Vietnam visa requirements for New Zealand citizens - Options, fees, and more

From buzzing street markets to ancient temples, Vietnam is a favourite travel destination for New Zealand travellers chasing culture, nature and value for money. With affordable flights and a warm climate all year round, it’s a destination that fits everything from a short escape to a longer adventure.

If you’re thinking about visiting, you might be wondering if you need a visa to enter Vietnam. In this guide, we’ll break down Vietnam’s visa rules for New Zealand passport holders, and share how the Wise card can make it easier to manage your money while you’re abroad.

Do Kiwis require a visa for Vietnam?

New Zealanders travelling to Vietnam do need to get a visa, but depending on the circumstances it’s possible to get one on arrival.¹

The Visa on Arrival (VOA) is available to anyone flying into Vietnam and is valid for 1 month or 3 months. It requires a pre-approval letter to be done in advance and is only available for air travellers.

If you want to stay longer in Vietnam, or would like to work or study there, you will need to apply for a visa either through the embassy or online.

Planning a trip to Vietnam? Read our guide on the best time to visit Vietnam.

Entry requirements for Vietnam

To enter Vietnam you must have a valid passport, and a visa or pre-approval letter for a VOA. If you’re not sure of the current requirements you can always speak with the Embassy of Vietnam in New Zealand, which is located in Wellington.

Types of Vietnam visas available in New Zealand

There are three main types of visa for Vietnam, each with their own application method.

Visa on Arrival

As mentioned before, the VOA allows for a stay of 1 month or 3 months, depending on what you’re granted. This visa is primarily for frequent travellers, including tourists, and short-term business visitors. You can apply for single or multiple entry, but keep in mind it’s only available for airport arrivals.

To get a VOA you must apply online for a pre-approval letter from an approved company.

The pre-approval letter will generally be sent via email within 5 days, depending on the service speed you choose. Once you arrive in Vietnam you need to provide a printed copy of the letter and two passport-sized photos (4x6cm), then pay the visa stamping fee.

E-Visa

The E-Visa is obtained through an online application and is only available to citizens of eligible countries, including New Zealand. It’s aimed at tourists and business travellers, and is valid for up to 90 days. The visa allows for entry at any official checkpoint and is approved for multiple entries.

You must apply online via the official website. When filling out the application form you will need to upload a passport scan and a passport sized photo (4x6cm), and pay a processing fee. When the visa is approved you need to download and print the e-visa, and show it to Immigration on arrival to Vietnam.

Embassy or Consulate Visa

If you want a long stay visa for study, business, leisure or as an investor, you’ll need to apply for a visa through the Vietnamese Embassy in Wellington.

To start the process, contact the embassy to check which type of visa you need to get for the purpose of your visit, and what the requirements are. Once ready, submit your application and wait for it to be processed. When it’s processed you’ll get your passport back with the visa stamped inside.

Some of the common types of visa you can apply for are:

Business visa

If you’re going to Vietnam to conduct business and the VOA isn’t suitable, you could apply for a DN1 or DN2 business visa.

• DN1 Visa: For people going to Vietnam to conduct business with a Vietnamese company
• DN2 Visa: For people going to Vietnam offering their own goods or service based on their commercial ventures

Depending on the option you choose the visa may be single or multiple entry, and could be valid for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or a year.

Work visa

For those who want to work in Vietnam for a local company, there’s the LD visas. This type of visa is usually valid for a year, but can be extended up to 10 years once you have a temporary residence card.

There are two types of LD visa:

• LD1 Visa: For people who have Certificate of a Work Permit Exemption
• LD2 Visa: For people who need a work permit

To get the visa you need to meet certain experience criteria and a work contract. The company employing you has to apply for an approval letter which will govern the type of visa you can apply for, which requires them to prove that they weren’t able to find someone locally to fill the role.

Investor visa

If you’re willing and able to invest in the Vietnamese economy, you can apply for a DT investor visa. There are four types, which are separated by the amount of money being invested into a Vietnamese business; the DT1, DT2, DT3 and DT4.

The visa with the lowest investment threshold is the DT4, which is for people who contribute up to 3 billion VND and is valid for a year. The next lowest is the DT3 visa, which is for people who contribute 3-50 billion VND to a Vietnamese business. It is valid for 3 years. One of the benefits of the DT1, DT2 and DT3 over the DT4 is that it can be extended with a temporary residence card.

Student visa

The Student visa, designated the DH visa, is for foreigners who’re coming to Vietnam to study. It’s usually limited to a 12 month period but can be extended for up to a year. To get a DH Student visa you will need a written acceptance letter from the educational institution, and have a guarantor.

If you haven’t already got a palace at a school it’s possible to enter Vietnam on a tourist visa, enroll and then apply to change your visa status afterwards at the Vietnamese Immigration Department.

What do you need to apply for a visa for Vietnam?

This is what you can expect to be asked for when applying for a Vietnamese visa.

• Passport with at least 6 months validity from the expected arrival date
• 2-3 passport sized photos (4x6cm) with a white background
• Completed visa application form
• Supporting documents as required, for example invitation letters, business documents, student admission letter

How much does a visa for Vietnam cost?

This is what you can expect to pay for a Vietnamese visa.

You may also need to pay an additional processing fee depending on the urgency of the visa.

Heading to Vietnam? Make you NZD go further in Vietnam with the Wise card

When planning your trip, it's crucial to consider how you'll spend in Vietnam. High foreign transaction fees or unfavorable exchange rates can quickly inflate your travel costs. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up NZD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in NZD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card