If you are planning to visit Phu Quoc, then you may be eligible for a 30-day visa-free stay. To qualify for the 30-day visa on arrival, you can ONLY visit Phu Quoc and its 28-island archipelago during your stay.
Best Vietnam Visa for Digital Nomads
If you're a nomad planning to spend some time in Vietnam, then it's best to apply for the 3-month visa. Even if you're only visiting Phu Quoc, the 3-month visa will mean you won't have to do annoying visa runs every 30 days.
Phu Quoc Visa-Free Entry
For the Phu Quoc visa, you must enter Vietnam through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City international airports. You will clear immigration and then proceed directly to the domestic terminal for your flight to Phu Quoc.
There are some international flights which land directly at Phu Quoc International Airport in which case you would go through customs and immigration on the island.
Direct International Flights into Phu Quoc
Here is a list of airports outside of Vietnam which fly direct to Phu Quoc island:
Asia
China - Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Hong Kong - Hong Kong International Airport
Malasia - Kuala Lumpur International Airport
South Korea - Seoul Incheon Airport
Thailand - Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok
Europe
Italy - Malpensa Airport Milan
Vietnam Visa
For those who want to stay on Phu Quoc Island longer than 30 days, or wish to travel to other parts of Vietnam, you might need to apply for a visa before you arrive.
I visited Vietnam three times between September 2018 and December 2019. All three times, I used vietnamimmigration.com.
You get your pre-approved visa within a couple of days, and there is even an option for an express 24-hour service.
Here are the options for Vietnam tourist visas (prices, according to vietnamimmigration.com):
1-month single entry - $6 online, $25 on arrival.
1-month multi-entry - $8 online, $50 on arrival.
3-month single entry (87 days) - $15 online, $25 on arrival.
3-month multi-entry (87 days) - $20 online, $50 on arrival.
6-month and 1-year visas are also available for certain countries.
Vietnamese Visa Process
- Apply online and pay your pre-approval fee. I use vietnamimmigration.com.
- After a few days (usually 48 hours), you will receive your visa documents. Print all the pages and fill out the NA1 Vietnamese Visa Application Form.
- Get two passport-sized (4cm x 6cm) photos before you arrive in Vietnam.
- Make sure you have $USD25 or the equivalent in Vietnamese Dong in CASH before you arrive (no credit cards accepted). I recommend exchanging a minimum of 2 Million Vietnamese Dong in cash per person (+- USD$86) at your airport of departure. This will cover your visa, taxi to your accommodation, any meals and even a sim card of you need one.
- When you arrive at the port of entry, you will be required to submit your documents and pay your fee.
- If there are not many people, you will usually wait around 5 - 10 minutes for your visa to be processed. Your name is called, you collect your visa and go through border control.
I once arrived at Hanoi with a couple of other flights at the same time. On that occasion, I waited about 45 mins for my visa and then another 15 minutes to queue for the border.
I have also arrived at Da Nang, and the entire visa process took less than 15 minutes.
Countries Eligible for Visa-Free Entry into Vietnam
Some countries are eligible for visa-free entry to Vietnam. The length of stay varies depending on the country.
Here is a breakdown of the countries eligible for visa-free entry to Vietnam (Please check vietnamimmigration.com for the most up to date information).
90 Days
Chile
30 Days
Cambodia
Indonesia
Malaysia
Singapore
Laos
Kyrgyzstan
Thailand
21 Days
Philippines
14 Days
Brunei
Myanmar
15 Days (with restrictions)
It is important to note that for these countries, there must be a minimum of 30 days between each visa-free entry into Vietnam. This means no crossing the border for a quick visa run.
Belarus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Norway
Russia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
