If Vietnam is on your list of places to go, there is an additional step that you won’t want to miss from now on; digital arrival card will be part of the process & doing so in advance will save a ton of time when entering the airport!
It doesn’t mean that you cannot get in, but the catch is that the immigration process will probably take longer. This essentially means that it’s not going to completely prevent you from being able to enter the country but it will likely affect how smooth your overall experience is when arriving.
Starting April 15, 2026 the country of Vietnam has officially required all international travelers to complete this digital form prior to arriving at an immigration checkpoint within the country; the rollout of the form started at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which is among the busiest points of entry into the country.
This indicates that there is a strong chance that this requirement will soon be rolled out across all other border crossings.
The form itself is relatively simple; it consists of some basic information like your passport number, flight number, hotel address, reason for travelling, etc.; so really a short online check-in prior to your flight!
The Importance of Timing
You can complete the form for the entry process only within 72 hours of arrival but as long as you plan ahead don’t wait too long.
Once you have submitted everything for the entry process you will receive a QR code by email which will be used at immigration as entry to Vietnam. Presenting your QR code will speed up your entry process/experience compared to completing everything manually upon arriving in the country.
This is aligned with other regional countries. Pakistan, Thailand and Singapore (and many others) have recently begun adopting a similar electronic process to assist with border control efficiency.
Furthermore this electronic system is not limited to certain types of travelers (i.e. tourists). The system will include no-visa requirement travelers, e-Visa travelers as well as all Vietnamese citizens living overseas entering Vietnam through a visa.
On average this process should take you approximately 5 minutes or less; however, if you fail to utilize this process you will end up spending significantly longer than 5 minutes at the immigration counter after disembarking from an international flight.
Anything related to entering Vietnam (eg. booking accommodations/hotel, documenting/organizing travel information, etc), this is another item that must be checked in addition too your Passports, Visas, Traveller Insurance, etc when planning your travel to the country.
A burgeoning transformation from traditional to modern digital travel systems is occurring all over Asia which is leading to quicker processing times, a decrease in paper used and an increase in having the ability to manage your own information as a traveler prior to entering Vietnam’s borders.
For those planning to travel to Vietnam shortly, this is definitely a positive step forward that will be very evident to you on arrival in Vietnam!
