Vietnam Visa for Chinese Citizens (2026): the eVisa, the Paper Visa Rule, and the Payment Trap
Last updated: July 2026 · Written by the GoVietVisa processing team
Quick answer: Yes — every Chinese passport holder needs a visa for Vietnam, on every trip. The standard route is the eVisa: up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, US$25/$50 government fee, 3–5 working days in practice. Two things almost nobody warns you about: holders of Chinese biometric passports receive a free loose-leaf paper visa at the border instead of a stamp in the passport, and UnionPay cards routinely fail on the government payment page — the single most common snag for Chinese applicants.
Vietnam is now the top short-haul destination for Chinese travelers — official immigration data recorded about 5.28 million visitors from China in 2025, and roughly 85% of them entered on an eVisa. The process itself is straightforward. What trips people up are two China-specific quirks that generic visa guides skip entirely, because they only surface when you've actually processed these applications. Both are below.
Do Chinese Citizens Need a Visa for Vietnam?
Yes, always. China is not on Vietnam's visa-exemption list (which mostly covers ASEAN, parts of Europe, Japan, and Korea), so there is no visa-free stay of any length for ordinary Chinese passports. The one geographic exception that applies to everyone: Phu Quoc Island is visa-free for up to 30 days for any nationality, if you fly there directly from outside Vietnam and stay on the island.
For mainland Vietnam — Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Ha Long — you need one of three routes: the eVisa (what nearly everyone uses now), visa on arrival with a pre-approved letter (air only, now a small minority), or an embassy visa (slowest, mainly for special cases). This guide focuses on the eVisa because in 2025 only about 6% of Chinese visitors still used visa on arrival — the eVisa is cheaper, faster to arrange, and works at land borders from China too.
The Rule Nobody Warns You About: the Loose-Leaf Paper Visa
Here's the China-specific detail that surprises travelers at the border every single week. If you arrive on a Chinese biometric ordinary passport, Vietnamese immigration will not stamp your eVisa directly into the passport. Instead, you exchange your approved eVisa for a free loose-leaf paper visa at the port of entry — a separate sheet that travels with your passport. The reason is political (the map printed inside those passports), but the practical effect on you is minor if you know it's coming:
- The exchange is free — if anyone at a border asks for a "stamping fee" for this, that is not an official charge.
- Bring a printed copy of your eVisa. Screens are usually accepted, but the paper-visa desk works faster with a printout.
- Allow a few extra minutes at immigration — you may be directed to a separate counter.
- Do not lose the loose-leaf sheet during your trip. It is your visa. You'll need it at exit, and at hotels for check-in registration.
None of this affects your eVisa approval itself — the application process online is identical to every other nationality. It only changes what happens at the counter.
The Payment Trap: Why UnionPay Cards Fail
The most common place Chinese applications die isn't the form — it's the payment page. The government portal's gateway is built around international networks like Visa, Mastercard, and JCB. UnionPay cards routinely fail or aren't accepted at all, and the portal doesn't explain why; it just declines. We've seen applicants retry a card a dozen times over several days, burning their pre-flight buffer on a payment that was never going to go through.
Your options, in order of simplicity:
- Use an internationally-enabled Visa or Mastercard — your own, or a family member's (the cardholder doesn't have to be the applicant).
- Use a visa service that pays the government fee on your behalf with a local card — this is exactly what we do, and it sidesteps the gateway entirely.
- If a payment appears to have gone through but you got no confirmation, don't pay again blindly — read our guide on what to do when a Vietnam eVisa payment fails first.
Fees and Options
The government fee is fixed: US$25 for single entry, US$50 for multiple entry, non-refundable even if the application is refused. The eVisa can be issued for up to 90 days, and you choose single or multiple entry at application. Pick multiple entry if there's any chance you'll hop to Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand and come back — a single-entry visa is consumed the moment you exit Vietnam, even for a day trip.
If you use an assistance service like ours, a service fee applies on top — in exchange you get the form filled correctly the first time, the government fee paid on a card that works, and a human on WhatsApp if anything goes sideways. Full pricing is on our fees page — no hidden charges, and we're a private service, not the government portal.
Processing Time — and the Double New Year Problem
The official timeline is 3 working days. In practice, most clean applications land in 3–5 working days, stretching to 5–7 in peak season. Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays don't count — an application submitted Friday afternoon effectively starts the following week.
For Chinese travelers there's a compounding problem we flag every year: Vietnamese Tet and Chinese New Year are the same holiday, in mid-February. It's simultaneously the biggest travel wave from China and the week Vietnamese immigration shuts down. Applications lodged in the two weeks before Tet hit the year's longest queue. If you're traveling for Spring Festival 2027, apply in January, not February. If you're already inside that window with a flight booked, that's rescue territory — see our guide on urgent and rush Vietnam eVisa options.
Card declined on the portal, or flight coming up fast?
We fill the form, pay the government fee with a card that works, and track it to approval.
Documents Chinese Applicants Need
- ✓Passport valid for at least 6 months from your entry date, with 2 blank pages
- ✓A clear scan of the passport bio page — name must be entered exactly as printed, surname first, matching the machine-readable zone
- ✓A recent portrait photo, white background, no glasses or hat
- ✓Your entry date and port of entry — you must enter through the port you selected, so don't guess it
- ✓A card that survives the payment gateway (see above)
One more family note: children cannot be added to a parent's application — each child needs their own eVisa on their own passport, even infants. Step-by-step form guidance is in our complete eVisa application walkthrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes, on every trip — China isn't on the exemption list. The eVisa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry) is what the vast majority of Chinese travelers use now.
What's the paper visa rule for biometric passports?
Arriving on a Chinese biometric ordinary passport, you exchange your eVisa for a free loose-leaf paper visa at the border instead of getting a stamp in the passport. Bring a printout, allow a few extra minutes, and don't lose the sheet — it's your visa.
Why does my UnionPay card fail on the eVisa portal?
The gateway is built around Visa/Mastercard/JCB; UnionPay routinely fails without explanation. Use an internationally-enabled Visa/Mastercard, or a service that pays the fee for you.
How long does processing take?
Officially 3 working days; realistically 3–5, up to 7 around holidays. Tet and Chinese New Year are the same mid-February week — the worst time of year to apply last-minute.
Is visa on arrival still an option?
Yes for air arrivals with a pre-approved letter, but in 2025 only ~6% of Chinese visitors used it versus ~85% on eVisas. The eVisa is simpler, cheaper, and works at land borders too.
This guide is for general information. Vietnam visa rules can change — always verify current requirements on the official portal (evisa.gov.vn). GoVietVisa is a private visa assistance service, not the official government portal.