Vietnam from Europe: visa rules, flights and what to bring (2026)

This page covers Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Sweden. British travellers have their own page. For other nationalities and the full detail on customs, health and overstays, see the Vietnam visa and entry requirements guide.

Visa rules by country

Resolution 229 also covers Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland, with the same tourism-only 45 days. Resolution 44 also includes Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Dutch travellers should note the exemption is for tourism only. If you're going for business or anything else, get the e-visa.

Ireland catches people out. The Department of Foreign Affairs says all Irish passport holders need a visa for Vietnam, and Irish passport cards can't be used either, so bring your passport book.

How the 45 days work

• You get a stamp on arrival. There's nothing to apply for and no fee.
• The 45 days are counted from the day you arrive, and Germany's and France's foreign ministries say the arrival and departure days both count. Check the exit date in the stamp before you leave the desk.
• Have proof that you'll leave in time. Spain's foreign ministry says a plane, bus or train ticket out of Vietnam within the 45 days is required, Germany's says to carry a printed copy of your return or onward flight, and the Dutch ministry also asks for a return or onward ticket.
• You can leave (to Laos or Cambodia, say) and come back for a fresh 45 days, because the old 30-day gap between visits was dropped in 2023. Officers still have discretion, and people doing repeated "visa runs" are sometimes questioned.
• You can't extend a visa-free stay inside Vietnam. For a trip longer than 45 days, apply for the e-visa before you go.
• Overstaying brings fines starting at VND 500,000 for under 16 days and rising to VND 30 to 40 million for a year or more. Deportation can be added on top, depending on the case.

Both resolutions have end dates (March 2028 and August 2028). If you're travelling near then, check whether they've been renewed.

Ireland (and longer stays): the e-visa

Irish citizens, and anyone else staying more than 45 days, should apply at evisa.gov.vn. The Irish DFA calls it the only official e-visa portal for Vietnam.

1. Go to evisa.gov.vn and start an e-visa application for foreigners.
2. Upload a photo (4x6 cm, white background, no glasses, JPG under about 2 MB) and your passport data page, including both lines of machine-readable text.
3. Fill in your details exactly as they appear in your passport. The Irish DFA specifically warns about middle names, so include them.
4. Choose single or multiple entry. The DFA advises multiple entry if you're looping out to Laos or Cambodia and coming back.
5. Choose your entry and exit ports, pay, and save your registration code.
6. Check your status on the site. When it's approved, print it.

Avoid lookalike sites. Agencies with similar names charge around USD 75 to 150 for the USD 25 visa. Only .gov.vn addresses are official, and evisagov.vn (no dot before "gov") isn't one. Don't buy a "visa on arrival approval letter" either.

The full walkthrough is in the Vietnam visa guide.

Entry checklist

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with 2 blank pages and no damage
• Printed e-visa (Irish citizens, or stays over 45 days)
• Pre-arrival QR code from prearrival.immigration.gov.vn, free
• Proof of onward travel within your permitted stay, since airlines often ask at check-in
• First night's address
• Travel insurance details, including medical evacuation
• Doctor's letter for any controlled medicines

The pre-arrival form is new in 2026, and sources disagree on whether it's compulsory. The US Embassy in Vietnam calls it mandatory for all foreign passengers, and the Dutch government's travel advice tells travellers using the main airports to complete it. UK, Canadian and Singapore advice says it's encouraged, and Germany's foreign ministry describes it as a way to speed up border checks. Fill it in anyway. The US Embassy and the Singapore Embassy in Hanoi say to submit it no more than 3 days before arrival, while the Irish DFA's wording for Ho Chi Minh City says up to 48 hours before. If you do it within 48 hours of landing, you satisfy both. Only use the .gov.vn site.

Flights from Europe to Vietnam

Vietnam Airlines runs non-stop routes from:

Air France also flies non-stop from Paris CDG to Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam Airlines' timetable changes by season, so check the frequency for your dates. VietJet plans to start Prague to Hanoi on 10 October 2026, twice a week, with a technical stop in Almaty, so it isn't non-stop. Condor sells Vietnam only as connecting itineraries.

By country:

• Germany: non-stops from Frankfurt and Munich.
• France: non-stops from Paris with Vietnam Airlines and Air France.
• Netherlands: Amsterdam to Hanoi non-stop.
• Italy: Milan to Hanoi non-stop.
• Sweden: no non-stop from Sweden. Copenhagen is the closest Vietnam Airlines gateway, with non-stops to Ho Chi Minh City. From Stockholm, Kayak's cheapest fares connected in Shanghai, Beijing, Doha or Istanbul (China Eastern, Air China, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates), with returns from about 4,900 kr. Gothenburg travellers connect the same way or via Copenhagen.
• Spain: no non-stop found. Connect through another European hub, Istanbul or the Gulf.
• Ireland: no non-stop found. Connect through London, another European hub, Istanbul or the Gulf.

For cheaper fares, the usual one-stop options are Turkish Airlines through Istanbul and the Gulf airlines. You can also fly cheaply into Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and take AirAsia, VietJet or Scoot on to Vietnam, but that means separate tickets.

Fares on Kayak (indicative, checked 24 Sep 2026; return, average for the cheapest month, then the priciest months):

Tết (late January or February), Christmas and the summer holidays are usually the busiest times. Vietnam's regions have different seasons, so check the best time to visit Vietnam before you book.

The country is about 1,600 km long, so an open-jaw ticket (into Hanoi, out of Ho Chi Minh City) saves you backtracking. Several European routes serve only one city anyway (Amsterdam and Milan fly to Hanoi, Copenhagen to Ho Chi Minh City), which makes this easy.

Ho Chi Minh City's new airport, Long Thanh, about 40 km from central Ho Chi Minh City, is due to open commercially on 1 December 2026. Long-haul flights from Europe are planned to move there from 28 March 2027, so check which airport is on your ticket.

Domestically, Bamboo Airways stopped scheduled flights on 1 August 2026. Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, VietJet, Vietravel Airlines and Sun PhuQuoc Airways fly domestic routes.

What to bring

Plugs. Vietnam uses Type A, C and F sockets at 220 V, 50 Hz. Two-pin European (Type C and F) plugs will generally work, especially in the north. Irish three-pin plugs need an adaptor. For everyone else, a universal adaptor is simplest.

Money. The currency is the dong (VND). Cards are accepted in city hotels and bigger restaurants, but it's mostly cash elsewhere. Use ATMs or official, signposted exchange counters, since changing money anywhere else is illegal. 2026 guides report VPBank ATMs charging foreign cards no fee and most other banks about VND 20,000 to 55,000 a withdrawal. Fees change often, so check the amount on screen before you confirm. Declare cash over USD 5,000.

Insurance. It's not an entry requirement, but get cover with medical evacuation, because complex cases may be moved to Bangkok or Singapore. If you'll ride pillion on a motorbike, check you're covered as a passenger.

Driving permits. Vietnam only accepts the 1968 International Driving Permit, carried with your home licence, and the licence must cover motorbikes.

Riding without a valid licence can void your insurance. There's more in the Ha Giang Loop guide.

Medicines. Controlled medicines (for anxiety, depression, insomnia or ADHD, and strong painkillers) are limited to 7 days' supply. Carry a doctor's letter in English with your name, age, the medicine, the dose, and the doctor's signature and address. Pack the medicines in your hand luggage with a copy of the prescription.

Leave at home. Vapes and heated tobacco are banned, and users can be fined VND 3 to 5 million. Leave CBD at home too, because Vietnam's drug laws are severe. Drones need permits.

SIM. A travel eSIM is easiest. A local SIM needs your passport and a face check, under rules in force since 15 April 2026. Foreigners register in person with their passport, and official guidance doesn't say exactly how that works at airport kiosks.

There's more in our Southeast Asia packing list.

Arrival day

1. Before your flight. Fill in the pre-arrival form and save the QR code. Keep your onward ticket (and e-visa, if you need one) handy for check-in.
2. Immigration. Show your passport and QR code, plus the printed e-visa if you have one. Visa-free travellers get a stamp, so check the exit date.
3. Customs. Green channel if you have nothing to declare. Red channel for cash over the limits, goods over the duty-free allowances or controlled medicines.
4. SIM and cash. Airport kiosks sell and register SIMs in minutes. Take out some dong at an ATM.
5. Into town. Hanoi's Noi Bai airport is about 30 km from the Old Quarter, 45 minutes to an hour by road. Airport bus 86 runs to Hanoi Railway Station for about VND 45,000, a Grab car costs roughly VND 250,000 to 350,000, and an official taxi around VND 550,000 to 600,000. In Ho Chi Minh City, bus 152 runs from the international terminal towards Ben Thanh (roughly 05:15 to 19:00), and Grab or Be to District 1 is usually about VND 150,000 to 250,000. Bus 109 now stops only at the domestic terminal (T3). These are 2026 reported prices, so treat them as a guide.
6. Hotel. You'll be asked for your passport so the hotel can register you with the local police, which is required for all visitors.

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Keep planning

• Vietnam visa and entry requirements (all nationalities)
• Vietnam travel guide
• Is Vietnam safe for solo travellers?
• Best time to visit Vietnam