Vietnam's Digital Arrival Card Heads Nationwide After Successful Ho Chi Minh City Pilot

Vietnam’s mandatory digital arrival card — currently required only at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport — is set to expand to all major airports after a strong pilot phase, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security.

The scheme launched on April 15, 2026, requiring foreign nationals to submit a pre-arrival form through the official portal (prearrival.immigration.gov.vn) within 72 hours of landing. The form collects passport details, flight number, accommodation address, and purpose of visit, then generates a QR code that travellers show to immigration officers on arrival. Within the first two weeks of operation, the system processed more than 161,000 submissions, with around 120,000 validated successfully — a result officials describe as a strong proof of concept.

Who Must Complete It Now

All foreign passport holders arriving at Tan Son Nhat are required to complete the form before landing. This includes visa-free travellers, e-visa holders, and overseas Vietnamese arriving on a valid visa. Vietnamese citizens travelling on Vietnamese passports and transit passengers who do not clear immigration are exempt.

If you are currently planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, completing this form is a mandatory pre-travel step alongside any visa or entry permit you may need.

Expansion to Hanoi and Da Nang

Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi and Da Nang International Airport are not yet included. However, the immigration portal already supports multiple entry points and transport modes — air, land, and sea — indicating a nationwide rollout is actively being prepared. No firm date has been announced, but travellers arriving anywhere in Vietnam should treat the requirement as coming soon.

This Does Not Replace Your Visa

The digital arrival card is a registration step only. It runs alongside your existing entry permit — it does not replace any visa or visa-free exemption requirement. Our Vietnam visa guide covers current visa-free nationalities, e-visa rules, and exemptions in full.

What to Do Before You Fly

Visit prearrival.immigration.gov.vn within 72 hours of your scheduled arrival, complete the short form, and save the QR confirmation to your phone. The process takes around five minutes. Arriving without the completed form at Tan Son Nhat may cause delays at immigration.