Do I need a visa for Vietnam?
It depends on your passport. Most of Southeast Asia gets 30 days visa-free, the UK and much of Western Europe get 45 days, and everyone else, including the US, Canada, Australia and India, needs an e-visa, which any nationality can apply for online.
| Passport | What you need | Max stay |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia | Nothing (visa-free) | 30 days |
| Other ASEAN | Visa-free, length varies | Check |
| UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Nordics | Nothing (visa-free) | 45 days |
| Japan, South Korea | Nothing (visa-free) | 45 days |
| United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland | E-visa | 90 days |
| India, China, the Middle East and all others | E-visa | 90 days |
As of October 2026. Rules shift, so confirm your passport's status with the Vietnamese embassy for your country before you book.
Which option suits a trading trip?
For a one-week trip, your visa-free days are plenty. For a month or longer, take the 90-day e-visa, because a visa-free stay can't be extended from inside Vietnam.
- A week like ours: visa-free if your passport has it, otherwise a single-entry e-visa.
- A month in Da Nang: Singapore and Malaysia passports hit their 30-day limit fast. A 90-day e-visa gives you room. See Da Nang for traders for areas and costs.
- Hopping to Bali or Bangkok mid-stay: pay the 50 USD multiple-entry e-visa so you can come back in on the same visa.
How do I apply for the e-visa?
Apply yourself at evisa.gov.vn in about fifteen minutes. You don't need an agent, and the many look-alike agency sites charge several times the real fee.
- Type evisa.gov.vn yourself rather than clicking an ad, and choose the e-visa for foreigners.
- Upload a passport-style photo (plain background, no glasses) and a clear scan of your passport's photo page.
- Enter your details exactly as in your passport, your entry date, the airport you'll land at and your first hotel.
- Pay by card and save the registration code.
- After about three working days, download the PDF and print a copy. Airlines sometimes ask for it at check-in.
A wrong passport number or date of birth makes the visa invalid and the fee isn't refunded, so check every field. Our sister site has the full walkthrough with screenshots in its Vietnam e-visa guide.
Can I trade my own account on a tourist visa?
Managing your own investments online is a personal activity, not a job with a Vietnamese employer, and it's what most visiting traders do. Being paid by clients in Vietnam, teaching paid classes here or managing other people's money locally is work, and needs the right permit.
We're a travel company, not lawyers or tax advisers. Two practical notes for longer stays:
- Hosting or teaching: if you're planning to run paid workshops in Vietnam, talk to us first so the trip is set up correctly. See how our Copy-Trip hosting works.
- Tax residency: in many countries, Vietnam included, spending 183 days or more there in a year can make you tax resident. If you're planning months, not weeks, speak to a tax adviser in your home country before you go.
What else catches people at the airport?
Two things: your passport needs at least six months of validity left on arrival, and if you land in Ho Chi Minh City you must fill in a free Digital Arrival Card in the 72 hours before landing.
Airlines check passport validity before you board, so look at your expiry date now. The Digital Arrival Card has applied at Tan Son Nhat since 15 April 2026, including for visa-free travellers, and is expected to spread to Hanoi and Da Nang. Use only the official government portal; fake sites asking for card payments have appeared. Once you're through, set up your connection with our eSIM and SIM guide for traders.
FAQ
Do Singaporeans and Malaysians need a visa for Vietnam?
No. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia passport holders enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 30 days. For a longer stay, apply for the e-visa, which allows up to 90 days.
How much is the Vietnam e-visa?
25 USD for a single entry and 50 USD for multiple entries, valid for up to 90 days, paid by card on the official site evisa.gov.vn. The fee is not refunded if the application is rejected.
Can I trade my own account while visiting Vietnam on a tourist visa?
Managing your own investments online is a personal activity, not a job with a Vietnamese employer, and it's what most visiting traders do. Being paid by clients in Vietnam, teaching paid classes or managing other people's money locally is work and needs the right permit. We're not lawyers, so check your own situation if you plan a long stay.
Can I extend a visa-free stay in Vietnam?
Not from inside the country. If you plan to stay longer than your visa-free period, apply for the 90-day e-visa before you travel.
How long does the Vietnam e-visa take?
Usually about three working days. It slows down around Tet and Christmas, and weekends and Vietnamese public holidays don't count, so apply one to two weeks before you fly.
The bottom line
Check your passport, and for anything longer than your visa-free days, apply for the 90-day e-visa yourself at evisa.gov.vn a week or two before you fly. Trading your own account is what most visiting traders do; paid work for people in Vietnam is a different matter.
Next: forex market hours in Vietnam, or the internet and power setup.