Vietnam pre-arrival card: who needs it and how to fill it in
Since April 2026, most foreign visitors to Vietnam are asked to fill in a free online Pre-Arrival Information card before they land, at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn 1,2. It is not a visa, and it does not replace one. You still need an e-visa or a visa-free stay 3.
The rollout is still moving. Airports are the clear part. Land borders and seaports are reported differently by different sources, so check before you go.
What it is
The card is an online form that takes the place of the old paper arrival slip. When you finish, the site gives you a QR code. Keep it on your phone, and print a copy if you can 1,4. The site is run by Vietnam's Immigration Department 5.
It is free on the site itself. Other sites sell help with the form for $20 to $80, which you do not need 6.
Who needs it
Almost everyone who is not a Vietnamese citizen on a Vietnamese passport: visa-free visitors, e-visa holders and others 2. Vietnamese passport holders are exempt, and so are transit passengers who stay airside 6. Having an e-visa does not exempt you, and neither does a visa-free stay 6.
One report from May 2026 called the system voluntary at that time at Ho Chi Minh City 3. Later reports describe it as expected for all foreign arrivals at the airports below 4,6. We found no report of anyone being refused entry for skipping it. A guide says you are not refused but you are slowed 2. Do it anyway.
Where it is required now
| Entry point | What we found |
|---|---|
| Tan Son Nhat, Ho Chi Minh City | In use from Apr 15, 2026 1,2 |
| Phu Quoc | Required from Jun 1, 2026 7 |
| Noi Bai (Hanoi), Da Nang, Nha Trang | Listed by a Singapore embassy update dated Jun 25, 2026 and by a relocation guide dated Jul 3, 2026 4,6 |
| Land borders | Under study as of May 2026 3. One guide says Dong Dang has it. Others say manual stamps still dominate 6,7. Check before you go |
| Seaports | One guide lists them. We found no firm source. Check before you go |
The government said on May 10, 2026 that the system would be rolled out across the country 3. We found no source dated after July 2026 with the full list of places. If you arrive anywhere other than the airports above, fill it in anyway, because a form you did not need costs five minutes, and a form you did need can cost a long queue.
Step by step
- Open the site. Go to prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. Type the address yourself rather than following an advert 6.
- Pick the time. File within 72 hours before you arrive. The site does not take it earlier 2,3. One embassy update says you can also complete it on arrival 4.
- Enter your passport details. One guide says you upload a photo of the passport photo page and the site reads the details from it 6. Check every field against the passport.
- Enter your entry document. An e-visa holder gives the e-visa number. A visa-free visitor picks the exemption 6.
- Enter the trip. Flight number, date and airport of arrival, and where you will stay in Vietnam 2,6.
- Submit and save. You get a QR code, by email in one report 2. Save it on your phone and as a PDF. Show it at immigration.
If your internet is poor at the airport, use the QR codes on the terminal banners to reach the portal, or file at the hotel before you leave 6.
What it does not do
It does not give you permission to enter. It does not extend a stay. It does not take the place of the customs form if you carry more than the allowed cash or restricted goods 6. Check before you go.
What to do next
The card is separate from your visa. The visa check says whether you need an e-visa. If you do, apply here, then fill in the card within 72 hours of landing. The e-visa guide covers the rest of the trip.
Questions and answers
Is the Vietnam arrival card mandatory?
Sources differ. One May 2026 report said it was voluntary at the first airport 3. Later guides say it is expected at all the main airports 4,6. Treat it as required.
How long before my flight should I fill it in?
Within 72 hours before arrival 2,3. Doing it the day before is common. The site does not take it earlier than that.
Does it cost anything?
No, not on the Immigration Department's own site 1,6. Sites that charge $20 to $80 are selling help with a free form 6.
I forgot to fill it in. What now?
Connect to the airport Wi-Fi and fill it in before the immigration queue. One guide says there is no fine but it causes delay 6.
I am crossing by land from Cambodia or Laos. Do I need it?
Land borders are not clearly covered. Fill it in anyway if the site lets you choose the border gate, and carry a printed e-visa 7. Check before you go.
Sources
All sources were read or seen in search on Oct 20, 2026. "Seen in search" means we saw the text in a search result and the page itself would not load for us. The portal itself would not show us its rules when we opened it.
- Mainly Miles, "Vietnam introduces mandatory digital arrival card at Ho Chi Minh City", Apr 20, 2026. Seen in search: mainlymiles.com
- Time Out Asia, "Vietnam introduces a digital arrival card", Apr 20, 2026 (who must file, 72 hours, steps, QR code by email, no refusal for skipping it): timeout.com
- iVisa, "Vietnam to roll out digital arrival card system nationwide", May 13, 2026 (Ministry of Public Security announcement of May 10, 2026, land borders under study, voluntary at the pilot): ivisa.com
- Embassy of Singapore in Hanoi, "Pre-arrival declaration for foreign travellers entering Vietnam", Jun 25, 2026 (Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc; not more than 3 days before arrival; QR code): hanoi.mfa.gov.sg
- The portal at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn, titled Pre-Arrival Information and issued by the Immigration Department (Cuc Quan ly xuat nhap canh).
- Lease in Vietnam, "Vietnam Digital Arrival Card 2026" guide, published Jul 3, 2026 (a commercial relocation site: airports, steps, free, exemptions, land borders): leaseinvietnam.com
- Search summaries of 2026 guides on Phu Quoc from Jun 1, 2026 and on Dong Dang and seaports (Visasnews, KKday). Seen in search, they conflict, so treat them as leads: visasnews.com and kkday.com