Citizens of Azerbaijan need a Vietnam visa, but since 2023 it has become one of the easiest in the world. The country opened its electronic visa to citizens of every nation, extended it to 90 days and added a multiple-entry option.
No embassy, no invitation letter, no middleman. You pay 25 dollars, wait a few working days and fly with a printed sheet of paper.
Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and Phu Quoc have joined Azerbaijani travellers’ Southeast Asia itineraries precisely because of that simplicity.
This article covers the eVisa types and fees, the official portal and the fake sites, the entry-point rule, the flight options from Baku and how to plan the route by season.
Vietnam visa: the essentials
| Visa type | Online eVisa |
| Single entry | 25 dollars, up to 90 days |
| Multiple entry | 50 dollars, unlimited entries within 90 days |
| Decision time | 3 working days officially; 3–7 in practice |
| Passport | At least 6 months’ validity |
| Entry point | The airport or crossing named in the application |
| Direct flights | None; via Doha, Dubai or Istanbul |
How to get a Vietnam eVisa
The application goes through the national eVisa portal of Vietnam’s Immigration Department: you fill in the form, upload a scan of your passport page and a photograph, choose the entry date and entry point, and pay by card. The result is checked on the portal with your application code, and the approval is downloaded as a PDF and printed. The official address is Vietnam’s national electronic visa system; dozens of sites that come up when you search «Vietnam visa» are middlemen selling the same visa for 60 to 100 dollars and looking identical to the real thing. Check the address.
The fee is non-refundable, and an error on the form makes the visa invalid. The most frequent mistakes are in the passport number, in a name not written exactly as it appears in the passport, and in the entry point.
The entry-point rule
A Vietnamese eVisa states where you will enter the country, and that is where you must enter: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang or Phu Quoc airport, or a land crossing. Writing Hanoi and then arriving in Ho Chi Minh City does not work. There is no such restriction on leaving. Anyone who may change the route should choose a multiple-entry visa and the right entry point from the outset.
Read next: Indonesia visa for Bali: the e-VOA, extending the 30 days and the Bali tourist levy
How to fly from Baku to Vietnam
There is no direct flight. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are reached with Qatar Airways via Doha, Emirates via Dubai or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul; the journey takes 12 to 15 hours in total. Fares to Vietnam rise from December to February and over the Novruz holiday, with May and September the cheaper months. Inside the country Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet fly cheaply, and Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City takes two hours.
Vietnam is usually travelled north to south over 10 to 12 days: Hanoi, Ha Long, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta. On a Vietnam tour the eVisa is included in the package and the route is built around the season.
Worth knowing before you go
- Season. The country is long and the weather differs by region: October to April in the north, February to August in the centre, December to April in the south.
- Money. The Vietnamese dong, counted in millions. Cards work in the big cities; markets need cash.
- Insurance. Not required, but essential if you rent a motorbike — without an international driving permit, insurance will not pay out after a motorbike accident.
- Hotel registration. Hotels register guests with the police themselves and may keep your passport overnight.
- Internet. A local SIM at the airport is cheap and works everywhere.
Frequently asked questions about the Vietnam visa
Can you get a visa on arrival?
In practice, no. The old «visa on arrival» system required an invitation letter from a middleman and lost its purpose once the eVisa opened up. Get the visa online beforehand.
Can the 90 days be extended?
Extensions are limited and difficult; the simple route is to cross into a neighbouring country, Cambodia for instance, and come back on a new eVisa.
Can you pop over to Cambodia and return?
Only on a multiple-entry visa. Once you leave on a single-entry visa, you need a new one to come back. Cambodia requires its own eVisa.
In closing
A Vietnam visa is a 25-dollar eVisa online, valid for 90 days and issued within a week; the details that matter are choosing the official portal, filling in the form exactly as the passport reads and naming the right entry point. The Viza.az team helps with the eVisa application, with choosing the visa type that fits the route, and with planning the trip.
Read more about Vietnam as a destination and our service fees, or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is accurate as of the publication date. Fees and visa rules can change, so check the official portal again before applying.
