Vietnam Passport Requirements: Validity, Pages & Rules 2026
To enter Vietnam, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your planned arrival date, according to Vietnamese authorities consulted in October 2026 on xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. It must also have at least two consecutive blank pages for entry and exit stamps. These rules apply to all foreign visitors, regardless of length of stay or visa type.
These requirements are strict: a passport expiring in 5 months, even if your stay lasts only 10 days, will be refused at boarding or on arrival. Airlines systematically check validity before allowing you to board.
Required Passport Validity Period
The 6-month validity rule is enforced by Vietnamese immigration and airlines. Specifically, if you arrive in Vietnam on 1 January 2027, your passport must be valid until at least 1 July 2027. This rule applies even for stays of a few days with visa exemption or a 30-day e-visa.
Validity is calculated from the date of entry into Vietnam, not the exit date or visa application date. If your passport expires in less than 6 months, renew it before booking your ticket. Renewal generally takes 2 to 4 weeks in France via service-public.fr, longer from abroad.
For French citizens, passport applications are made at equipped town halls or via France-Services. The cost is €86 for an adult in 2026 according to service-public.fr. If you are already abroad, contact the nearest French consulate: processing times can reach 8 to 12 weeks.
Required Blank Pages
Your passport must have at least two consecutive blank pages, meaning two facing pages without any stamps, visas or annotations. These pages are used for Vietnam's entry and exit stamps. A single isolated blank page is not sufficient.
Pages with expired visas, old stamps or handwritten annotations do not count as blank. If your passport is nearly full, renew it before departure. Some countries offer additional pages, but France discontinued this option: you must get a complete new passport.
On arrival, the immigration officer visually checks available pages. A passport without blank pages results in refused entry and an immediate return flight at your expense.
Damaged or Worn Passport
A damaged, torn, stained passport with loose pages or damaged cover may be refused on entry to Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities consider that a passport must be in good condition to be valid, even if the expiration date is correct.
The most frequently refused damage: missing pages, detached or illegible photo, torn cover, water or ink stains on the identity page, significant creases. If your passport has sustained damage, even minor, renew it before departure.
If in doubt about your passport's condition, contact the Vietnamese Embassy in France or Vietnamese consulate. They can tell you if the document's condition is problematic. Preventive renewal costs €86 and avoids refused boarding with a €1,000 lost ticket.
Passport Photo for E-visa
The e-visa application on evisa.gov.vn requires uploading a photo or scan of your passport's identity page. This page must be legible, in colour, without glare or shadow. The accepted file format is JPG or PNG, with a maximum size of 2 MB according to official portal instructions consulted in October 2026.
Photograph the identity page against a plain background with good lighting. Verify that the passport number, expiration date, your name and photo are perfectly legible. A blurry, too-dark or glare-affected file results in application rejection.
You must also provide a recent identity photo (4x6 cm format, white background) when applying for an e-visa. This photo must meet international standards: face forward, no glasses, no smile, neutral background. Keep a paper copy of this photo and a copy of your passport identity page during your stay.
Entry rules depend on your nationality; the official portal is evisa.gov.vn. If you prefer someone to handle the application, visa-vietnam.app can do it. visa-vietnam.app is run by the same publisher as this site.
Lost or Stolen Passport in Vietnam
If your passport is lost or stolen in Vietnam, you must immediately report the loss to the local police station (công an) and obtain a police report (biên bản). This document is mandatory for any consular procedure. Then go to the French consulate or embassy in Hanoi or the consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
The consulate will issue you a laissez-passer (or emergency passport) to return to France. Processing time is generally 2 to 5 working days, depending on volume. The laissez-passer cost is approximately €45 in 2026 according to consular fees. You must provide: the police report, two identity photos, a copy of your ID or old passport if you have it, and proof of nationality (birth certificate or national ID card).
Before leaving Vietnam, you must also regularize your situation with the Vietnamese immigration service. Without an entry stamp in your new document, you risk a fine or exit blockage. The consulate assists with this procedure. Always keep a digital copy of your passport (identity page and visa page) in the cloud or by email.
Dual Nationality and Multiple Passports
If you hold two nationalities, you must choose which passport to use to enter Vietnam. Some nationalities benefit from visa exemptions (like France, 45 days), others do not. You can enter with one passport and exit with another, but you must inform immigration on arrival and departure.
In practice, use the same passport for the entire stay. If you change passports during your stay (for example after consular renewal), report it to the Vietnamese immigration service to avoid exit blockage. The entry stamp must correspond to the passport presented on exit.
For French-Vietnamese dual nationals, Vietnam requires use of the Vietnamese passport to enter and exit the country, according to Vietnamese nationality law. A French person of Vietnamese origin cannot use their French passport if they also hold Vietnamese nationality. Check your situation with the Vietnamese Embassy in France before departure.
Passport and E-visa: Required Match
Your e-visa information (surname, first name, passport number, expiration date) must exactly match your passport. A single different letter, missing hyphen or incorrect number results in refused boarding or entry to Vietnam.
If you renew your passport after obtaining an e-visa, it becomes invalid. You must make a new e-visa application with the new passport number. E-visas are not transferable from one passport to another. An e-visa costs 25 USD (approximately €23, or about 675,000 VND) for a 30-day stay according to evisa.gov.vn consulted in October 2026.
Check information three times before validating your e-visa application. An entry error costs a new e-visa at 25 USD. Keep a paper copy of your approved e-visa and an offline-accessible digital copy throughout your stay.
Passport and 45-Day Visa Exemption
French citizens benefit from a visa exemption for stays of up to 45 days in Vietnam, according to diplomatie.gouv.fr consulted in October 2026. This exemption applies automatically on arrival if your passport meets conditions: minimum 6-month validity and two blank pages.
You have no procedures to complete before departure to benefit from the exemption. On arrival, simply present your passport and return ticket (or onward ticket to a third country). The immigration officer stamps your passport and authorizes 45 days of stay.
If you stay longer than 45 days, you must apply for an e-visa or standard visa before departure. The 45-day exemption cannot be extended in-country. For more details on exemptions and visas, see Visa Vietnam pour Français : exemption 45 jours, e-visa et visas longs (2026).
Passport Checks at Boarding and Arrival
Airlines systematically verify your passport validity before boarding. A passport expiring in less than 6 months or without blank pages results in refused boarding, without ticket refund. This check is automated: ground staff scan your passport and the system blocks check-in if conditions are not met.
On arrival in Vietnam, the immigration officer again verifies validity, blank pages, passport condition, visa or exemption, and stamps your passport. Inspection generally takes 1 to 3 minutes per passenger. If a problem is detected, you are taken to a separate office for thorough examination, and you risk refused entry with immediate return flight.
Keep your passport with you at all times during your stay. Some hotels request a copy for registration, but they have no right to keep the original for more than a few hours. In case of police checks on the street (rare but possible), you must present your passport or certified copy.
Key Points About Passports for Vietnam
Your passport must be valid 6 months after your arrival date in Vietnam and have two consecutive blank pages. A damaged, lost or e-visa-mismatched passport results in refused entry. If lost in-country, immediately report to police and contact the French consulate.
Check your passport at least 2 months before departure. If validity is marginal or blank pages are lacking, renew via service-public.fr in France or via consulate if abroad. Always keep a digital copy of the identity page and visa in secure offline-accessible storage. To prepare all your formalities, see Formalités Administratives Expatriation Vietnam : Guide 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Jérémie Chiari
Author, based in Da Nang
A French entrepreneur living in Da Nang, Jérémie writes these guides from first-hand experience and official sources, cited and dated.
About the author