Vietnam Entry Form 2026: Online Pre-Arrival Declaration Guide

Planning a trip to Hanoi soon? Just like Japan and Thailand, Vietnam introduced a mandatory online pre-arrival declaration system starting in 2026. I've just completed mine for an upcoming trip, and I'm here to walk you through each step for a smooth entry!

Official Entry Declaration Site

Pre-Arrival Information - Cục Quản lý xuất nhập cảnhprearrival.immigration.gov.vn

Compared to some other countries, Vietnam's online entry declaration is quite straightforward.

The site defaults to English, which is perfect for most international travelers.

Click 'Fill and Submit Pre-Arrival Information'.

You'll encounter a CAPTCHA verification. Simply type in the characters as they appear.

Select your nationality, for example, 'United States'.

Note that the expected arrival date can only be selected up to two days in advance.

You'll need to upload a clear scan or photo of your passport's bio-data page. When I uploaded mine, it automatically populated my passport number, expiry date, name, and date of birth. Always double-check that these auto-filled details match your passport exactly!

Don't forget to enter your contact number and email address at the bottom.

For most tourists, select 'Visa Exemption' if your nationality qualifies. Many countries, including the US, often have a 45-day visa-free stay period in Vietnam (as of 2026). If you plan to stay longer, you'll need to apply for an E-Visa separately. The issue and expiry dates for the exemption will be automatically set, so no need to adjust them.

Traveling with family? You can easily add them here. Unlike some systems (like Japan's Visit Japan Web where each person gets a separate QR code), Vietnam's system generates a single QR code for everyone listed in your group.

For 'Place of Departure before arrival in Vietnam', select your home country (e.g., 'United States'). Your 'Purpose of Travel' will likely be 'Tourism'. For 'Means of Transport', you'll select 'Air'.

Start typing the first few letters of your airline code, and it should appear. If your specific flight (like 'Parata Air WE271' in my case) isn't listed, simply choose 'Other' and manually enter your flight number.

For 'Border Gate', select your arrival airport.

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Select 'Hotel' for 'Type of Accommodation'. You can find your hotel's address from your booking confirmation or by searching on Google Maps. For the 'Hotel District' field, don't stress too much about getting it perfectly precise. If you know your hotel is generally near, say, Hoan Kiem Lake, selecting 'Hoan Kiem Ward' should be perfectly acceptable. They aren't overly strict on this detail.

Copy and paste your accommodation address into the field.

You'll also need to enter your expected departure date from Vietnam.

If, like me, you've booked a one-way ticket and your return date isn't set, here's a crucial tip: Select an arbitrary departure date for the form. Then, *before* your immigration interview, book a refundable or 24-hour free cancellation return flight. Once you've cleared immigration, you can cancel it. Many airlines offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking, so this can save you a cancellation fee. It's vital to have proof of onward travel, as arriving on a one-way ticket without a confirmed departure can raise red flags with immigration officers, leading to questions about long-term or illegal stays, especially for visa-exempt travelers. You might be pulled aside to fill out additional paperwork, which can be a hassle and quite intimidating. To avoid any potential issues, always ensure you have a return flight booked, even if you plan to cancel it later.

Once you've double-checked all your information for accuracy, click 'Submit'.

A 6-digit verification code will be sent to your email. Enter it to confirm.

Upon successful submission, a QR code will be generated. You can download it as a PDF file to present at immigration. *Heads up*: I found that the text in the downloaded PDF was garbled for me. However, you'll also receive an email with your entry declaration results, which includes the QR code as an attachment. This email attachment is perfectly usable! You can also use your pre-arrival information number to retrieve and update your declaration on the website's homepage if needed.

Since you might not have immediate internet access upon arrival at the airport, I highly recommend taking a screenshot of the QR code and saving it to your phone's gallery.

Let's go!

Success! I safely entered Vietnam.

Arriving around 11:00 PM, I waited about 30 minutes in the regular immigration line (no fast track for me). While I had my QR code ready from the online declaration, they didn't explicitly ask to see it. Instead, the immigration officer checked my passport and my inbound flight ticket (e.g., from Incheon to Hanoi). Make sure to keep your arrival boarding pass handy until you've cleared immigration! Interestingly, they didn't ask for my return flight ticket.