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Extending your stay in Vietnam: e-visa, visa-free, overstay fines

An e-visa and a 45 day visa-free stay cannot be extended inside Vietnam, according to every guide we read 12. When the days run out, you leave and come back on a new e-visa or a new visa-free stay. Overstaying is fined, and the fines went up on Dec 15, 2025 3.

Checked 20 Oct 2026

No government page we could open states the extension rule in plain words. The rule comes from visa consultancies and news outlets, so check before you go if your plan depends on it.

Prices and times are rough. Anything we could not confirm says check before you go.

E-visa

An e-visa covers up to 90 days and is not extendable in country 12. Some people try to extend it through an agent. Agencies advertise this, but we could not confirm how it works or whether it is accepted. One embassy page says an extension can only be done from within Vietnam and needs a guarantor in the country, a company or a person, to apply on your behalf 4. Treat that as a lead only, because the page is dated Jan 2025.

If you need more than 90 days, the usual answer is a new e-visa for the next stay. See the border run guide for how people do it.

Visa-free (the 45 day exemption)

A visa-free stay cannot be extended inside Vietnam, according to the guides 12. A 2023 report on the law that raised the stay to 45 days says people on the exemption can be considered for a visa or a longer stay "according to regulations", with no steps given 5. That is not a right to an extension.

Which visas can be extended

Business visas with a sponsor in Vietnam can be extended. One consultancy lists extensions of 1 or 3 months for certain business cases, filed through the immigration portal with a company signature 1. A personal tourist extension without a sponsor is now rarely approved, the same page says 1. Fees on that page run from about $25 to $100 depending on length. Check before you go.

Overstaying

Overstay fines changed on Dec 15, 2025 under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP 3:

  • Under 16 days: VND 500,000 to 2 million, about $19 to $76.
  • 16 to under 30 days: VND 5 to 10 million.
  • 30 to under 60 days: VND 10 to 15 million.
  • 60 to under 90 days: VND 15 to 20 million.
  • 90 to under 180 days: VND 20 to 25 million.
  • 180 days to under a year: VND 25 to 30 million.
  • A year or more: VND 30 to 40 million, about $1,500.

You can also be removed from the country 36. A report says new rules that took effect on Apr 1, 2026 allow immediate removal when a foreigner cannot pay the fine 7. We only read the first and last bands in more than one place, so check before you go.

Sources disagree on a re-entry ban. One guide warns that an overstay of more than 10 days can lead to a blacklist, at the officer's discretion. Another says bans can last 1 to 10 years 7. We could not confirm either.

How exit works after an overstay

A travel guide says you are taken to an immigration office at the airport, you pay the fine, get a stamp and then go on to your flight, and that this can add 1 to 2 hours 7. Arrive much earlier than normal. Do not offer money to an officer. It is illegal and makes things worse.

If you know you will overstay by a day or two, go to the immigration office before the date and ask. We could not confirm what they will do, so check before you go.

The alternatives

  • Leave and return. The standard answer. See the border run guide for routes, rough costs and the mistakes to avoid.
  • A new e-visa from abroad. Apply in good time. Vietnam states 3 working days 8.
  • A multiple-entry e-visa. It lets you cross out and back inside its own dates, but it does not add days beyond 90 9.
  • A different visa type. A sponsor in Vietnam can support a business or work visa. That is a separate path with its own paperwork 1.

What to do next

If your days are running out, the border run guide shows how to leave and come back. For a new e-visa, apply here in good time, and use the visa check to see what your passport gets.

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Questions and answers

Can I extend a Vietnam e-visa?

Not inside Vietnam, according to the guides we read 12. Leave and apply for a new one.

Can I extend my 45 day visa-free stay?

Not according to the guides 12. A report on the 2023 law says it can be considered under the regulations, but no steps are given 5. Check before you go.

What happens if I overstay by one day?

A fine of VND 500,000 to 2 million falls in the lowest band for an overstay of under 16 days, according to a Dec 2025 report 3. You pay at exit and the officer decides the rest. Check before you go.

Can I be banned from coming back?

Sources disagree on whether and for how long 7. Avoid it. Count your days from the entry stamp.

How many days do I have on my e-visa?

The dates printed on the e-visa. Up to 90 days. The last day is the last day you may be in Vietnam, so plan to leave a day early 10.

Is an agent allowed to extend my stay?

Some agencies say yes. We could not confirm how, and the page we read said a guarantor in Vietnam is needed 4. Do not pay for an extension without a written description of what they will file. Check before you go.

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.

  1. Tan Van Lang, how to renew a visa in Vietnam, last updated Mar 20, 2026 (e-visa and 45 day exemption not extendable; DN1 extensions with a sponsor; tourist extensions rare; fees $25 to $100; a private consultancy): tanvanlang.com
  2. Vietcetera, Vietnam visa and immigration master guide 2026 (e-visa cannot be extended). Seen in search: vietcetera.com
  3. Tuoi Tre News, overstay fines under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, published Dec 26, 2025: news.tuoitre.vn
  4. Embassy of Vietnam in India, e-visa application page (extension only from within Vietnam, needs a guarantor; last updated Jan 6, 2025): vietnamembassydelhi.in
  5. VTV, "Temporary residence period for foreigners raised to 45 days", Jun 2023. Seen in search: english.vtv.vn
  6. Vietcetera, tighter rules and higher fines for overstays, dated Apr 19, 2026. Seen in search: vietcetera.com
  7. Search summary of 2026 overstay reports, including Decree 59/2026/ND-CP from Apr 1, 2026, the airport fine process and blacklist claims (Tuoi Tre and visa blogs). Seen in search, a lead only: news.tuoitre.vn
  8. One Mile at a Time, "My Experience Applying For A Vietnam E-Visa" (up to 3 working days). Seen in search: onemileatatime.com
  9. Wikipedia, Visa policy of Vietnam (e-visa up to 90 days, USD 25 and USD 50): en.wikipedia.org
  10. Our border run guide, which suggests leaving a day early and getting the exit stamp: vietnam90days.com