The short answer

French citizens can get a Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム) e-visa online in 10 minutes. It costs 25 USD (or around 600,000 VND at current rates) for a single-entry 90-day tourist visa. No embassy visit, no paper. The visa works for entry by air, road, or sea.

Step-by-step application

Go to the official Vietnamese Immigration Department e-visa portal at www.evisa.gov.vn (not a reseller site — this matters). The government site charges 25 USD and is the cheapest option.

What you need

  • A valid French passport (at least 6 months validity; most sources say 1 month, but immigration is stricter in practice)
  • A passport photo: JPG or PNG, 4×6 cm, white background, face clearly visible. If you don't have a digital copy, take a selfie against a white wall and crop it yourself
  • An email address
  • A credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB)

The actual process

  1. Go to evisa.gov.vn. You'll land on a form. Select "Visa on Arrival" — confusing name, but this is the e-visa option.
  2. Choose your visa type. "Single Entry Visa" for 25 USD (90 days of stay, one entry). "Multiple Entry" is 50 USD if you're bouncing in and out of Southeast Asia.
  3. Fill the form. Passport number, full name (as written in your passport), date of birth, nationality, email. Your phone number is optional but useful — they'll text you the approval.
  4. Upload your photo. The system rejects blurry or off-center images. Reupload until it accepts.
  5. Review and pay. Double-check spelling of your name (it must match your passport exactly). Pay 25 USD via card.
  6. Wait. Official processing time is 3 business days, but you'll usually get approval within 24 hours. You'll receive an approval letter via email.
  7. Print the approval letter. Save the PDF and print it on A4 paper. You don't technically need it at immigration if they have it in the system, but bring it anyway — reduces friction.

What actually happens at the airport

When you land at Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Saigon), Da Nang, or any other Vietnamese airport with an e-visa booth, go straight to the e-visa counter (usually marked "e-visa" in English). Hand over your passport and the printed approval letter. The officer scans your passport, stamps your approval letter, and returns your passport with an entry stamp. Takes 5 minutes.

If you overstay your exit date by even one day, fines are steep: 25 USD per day. If you lose track, ask your hotel desk the day before your exit date.

Crowded airport check-in area with people queueing and visible flight information signs.

Photo by Kenneth Surillo on Pexels

Common mistakes

Using a reseller site. Thousands of websites offer e-visas for 30–40 USD. They all connect to evisa.gov.vn anyway — you're just paying a middleman fee. Stick to the official site.

Name mismatch. If your approval letter says "Jean-Michel DUPONT" and your passport says "Jean Michel DUPONT" (no hyphen), immigration will flag it. Type your name exactly as it appears in your passport, including hyphens, accents, or spacing. Wait — actually, drop accents. "Jean-Michiel Dupont" becomes "Jean-Michel Dupont" on your passport in Latin script. Match it exactly.

Photo rejection. A common trap: the background isn't white enough, or there's a shadow. Use a plain white wall, natural light, or take your photo outdoors on an overcast day. The system is picky.

Expired approval. Your approval letter is valid for 90 days from issue. You must enter Vietnam within that window. If you get approved on January 1, you have until April 1 to use it.

Entry vs. stay duration. The 90-day allowance is your total stay, not 90 days from arrival. It means you can stay up to 90 days from your entry date. If you land on March 1, you can stay until May 30.

Cost breakdown (USD)

  • Single-entry e-visa: 25 USD (official)
  • Single-entry via reseller: 30–40 USD (not worth it)
  • Multiple-entry e-visa: 50 USD (official)
  • Printing your approval letter: 10,000 VND at a photocopy shop (about 0.50 USD), or free if you have a printer

Total realistic cost: 25–26 USD for a single-entry tourist e-visa.

A vibrant aerial view of Ho Chi Minh City featuring the iconic 'Welcome to Vietnam' sign among buildings.

Photo by Nhựt Nguyên Trần on Pexels

Insider notes

If you're in Vietnam and want to extend your visa without leaving, you can apply for a tourist visa extension at your local immigration office (Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン)'s office is on Nguyen Hue Boulevard, Hanoi's is near Tran Quoc Pagoda). Costs 25–35 USD, takes 2–4 business days, and gives you an extra 30 or 90 days. Easier than border runs to Cambodia.

If you're staying longer than 90 days, skip the e-visa and apply for a business visa (3-month or 12-month) from a Vietnamese embassy abroad. It's cheaper per month and less hassle than multiple e-visas or extensions. French citizens apply at the Vietnamese Embassy in Paris (6 Rue Boileau, 75016 Paris) — expect 2–3 weeks processing and 40–80 EUR depending on duration.

For families: each person needs their own e-visa. There's no family bundle or dependent option. Submit separate applications for your partner and kids.

Practical notes

The e-visa system is reliable and hasn't changed significantly in years. Approval by email is fast, and immigration officers are used to French tourists. The main things that trip people up are name mismatches and photo rejections — both preventable if you're careful at the form stage. If your application is rejected, the system will email you within 24 hours explaining why. Resubmit with corrections; there's no fee for reapplication.

Bring your phone into Vietnam unlocked if you want a local SIM card. A 4G prepaid plan costs 50,000–100,000 VND for 30 days and is useful for ride-sharing apps and navigation — though most hotels and restaurants offer free WiFi.

— FIN —

Last updated · May 27, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.