Most ASEAN citizens get 30 days visa-free in Vietnam on an ordinary passport; the Philippines 21 days, Brunei 14. Timor-Leste needs a visa.
Citizens of most ASEAN countries can enter Vietnam without a visa on an ordinary passport: 30 days for Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand, 21 days for the Philippines and 14 days for Brunei. Timor-Leste is currently visa-exempt only for diplomatic and official passports.
These figures come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa exemption list, updated to 8 September 2025. Each one rests on a bilateral agreement or arrangement (often an exchange of diplomatic notes) between Vietnam and that country, which is why the number of days differs from country to country.
Visa-free stay by country
- Brunei: 14 days on an ordinary passport; 30 days on a diplomatic or official passport.
- Cambodia: 30 days on ordinary, diplomatic and official passports.
- Indonesia: 30 days on an ordinary passport; 14 days on a diplomatic or official passport.
- Laos: 30 days on ordinary, diplomatic and official passports.
- Malaysia: 30 days on all passport types.
- Myanmar: 30 days on ordinary, diplomatic and official passports.
- Philippines: 21 days on an ordinary passport; 30 days on a diplomatic or official passport.
- Singapore: 30 days on an ordinary passport; 90 days on a diplomatic or official passport.
- Thailand: 30 days on ordinary, diplomatic and official passports.
- Timor-Leste: 30 days on a diplomatic or official passport; ordinary passports are not on the exemption list, so a visa is needed.
Conditions that come with the exemption
The visa-free stay is counted from the date of entry. A Filipino traveller who enters on the 1st, for example, must leave before 21 days from that date have passed.
- For Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore, the ordinary passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
- Citizens of the Philippines and Singapore need a return ticket or an onward ticket to another country. Singapore citizens must also be able to cover their costs during the stay.
- For Indonesia, the 30-day stay on an ordinary passport cannot be extended.
- For Malaysia, the exemption covers tourism, press work, official business, visiting relatives, trade negotiations, investment, sports events, and conferences and seminars.
How to stay longer
If you plan to stay longer than your visa-free period, get a visa before you travel. For tourism, family visits or a short business trip, an e-visa allows up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. It is usually processed in about 3 working days, with a government fee of USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry. If you are coming to work, invest or live long term, apply for the visa that matches that purpose from the start.
Visa-free entry does not allow work
Visa-free entry is for short stays only and does not allow you to work. The agreements with Myanmar and Singapore state outright that the exemption does not apply to people entering to work. Foreign employees, ASEAN citizens included, need a work permit (or a confirmed exemption), the matching work visa and then a temporary residence card.
ASEAN Secretariat officials
Vietnam unilaterally exempts officials and staff of the ASEAN Secretariat from visas for stays of up to 30 days, whatever passport they hold.
Notes
- Write down the date your permitted stay ends as soon as you arrive.
- Ordinary passport holders from Timor-Leste are not visa-exempt and should arrange a visa before travelling.
- Policies can change. Check again before you travel.
- Gateway can check your case or file an e-visa for you.
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