45 days visa-free or a 90 day e-visa for Vietnam
If your passport gets 45 days without a visa and you want to stay longer than that, apply for an e-visa before you fly. An e-visa covers up to 90 days 1. A visa-free stay cannot be stretched once you are in Vietnam, according to the guides we read 2,3.
The choice is made before you land. You cannot swap an exemption for an e-visa at the airport. If you arrive without one, you get the 45 days and no more.
The two options side by side
| Visa-free (exemption) | E-visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 45 for the passports below | Up to 90 |
| Cost | Nothing | $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry, government fee 1 |
| Apply | No application | Online before you travel, 3 working days stated 4 |
| Enter at | Any open border post | Only the port named on the e-visa 5 |
| Extend inside Vietnam | No, according to guides 2,3 | No, according to guides 2,3 |
| Leave and return | New 45 days on re-entry, check before you go 6 | A new e-visa, or a multiple-entry one for side trips |
Who gets 45 days
Our rules data, verified Oct 18, 2026, lists these passports at 45 days 7:
- Until Mar 14, 2028: Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Russia and Sweden 7,8.
- Until Aug 14, 2028: Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia 7,8,9.
Other passports get different rules. Some ASEAN passports get 30 days, the Philippines gets 21, and Chile and Panama get 90 7. Indonesia is listed at 14 days from Jul 15, 2026 7. The United States, Canada and Australia are not on the exemption list and need an e-visa. The visa check on this site gives your own answer.
The exemptions run for a set time. After the end date, the rule has to be renewed or it lapses. Check before you go if you plan beyond 2028.
When 45 days is enough
Skip the e-visa if your plan fits in 45 days. It costs nothing, and you avoid the application, the port rule and the wait. You enter at any open border post. Border officers decide each entry 10.
When you want the e-visa
- You plan more than 45 days in one stay. An e-visa gives up to 90.
- You want to be sure before you fly. An approved e-visa shows the airline you are allowed to enter.
- You want to leave and come back inside the stay. A multiple-entry e-visa costs $50 in government fees 1.
A stay on an e-visa is one window of up to 90 days. When it ends you need a new e-visa 1.
The cannot-extend rule
The sources we read agree on one point: an e-visa cannot be extended inside Vietnam, and neither can a 45 day exemption 2,3. A 2023 report says people on the exemption can be considered for a visa or a longer stay under the regulations, but it gives no steps 11. Some agencies advertise extensions. We could not confirm how they work, so check before you go.
Business and work visas through a sponsor in Vietnam can be extended. That is a different route 2.
The usual way to get more time
Leave and come back. A visa-free passport gets a new 45 days when it re-enters, and we found no waiting period in the 2025 resolutions 6,8. We could not read the law's full text, so check before you go. An e-visa holder needs a new e-visa for the way back in. Our border run guide has the routes and the rough costs.
What to do next
The visa check says what your passport gets and how many days you can book. If you need the longer stay, apply for the e-visa. For a stay that has a hard end, the border run guide shows the way to restart it.
Questions and answers
Can I turn my 45 days into a 90 day e-visa after I arrive?
Not that we found. The guides we read say neither can be extended inside Vietnam 2,3. Apply for the e-visa before you travel if you want 90 days.
Is an e-visa better than visa-free for a 60 day stay?
For a 60 day stay on a 45 day passport, yes, because the exemption ends at 45. An e-visa for up to 90 days costs $25 in government fees 1.
Do I need an e-visa if I will leave on day 40 and come back?
Not for a passport on the 45 day list, since a re-entry starts a new 45 days according to the 2025 resolutions 6,8. We found no waiting time. Check before you go.
Does the exemption end soon?
The dates in our data are Mar 14, 2028 and Aug 14, 2028 7,8. Governments can change them with notice, so check close to your trip.
Does a multiple-entry e-visa give 90 days every time I enter?
No. It is one window of up to 90 days. You can cross out and back inside it 1.
Which is cheaper?
Visa-free costs nothing. The e-visa costs $25 or $50 in government fees 1, plus our service fee if you ask us to apply for you. Only choose it when you need the extra days or the certainty.
Sources
All sources were read or seen in search on Oct 20, 2026 unless the line says otherwise. "Seen in search" means we saw the text in a search result and the page itself would not load for us.
- Wikipedia, Visa policy of Vietnam (e-visa up to 90 days, USD 25 single entry, USD 50 multiple entry): en.wikipedia.org
- Tan Van Lang, how to renew a visa in Vietnam, last updated Mar 20, 2026 (e-visa and 45 day exemption not extendable; DN1 business visas can be, with a sponsor). Seen in search: tanvanlang.com
- Vietcetera, Vietnam visa and immigration master guide 2026 (e-visa cannot be extended). Seen in search: vietcetera.com
- One Mile at a Time, "My Experience Applying For A Vietnam E-Visa" (up to 3 working days). Seen in search: onemileatatime.com
- Our border run guide, with the entry port rule written from agency reports: vietnam90days.com
- Our own reading of the 2020 law change that dropped the 30 day wait between visa-free entries, from vietnam-visa.com (last update Dec 5, 2025): vietnam-visa.com
- Our rules data (packages/visa-core, visa-rules.json), verified Oct 18, 2026 from Resolution 44/NQ-CP, Resolution 229/NQ-CP and Wikipedia.
- vietnam.travel, new visa exemption policies from Aug 15, 2025 (Resolution 229/NQ-CP, 45 days to Aug 14, 2028): vietnam.travel
- EY Vietnam alert, Aug 2025, on resolutions 44/NQ-CP (to Mar 14, 2028) and 229/NQ-CP (to Aug 14, 2028): ey.com
- Our border run guide notes that officers decide each entry. Some guides warn that they can refuse it: vietnam90days.com
- VTV, "Temporary residence period for foreigners raised to 45 days", Jun 2023. Seen in search: english.vtv.vn