Visa-free Vietnam on an ordinary passport: Belarus, Kazakhstan and more

Most countries on Vietnam's visa exemption list are covered only for diplomatic and official passports. Outside ASEAN and the 24 countries in the government's 45-day programmes, just six countries have bilateral agreements that also cover ordinary passports: Chile and Panama (90 days), and Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia (30 days).

This guide is based on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa exemption list, updated to 8 September 2025.

The six countries at a glance

• Chile: up to 90 days from the date of entry.
• Panama: up to 90 days.
• Belarus: 30 days per stay, no more than 90 days in total in a calendar year.
• Kazakhstan: up to 30 days from the date of entry, no more than 90 days in total in any 180-day period.
• Kyrgyzstan: 30 days.
• Mongolia: up to 30 days.

Belarus

Under the agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, Belarusian citizens with a valid ordinary passport may enter, leave and transit Vietnam without a visa and stay 30 days each time.

All stays added together must not exceed 90 days within one calendar year, that is, from 1 January to 31 December.

Kazakhstan

Kazakh citizens need an ordinary passport valid for at least 6 months. Each stay may last up to 30 days from the date of entry, as long as the total does not exceed 90 days in every 180-day period.

The 180-day period rolls, so before each trip add up the days you spent in Vietnam over the previous 180 days. Anyone planning to stay longer than 30 days needs the appropriate visa.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's exemption comes from the agreement on travel conditions between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union, which Kyrgyzstan inherited. It covers diplomatic, official and ordinary passports, and under current rules Kyrgyz citizens may stay visa-free for 30 days.

Mongolia

A single agreement covers all three passport types. Mongolian citizens with an ordinary passport valid for at least 6 months may stay up to 30 days, provided the trip is not for income-earning activities. Diplomatic and official passport holders get 90 days.

Chile and Panama: 90 days

The ordinary passport agreements with Chile and with Panama work the same way: an ordinary passport valid for at least 6 months, a stay of up to 90 days, and no income-earning activities.

To stay longer, you must apply to the Vietnamese authorities for permission or the appropriate visa.

Ordinary passports for official purposes are not a tourist exemption

The ministry's list has a separate column for ordinary passports used for official purposes. China (90 days) and Cuba (30 days) appear in it. This covers people sent on official government business who happen to travel on an ordinary passport, not private travellers.

Chinese and Cuban tourists with ordinary passports still need a visa, usually an e-visa.

Seaman passports

Seafarers holding a seaman passport from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus or Cuba may stay visa-free for 30 days.

For Kazakhstan, the seafarer must be named on the crew list and stay within the city or town where the port is. For Russia, a seafarer travelling by means other than their ship is exempt when the purpose and destination of the trip are written in the seaman passport. Russian citizens on ordinary passports are covered separately by the 45-day exemption under Resolution 44/NQ-CP.

Other countries

ASEAN citizens and the 24 countries with 45 days under Resolutions 44/NQ-CP and 229/NQ-CP are covered in separate articles. For every other nationality an ordinary passport needs a visa, apart from the 30-day exemption for entering Phu Quoc directly. The e-visa allows up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, is usually issued in 3 working days, and has a government fee of USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry.

Notes

• Visa-free entry does not allow you to work. Working needs a work permit and the matching visa.
• Your stay is counted from the date of entry. Overstaying by even one day is a violation.
• If your trip will be longer than the exemption allows, apply for an e-visa before you travel.
• The agreements with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Chile and Panama require a passport valid for at least 6 months on entry. It is a safe minimum for everyone else too.
• Agreements can be amended. Check the latest rules before you travel.
• Gateway can check your case by nationality and passport type, or file an e-visa for you.