Yes, Australian citizens need a visa for Vietnam. Australia is not on Vietnam’s visa-free list, so every traveler, babies included, needs a visa before the flight. The easiest choice is the Vietnam visa for Australian citizens issued online: a 90-day e-visa that costs US$25 for single entry or US$50 for multiple entry and usually takes about 3 working days.
Australia is one of the biggest sources of visitors to Vietnam that still need a visa. This guide covers the options, a step-by-step application, the timing around Australian school holidays and Tet, the Vietnamese missions in Australia, and a few tips specific to travelling from Australia.
Vietnam visa for Australian citizens: quick facts (November 2026)
- Visa needed: yes, for mainland Vietnam.
- Best option: 90-day e-visa, US$25 single / US$50 multiple entry.
- Processing: about 3 working days in Vietnam.
- Passport: valid at least 6 months after arrival.
- Time difference: Vietnam is 3 to 4 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne, and 1 hour behind Perth.
Do Australian citizens need a Vietnam visa?
Yes. Vietnam’s visa exemptions cover mainly European countries, Japan, South Korea and several ASEAN neighbours. Australia is not included, so an Australian tourist, business traveler or backpacker needs a visa for the mainland. Check the full list in our guide to who is exempted from Vietnam visa.
There is one exception. Phu Quoc island allows any foreign visitor, including Australians, to stay up to 30 days without a visa when arriving directly from abroad or transiting through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City without leaving the airport.
How many Australians visit Vietnam?
Australia is one of Vietnam’s most important long-haul markets. According to the Ministry of Public Security, 389,589 Australians entered Vietnam in 2019. Arrivals recovered strongly after the reopening, to 172,906 in 2022, and 56,730 arrived in January 2023 alone during the summer holidays.
Vietnam visa for Australian citizens: your options
| Option | Length | Government fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-visa | Up to 90 days | US$25 / US$50 | Almost every trip |
| Visa on arrival (approval letter) | As stated on the letter | US$25 / US$50 cash + letter fee | Some urgent air arrivals |
| Embassy or consulate visa | Depends on type | Set by the mission | Special cases, sponsored long stays |
| Phu Quoc exemption | Up to 30 days | Free | Phu Quoc island only |
For most Australians, the e-visa is the obvious pick: it lasts up to 90 days, works at 83 airports, land borders and seaports, and needs no embassy visit. Our full Vietnam e-visa guide explains every field.
How to apply for a Vietnam visa as an Australian citizen
- Check your passport. It must be valid for at least six months after you arrive, with blank pages.
- Take a new portrait. Your Australian passport photo is a different size, so take a 4×6 cm photo on a white background instead of cropping the old one. See our Vietnam visa photo guide.
- Scan the passport data page, with all four corners and the two lines of letters at the bottom.
- Apply on evisa.gov.vn or through a service if you want your form checked.
- Pick single or multiple entry. Choose multiple entry if you plan a side trip to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand and will come back.
- Pay, wait and print. Keep your registration code, then print the e-visa and check it against your passport.
When to apply: school holidays and Tet
Australian summer school holidays (December to late January) overlap with Vietnam’s busiest season and often with Tet. During Tet, the Immigration Department pauses processing for about a week; in 2026, e-visas were not processed from 14 to 22 February. Tet 2027 begins on 6 February. Therefore, if you travel between December and February, apply at least three weeks ahead. Our guide to the Vietnam visa processing time shows how the working days are counted.
How much does a Vietnam visa for Australian citizens cost?
The government fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry, the same for every nationality. Your bank may also add a foreign transaction fee because the fee is charged in US dollars. With a service, you pay the government fee plus a service fee, and the exact total for an Australian passport appears before you pay. See our Vietnam visa cost guide.
Vietnamese embassy and consulates in Australia
You do not need to visit a mission for an e-visa. However, the embassy and consulates issue paper visas and help Vietnamese-Australians with visa exemption certificates.
- Embassy of Vietnam, Canberra: 6 Timbarra Crescent, O’Malley, ACT 2606.
- Consulates General: Sydney and Perth.
Check opening hours and appointment rules on the mission’s official website before you visit.
Vietnamese-Australians
If you were born in Vietnam or have a Vietnamese parent, you may be able to get a visa exemption certificate. It allows visa-free visits for up to five years, and your foreign spouse and children can also apply. Ask the embassy or a consulate for the current requirements.
Before you fly: tips for Australian travelers
- Smartraveller: read the Australian Government’s latest advice for Vietnam on smartraveller.gov.au.
- Travel insurance: check it covers motorbike riding if you plan to ride; many policies require a valid licence.
- Digital Arrival Card: if you land in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc or Cam Ranh, submit the free card within 72 hours before arrival.
Australian embassy and consulate in Vietnam
If you lose your passport or need consular help while in Vietnam, contact:
- Australian Embassy, Hanoi, for northern and central Vietnam.
- Australian Consulate-General, Ho Chi Minh City, for the south.
Outside office hours, the DFAT 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre answers on +61 2 6261 3305. If your passport is lost, you will need an emergency passport and then new permission from Vietnamese immigration to leave, so keep copies of both documents on your phone.
Worked example: a Melbourne family over the summer holidays
Two adults and two children fly to Da Nang on 28 December for 16 days. They stay in Vietnam the whole time, so each needs a single-entry e-visa: 4 × US$25 = US$100 in government fees. They apply on 25 November, choose 27 December to 15 January as their dates for a small buffer, and have the PDFs printed well before Christmas.
FAQ: Vietnam visa for Australian citizens
Can Australians get a visa on arrival in Vietnam?
Only with an approval letter arranged before the flight, and only at international airports. See our guide to Vietnam visa on arrival.
How long can Australians stay in Vietnam?
Up to 90 days with an e-visa. A tourist e-visa generally cannot be extended inside Vietnam, so plan the full stay when you apply.
Do children need their own visa?
Yes. Every traveler needs a separate application and fee.
Can I enter by land from Cambodia?
Yes, at listed e-visa gates such as Moc Bai. See the Vietnam e-visa ports of entry.
Sources: Vietnam National E-Visa Portal (evisa.gov.vn); Government Resolutions 44/NQ-CP and 229/NQ-CP on visa exemption; Vietnam Immigration Department notice on Tet 2026 processing. Last reviewed: 9 November 2026. We are an independent visa service, not a government website.
