.
Will I owe taxes in Vietnam if I live there on a long-stay visa?
Likely. You become a Vietnamese tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year or in the 12 months from your arrival, or by holding a residence card, and residents are taxed on worldwide income. The U.S.-Vietnam tax treaty signed in 2015 was never ratified, so it gives no relief.
How long does a Vietnam visa from the embassy take?
About 5 to 7 working days if you don't have an approval letter from Vietnam's Immigration Department, and 3 business days if you do, plus a day for return mail. Rush processing is available for an extra fee.
Not sure Vietnam is your place?
The Expatsi Test matches your budget and priorities to the countries that fit.
Why not you?