🔄 Last updated: 13 July 2026
📌 CORRECTION NOTICE
ViEntry previously published an article stating that the E-Visa fee rose on 1 July 2026 under Circular 81. That information was INCORRECT.
We have removed it and replaced it with this. Nobody asked us to. We did it because it's right — and because we sell E-Visa support, which means we have a direct commercial interest in you believing the fee went up.
It didn't. Here is the whole truth, with the document numbers so you can check us.
💵 THE SHORT ANSWER
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Did Vietnam's E-Visa fee rise on 1 July 2026? | 🟢 No. |
| Single-entry E-Visa | USD 25 |
| Multiple-entry E-Visa | USD 50 |
| Maximum validity | 90 days |
| Refunded if rejected? | ❌ No — under no circumstances. |
| Where to apply | evisa.gov.vn — the only official portal |
That's the answer. Everything below is so you can verify it yourself, and understand where the rumour came from.
⚖️ WHAT CIRCULAR 81 ACTUALLY SAYS
Circular 81/2026/TT-BTC is a REAL document. It did take effect on 1 July 2026. That's exactly why the rumour sounded so credible.
But here's what it actually does:
Circular 81/2026/TT-BTC amends point c, item 3, SECTION I of the schedule of charges and fees attached to Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC.
The amendment concerns: the fee for issuing, re-issuing and replacing the ABTC — the APEC Business Travel Card — for VIETNAMESE businesspeople: VND 700,000 per issuance.
🔑 Everything hinges on two words: SECTION I
Vietnam's immigration fee schedule has two sections:
| Contents | Applies to | |
|---|---|---|
| SECTION I | Fees for passports · laissez-passer · exit permits · "AB" stamps (and the ABTC) | 🇻🇳 VIETNAMESE CITIZENS |
| SECTION II | VISA fees and other documents valid for exit, entry and residence | 🌍 FOREIGNERS ← the E-Visa lives here |
🔴 Circular 81 amends SECTION I. The E-Visa sits in SECTION II.
Circular 81 does not touch the E-Visa fee at all.
It is about the APEC card carried by Vietnamese businesspeople travelling abroad — a document no foreigner ever applies for.
😅 And one ironic detail
Under the plan in Decision 1891/QĐ-TTg and at the Ministry of Public Security's own proposal, ABTC fees were CUT by 30%:
- First issuance: VND 1,200,000 → 840,000
- Re-issuance: VND 1,000,000 → 700,000
The one thing Circular 81 actually changes went DOWN, not up.
📜 So where is the E-Visa fee set?
Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC — issued 27 March 2026, in force 1 April 2026, replacing Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC.
And here is what the Ministry of Finance said while drafting it:
For the other charges and fees in the immigration field, a practical review found no problems and no proposals for amendment from the Ministry of Public Security. The existing rates under Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC are therefore RETAINED.
In other words: foreigner visa fees were deliberately left unchanged.
E-Visa: USD 25 single · USD 50 multiple. Unchanged.
🇯🇵 So where did the rumour come from? JAPAN.
Here's the interesting part.
One country really did sharply raise visa fees on exactly 1 July 2026 — Japan.
- Single-entry visa: ¥3,000 → ¥15,000
- Multiple-entry visa: ¥6,000 → ¥30,000
A fivefold increase — Japan's first adjustment in nearly half a century.
Same date. Same topic. Completely different country.
The Japan story got mistaken for a Vietnam story — and once that error spread, people went looking for a Vietnamese document number to "confirm" it. They found Circular 81 (with exactly the right effective date!), and the false story became complete.
This is precisely how misinformation is manufactured: one fact + another fact + a connection that doesn't exist.
🔍 CHECK IT YOURSELF — 60 SECONDS
Don't trust this article. Verify it.
Step 1 — Go to evisa.gov.vn (the only official portal).
Step 2 — Start an application. The fee is shown before you pay.
Step 3 — If it says USD 25 (single) or USD 50 (multiple), you have your answer from the issuing authority itself.
Four official portals, all ending in .gov.vn:
evisa.gov.vn— E-Visa applicationsthithucdientu.gov.vn— electronic visaprearrival.immigration.gov.vn— digital arrival card (QR)dichvucong.bocongan.gov.vn— Ministry of Public Security service portal
🔔 Why a "fee increase" rumour is dangerous
Not because USD 25 is expensive.
Because a fee-increase rumour is the richest possible soil for a scam.
When people believe "the rules just changed," they panic, they rush, and they trust anyone who claims to know the new rules. That is exactly the moment a scammer is waiting for.
👉 7 visa scam warning signs and a 10-second test
And if your real worry is your expiry date rather than the fee: 👉 Turn on free visa expiry reminders — Visa Tracker
⚠️ Common misconceptions
❌ "Circular 81 raised the E-Visa fee on 1 July 2026." → FALSE. Circular 81 amends Section I — the ABTC for Vietnamese businesspeople. The E-Visa is in Section II, and was not amended.
❌ "There's no smoke without fire — something must have gone up." → SOMETHING DID — IN JAPAN. Japan raised its visa fees fivefold on 1 July 2026. Vietnam did not.
❌ "Circular 81 isn't real, it's fake news." → IT IS REAL. That's precisely what made the rumour dangerous. Real document, real effective date — only the contents were misread.
❌ "E-Visa fees still fall under Circular 25/2021." → NOT ANY MORE. Circular 25/2021 was replaced by Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC (in force 1 Apr 2026). But the foreigner rates were CARRIED OVER unchanged — so the numbers are the same.
❌ "USD 25 is what the agency quoted me."
→ CHECK AGAIN. USD 25 is the STATE FEE, paid to evisa.gov.vn. Anything above that is someone's service fee — and you're entitled to see it itemised. You can also simply file it yourself.
❌ "If I'm rejected I get the USD 25 back." → NO. The fee is non-refundable under all circumstances, including rejection.
Sources
- Circular 81/2026/TT-BTC — Ministry of Finance; amends point c, item 3, Section I of the fee schedule attached to Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC; fee for issuing/re-issuing/replacing the ABTC for Vietnamese businesspeople: VND 700,000 per issuance; in force 1 July 2026
- Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC — Ministry of Finance, issued 27 Mar 2026, in force 1 Apr 2026; rates and collection of charges and fees for exit, entry, transit and residence in Vietnam; replaces Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC; Section I = documents for Vietnamese citizens · Section II = visa fees for foreigners
- Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC — the prior instrument; foreigner rates carried over unchanged
- Decision 1891/QĐ-TTg — basis for the 30% reduction in ABTC fees
- Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC (30 Jun 2025) — reduced and waived certain charges and fees in support of businesses and individuals, in force to 31 Dec 2026
- Law 23/2023/QH15 (15 Aug 2023) — E-Visa up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, issued to citizens of all countries
- Vietnam Immigration Department — Ministry of Public Security:
evisa.gov.vn - On Japan's visa fee increase from 1 July 2026: Embassy of Japan in Vietnam; VnExpress
Note: This article compiles publicly available information as of the update date and is not legal advice. Fee schedules can be adjusted at any time. The exact fee is always displayed on
evisa.gov.vnbefore you pay — take your number from there, not from this article.ViEntry is a technology platform connecting you with independent service operators. ViEntry is not an immigration authority, does not issue visas, and does not guarantee visa outcomes.
We sell E-Visa file support. That means we have an interest in you believing the process is complex and expensive. So let us be blunt: you are entirely free to file your own E-Visa at
evisa.gov.vnfor the USD 25 state fee. Our service fee, if you choose to use it, is a file-support fee — not a fee to "buy a visa", and not a government charge. All prices are for reference.
Seen anyone — including us — publish a fee figure you doubt? Send it to us. If we're wrong, we'll correct it publicly, like we did here. Telegram @vientry_support · WhatsApp +84 963 091 001 · Hotline 0963 091 001
