TGEntry rules for Vietnam: what they actually check at the border
Passport validity, a return ticket, the arrival card — what they really ask for, and what is a myth.
The Vietnamese border checks fewer things than people expect, but it is strict about the ones it does check. Point by point.
Passport: 6 months, and it is not a formality
The passport must be valid for at least 6 months on the date of entry. The rule is hard, and the first person to check it is not the border officer but the check-in agent: the airline is liable for a passenger who is refused entry, so with a five-month passport you simply will not be boarded.
Arrival card: compulsory, and they ask for the QR code
Since 22 June 2026 every foreign national completes the electronic arrival card, at all international airports in the country. Fill it in, get a QR code, show that at passport control.
It can be filled in within the last 72 hours before arrival at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn, free of charge.
Visa or visa-free: they count the days
Russian citizens may enter visa-free for up to 45 days. A longer trip needs a visa, and it has to be arranged before departure. The visa-free period cannot be extended once you are in Vietnam.
The return ticket: what is myth and what is not
The visa-free entry rules contain no requirement to show a return ticket. But that rule is about the border, not the airline: carriers have their own policies, and it is they who bear the cost if a passenger is turned back. A ticket out of the country settles the question before it is asked.
What to have to hand
- A passport valid for 6+ months
- The arrival card QR code — as a screenshot, not “let me find the email”
- The visa, if the trip is longer than 45 days
- The address of your first accommodation — the arrival card form asks for it
If the trip runs past 45 days, start on the visa early. We will check the details, file the application and see it through to the finished visa.
