Quick Summary: According to QuocTich.com data updated 09/2026, Vietnamese passport holders can obtain visa on arrival in 25 countries, mostly in Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific. Visa on arrival is not visa-free: it still requires a declaration form, a fee, and officials have discretionary authority to refuse. The actual gatekeeping often happens at the airline counter in Vietnam, before you even board the plane.
Vietnamese speakers use the term "visa on arrival" for two completely different things. One refers to foreigners obtaining an entry authorization that gets stamped upon landing at an airport. The other—the subject of this article—means passport holders receiving a visa upon arrival at another country.
The most common mistake doesn't happen at the destination. It happens at the departure airport: airline staff check entry requirements in the system, see the passenger lacks a return ticket or hotel confirmation, and refuse boarding. The passenger loses their ticket without ever meeting a foreign official.
How Visa on Arrival Differs from Visa-Free Entry and E-Visas
In the hierarchy of entry procedures, visa on arrival ranks just below visa-free entry. We analyzed each tier in our article four tiers of entry procedures: visa-free, on arrival, eTA, and e-visa. Here we highlight the practical differences.
| Procedure | Before Travel | At Arrival Airport | If Refused |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | Nothing needed | Border stamp | Rare, but questioning and refusal possible |
| Visa on arrival | Usually nothing; some countries require prior declaration | Fill form, pay fee, wait for visa stamp or endorsement | Sent back on next flight, lose ticket cost |
| eTA | Online declaration, quick approval | Border stamp | Know result before purchasing tickets |
| E-visa | Online submission, wait several days | Present approval letter | Know result before purchasing tickets |
| Conventional visa | Submit application at embassy/consulate, sometimes interview | Present visa-stamped passport | Know result before purchasing tickets |
Key difference: with eTA and e-visa, you know whether you'll be admitted before buying your ticket. With visa on arrival, the final decision rests with immigration officials when you've already flown halfway around the world.
Visa ranking sites classify visa on arrival together with visa-free entry and eTA for passport strength calculations. The reasoning and methodology are explained on the visa-free counting methodology page.
List of 25 Countries Offering Visa on Arrival to Vietnamese Passport Holders
According to QuocTich.com data updated 09/2026, Vietnamese passports have 52 destinations using the comprehensive counting method: 23 visa-free, 25 visa on arrival, and 4 eTA. Thus nearly half the "power" of a Vietnamese passport comes from visa-on-arrival arrangements.
| Region | Number of Countries | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 14 | Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania |
| Asia | 5 | East Timor, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan |
| Pacific | 4 | Palau, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu |
| South America | 1 | Bolivia |
| Caribbean | 1 | St. Lucia |
Additionally, 4 destinations use eTA, a similar online declaration procedure: Taiwan (with special conditions), Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea.
The complete list broken down by tier, updated together with the table above, is available on the Vietnamese passport visa-free destinations page. To check a specific destination before booking, use the lookup tool, for example Vietnamese passport to Nepal.
Most Popular Visa-on-Arrival Destinations for Travelers
Among the 25 countries, only a few genuinely appear on most travelers' itineraries. Each destination has unique conditions not captured in the summary table.
Maldives. Tourists of all nationalities receive a tourist visa on arrival, usually 30 days, free of charge. The real requirements are a confirmed hotel booking at a licensed resort or hotel, an outbound ticket, and proof of sufficient funds. Maldives also requires electronic declaration completion before flight departure; many travelers forget this step and must complete it hastily at the departure airport.
Nepal. Visa on arrival is available at Kathmandu airport and several overland checkpoints, with fees based on duration packages, payable in foreign currency. Bring passport photos and small-denomination USD cash; automated kiosks occasionally malfunction, and queues lengthen during climbing season.
Sri Lanka. Data indicates visa on arrival availability, but Sri Lanka primarily operates an eTA system requiring online declaration beforehand. Travelers should apply for eTA from their home country rather than relying on the Colombo airport counter.
Mauritius. Tourists typically receive a residence permit on arrival if they hold a return ticket, hotel confirmation, and proof of financial means. This country also offers a residency program for investors, detailed on the Mauritius page.
St. Lucia. A rare case in the Caribbean. Note the distinction: Dominica in the Vietnamese passport visa-free list is the island nation of Dominica in the Caribbean, not the Dominican Republic.
Standard Requirements at Most Visa-on-Arrival Counters
Requirements vary by country, but immigration officials ask for nearly identical documents. Here's a checklist for travelers to visa-on-arrival destinations:
- [ ] Passport valid for at least 6 months from entry date, with at least two consecutive blank pages.
- [ ] Round-trip or onward ticket, printed on paper (not just stored on phone).
- [ ] Hotel confirmation for entire stay, matching your name.
- [ ] USD cash in small denominations, crisp condition, unmarked and unfolded, sufficient for fees plus several days' expenses.
- [ ] Two passport-size photos with white background, in case airport equipment malfunctions.
- [ ] Yellow fever vaccination certificate if traveling to or transiting through endemic zones in Africa.
- [ ] Accommodation address and phone number, written down for the declaration form.
- [ ] Copies of all documents, saved both physically and in email/cloud storage.
The yellow fever requirement is most frequently overlooked. Several African countries on this list require proof of vaccination when visitors arrive from or transit through endemic zones, and airlines also verify this.
The Real Gatekeeping Happens at Your Departure Airport
This detail is known to travel industry professionals but often surprises first-time travelers.
Airlines are liable and can face penalties for transporting passengers who don't meet entry requirements. Therefore, check-in staff verify entry requirements using the industry's shared database and have authority to deny boarding if you lack necessary documents.
With visa on arrival, common questions at the counter are: where's your return ticket, which hotel are you staying at, do you have enough money. Vague answers or missing printed documents can result in extended questioning or outright boarding denial.
Tips to pass through smoothly:
- Check in early—at least three hours before international departure—to allow time for additional checks if needed.
- Provide printed copies of your return ticket and hotel confirmation along with your passport; don't wait to be asked.
- For connecting flights through another country, verify transit requirements; some countries require visas even for passengers not leaving the airport.
Risks to Understand Before Relying on Visa on Arrival
Visa on arrival is still a visa. Officials have discretionary refusal authority without detailed explanation. Those refused are typically put on the next available flight back to origin, with ticket costs charged to the passenger or airline, who then recoup from you.
The list changes faster than expected. Many African and South Asian countries have recently switched from visa on arrival to mandatory e-visa or eTA. A country listed as "on arrival" today may require online pre-registration next year. Always recheck each destination immediately before travel, and review countries offering e-visas to passport holders.
Some "on arrival" visas exist only in theory. In several African countries, issuing visas on arrival practically requires advance authorization letters obtained through local sponsors or travel agencies. Without such letters, airlines may refuse boarding.
Not for purposes beyond tourism. Visa on arrival is almost always a short-term tourist visa. For work, studies, or extended investment purposes, you must obtain a different visa category.
The total number masks limited practical value. While 25 visa-on-arrival destinations make the Vietnamese passport look impressive, they're concentrated in places few Vietnamese travelers actually visit. Major destinations like the Schengen area, UK, USA, Canada, and Australia still require advance visa applications.
What Visa on Arrival Signals About Second Citizenship
Looking at this list, many families realize: the Vietnamese passport opens many doors, but not the doors they want to open. This is the primary reason Vietnamese seek second citizenship—not to add a few island nations to the list.
When evaluating options, isolate the destinations that matter to your family. The article which dual citizenship pairs open the most doors for Vietnamese places each passport side-by-side with the Vietnamese passport and highlights which new doors open.
Next Steps
Before traveling to a visa-on-arrival destination, verify the passport-destination pair using the visa lookup tool, print all documents from the checklist above, and call your airline in advance if your itinerary includes connections.
If you find yourself repeatedly unable to reach important destinations while visa-on-arrival countries don't matter to your family, it's time to seriously consider a second passport. Start by listing five or six countries your family genuinely needs to visit.
