Are you traveling through Cambodia and looking to get a Visa for Vietnam? Here are some pointers on why you might need to apply for it ahead of time and and how to easily get your Vietnam visa in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Last updated: July 2019

Some general advice on Vietnam visas

If you’re traveling around South East Asia and are heading to Vietnam, remember to check if you need to get your visa in advance! For most nationalities, depending on the length of your stay, a visa is required. If you’ve heard about visas on arrival, these are visas that require a previously arranged authorization letter. Typically you can get these from travel agents, a quick Google search should give you plenty of options (of varying trustworthiness). However, be aware that these prearranged visas on arrival are only valid at the major airports (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, possibly Da Nang). They are not valid at any of the land border crossings! We have had a visa on arrival arranged by our hotel with no problems in the past.

To cross any of the land borders into Vietnam, you will need an actual Vietnamese visa issued by one of the Vietnamese embassies.

Exception: Nationals of some countries can now (2019) enter Vietnam without a visa, on a “visa waiver”, if you stay less than 15 days. This includes Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Japan and South Korea. Nationals from the Philippines (21 days) and Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia or Laos (30 days) also benefit from visa waivers.

If you have a different nationality or are planning on staying for longer or entering Vietnam multiple times, you do need a visa from a Vietnam embassy. You can do this at home in advance, or you can get one on the way. Most travel agents in countries around Vietnam offer to arrange this for a fee, and if you can’t spare the time to go to the embassy, that’s a valid option. If you’re like me and don’t trust anyone with your passport, you can easily head to an embassy and arrange the visa yourself.

We got our visas in Sihanoukville in the south of Cambodia. There’s a lot of confusing and contradicting information about Vietnam visas out there, but the one thing that’s certain is that Sihanoukville offers the cheapest visas for Vietnam, so if you’re considering getting your visa at home or spending two days in Sihanoukville to get it, do some price shopping.

Prices tend to fluctuate (and have gone down in the last few years rather than up), a 1 month single entry visa is currently about $40 if you don´t require express service. If you need your visa within 24 hours or same day, expect to pay an express fee. We paid $85 each for a 3 month single entry visa with 24 hour service. If you need a multiple entry visa, the price will be higher but still cheaper than doing a boarder run and getting a new visa.

All that being said, here’s how to get a Vietnam visa in Sihanoukville:

What to bring:

• Your passport
• A passport photo
• Enough cash for your type of visa. Bring a bit more just in case, prices may change quickly

Where to go and how to get there:

The address of the Vietnam Embassy is 310 Ekareach Boulevard. This is quite a distance from the area you’ll likely be staying in near the beach, so a tuk tuk is probably your best option. Every driver knows where the consulate is, and a return trip should cost about $4-5. Agree on a return trip fare and ask your driver to wait for you, as there will be no tuk tuks around the embassy. If you need cash, ask your driver to stop at the Canadia Bank across from the Caltex station, their ATM doesn’t charge any fee for withdrawals (keep in mind your bank might charge you though). The embassy is open from 8 – 12 and from 2pm to 4pm Monday through Friday as well as from 8 to 12 on Saturday mornings.

The process of getting your Vietnam visa

Walk into the embassy, they will hand you a piece of paper to fill out. Choose your type of visa and fill out all the information needed. You’ll have to put in your planned date of entry to Vietnam, be aware that you’ll be able to enter Vietnam after the day printed on your visa, but not before. So if you’re not sure about your plans yet, better to choose an earlier date.

Once you’ve filled out your form, go to the window and hand the form, your passport and photo to the officer sitting there (the embassy is small, when we went there was only a small room with one window so you’re not going to get lost!). He may ask a few questions, with us he only confirmed our travel dates and that we really wanted a three month visa. After that we paid our fee and were asked to come back and pick up the visas the next day, they could not offer same day service at the time. This also fluctuates, and many travelers have successfully gotten a same day visa before and after us so you may be ok with same day, but it´s safer to plan in an extra day. Make sure you get your receipt, it should have your passport number and the amount you paid on it, you’ll need this to pick up your passport with the shiny new visa.

The next day, simply go back to the embassy, to the same window, hand them your receipt and you’ll get your passport. Double check the dates are correct before you leave & you’re all set for Vietnam!

Note: Check out the helpful comment from Miz below, if you’re in a rush and need your visa back the same day, it seems this is possible if you arrive right as they open in the morning (don’t count on it though, it’s always better to leave yourself some buffer time).

More on Vietnam

I loved Vietnam! Now that you know how to get your visa, check out the Vietnam archives for my favorite experiences there, including the best street food to have in Saigon or Mui Ne’s amazing soups. Or take a look at my Vietnam Itinerary Guide to help you build your trip itinerary.