Vietnam is now regarded as one of the most popular tourist destination for American because there are a lot of flights from United States of America, and Vietnam offers a lot of beautiful places for vacation. Many American come to Vietnam through Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh city). For American who fly to Tan Son Nhat airport, do they need visa in advance? What is Vietnam visa requirements for American coming to Ho Chi Minh city?
For American entering Vietnam through Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh city), visa is a must. All American travelers landing at Tan Son Nhat airport need to show a valid visa for entry. If not, the airlines staff will not allow American for boarding.
American citizens are required to apply for valid visas to enter Ho Chi Minh city for both tourism and business purposes and meet the entry requirements. After applying online, American arriving into Ho Chi Minh can get visa on arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport. Besides, Vietnam launched its e-Visa program for 82 countries, including United States of America, in which American can apply E-visa online and get the e-Visa electronically.
Note:
The Phu Quoc Island, among the top places to visit in Vietnam, has an option for visa-free entry of up to 30-day stay for American. This visa-free entry is valid for American travelling to Phu Quoc only. If American citizens come to Phu Quoc only for less than 30 days, they can get visa exemption. In case American come to Phu Quoc and other places in Vietnam, such as Ho Chi Minh city, American need to apply visa in advance.
There are many types of Vietnam visa which allow American enter Ho Chi Minh city. American can choose one of these three visa types for both tourist and business purpose:
Tourist E-Visa is one of the most popular types of Vietnamese visa for American which is valid for a period of 30 days (Single entry).
2.1/ Vietnam E-visa For American entry Ho Chi Minh city 2025
Electronic Visa or e-Visa is by far the best way to get a Vietnamese Visa for American citizens. Effective since February 2017, the e-Visa is a type of visa issued to foreigners by the Vietnamese Immigration Department, that was created to be accepted with an electronic system. This type of visa is issued only for Short Visits to Vietnam for tourism, casual visits, short duration medical treatment, or short business visit. It can be applied online before American travel to Vietnam. Once e-Visa is approved, American will receive it through email, take a print of it as American need to show at the airport.
Vietnam E-visa for American can be used to enter Vietnam through international airports, including Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh city). With granted E-visa, American passport holders can enter Ho Chi Minh without any trouble.
When applying Vietnam E-visa online, American must choose exactly the entry port as “Tan Son Nhat airport – Ho Chi Minh city” because the immigration officer will allow American enter Ho Chi Minh only if the entry port in E-visa is correct.
This Vietnam e-Visa is valid for 30 days after arrival and is a Single Entry visa. Once the first 30 days of your visa have passed, American need to renew the visa or leave Vietnam.
Documents needed for applying Vietnam e-Visa for American entry Ho Chi Minh city
Click here https://www.vietnamimmigration.com/apply-vietnam-visa/ to apply Vietnam e-Visa for American entry Ho Chi Minh city
2.2/ Vietnam Visa On Arrival For American entry Ho Chi Minh city 2025
Another easy way for American tourists to obtain a Vietnamese Visa to Ho Chi Minh city is to apply Visa on Arrival online. For this Visa on Arriva, American must apply approval letter first by filling up the visa application. American can receive the visa approval letter by email in 3-5 working days, then print out the documents to pick up the visa after landing in Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh city). It is issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department for American visitors who plan to stay in Vietnam for less than or up to 3 months.
Vietnamese Visa on Arrival is valid from 1-3 months. The process can take anywhere because it is online application. Visa on Arrival involves two types of fees – service fee for obtaining an approval letter and stamping fee payable by cash at Vietnam airport.
Visa on arrival is available at 6 international airports in Vietnam, including Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh city. American can apply online to get visa approval letter and use this letter to get visa at “visa landing counter” in Ho Chi Minh city.
Documents needed for applying Vietnam visa on arrival for American entry Ho Chi Minh city
Here is the list of documents required for Visa on Arrival for American at Tan Son Nhat airport:
Click here https://www.vietnamimmigration.com/apply-vietnam-visa/ to apply Vietnam approval letter for American entry Ho Chi Minh city
2.3/ Vietnam Visa applied at the embassy For American entry Ho Chi Minh city 2025
Besides Visa on Arrival and e-Visa, American passport holders can get their visas prior to their journey to Ho Chi Minh by applying at the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington or the Consulate General of Vietnam in Houston or San Francisco or New York. This is ideal for those who wish to get visa offline. However, this option is slightly expensive. Usually, it takes up to 7 working days to process a visa to Ho Chi Minh from United States of America. American can apply for a visa at Vietnamese embassy up to six months in advance.
Documents needed for applying Vietnam visa for American entry Ho Chi Minh city at Vietnam embassy:
List of documents you will have to submit when applying visa entry Ho Chi Minh city for American in advance:
Click here to see address of Vietnam embassy in United States of America https://www.vietnamimmigration.com/vietnamese-embassy/the-latest-information-about-vietnamese-embassy-in-usa/
Visa extension is an action that is applied for American who wish to prolong their current stay in Vietnam without leaving the country. American passport holders in Ho Chi Minh city can come to immigration office in Ho Chi Minh city to submit visa extension request. Or American can ask a visa agent to help them process visa extension in Ho Chi Minh city.
Please note that Vietnam visa extension can be available or not depending on the immigration rule. In case Vietnam visa extension is closed, American in Ho Chi Minh city should do the border run through Cambodia and re-enter Vietnam with new visa. In this case, it’s recommended for American to apply E-visa before crossing the border to Cambodia.
For American who need visa extension in Ho Chi Minh, please double check with us through email info@vietnamimmigration.com . We will update
