Quick summary
The official Vietnamese government e-visa portal at evisa.gov.vn charges $25 for single-entry or $50 for multiple-entry 90-day visas. Scam sites ending in .com, .net, or .org charge $50-100 for the identical visa—a 100-300% markup with zero additional service. Air Traveler Club’s January 2026 analysis of 47 third-party visa sites found average fees of $79 for a service that costs $25 directly from Vietnam’s Immigration Department.
The only legitimate portal ends in .gov.vn. Private agencies claiming “express processing” have no special government access—standard processing is 3-5 working days for all applicants. This article covers official fee structures, scam detection methods, application requirements, and the 42 designated entry gates where e-visas are valid.
Dozens of fraudulent websites mimic Vietnam’s official immigration portal, extracting $25-75 in unnecessary fees from travelers who don’t verify the URL. The sole official e-visa system operates at evisa.gov.vn, charging $25 for single-entry or $50 for multiple-entry visas valid for 90 days. Any site ending in .com, .net, or .org is a private agency marking up a government service you can access directly.
For travelers from Europe, North America, and Australasia departing between February 2026 and December 2026, the scam risk is acute. Vietnam’s e-visa system expanded to 80+ nationalities in 2023, creating a surge in copycat sites exploiting search engine rankings. These agencies offer no expedited processing—all applications process in 3-5 working days regardless of who submits them. The markup funds nothing but profit.
The $25 government fee vs. the $50-100 agency markup
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security operates a single e-visa portal at evisa.gov.vn. The fee structure is fixed by law: $25 USD for single-entry, $50 USD for multiple-entry, both valid for 90 days maximum. Payment is processed via bank transfer only. These fees are non-refundable even if your application is denied, making accuracy critical.
Private agencies charge $50-100 for the same visa by inserting themselves as middlemen. They complete the official form on your behalf, add a “service fee,” and promise benefits they cannot deliver. The official Vietnam e-visa portal processes all applications identically—there is no VIP queue, no government fast-track, no special access for agencies.
The math is brutal: a family of four pays $100 for official single-entry visas or $300-400 through an agency. That $200-300 difference buys nothing. The same 3-5 day processing window applies. The same entry gates are valid. The same printed e-visa document is required at immigration.
| Indicator | Official (.gov.vn) | Scam/Private (.com/.net) |
|---|---|---|
| URL Domain | evisa.gov.vn | vietnamevisa.com, vietnam-visa.org, etc. |
| Fee (Single-Entry) | $25 USD | $50-100 (“service fee” included) |
| Fee (Multiple-Entry) | $50 USD | $75-150 |
| Processing Time | 3-5 working days | “Express 1-2 days” (false claim) |
| Payment Method | Bank transfer only | Credit cards, PayPal |
| Support Contact | foreigners@xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn | Generic chat widgets, private emails |
If you’re researching flight options to Vietnam from Europe, factor in the correct $25-50 visa cost—not the inflated agency pricing that appears in sponsored search results.
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How to verify the official portal in 10 seconds
The URL verification test is binary: evisa.gov.vn is official. Everything else is not. The .gov.vn domain suffix is reserved exclusively for Vietnamese government entities. No private company can register a .gov.vn address. If the URL ends in .com, .net, .org, .co, or any other commercial suffix, you are on a third-party site.
Scam sites deploy sophisticated tactics to appear official. They copy the government portal’s design, use Vietnamese flag imagery, display fake “Ministry of Immigration” headers, and rank above the real site in Google search results through paid advertising. The only defense is checking the domain before entering passport data.
Common scam domains identified in February 2026 include vietnamevisa.com, vietnam-visa.org, evisa-vietnam.net, and vietnamvisaonline.com. These sites are not illegal—they are legitimate businesses providing a service you don’t need. But they exploit travelers’ unfamiliarity with Vietnam’s official systems to extract fees for form-filling.
Why agencies can’t expedite processing
Vietnam’s e-visa system is fully automated. Applications enter a queue managed by the Immigration Department’s digital infrastructure. No human intervention occurs until final approval. Agencies submit applications to the same system using the same portal as individual travelers. The 3-5 working day window is hardcoded into the system—it cannot be shortened by paying more. Claims of “express processing” or “VIP service” are marketing fiction.
The 42 entry gates where e-visas are valid
Vietnam’s e-visa is only valid at 42 designated entry points—all international airports plus select land and sea borders. Arriving at a non-designated gate with an e-visa results in denied entry, even if your visa is otherwise valid. This is a critical application detail that agencies often fail to emphasize.
All major international airports accept e-visas: Hanoi (Noi Bai), Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat), Da Nang, Nha Trang (Cam Ranh), Phu Quoc, and Can Tho. Land borders accepting e-visas include Moc Bai (Cambodia), Lao Bao (Laos), and Friendship Gate (China). Sea entry is permitted at ports in Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The application form requires you to specify your entry and exit points. Select incorrectly and you will be denied boarding or entry. If your itinerary changes after approval, you cannot modify the e-visa—you must apply for a new one and pay the fee again. This is where the “non-refundable” policy becomes painful.
Application requirements and common denial triggers
The e-visa application requires a valid passport with at least six months validity from your entry date, a recent passport-style photo, and accurate personal information. The system cross-references your data against immigration databases. Minor errors—typos in passport numbers, mismatched names, wrong birthdates—trigger automatic denials.
Emergency passports are frequently denied entry even with approved e-visas. Vietnam’s immigration system flags temporary travel documents as high-risk. If you’re traveling on an emergency passport issued after losing your original, contact the Vietnamese embassy in your country to confirm entry eligibility before applying for an e-visa.
The photo upload is a common failure point. Vietnam requires a white background, no glasses, neutral expression, and specific pixel dimensions (4x6cm at 300 DPI minimum). Photos taken against colored walls or with shadows are rejected. Use a professional passport photo service or a dedicated app that meets ICAO standards.
Processing begins only on working days. Applications submitted Friday evening won’t start processing until Monday. Vietnamese public holidays pause the system entirely. For February-March 2026 travel, account for Tet (Lunar New Year) closures—the Immigration Department operates on reduced capacity for 7-10 days around the holiday.
When the e-visa system doesn’t apply
Certain visa categories are ineligible for e-visa processing. Article 8 of Vietnam’s immigration law (clauses 1-4) covers diplomatic passports, official government business, and specific work permit categories. These travelers must apply through Vietnamese embassies or consulates—the e-visa portal will reject their applications.
E-visas cannot be renewed or extended inside Vietnam. If you need to stay beyond 90 days, you must exit the country and reapply. There is no in-country conversion to a longer-term visa. This is a critical limitation for digital nomads or travelers planning extended stays.
Some nationalities remain excluded from the e-visa system entirely, though the list has shrunk significantly since 2023. If you’re from a country not listed on the official portal’s eligibility page, you need a traditional visa from an embassy. The AI-detected fare monitoring system can help identify when flight prices drop for your region, but visa eligibility is fixed by policy.
Data theft risks on fake visa sites
Beyond financial markup, scam sites harvest passport data, credit card numbers, and personal information. Vietnam’s official portal uses bank transfer payment exclusively—it never requests credit card details. Sites accepting Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal are third-party operators storing your financial data on private servers.
Passport scans uploaded to unofficial sites enter unregulated databases. This data can be sold to identity theft networks or used for fraudulent visa applications in other countries. The official evisa.gov.vn portal is operated by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security with government-grade encryption. Private agencies have no such security mandates.
If you’ve already submitted data to a scam site, monitor your credit reports and consider placing fraud alerts with your bank. Passport data cannot be “unsent,” but you can limit damage by blocking the card used for payment and watching for unauthorized charges.
Questions? Answers.
What happens if I make a typo in my e-visa application?
Minor errors like name mismatches or incorrect passport numbers cause automatic entry denial at Vietnamese immigration. The US Embassy in Vietnam cannot intervene—you must reapply and pay the $25-50 fee again. Double-check all fields before submitting.
