Urgent Vietnam eVisa for Chinese Passport Holders

Short answer: Chinese passport holders need a visa for Vietnam — there is no exemption for any travel purpose. The eVisa is the practical route: up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, entirely online, official processing about 3 working days. Chinese travellers also have one option most nationalities do not — the land borders — and that changes what you should put on the form.

Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Vietnam in 2026?

Yes, for every purpose: tourism, business, visiting family, trade trips. China is not on Vietnam’s visa-exemption list.

Since August 2023, Vietnam has issued eVisas to citizens of all countries and territories, up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. Chinese biometric e-passports are accepted through the online system, with no embassy visit.

What to have ready

• A Chinese passport valid at least 6 months beyond arrival, with at least 2 blank pages
• A clear scan of the passport bio page
• A photo in 4x6cm format, white background, no glasses, both ears visible
• Your travel details and your first hotel in Vietnam
• The exact border gate you will use

Flying in, or crossing by land?

This is the question that matters most for Chinese applicants, and the one that most often gets answered wrongly on the form.

Vietnam accepts eVisas at 83 international border gates — airports, land crossings and seaports. The count rose in December 2025, when Resolution 389/NQ-CP added 41 gates to the 42 approved in 2023, including the Dong Dang and Lao Cai railway crossings and Tra Linh in Cao Bang.

The land gates on the Chinese border that accept eVisas include Mong Cai (Quang Ninh), Huu Nghi (Lang Son), Lao Cai, and Tra Linh (Cao Bang). Flying travellers mostly use Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang and Cam Ranh.

Whichever you use, the gate on your eVisa must be the gate you actually arrive at. This catches out traders and group travellers who plan to fly in and return overland, or who change crossing at the last moment because of queues. An eVisa issued for Huu Nghi does not work at Mong Cai. If your route might change, that is an argument for planning the entry gate carefully before you apply, not after.

Single entry or multiple entry?

The Vietnam Immigration Department charges USD 25 for single entry and USD 50 for multiple entry, both up to 90 days.

Multiple entry earns its cost for anyone doing business across the border, running repeat buying trips, or combining Vietnam with Laos or Cambodia. Re-entering on a single-entry eVisa is not possible — you would be applying again from outside Vietnam, mid-trip.

The government fee is non-refundable even if the application is refused. A rejection does not return your USD 25.

Timing: the overlap is good, use it

Vietnam is 1 hour behind Beijing. Vietnamese government offices run 7:30 to 17:30 local time, which is 8:30 am to 6:30 pm Beijing time.

That is almost the whole Chinese working day — the best overlap of any major market. The practical rule is simply to apply during Chinese business hours on a weekday, not late at night. Our urgent tiers:

• Urgent — approval in 4 to 8 working hours, weekdays
• Emergency — approval in 1 to 2 hours, weekdays
• Weekend and holiday — a separate tier, since Vietnamese offices are closed

Fees are on our pricing page. One warning worth planning around: Vietnamese and Chinese public holidays overlap at Lunar New Year. Vietnamese offices close for Tet at roughly the same time as Spring Festival, so the week when cross-border travel peaks is also the week when processing stops. Apply well before.

Why applications get refused

1. The photo. 4x6cm is taller than wide and needs a plain white background. A cropped phone photo or a tinted background is the most common rejection.
2. Name entry. The form must match the Latin-script name in your passport’s machine-readable zone exactly — the romanised spelling as printed, not a different transliteration.
3. Border gate mismatch. Covered above, and the most expensive mistake for overland travellers.
4. Passport expiry inside 6 months, counted from your entry date.
5. Entry date set too late. Your eVisa starts on the date you nominate; you cannot enter before it, though arriving after it is fine.

Entry remains at the discretion of the border officer, so documents that match each other exactly matter more at a land crossing than most travellers expect.

Applying yourself vs using us

You can apply directly at evisa.gov.vn, the Vietnam Immigration Department’s own portal, and pay only the USD 25 or USD 50 government fee. If your trip is weeks away and your documents are in order, do that — we would rather tell you than take a fee for work you do not need.

Our service fee sits on top of the government fee. It buys speed, a check before submission, and follow-up — which is what you want when you travel within 72 hours, when an earlier application was refused, or when you are routing a group through a land border.

We are a licensed Vietnamese tourism-services agent, not a government body.

Questions Chinese travellers ask us most

Can I get a Vietnam eVisa in one day?
On a Vietnamese working day, yes — our emergency tier targets 1 to 2 hours. Apply during Chinese business hours.

I travel tomorrow. Is it too late?
Often not, but it depends on the hour and whether Vietnamese offices are open. Call +84.988.88.5560 instead of filling in the form and we will tell you honestly.

Can I enter by land with an eVisa?
Yes, at the approved land gates, including Mong Cai, Huu Nghi, Lao Cai and Tra Linh. The gate on your eVisa must match the one you use.

Can I fly in and leave overland?
Yes — the exit gate is not restricted the way the entry gate is. Plan the entry gate carefully; the exit is more flexible.

Is visa on arrival better?
Rarely. It still needs an approval letter arranged beforehand, works only at airports, and adds a cash stamping fee on landing. Most Chinese travellers now use the eVisa.

Can I extend my eVisa inside Vietnam?
Not in the ordinary way. Travellers who need longer usually exit and re-enter on a new eVisa — another reason to take multiple entry up front.

Do I need to print it?
Print it. It is checked before boarding and at the border gate.

Ready to apply

The form takes about 5 minutes. We check it before submission and tell you if anything will cause a problem — including whether your border gate is the right one.

Start your Vietnam eVisa application

Travelling soon? Call +84.988.88.5560 or email info@instantvietnamvisa.com. Office hours are 7:30–17:30 Vietnam time, which is 8:30 am to 6:30 pm Beijing time.

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