🔄 Last updated: 11 July 2026
Visa information doesn't go wrong because someone lied. It goes wrong because it used to be true.
An article that was correct in April 2026 can be completely wrong by July 2026 — and it's still sitting there, top of the search results, copied by dozens of other sites.
Here are the 7 most widely circulated expired facts, and the correct version as of the update date above.
❌ Outdated 1: "The arrival QR only applies at Tan Son Nhat"
This is the most-copied wrong fact online right now.
Major visa sites — including ones updated within the last week — still say the digital arrival card is "only mandatory for arrivals at Tan Son Nhat... not yet required at Noi Bai (HAN) or Da Nang (DAD)."
That's an April snapshot.
✅ The correct version:
According to Vietnam Airlines, foreign-passport passengers arriving at Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Tan Son Nhat international airports must file an arrival declaration via prearrival.immigration.gov.vn or by scanning the QR code; those who complete it are processed through a priority area.
And Phu Quoc: applicable to passengers arriving at Phu Quoc International Airport from 1 June 2026.
| Old info (April 2026) | ✅ Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Tan Son Nhat only | Tan Son Nhat · Noi Bai · Da Nang · Cam Ranh · Phu Quoc |
| Benefit | (not mentioned) | Filed → priority lane |
| Filing window | Within 72 hours of arrival | Unchanged — 72 hours |
| Fee | Free | Unchanged — free |
⚠️ If you're flying into Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), Noi Bai (Hanoi) or Da Nang and you trust an old article — you'll reach the counter without having filed. → How to file the pre-arrival QR
And the most important part, unchanged: the QR does NOT replace a visa. You still need an E-Visa or a visa exemption.
❌ Outdated 2: "Vietnam's E-Visa is valid for 30 days"
The 30-day figure still appears in a huge number of articles — including ones dated 2025 and 2026.
✅ The correct version: the E-Visa is now valid for up to 90 days, with single or multiple entry.
Reference fee: USD 25 (single) / USD 50 (multiple), non-refundable.
💡 If a page says "30-day E-Visa" — treat the entire article as out of date, not just that number.
❌ Outdated 3: "Visa exemption is 15 days"
An old figure. Changed long ago, still everywhere online.
✅ The correct version: it's now 45 days, under two different resolutions — and this is where many sites still get it wrong:
| Resolution 44/NQ-CP (7 Mar 2025) | Resolution 229/NQ-CP (11 Aug 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| Countries | Russia, South Korea, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland | 12 further EU countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland) |
| Purpose | Regardless of passport type or purpose of entry | Tourism purposes only |
| Valid until | 14 Mar 2028 | 14 Aug 2028 |
🔑 If you hold a Russian or South Korean passport, you're under Resolution 44 — exempt for any purpose of entry, not just tourism. Many sites wrongly file Russia/Korea under Resolution 229 (tourism only). That's incorrect.
Phu Quoc separately: 30 days visa-free for all nationalities arriving directly — and this also applies when transiting through a Vietnamese international checkpoint and continuing on to Phu Quoc.
⚠️ Note: lists published by airlines and service sites can differ (some also include countries covered by bilateral agreements). Always check with the authorities before you travel.
❌ Outdated 4: "E-Visas are only issued to citizens of certain countries"
Older articles list "80 countries", "40 countries"…
✅ The correct version: the E-Visa is now issued to citizens of all countries and territories, regardless of nationality.
If you once gave up because your country "wasn't on the list" — check again at evisa.gov.vn.
🔔 What outdated information actually costs
Not confusion. A fine.
You read an article saying "30-day E-Visa", you count your departure date from that — but the stamp in your passport says something else. You overstay by 12 days.
Or you believe "the E-Visa takes 3 days" — when officially it takes up to 15 working days.
👉 Turn on free visa expiry reminders with Visa Tracker — enter the date on your entry stamp, not the date you read on some blog. Free, no account needed.
❌ Outdated 5: "Overstay fines under Decree 144/2021"
The most dangerous item on this list, because it makes you miscalculate what you'll owe.
Many service sites — including articles dated 2026 — still cite Decree 144/2021/NĐ-CP.
✅ The correct version: Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP replaced Decree 144/2021, in force from 15 December 2025.
Article 21 sets 7 overstay fine bands (individuals):
| Days overstayed | Fine |
|---|---|
| Under 16 days | VND 500,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 16 to under 30 days | VND 5–10 million |
| 30 to under 60 days | VND 10–15 million |
| 60 to under 90 days | VND 15–20 million |
| 90 to under 180 days | VND 20–25 million |
| 180 days to under 1 year | VND 25–30 million |
| 1 year or more | VND 30–40 million |
Organisations: double the individual rate. Deportation is an ADDITIONAL penalty — on top of the fine, not instead of it.
→ The full 7-band table and what to do
🔍 The 5-second test for an outdated article: search it for "144/2021". If it's there, the article is citing a decree that is no longer in force.
❌ Outdated 6: "You must file a health declaration on tokhaiyte.vn"
A pandemic-era requirement that keeps getting repeated.
✅ The correct version: under Decree 165/2026/NĐ-CP (in force 1 July 2026), the Ministry of Health clarified on 30 June 2026: the health declaration is NOT routinely required, and is only activated when announced for a specific epidemic.
And tokhaiyte.vn is not used.
⚠️ Don't confuse this with the arrival QR (Outdated 1). They are two completely different things: the health declaration (currently not required) ≠ the digital arrival card (required at 5 airports).
→ The truth about Decree 165/2026
❌ Outdated 7: The old "E-Visa checkpoint list"
Many articles still publish the checkpoint list from Resolution 127/2023.
✅ The correct version: Resolution 389/NQ-CP (2025) added a number of checkpoints, including:
- Land: Dong Dang, Tra Linh, Long Sap, Nam Giang, Le Thanh, Binh Hiep, Tan Nam, Thuong Phuoc, Dinh Ba, Thanh Thuy
- Rail: Lao Cai
- Air: Long Thanh, Gia Binh, Vinh, Chu Lai
And the most important rule — unchanged:
🔑 An E-Visa MUST be used to enter at the checkpoint you declared. You may exit through any checkpoint.
Declare the wrong checkpoint and you'll have a valid visa but no way in from where you're standing.
→ Which land crossing to choose
🧪 How to check whether an article is out of date
Five signs, 30 seconds:
1️⃣ Search for "144/2021" → if present, the fines quoted are no longer in force.
2️⃣ Search for "30-day E-Visa" → if present, the article is at least 3 years stale.
3️⃣ Search for "15-day visa exemption" → outdated.
4️⃣ Search for "Tan Son Nhat only" (re the QR) → outdated since the rollout expanded.
5️⃣ Look for a "last updated" line → if there isn't one, you have no idea when it was written. That alone is the warning.
And always go back to source: evisa.gov.vn and prearrival.immigration.gov.vn — Vietnam Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security.
⚠️ Common misconceptions
❌ "It's dated 2026, so it must be right." → NO. Plenty of "2026" articles were written in 2023 with a new headline. Look for the "last updated" line.
❌ "The QR replaces the visa." → FALSE. The QR is a declaration, not a visa. You need both.
❌ "I'm flying into Noi Bai, so I don't need the QR." → OUT OF DATE. Noi Bai is now on the list.
❌ "I'm visa-exempt, so the QR doesn't apply to me." → BE CAREFUL. The declaration requirement also covers visa-exempt travellers within scope. There are specific carve-outs (for example, visa-exempt passengers arriving at Tan Son Nhat and connecting on to Phu Quoc). Check with your airline and the official portal before you fly.
❌ "The health declaration and the arrival QR are the same thing." → FALSE. Different things, different authorities, different status.
❌ "Russia and Korea get 45 days visa-free, but only for tourism." → FALSE. Russia and South Korea fall under Resolution 44 — regardless of purpose of entry. Only the Resolution 229 group is limited to tourism.
Sources
- Vietnam Immigration Department — Ministry of Public Security:
evisa.gov.vn·prearrival.immigration.gov.vn - Vietnam Airlines — travel document requirements for flights to Vietnam (scope of the digital arrival declaration)
- Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP — in force 15 Dec 2025, replacing Decree 144/2021/NĐ-CP; Article 21, overstay penalties
- Resolution 44/NQ-CP (7 Mar 2025) and Resolution 229/NQ-CP (11 Aug 2025) — 45-day visa exemptions
- Resolution 389/NQ-CP (2025) — expanded list of e-visa checkpoints
- Decree 165/2026/NĐ-CP and the Ministry of Health clarification of 30 June 2026 — health declaration
- U.S. Embassy in Vietnam — notice on implementation of the pre-arrival declaration
Note: This article compiles publicly available information as of the update date at the top. Immigration policy changes frequently — that's the whole point of this article. Always confirm with the authorities and your airline before you travel. This is not legal advice. ViEntry is a technology platform connecting users with independent service operators; ViEntry is not an immigration authority and does not guarantee visa outcomes. All prices are for reference.
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