Singapore citizens can visit Vietnam without a visa for up to 30 days, but many people who live here still need one. This Vietnam Visa Guide is for citizens, PRs, and pass holders who plan to fly in the next few months. It covers visas, the free arrival form, transit, customs, and how long you can stay.
We checked each rule with Vietnam’s immigration office in October 2026, so please recheck before you book. The big change this year is a new online arrival form, which began in April and now runs at five main airports. It is free, yet fake sites that charge for it are already common.
Singapore passport holders can visit Vietnam without a visa for up to 30 days per trip. Many residents on other passports, such as Indian, Chinese, or US ones, need an e-visa first. It costs US$25, about S$32, for one entry and takes three to five working days. Every visitor landing at the five main airports should also file the free PAI arrival form.
Who Needs a Visa for Vietnam in 2026
Singapore is one of about 39 Vietnam visa-free countries for ordinary passports. Singapore’s consulate in Ho Chi Minh City confirms the 30 days and asks for six months left on your passport.
The table groups the passports most common in Singapore:
| Passport | Visa Needed for a Short Visit? | Longest Stay per Visit |
|---|---|---|
| UK (not BNO) | No | 45 days |
| Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand | No | 30 days |
| Myanmar | No | 14 or 30 days, confirm |
| Philippines | No | 21 days |
| Indonesia | No, tourism and family only | 14 days |
| China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka | Yes, e-visa | Up to 90 days |
| US, Australia | Yes, e-visa | Up to 90 days |
The rule follows your passport, not your blue IC or work pass. An Indian engineer on an Employment Pass needs an e-visa, but a Malaysian friend on an S Pass can just fly. Indonesians lost half their free time on 15 July 2026, when their stay fell from 30 days to 14.
Sources disagree on Myanmar, so check with the embassy before booking. Skip any site that sells a paid Vietnam visa for Singaporeans, since a trip of 30 days or less needs none.
How to Apply for a Vietnam Visa from Singapore
Anyone who lives in Singapore can apply online, since the e-visa is open to all passports. That includes PRs and holders of an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, or Dependant’s Pass. The other route is a sticker visa from the embassy at 10 Leedon Park. This part of the Vietnam Visa Guide matters most for families with mixed passports.
Applying Online with the Vietnam E-Visa
Since 15 August 2023, any passport can get a Vietnam e-visa that lasts up to 90 days, with one or many entries. You apply on the official e-visa portal, which Vietnam’s police ministry runs. Its only other real address is thithucdientu.gov.vn, so treat every other site as a paid agent.
A Vietnam e-visa from Singapore takes about 20 minutes, in six steps:
- Open evisa.gov.vn and pick the form for foreigners outside Vietnam.
- Upload a clear passport photo and a scan of your passport data page.
- Enter your trip dates, first address, and the airport where you will land.
- Pick single or multiple entry, then pay by Visa or Mastercard.
- Save your registration code to track your status.
- Print the e-visa and carry it with your passport to Changi.
The e-visa does not replace the arrival form, and you cannot extend it once you are in Vietnam.
Applying in Person at the Vietnam Embassy
Sticker visas come from the Vietnam embassy in Singapore, mostly for work, study, and long stays. Singapore’s MFA says citizens who want more than 30 days can also apply there before they fly. You hand in your passport with the form and two 4×6 cm photos, so plan any trips to Johor around it.
Agent sites say the counter opens on weekday mornings and a sticker visa takes about a week. Email vnemb.sg@mofa.gov.vn to confirm, and apply at least two weeks before you fly.
Documents, Fees, and Processing Time
The portal and the embassy ask for the same core papers:
- A passport with six months left and two blank pages
- A recent 4×6 cm photo on a white background, without glasses
- A clear JPG scan of your passport data page
- Your address in Vietnam for the first night
- Your entry and exit points, such as Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat
The Vietnam visa fee in Singapore depends on the visa type, not your passport. Rates below are the immigration office’s October 2026 figures, at about S$1.28 per US dollar:
| Passport | Single Entry (S$) | Multiple Entry (S$) |
|---|---|---|
| Any, e-visa up to 90 days | About 32 (US$25) | About 64 (US$50) |
| Any, visa on arrival stamp | About 32, plus agent fee | About 64, plus agent fee |
| Any, embassy sticker visa | Ask the embassy | Ask the embassy |
The portal adds no service fee, but agent sites often charge S$70 or more for the same e-visa. Expect a Vietnam visa processing time of three to five working days, and a visa that lasts up to 90 days. We suggest applying two to three weeks ahead, which leaves time to fix a rejected photo.
Pre-Arrival Information: Vietnam’s Free Digital Arrival Form
The Pre-Arrival Information form, or PAI, is a free online arrival card for visitors. It began at Tan Son Nhat Airport on 15 April 2026 and now also covers Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, and Phu Quoc. You fill in at home what the officer would ask at the counter. It is not a visa, so anyone who needs an e-visa must hold both.
Vietnam’s embassy here asks every visitor to file it before they fly. Officers will still let you through without it, but you join the slower queue. Fill it in on the official PAI website in five steps:
- Open the site no earlier than three days before you land.
- Choose English, start a new form, and solve the CAPTCHA.
- Enter your passport details, flight number, and first address.
- Copy your flight number and booking code from your airline email.
- Submit the form and screenshot the QR code for the officer.
No Vietnam Visa Guide is complete without a warning about copycat sites. Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security warns that fake PAI pages steal card details. The real form is free, so close any page that asks you to pay.
Transit Rules for Vietnam
You need no visa to change planes in Vietnam if you stay in the transit area. This works on one ticket with bags checked through, such as Singapore to Hanoi to Seoul.
Flying on to a domestic flight is different, even on one ticket. Vietnam Airlines says these trips need a Vietnam transit visa or an exemption, because you clear immigration at the first airport. Hanoi’s two terminals have no airside link, and agents suggest three hours for the change in Ho Chi Minh City.
Phu Quoc is the main exception, with 30 days visa-free for any passport flying in directly from abroad. Some through tickets via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City also count, so ask your airline. Budget flyers should read this part of the Vietnam Visa Guide twice. A self-transfer between Scoot and VietJet means entering Vietnam, so you need a visa or an exemption.
Entry Checks, Customs, and Travel Advisories
The officer at passport control decides if you get in, even if you hold an e-visa. Vietnam entry requirements include six months on your passport, a ticket out, and your first hotel address.
Keep these rules in mind when you pack:
- Vapes and heated tobacco are banned, with fines of about S$147 to S$244.
- Cash over US$5,000, or over VND 15 million, must be declared at customs.
- Gold jewellery of 300 grams or more must also go through the red channel.
- Chinese tour groups flying into Cam Ranh can enter visa-free until 31 December 2027.
This part of any Vietnam Visa Guide changes the fastest, so check it again a week before you fly. The newest change is a health form under Decree 165/2026, in force since 1 July. The Ministry of Health guidance says most trips do not need it, and that tokhaiyte.vn is not a real government site.
How Long You Can Stay and How to Extend
Singaporeans can stay in Vietnam until the date on their entry stamp, up to 30 days from arrival. It covers holidays and visits, so paid work needs a work visa and a work permit.
You cannot extend a visa-free stay or an e-visa from inside Vietnam. A new visa is only possible when a firm or person in Vietnam sponsors you. Overstays also cost more since Decree 282 took effect on 15 December 2025. Fines start at VND 500,000 to 2 million for under 16 days, and longer overstays can end in removal.
For longer trips, a 90-day e-visa is the easy choice, with multiple entries for side trips. Since 1 July 2026, Vietnam has also offered new UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas for tech workers and their families.
Vietnam Visa Guide Checklist Before You Fly
Run through this Vietnam Visa Guide checklist a week before your flight, then again the night before:
- Passport valid for six months from your arrival date.
- E-visa printed for each family member whose passport needs one.
- PAI form filed within three days of landing, QR code saved.
- Return ticket that leaves Vietnam within your allowed stay.
- Vapes and heated tobacco left at home in Singapore.
- Cash under US$5,000, or a plan to declare it.
- Trip logged on MFA eRegister with your Singpass.
Keep copies of your passport and e-visa in a cloud folder and on paper. If something goes wrong in Vietnam, you can call the MFA Duty Office at +65 6379 8800 at any hour.
Frequently Asked Questions of Vietnam Visa Guide
Do Singapore PRs need a visa for Vietnam?
It depends on the passport you hold, not on your PR status in Singapore. A PR with a Malaysian, Thai, or British passport can visit without a visa for 30 or 45 days. A PR with an Indian, Chinese, or Sri Lankan passport needs a US$25 e-visa, which takes three to five working days.
Can I get a visa on arrival in Vietnam?
Only with an approval letter, which you must buy from a travel agent before you fly. You then pay a stamp fee of US$25 or US$50 in cash at the airport counter. The e-visa costs the same without the agent fee, so most travellers now skip this route.
Can I leave and re-enter to get another 30 days?
Yes, each new entry starts a fresh visa-free stay, and Vietnam no longer asks for a gap between trips. Officers may still ask about many trips in a row, so carry your return ticket and hotel booking. If you plan to stay for months, a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa is the safer choice.
Can I work remotely in Vietnam on a visa-free stay?
The 30-day exemption covers visits without paid work in Vietnam, so local clients and jobs are off limits. Answering emails for your Singapore boss is a grey area, so keep it light and short. Remote workers who want longer stays should look at the 90-day e-visa or the new UĐ visas.
What changes should travellers watch for after October 2026?
The PAI form may spread to more airports and land borders, and Vietnam could make it compulsory. The 45-day exemption for 24 countries runs until March or August 2028 unless the government renews it. We will update this Vietnam Visa Guide when Vietnam changes a rule, fee, or form.
Conclusion
For Singapore citizens, the path is short: six months on your passport, a free PAI form, and up to 30 days. Residents on other passports need one more step, a US$25 e-visa, applied for two to three weeks ahead.
Use this Vietnam Visa Guide to settle three things before you pay for flights: your visa status, your PAI date, and your transit plan. Relatives who stop in Singapore on the way can read our Singapore visa guide for the 96-hour transit rule. Bookmark this Vietnam Visa Guide too, because we update it whenever Vietnam changes a rule, fee, or form.