If you are planning to enter Vietnam through Da Nang International Airport but do not have a Vietnam eVisa, visa on arrival may be an option when your circumstances qualify for the applicable airport visa procedure. However, visa on arrival should never be understood as simply flying to Da Nang without making any arrangements and then starting a visa application after landing. For the visa-on-arrival procedure described by Da Nang International Airport, an Approval Letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department must be obtained before the trip. The Approval Letter is therefore the key document that connects the pre-arrival approval process with the visa formalities completed at Da Nang Airport. Once the appropriate Approval Letter has been obtained, the traveller still needs to complete the required visa-on-arrival procedure after landing before receiving the actual visa stamp. This distinction is especially important when departure is approaching: if you need to rely on visa on arrival instead of an eVisa, the priority is to arrange the Approval Letter online before you fly, prepare the required documents, and understand what you will need to do at the airport. The following guide explains the process step by step so that you know what should be ready before travelling to Da Nang.
Not having a Vietnam eVisa does not necessarily mean that every traveller is unable to enter through Da Nang International Airport. Some travellers may qualify for visa exemption or already hold another valid Vietnamese visa or immigration document. The important question is what legal basis you will use to enter Vietnam.
If you require a Vietnam visa but do not have an eVisa, one airport-related route that may be relevant in an applicable case is visa on arrival with the required advance Approval Letter. The crucial distinction is that the Approval Letter must be obtained before the trip. You should not arrive in Da Nang with no visa and no prior approval expecting to begin the entire process at the airport.
For travellers using the visa-on-arrival procedure described by Da Nang International Airport, the Approval Letter is what allows them to proceed with the corresponding visa formalities after arrival. The airport’s own passenger guidance instructs travellers to obtain an Approval Letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department before travelling to Da Nang and then present that approval during the visa-on-arrival procedure.
This means that if you need a visa but do not have an eVisa, your priority should be to determine whether the visa-on-arrival route is applicable to your circumstances and, if it is, obtain the required Approval Letter before departure. The airport stage comes afterward.
Da Nang International Airport has a visa-on-arrival procedure for travellers using the applicable route. However, the process begins before you travel to Vietnam because an Approval Letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department must first be obtained.
This is why the phrase “visa on arrival” can be misleading when read too literally. The actual visa stamp is dealt with after arrival, but the necessary approval is obtained beforehand. In other words, you should not think of visa on arrival as arriving without preparation and purchasing an ordinary tourist visa at the airport.
Once the appropriate Approval Letter has been issued, the traveller can bring it to Da Nang and complete the remaining visa formalities at the Visa on Arrival office. The passport, visa application form and required supporting materials are presented there, the applicable visa fee is paid, and the visa is processed before the traveller continues through the relevant immigration procedures.
For anyone considering this option because they do not have an eVisa, the Approval Letter is therefore the document that needs attention first. Without the required prior approval for this route, you should not rely on the airport counter as a solution after landing.
The words “on arrival” describe where an important part of the visa procedure is completed, but they do not mean that every stage begins after the aircraft lands. For the Da Nang visa-on-arrival procedure discussed here, the traveller needs to obtain the Approval Letter before the trip.
This changes how travellers should prepare. Instead of thinking, “I do not have an eVisa, so I will ask for a visa when I arrive,” the correct sequence is to arrange the applicable Approval Letter first and then use that document to complete the visa-on-arrival procedure at Da Nang Airport.
The Approval Letter should not be confused with the final visa itself. Receiving prior approval means an essential pre-arrival stage has been completed, but the traveller still needs to follow the required procedure after landing. The visa stamp is obtained through the airport process rather than being automatically created simply because the Approval Letter has been issued.
This distinction becomes particularly important when departure is close. If visa on arrival is going to be your applicable solution, the time before the flight should be used to secure the required Approval Letter and prepare the remaining documents rather than waiting until you reach Da Nang.
Yes. Da Nang Airport Border Gate is one of Vietnam’s designated international airport entry points for eligible eVisa holders. A traveller who already has a valid Vietnam eVisa can therefore use Da Nang as an entry point provided that the visa and travel circumstances meet the applicable requirements.
This is separate from the visa-on-arrival procedure. An eVisa is obtained electronically before travel and, once issued, serves as the visa document subject to its conditions. Visa on arrival follows a different process in which the traveller using the applicable route first obtains the necessary Approval Letter and later completes the visa formalities at the airport.
Understanding the distinction helps avoid one of the most common sources of confusion. Da Nang Airport accepting eVisa does not mean that eVisa is the only immigration arrangement that has ever been processed there, and the existence of a visa-on-arrival procedure does not mean that a traveller can arrive without the required advance approval.
For someone who does not currently have an eVisa, the next step should therefore be based on the actual situation. If the applicable visa-on-arrival procedure is being used, preparation should focus immediately on obtaining the Approval Letter before departure and making sure the remaining airport documents are ready.
If you require a Vietnam visa, do not have an eVisa, and intend to use the applicable visa-on-arrival procedure at Da Nang Airport, the practical solution is to prepare the Approval Letter before you fly. The Approval Letter is not something you should plan to request only after arriving in Vietnam. It needs to be arranged in advance so that you can use it when completing the visa-on-arrival formalities at Da Nang Airport.
This is the point where travellers with an approaching flight should stop spending valuable time trying to determine whether they can simply “buy a visa at Da Nang Airport.” For the VOA procedure discussed here, the process is more specific: first obtain the Approval Letter issued through the appropriate Vietnam Immigration process, then travel with that document and complete the remaining visa formalities after landing.
If your departure date is close, the amount of time available to obtain the Approval Letter becomes critical. You should submit the required information as early as possible, make sure all passport details are accurate and select an appropriate processing option for the time remaining before your flight. Errors in the name, passport number or travel information can become much more difficult to correct when departure is only hours or a day away.
Travellers who need to arrange an Approval Letter for an urgent Da Nang arrival can submit their information and check the available processing options here:
The goal is to have the required prior approval ready before departure, not to reach Da Nang first and hope the visa problem can be resolved afterward. Once the Approval Letter is available, you can prepare the remaining documents needed for the airport stage and complete the VOA formalities after landing.
In the context of the visa-on-arrival procedure discussed in this article, the essential pre-arrival document is the Approval Letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department. This is the prior approval that must be obtained before travelling when using this route.
The Approval Letter is important because it demonstrates that the required advance stage of the airport visa procedure has been completed. Travellers intending to rely on visa on arrival should therefore have the appropriate Approval Letter available before departure and carry it with the passport and other documents required for the airport process.
However, obtaining the Approval Letter does not mean the visa-on-arrival process is completely finished. The Approval Letter is not the final visa stamp. After arriving at Da Nang International Airport, the traveller still needs to go to the Visa on Arrival office and complete the required formalities before receiving the visa.
This distinction is simple but important: the Approval Letter is arranged before departure; the VOA procedure is completed after arrival. Travellers should therefore plan for both stages rather than assuming that obtaining prior approval alone completes every immigration formality.
If you are using the applicable visa-on-arrival procedure, the most important document to arrange before departure is the Approval Letter. This should be obtained in advance through the appropriate process and checked carefully against the passport that you will use for the trip. Your name, passport number and other identifying information should be accurate.
You should also prepare your passport and the Vietnamese visa application form used for the procedure. The relevant Vietnamese immigration document is commonly referred to as Form NA1, the visa application form. Complete the required information carefully so that it corresponds with your passport and Approval Letter.
You should also prepare the required passport-style photograph for the visa application. A commonly requested format for this procedure is a 4 × 6 cm photo with a white background. Having the photo prepared before departure can make the airport process more straightforward rather than leaving you to solve a missing-document problem after landing.
Finally, be ready to pay the applicable visa stamping/issuance fee at the airport. A single-entry visa carries a USD 25 visa fee under the relevant fee schedule; the amount can differ for other visa types, so do not assume USD 25 applies to every visa. Before departure, therefore, your preparation for the applicable VOA route should cover the Approval Letter, passport, completed NA1 form, required photo and the appropriate visa fee.
Once you land at Da Nang International Airport with the required Approval Letter, follow the arrival procedure toward the immigration area and locate the Visa on Arrival office, which Da Nang Airport’s passenger guidance identifies on the ground floor of the terminal.
At the Visa on Arrival office, you need to complete the visa application formalities. If the application form has not already been prepared, follow the instructions for completing the relevant entry/exit visa application and attach the required photograph. Having the form and photo ready in advance can reduce unnecessary preparation after landing.
You then present your passport, Approval Letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department, completed application form and required supporting material to the immigration officers. The officers review the documents according to the applicable procedure.
The next step is to pay the required visa fee. For a single-entry visa, the applicable issuance fee is USD 25; other visa categories can carry different fees. After the required processing is completed, the visa stamp is issued in accordance with the applicable procedure.
You then proceed through the relevant immigration formalities for entry. The key point is that the airport process works as the second stage of the VOA arrangement: the Approval Letter has already been obtained before the journey, and the remaining visa formalities are completed at Da Nang Airport after arrival.
If your flight is tomorrow and you need to use the applicable visa-on-arrival route, your immediate priority is the Approval Letter. Without completing the required advance approval stage, you should not plan to arrive in Da Nang and start the VOA procedure from nothing.
Because only a short period remains, ordinary processing may no longer fit your schedule. This is where an urgent Approval Letter service may become relevant. The objective is to submit the required passport and travel information as quickly and accurately as possible so the case can be assessed for the fastest available processing option.
You can submit your request and check urgent Approval Letter processing options here:
When applying urgently, double-check every important detail before submission. Your full name and passport number must match the passport you will actually use. You should also make the urgency of your departure clear so that the available processing option can be evaluated against the time remaining.
Once the Approval Letter has been obtained, the job is still not completely finished. Prepare your passport, the required 4 × 6 cm photograph, the relevant NA1 visa application form and the applicable visa fee for the airport procedure. After arriving in Da Nang, proceed to the Visa on Arrival office and complete the remaining formalities to receive the visa.
Can I get a Vietnam visa when I arrive at Da Nang Airport?
Yes, Da Nang International Airport provides a visa-on-arrival procedure for travellers using the applicable route, but the required Approval Letter must be obtained before the trip. You should not arrive without prior approval and assume you can begin the entire visa application from scratch at the airport.
Can I fly to Da Nang without a Vietnam eVisa?
An eVisa is not the only possible basis for entering Vietnam. Depending on your circumstances, you may be visa-exempt, hold another valid visa, or use another applicable immigration procedure. If you are relying on the VOA route described here, obtain the required Approval Letter before travelling.
Does Da Nang Airport accept Vietnam eVisa?
Yes. Da Nang Airport Border Gate is an authorized entry and exit point for eligible Vietnam eVisa holders.
Can I use a visa Approval Letter at Da Nang Airport?
Yes. If you have the appropriate Approval Letter issued for the applicable visa-on-arrival procedure, it can be presented as part of the VOA process at Da Nang International Airport. The Approval Letter must be obtained before the trip, and after landing you still need to complete the required airport formalities to receive the visa.
Is an Approval Letter already a Vietnam visa?
No. The Approval Letter is the essential prior-approval document for the applicable VOA procedure, but it is not the final visa stamp. You still need to complete the visa-on-arrival formalities after reaching Da Nang Airport.
What documents should I prepare for visa on arrival at Da Nang Airport?
For the procedure described in this article, prepare the appropriate Approval Letter, the passport connected to the approval, the relevant visa application form, the required photograph and the applicable visa fee. Check all details before travelling.
How much is the visa stamping fee at Da Nang Airport?
The visa issuance fee for a single-entry visa is USD 25 under the applicable fee schedule. Other visa types can have different fees, so travellers should confirm the amount corresponding to the visa they are receiving.
What if my flight to Da Nang is tomorrow?
If the applicable VOA procedure is your intended solution, arrange the Approval Letter immediately and check whether urgent processing is available for your case. Once approval is obtained, prepare the remaining VOA documents before departure so that you can complete the airport procedure after landing.
If you need a Vietnam visa but do not have an eVisa and are relying on the applicable visa-on-arrival procedure at Da Nang Airport, focus on the step that must happen before the flight: obtaining the Approval Letter. Do not treat VOA as a system where you can arrive completely unprepared and start the visa application only after landing.
Once the Approval Letter is ready, prepare your passport, photograph, visa application form and applicable visa fee. After landing at Da Nang International Airport, proceed to the Visa on Arrival office and complete the remaining formalities to receive the visa. When departure is very close, arranging the Approval Letter as early as possible—and using an urgent processing option when appropriate—is far more useful than leaving the visa question until you reach the airport.
