{"id":7023201,"date":"2026-04-20T10:50:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/?p=7023201"},"modified":"2026-04-20T10:53:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:53:42","slug":"vietnam-the-digital-arrival-card-becomes-compulsory-in-ho-chi-minh-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/blog\/vietnam-la-carte-darrivee-digitale-devient-obligatoire-a-ho-chi-minh-ville\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnam: Digital arrival card mandatory in Ho Chi Minh City"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Faced with ever-increasing international traffic and notoriously long customs queues, Vietnam is modernizing its entry procedures. Since <strong>April 15, 2026<\/strong>, the Vietnamese authorities have introduced a new mandatory formality: the <strong>Digital Arrival Card<\/strong> (digital arrival card) for passengers landing at <strong>Ho Chi Minh City<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"530\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-1024x530.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7023206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-1024x530.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-300x155.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-768x397.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-1536x795.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-2048x1059.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Sans-titre-7-18x9.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"> What is it and who is it for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The new digital arrival card is a <strong>dematerialized form<\/strong> and totally <strong>free of charge<\/strong>, designed to replace the old paper boarding pass. The aim is clear: to relieve congestion at airport immigration counters, where waiting times can sometimes exceed two hours at peak times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The following are required to submit this document:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>All foreign nationals<\/strong>, The visa must be valid for at least three months from the date of entry to the country of destination, whether they benefit from a visa waiver or are traveling on a classic\/e-Visa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vietnamese citizens in the diaspora<\/strong> traveling with a foreign passport and a valid visa.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The following are exempt:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Citizens traveling with a Vietnamese passport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pure transit passengers (without crossing the immigration line or baggage claim).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To date, this procedure is in the test phase and applies to <strong>exclusively at Tan Son Nhat (SGN) international airport in Ho Chi Minh City<\/strong>, the country's main gateway. If you land in Hanoi (HAN) or Da Nang (DAD), the system has not yet been deployed, although national expansion is planned.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The differences between the arrival card and the visa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the most frequent confusion at the check-in counter and is the core of our expertise: <strong>the pre-arrival declaration in no way replaces the need for a visa.<\/strong><br>If your nationality or the duration of your stay requires a visa to enter Vietnam, the rule remains unchanged:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must obtain your entry document (e-Visa, exemption certificate, etc.). <strong>Before<\/strong> departure.<br>You will use the information on this validated visa to fill in your digital arrival card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How and when do you get your QR Code?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Timing is everything.<\/strong> The Vietnamese immigration portal only allows entry at the last moment. You can generate your document <strong>only on the day of arrival or within 2 days of arrival<\/strong> (i.e. a strict 72-hour window).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the user path in 4 simple steps on the <a href=\"https:\/\/prearrival.immigration.gov.vn\/\">official government portal<\/a> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Identity<\/strong><br>Passport information (upload possible for pre-filling) and marital status.<br>This is where you enter the number, issue date and expiry date of your <strong>Visa or e-Visa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Travel<\/strong><br>Choice of flight, departure airport, reason for stay and accommodation address.<br>Have the exact address of your first hotel in Vietnam at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Validation<\/strong><br>Verify data and enter a one-time password (OTP).<br>This 6-digit code is sent directly to your e-mail inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. QR Code<\/strong><br>Generation of confirmation with allocation of a file number.<br>This is the final screen: your QR code is ready to be scanned by customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Our agency has several recommendations:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Save offline :<\/strong> Don't rely on the airport's 4G\/5G network or public Wi-Fi (often saturated on arrival). Always take a screenshot of your QR Code, or print it out on paper. In the event of low battery, the paper format will save the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beware of domestic connections:<\/strong> Landing in Ho Chi Minh City but your final destination is Phu Quoc or Hoi An? Then you'll need to go through immigration in Ho Chi Minh City. You'll need a QR code at your first point of entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beware of delays:<\/strong> Filling in the form on your smartphone directly in the airport queue is technically possible (QR codes redirecting to the site are displayed), but the stress of logging in and getting the OTP code received by e-mail may considerably lengthen your waiting time. Plan ahead before you take your flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Need help with your travel documents?<\/strong> Navigating international consular regulations requires absolute rigor. When it comes to obtaining an e-visa to Vietnam or the rest of the world, our experts take care of everything from A to Z.<br>\ud83d\udc49 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/destinations\/vietnam\/\">Start your Vietnam Visa application with our agency<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Faced with ever-increasing international traffic and notoriously long customs queues, Vietnam is modernizing its entry procedures. Since April 15, 2026, the Vietnamese authorities have introduced a new compulsory formality: the Digital Arrival Card for travelers landing in Ho Chi Minh City. What is it? <a title=\"Vietnam: Digital arrival card mandatory in Ho Chi Minh City\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/blog\/vietnam-la-carte-darrivee-digitale-devient-obligatoire-a-ho-chi-minh-ville\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Vietnam: Digital arrival card mandatory in Ho Chi Minh City\">Read the article<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7023202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[89],"class_list":["post-7023201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asie","tag-vietnam"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7023201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7023201"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7023201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7023208,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7023201\/revisions\/7023208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7023202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7023201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7023201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visamundi.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7023201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}