Which passports enter Vietnam visa-free for 45 days

Some passports enter Vietnam visa-free for 45 days, but only through two dated lists. Many European countries are on them, nine EU members are on neither, and the United States is not on either.

Two lists, two purposes

Vietnam has two government resolutions that grant 45 days. Resolution 44/NQ-CP covers any passport type and any purpose of entry. Resolution 229/NQ-CP covers tourism only.

Both lists end in 2028, on different days, so check the one that applies against your arrival date. If your passport is on the second list, the exemption is for tourism. A trip for work or study is not covered by what that row says.

British citizens can also check the UK government's entry requirements page for Vietnam, which confirms the 45-day exemption. It was last updated on 21 September 2026.

The nine EU members on neither list

These EU members are on neither list:

• Austria
• Cyprus
• Estonia
• Greece
• Ireland
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Portugal

So "European passport" does not tell you whether you can enter without a visa. A French or German passport is covered by the first list, a Polish or Czech one by the second (for tourism), and an Irish or Portuguese one by neither.

The United States is also on neither list. US citizens need an e-visa, covered in our guide for US citizens.

What immigration checks

Being on a list does not waive the passport checks:

• The passport must expire at least 6 months after you arrive.
• It needs at least 2 blank pages and must not be damaged.
• You must enter and leave on the same passport.

The entry stamp shows the date you must leave by. Check at the desk that it is 45 days from your arrival date. Immigration will not change it once you have left the airport or land border.

For the rest of the trip, the Vietnam visa page has a tool that checks your passport country, and the Vietnam travel hub has the destination pages.

Connecting flights and overstaying

If you change from an international flight to a domestic flight in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you must clear immigration and enter Vietnam, even if your final destination is outside Vietnam. Check with your airline before you book.

The 45 days are a hard limit. You cannot leave without a valid visa, and if you overstay, the authorities can stop you leaving until you pay a fine. You can also be deported and refused entry in future. The digital arrival card and health declaration are covered in our e-visa guide, and they apply to visa-free arrivals too.

Limits of this article

The lists end in 2028, and we checked them in September 2026. Governments change entry rules, so confirm the current rule on an official source before you book. If your passport is on neither list, the e-visa route is covered in our guide for US citizens, and the rules there apply to any passport.

References

• UK FCDO travel advice for Vietnam, entry requirements: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements. Checked 2026-09.
• Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, visa exemption for 12 countries under Resolution 44/NQ-CP: https://vietnam.travel/things-to-do/viet-nam-waives-visas-citizens-12-countries. Checked 2026-09.
• KPMG Vietnam, Resolution 229/NQ-CP visa exemption summary: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/vn/pdf/2025/08/new-regulations-on-visa-exemption-vi.pdf. Checked 2026-09.

Photo: Saigon skyline night view.jpg, Gurval Le Bouter, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saigon_skyline_night_view.jpg

Data checked: September 2026.