Quick Summary: According to QuocTich.com data updated 09/2026, Vietnamese passport holders can enter 52 countries without advance visa application (visa-free, visa-on-arrival, or eTA). By continent: Asia 20 countries, Africa 18, Oceania 6, Caribbean 5, South America 2, North and Central America 1, Europe 0. Including fully online e-Visa countries, the total reaches 69 countries.
The figure 52 is often cited with resignation—as proof that the Vietnamese passport is "weak." But when you plot those 52 countries on a map, the story changes completely. They are not distributed evenly; instead, they cluster in two regions: nearby Asia and Africa—two continents accounting for 38 of the 52.
And there is something many Vietnamese travelers don't realize: the Vietnamese passport already grants visa-free entry to Dominica, Barbados, and St Vincent in the Caribbean—regions where many people spend hundreds of thousands of USD buying second passports. This article maps visa-free destinations for Vietnamese citizens by continent, so you know what you already have in hand before considering purchasing additional passports.
Vietnamese Passport by Continent: The Big Picture
| Continent | Countries Assessed | Visa-Free | Visa-on-Arrival | eTA | No Advance Application Required | Fully Online e-Visa | e-Visa with Procedures | Visa Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 49 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 9 | 13 |
| Africa | 54 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 17 |
| Oceania | 14 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Caribbean | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| South America | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| North and Central America | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Europe | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 43 |
| Total | 198 | 23 | 25 | 4 | 52 | 17 | 29 | 100 |
According to QuocTich.com data, updated 09/2026. "Asia" includes the Middle East and Central Asia, excluding Vietnam. "e-Visa with procedures" includes those requiring appointments, biometrics, or submission through designated agents.
How to read the table: the "No Advance Application Required" column shows countries where you can book a ticket and go immediately. The fully online e-Visa column shows destinations accessible after waiting a few days for email approval. The final column shows countries requiring full application preparation. Exactly 100 countries—roughly half the world—fall in the last column.
The complete country-by-country list is available at Vietnamese Passport Visa-Free Destinations. To distinguish between entry procedures, read Four Entry Procedures: Visa-Free, Visa-on-Arrival, eTA, and e-Visa.
Asia: Nearby Regions Are the Most Welcoming
Asia is where the Vietnamese passport performs best: 20 countries require no advance application, plus 7 more with accessible e-Visa options.
Visa-Free (14 countries): All ASEAN members—Thailand 60 days; Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines 30 days; Brunei, Myanmar 14 days. Outside the bloc: Kyrgyzstan 60 days, Kazakhstan and Mongolia 30 days, Iran 15 days, and Palestine (though entry requires transit through Israeli or Jordanian checkpoints).
Visa-on-Arrival (5 countries): Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, East Timor.
eTA (1 country): Taiwan—Vietnamese nationals may qualify for electronic registration instead of a traditional visa. Requirements vary (often requiring prior visas from developed countries), so verify through the Vietnam to Taiwan visa checker.
Fully Online e-Visa (7 countries): India, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Georgia, Oman, Qatar, Uzbekistan.
e-Visa with Procedures (9 countries): Japan, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Armenia, Bhutan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria. Japan and South Korea are the most visited destinations in this group; e-Visa there typically requires submission through designated agents and financial document review.
The remaining 13 countries require traditional visas, including China, Macau, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Kuwait, and Jordan. Turkey offers conditional e-Visa to holders of valid US, UK, or Schengen visas, but a standalone Vietnamese passport still requires advance application.
Europe: Zero and a Few e-Visa Loopholes
Europe is the weakest region for the Vietnamese passport: 0 out of 46 countries grant entry without advance application. No Schengen zone, no United Kingdom, no Switzerland, and even non-EU countries like Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia require visas.
Only three e-Visa options exist: Albania and Moldova allow fully online submission; Russia offers electronic e-Visa but with limitations on eligible countries and entry points, so we categorize it as e-Visa with procedures. The remaining 43 countries require document submission at embassies or visa application centers.
For Vietnamese citizens, this column is the primary reason many families consider a second passport. However, a well-prepared Schengen application remains the standard route for frequent travelers. We've written about building a strong Schengen application as a Vietnamese citizen and the 90/180-day Schengen rule for multiple-entry visa holders.
Africa: The Second Most Open Continent, Often Overlooked
Vietnamese travelers visit Africa infrequently, yet it is the second-most welcoming continent for the Vietnamese passport: 18 countries require no advance application, plus 8 with accessible e-Visa—26 total out of 54.
Visa-Free: Seychelles (90 days), Rwanda (30 days).
Visa-on-Arrival (14 countries): Burundi, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania.
eTA: Kenya, Ivory Coast.
Fully Online e-Visa: Benin, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Lesotho, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
For Vietnamese agricultural traders dealing in rice, cashews, and pepper, names like Tanzania, Mozambique, and Ghana are familiar. One note: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria—the continent's largest economies—do not offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry.
The Americas and Caribbean: Narrow Openings with Conditions
This is the narrowest region for the Vietnamese passport after Europe: 8 countries out of 35 require no advance application.
Caribbean (5 countries): Barbados, Haiti, St Vincent & Grenadines grant 90-day visa-free entry; Dominica grants 21 days; St Lucia offers visa-on-arrival. Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, and St Kitts use e-Visa with procedures.
South America (2 countries): Chile grants visa-free entry; Bolivia offers visa-on-arrival. Colombia and Ecuador use e-Visa.
North and Central America (1 country): Panama grants visa-free entry; El Salvador offers e-Visa. The United States, Canada, and Mexico all require advance visas.
An important caveat: several "visa-free" entries in the Americas come with conditions, such as requiring a valid visa from the US, Canada, UK, or Schengen zone. International databases may record entry rights without always noting these conditions. Always verify with your destination's consulate before booking.
Dominica deserves special attention. Vietnamese citizens can already enter Dominica visa-free, so Dominica citizenship has value not for entering Dominica itself, but for the countries a Dominica passport opens. Do not confuse the nation of Dominica with the Dominican Republic—they are completely separate countries.
Oceania: Small Islands Open, Australia and New Zealand Closed
6 out of 14 countries require no advance application—nearly all small island nations: Micronesia grants visa-free entry for 30 days; Palau, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu offer visa-on-arrival; Papua New Guinea uses eTA.
The two major destinations work differently. Australia uses an online system but typically requires biometric data and financial proof from Vietnamese nationals, so we categorize it as e-Visa with procedures; New Zealand requires a traditional visa. Check details at Vietnam to Australia visa checker.
Risks of Relying on Visa-Free Lists
Visa-free status is not an entry guarantee. Immigration officers can still refuse entry if you cannot demonstrate your travel purpose, return ticket, accommodation, or financial means. Vietnamese travelers visiting alone in some regions face intensive questioning.
Visa-on-Arrival can be denied at the gate. If refused, you lose your airfare and must return home. For important trips, use e-Visa when available.
Data has a time lag. Our most recent update was 26/07/2026. Visa policies change via government announcements, sometimes taking effect within weeks. Some unilateral visa-free policies have expiration dates and require periodic renewal.
Transit is different from entry. Visa-free entry to your destination doesn't grant visa-free transit through a third country. Flights to the Caribbean via the US or Canada require US or Canadian transit visas.
Passports must meet validity requirements. Many countries require passports valid for at least 6 months from entry date, with blank pages, and reject passports that are torn, water-damaged, or amended.
Checklist Before Each "Visa-Free" Trip
- [ ] Re-verify Vietnam to destination on a visa checker in your travel month
- [ ] Confirm allowed duration and number of entries
- [ ] Check for conditions (other visas, return ticket, financial proof)
- [ ] Verify transit visa requirements if changing planes in a third country
- [ ] Passport valid for minimum 6 months with blank pages
- [ ] Print accommodation confirmation, return ticket, travel insurance
- [ ] For visa-on-arrival: prepare exact cash currency and passport photos
- [ ] For e-Visa: print approval, verify name and passport number match exactly
Next Steps
Visit the Vietnamese Passport Ranking page to see its current position globally, then open the complete visa-free destinations list and bookmark countries your family actually needs. If most of your list is in Europe, North America, or Australia—three regions where the Vietnamese passport is nearly closed—that's when to try a dual passport combination to see which second passport fills the gaps. We've compiled a separate guide on Countries Offering e-Visa to Vietnamese Citizens.
