Vietnam visa for Australian citizens: no visa exemption, 90-day e-visa, business visa, work visa and temporary residence card

Australian citizens are not on Vietnam's list of unilateral visa exemptions. So, apart from a few special cases, Australian passport holders must have a visa before boarding, even for a stay of just a few days.

The visa you need depends on the purpose of your trip. For tourism, visiting friends or short meetings with partners, use an e-visa. For repeated trips to work with businesses, use a business visa. If you have been hired to work, you need a work permit, a work visa and then a temporary residence card. Choosing correctly from the start saves you having to leave the country to apply again.

Are Australians visa-exempt?

No. Vietnam currently grants a 45-day visa exemption to citizens of certain countries under Resolution 44/NQ-CP of 07/3/2025 and Resolution 229/NQ-CP. Neither list includes Australia, and Australia has never been on any of Vietnam's earlier unilateral exemption lists either.

Information about visa on arrival is currently inconsistent across sources. Do not plan around it. The safest approach is to have an e-visa or an entry approval letter before you fly.

The exceptions below come with their own conditions. Check with the immigration authorities or a Vietnamese diplomatic mission in Australia before relying on them.

• Flying directly to Phu Quoc International Airport, without transiting via the mainland, and staying only on Phu Quoc: stays of up to 30 days without a visa. Travelling on to other provinces requires a visa.
• Diplomatic and official passport holders: subject to agreements between the two countries.
• Transit passengers who do not leave the airport's international area.
• Australians of Vietnamese origin, or spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens: may apply for a visa exemption certificate instead of a visa.

The 90-day e-visa for short trips

Since 15/8/2023, under Law 23/2023/QH15 amending Law 47/2014/QH13 and Resolution 127/NQ-CP of 14/8/2023, Vietnam has issued e-visas to citizens of all countries, including Australia. The e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, for single or multiple entry. The government fee is USD 25 for a single-entry e-visa and USD 50 for a multiple-entry e-visa, non-refundable if the application is refused.

Standard processing takes 3 working days and may take longer in peak season. Apply only through the official portals evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn. Many commercial websites use domain names that closely resemble the government site, including some with "govt" in the name, but they are not official government channels.

E-visas are only issued to people outside Vietnam. Anyone currently staying in Vietnam cannot apply for a new e-visa from within the country. An e-visa also does not permit you to work in Vietnam. Do not count on extending an e-visa after arrival; if you need to stay longer, ask in advance about extending your temporary stay or getting a new visa.

• An Australian passport valid for at least 6 months with blank pages. Sources differ on this requirement; 6 months is the safest benchmark.
• A photo of the passport data page, with all four corners and the code line at the bottom clearly visible.
• A portrait photo on a white background, facing forward, with no hat or glasses.
• Intended entry and exit dates, and a port of entry on the list of those that accept e-visas.
• Intended address in Vietnam.
• Full name, date of birth and passport number entered exactly as on the passport, character for character.

DN1 and DN2 business visas for Australians working with partners

People invited by a business or organisation in Vietnam fall under sponsored visas and do not need an e-visa. A business visa is valid for up to 12 months and suits people making repeated trips for meetings, surveys, negotiations or project inspections.

A DN visa is not a work permit. Australians who sign an employment contract with a company in Vietnam must follow the work permit and LĐ visa route. A DN visa also cannot be used to apply for a temporary residence card. Fees for sponsored visas vary by type and validity, so check the current rates before applying.

• The sponsoring business in Vietnam prepares its legal documents and a visa application letter.
• A business sponsoring for the first time must first submit a notification file including its establishment documents and specimen seal and signature.
• The immigration authorities review the application and issue an entry approval letter.
• The Australian applicant collects the visa at a Vietnamese diplomatic mission abroad, or at an international port of entry where approved.

Work permits and LĐ visas for Australians hired in Vietnam

Work visas comprise LĐ1, for people with confirmation of exemption from a work permit, and LĐ2, for people with a work permit. They are valid for up to 2 years. A work permit or exemption confirmation must be obtained before applying for the visa.

The current legal basis is Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, effective from 07/8/2025, which replaces Decree 152/2020/NĐ-CP and Decree 70/2023/NĐ-CP. Any material still citing the two old decrees is out of date. Provincial People's Committees have authority to issue and extend work permits and certificates of exemption. The explanation of the need to employ foreign workers has been merged into the work permit application, which can be submitted online via the National Public Service Portal.

Some cases are exempt from a work permit, for example capital contributors of 3 billion VND or more who meet the statutory conditions, or people working fewer than 90 days in a year. Decree 219 also adds cases confirmed by a ministry, ministerial-level agency or provincial People's Committee to work in fields such as finance, science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

• The business defines the position: manager, executive director, expert or technical worker. For experts, one criterion is at least 3 years of relevant experience.
• The Australian applicant prepares degrees, proof of experience, a criminal record check and a health certificate; documents issued in Australia need legalisation or an apostille as required, plus a certified translation.
• The business submits the work permit application. Processing takes 10 working days from receipt of a complete, valid file.
• Once the work permit or exemption confirmation is issued, the business applies for an entry approval letter so the employee can obtain the LĐ visa.
• If the employee has already entered on an e-visa and holds a work permit or exemption confirmation, a change of visa purpose within Vietnam may be considered instead of leaving the country.

Temporary residence cards for Australians working in Vietnam

Temporary residence cards coded LĐ1 and LĐ2 are issued to people with confirmation of exemption from a work permit or with a work permit, valid for up to 2 years and not exceeding the validity of the permit. In practice, the permit or exemption confirmation usually needs around 12 months or more of remaining validity to apply for the card; check with the immigration authorities.

With a temporary residence card, Australians can enter and leave Vietnam multiple times without applying for a visa for each trip. Applications can be submitted in person or online via the National Public Service Portal. Processing usually takes about 5 working days from receipt of a complete, valid file. Fees depend on card validity and are set by the Ministry of Finance, so check the current rate at the time of applying.

• An Australian passport valid for longer than the card applied for.
• An LĐ1 or LĐ2 visa in the passport, or documents proving the visa purpose has been changed.
• A work permit or certificate of exemption from a work permit.
• The temporary residence card application form (form NA8) and the sponsoring business's request letter (form NA6 or NA7).
• A portrait photo to specification and proof of temporary residence registration at your place of stay.

Common mistakes made by Australians

Most problems stem from choosing the wrong visa type or getting documents in the wrong order. Businesses hiring Australians should review the points below before booking flights for employees.

• Assuming an Australian passport is visa-exempt like some European ones, only to be refused boarding at the airport.
• Flying into Phu Quoc without a visa and then travelling on to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.
• Using an e-visa or DN visa to work under an employment contract, which can lead to fines and deportation.
• Applying for an LĐ visa before obtaining a work permit or exemption confirmation.
• Applying for an e-visa on a commercial site mistaken for the government site, paying extra fees and exposing passport details.
• Visa details differing from the passport by a single character, leading to refused boarding or refused entry.

How Gateway can help

Gateway identifies the right visa based on your purpose, intended length of stay in Vietnam and Australian nationality, then prepares the documents in the correct order. The government fee for an e-visa is USD 25 or USD 50; service fees are quoted case by case. Visa issuance is decided by the competent authorities. Contact: [email protected], +84367387309.

• Single- and multiple-entry e-visa applications.
• Entry approval letters for sponsored visas such as DN and LĐ.
• Guidance on collecting visas at Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad or at ports of entry.
• Temporary stay extensions and new visas for eligible people already in Vietnam.