Visa Vietnam

Vietnam Visa for New Zealand Citizens: E-Visa, Cost & Steps

NGUYEN Leyli Oct 08, 2026 9 mins read

A Vietnam visa for New Zealand citizens is required for every trip, because New Zealand is not on Vietnam's visa-exemption list, and the simplest route is the official e-visa: $25 for a single entry or $50 for multiple entries, valid for up to 90 days and normally issued within 3 working days of a complete application. This guide covers the cost in New Zealand dollars, the application steps, how a visa on arrival compares, and the date and photo errors that hold up applications.

The short version

Cost: $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry, both valid for up to 90 days; agencies add their own fee.
Timing: about 3 working days, so apply at least 14 days before you fly.
Passport: valid for 6 months or more after you leave Vietnam, with your name and date of birth typed exactly as printed.

Do New Zealanders need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. New Zealand passport holders need a visa to enter Vietnam for tourism, business or any other purpose, because New Zealand is not on Vietnam's visa-exemption list, which today covers mainly European and Southeast Asian passports. Get approved before you board, and apply online for an e-visa instead of waiting for the airport.

The one exception is Phu Quoc Island, where visitors of any nationality can stay 30 days without a visa if they fly in directly from abroad and stay on the island. Flying on to Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang means you need a standard visa first, and a connection on the mainland counts as entering Vietnam. Check-in staff at your departure airport, including at a connecting hub, check your visa before issuing a boarding pass.

Dual citizens with a second passport from an exempt country, such as the UK or Germany, can use the 45-day exemption (currently valid until 14 March 2028), but only if they enter and leave Vietnam on that passport.

New Zealand passport on a dark background, for Vietnam visa requirements — *New Zealand passport holders need a visa for Vietnam.*

Vietnam entry requirements for New Zealanders: passport rules

Your New Zealand passport should be valid for at least 6 months, and the safest reading of the rule is 6 months after the day you leave Vietnam, which also satisfies stricter airline checks. Keep at least 2 blank pages, and type your name and date of birth exactly as printed in the passport, because the e-visa is tied to those details.

Vietnam visa for New Zealand citizens: how much does the e-visa cost?

The official Vietnam e-visa fee for New Zealand citizens is $25 for a single entry and $50 for multiple entries, charged in US dollars on the government portal, so expect roughly NZ$40 to NZ$45 and NZ$85 to NZ$90 at recent exchange rates. Both are valid for up to 90 days, and neither fee is refunded if the application is rejected.

The portal accepts Visa and Mastercard, and your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. A rejected application means paying again on a fresh one, so check your passport details twice before you pay.

Agencies and lookalike websites charge a service fee on top of the same document, so check that the address you pay on ends in .gov.vn and that checkout shows $25 or $50. The multiple-entry version is worth the extra $25 only if you plan to leave Vietnam and come back, for example on a side trip to Cambodia or Laos.

Infographic of Vietnam visa for New Zealand citizens fees: $25 single entry and $50 multiple entry — *Official e-visa fees for New Zealand citizens.*

How long is a Vietnam e-visa valid for New Zealanders?

A Vietnam e-visa for New Zealanders is valid for up to 90 days, counted from the entry date you chose on the application, and it is usually issued within 3 working days. You cannot extend an e-visa inside Vietnam, so a longer stay means leaving and applying again.

The 90 days count your arrival day as day one. A visa that starts on 1 July runs out on 28 September, not on 1 October, and your exit date must fall on or before that last day. Arriving later than the start date does not move the end date.

Overstaying is expensive. Under Decree 282/2025, in force since 15 December 2025, foreigners face fines of 500,000 to 2 million VND (about US$19 to US$76) for an overstay under 16 days, 5 to 10 million VND for 16 to under 30 days, and up to 40 million VND at a year or more, with deportation possible. New Zealand's SafeTravel advice also warns that overstaying can affect your ability to book accommodation. If you need more time, read the extension and visa run rules before your visa expires.

Infographic of Vietnam e-visa validity for New Zealand passport holders: up to 90 days from the entry date — *An e-visa is valid for up to 90 days.*

New Zealand to Vietnam visa: e-visa, visa on arrival or embassy?

The e-visa fits most New Zealand travellers: it costs $25 or $50, takes about 3 working days and arrives as a PDF, with no airport visa counter. A visa on arrival suits late bookings but needs an approval letter and a stamping fee at the airport, and an embassy visa means dealing with the Embassy of Viet Nam in Wellington.

Option	Cost	Time	Best for
E-visa	$25 single entry, $50 multiple entry	About 3 working days	Almost every tourist or business trip
Visa on arrival	Approval letter fee set by the agency, plus a $25 (single) or $50 (multiple) stamping fee at the airport	Letter issued before you fly; airports only	Late bookings when an e-visa will not arrive in time
Embassy visa	Set by the Embassy of Viet Nam in Wellington	Set by the embassy	Travellers who prefer a visa in the passport or cannot use the portal

Sources: Vietnam Immigration Department (evisa.gov.vn); Wise New Zealand visa guide (updated June 2025); Embassy of Viet Nam in Wellington via NZ MFAT; checked October 2026.

Collage of Vietnam visa options: a printed e-visa, a visa sticker in a passport and an embassy visa application form — *Three ways to get a Vietnam visa.*

Can New Zealanders get a visa on arrival without pre-approval?

No. A Vietnam visa on arrival is not a walk-up service: New Zealanders must get an approval letter from an authorised agency before they fly, then pay a stamping fee at the visa counter of an international airport. Airlines can refuse boarding without the letter, and it does not work at land borders or seaports.

The letter is issued through Vietnam's Immigration Department, so you pay an agency to request it, then print it and carry it with two 4x6 cm photos and the stamping fee in US dollars. The e-visa is usually simpler, but see when visa on arrival still makes sense if your trip is only days away.

Two Vietnam immigration approval letters used for visa on arrival, with personal details covered — *A visa on arrival needs an approval letter issued before you fly.*

How to apply for the Vietnam e-visa on the official website

Apply on evisa.gov.vn, the government's official portal. To get a Vietnam visa for New Zealanders online, you upload a portrait photo and a passport scan, enter your details exactly as printed in your passport, choose your entry date and port, and pay by card. The e-visa arrives as a PDF to print.

Go straight to evisa.gov.vn, the official immigration portal, and avoid lookalike sites that add fees.
Upload a recent portrait photo against a plain white background, without glasses, and a sharp, glare-free JPEG of your passport data page.
Enter your given names and surname exactly as they appear in the two machine-readable lines at the bottom of the passport page.
Choose your entry date and the port where you will actually arrive, whether an airport, seaport or land border.
Pay the $25 or $50 fee by Visa or Mastercard.
Write down the registration code shown after you submit, then use it to check your status and download the approved PDF, usually within 3 working days.

Our guide to applying for the e-visa step by step shows each screen if you want to compare before you start.

Three-step infographic showing how to get a Vietnam e-visa on the official website — *Apply, pay and download the e-visa from the official portal.*

Common mistakes that delay a Vietnam visa for New Zealanders

The most common reasons a Vietnam visa for NZ citizens is delayed or refused are wrong passport details, a cropped passport scan, a passport with under 6 months left, applying too close to departure, and arriving at a different port from the one on the visa. Each one means a rejection, a resubmission or a refused boarding.

Swapped or missing names: type the given names and surname exactly as in the machine-readable zone, including middle names.
Cropped passport scan: if the two lines of text at the bottom of the page are cut off, the system asks for a new upload and the wait starts again.
Dates in the wrong order: the portal uses DD/MM/YYYY, which New Zealanders already write, but a browser set to a US format can flip them.
Home address in the Vietnam address field: enter the hotel or place where you will stay in Vietnam.
Late applications: with fewer than a few days before departure, a single correction can mean a missed flight.
Wrong port: if you list Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City but fly into Da Nang, officers can refuse you entry.

Infographic of common Vietnam visa mistakes for New Zealanders, from wrong passport data to applying too late — *Most delays come from small data errors.*

📌 Insider note:

Check the entry date against your landing time. If your visa starts on the 27th but your flight lands at 11:15 pm on the 26th, you cannot enter, and airlines may refuse to board you. Put your flight times next to the visa dates before you pay.

Infographic of common errors on the Vietnam e-visa portal, including name order, date format and photo quality — *Four portal errors and how to avoid them.*

What happens when you arrive in Vietnam with an e-visa?

After landing, follow the signs to foreign passport control, not the landing visa desks, and hand your passport and printed e-visa to the officer. The officer checks the documents, scans your passport and stamps it, and then you collect your bags and pass through customs.

Carry a printed copy of the e-visa, because airlines and officers may ask for it.
Have your first hotel address and a return or onward ticket ready, since airlines may ask for proof of onward travel.
Hotels register foreign guests with the police at check-in; if you stay in a private home, you must register at the local police station.

Departures and arrivals signs at an airport — *Follow the arrivals signs to foreign passport control.*

Getting from Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter

Noi Bai is about 27 km from the Old Quarter, roughly 40 to 60 minutes by road depending on traffic. New Zealand's SafeTravel advice is to pre-book airport transfers or use only legitimate taxis to avoid scams, and the main options are below.

Bus 86: 45,000 VND in cash, about every 30 minutes from 5 am to 9 pm, and cheapest of all. It left from Terminal 1 when we last checked, so international arrivals at Terminal 2 must cross over first.
Grab or a metered taxi: about 600,000 VND to the city centre by taxi, though fares move with traffic and time of day.
A pre-booked fixed-price private airport transfer if you land late or have heavy luggage.

Before you land, compare One NZ, Spark or 2degrees roaming with a local SIM or eSIM, so you can call your ride from the arrivals hall.

Google Maps route from Noi Bai International Airport to the Old Quarter in Hanoi, about 27 km and 41 minutes by car — *The drive to the Old Quarter is about 27 km.*

Frequently asked questions

What are the entry requirements for Vietnam from New Zealand after the visa is approved?

Bring a printed copy of your approved e-visa and your New Zealand passport, which should have at least 6 months of validity and blank pages. Enter through the port you listed on the application. Airlines may also ask for proof of onward travel before check-in.

Can New Zealanders extend a Vietnam e-visa while in the country?

No. An e-visa cannot be extended from inside Vietnam. If you want to stay beyond the 90 days, you must leave the country and apply for a new e-visa, and overstaying instead leads to fines and possible deportation.

Is there a Vietnam embassy in New Zealand?

Yes. The Embassy of Viet Nam is at Level 21, Grand Plimmer Tower, 2-6 Gilmer Terrace, Wellington 6011. Most New Zealand travellers apply for the e-visa online instead, but you can contact the embassy for its current embassy-visa fee and timing.

Where can New Zealanders get help in Vietnam?

The New Zealand Embassy is at Level 5, 63 Ly Thai To Street, Hanoi, and the Consulate-General is at Suite 804, The Metropolitan, 235 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. For emergencies from overseas, SafeTravel lists +64 99 20 20 20.