Part of Ava Travel's Vietnam visa guide. Last updated 10 November 2026 by the Ava Travel team in Hanoi.
The short answer, from Ava Travel in Hanoi: the official site evisa.gov.vn gives 3 working days after a complete application and payment. Up to 5 working days is common and not a sign of trouble. After 5 working days, or sooner if you fly within the week, check the application for a mistake and ask for help: the usual causes are a photo or passport scan that does not meet the rules, a typing error, or a request for more information you have not seen. Ava Travel checks it from the registration code and, on a working day, can send an urgent request: urgent help, from US$200 for 1 hour to US$70 for 8 to 12 hours.
How long is normal
| Working days since you paid | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | Normal processing | Wait, check once a day |
| 4 to 5 | Still common, especially after a weekend, a holiday or a busy week | Check your email, including spam |
| More than 5 | Something may be holding it: photo, scan, a field to correct | Check the form and ask for help |
| Any time, flying within 3 working days | No room to wait | Ask for urgent help now |
Count only Monday to Friday, Vietnam time, without public holidays. An application paid on Friday evening has had 0 working days by Monday morning.
The usual reasons an e-visa stays processing
- Photo: not straight on, a coloured background, glasses, a shadow, or a cropped head. See the photo rules.
- Passport scan: blurred, cut off at the edges, glare over the numbers, or the bottom code lines missing.
- A typing error in the name, passport number or date of birth, so the details do not match the scan.
- A request for more information sent by email that went to spam.
- A busy period: just before Tet and after a long weekend.
How to check your status
On evisa.gov.vn, choose the option to search for an application and enter the registration code (it starts with E), the email used and your date of birth. An approved application shows a link to download the e-visa PDF. Print it and keep a copy on your phone.
When to apply again, and when not to
Apply again only if the first application has a mistake that cannot be corrected, or it was refused. Otherwise a second application means a second government fee and two applications for the same dates. If you are not sure, send us the code before you pay and we tell you which case you are in.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a Vietnam e-visa stay in processing?
The official time is 3 working days after a complete application and payment; up to 5 working days is common. After 5 working days, check the form and photo and ask for help.
Why is my Vietnam e-visa still processing after 5 days?
Usually a photo or passport scan that does not meet the rules, a typing error, or a request for more information sent by email. Weekends, public holidays and busy weeks also add days.
Can I speed up a Vietnam e-visa that is already processing?
On a working day, yes, through an agency. Ava Travel checks the application, tells you what to add if anything is missing and sends an urgent request: US$200 for the 1-hour package, US$165 for 2 hours, US$90 for 4 hours or US$70 for 8 to 12 hours. The Immigration Department stops for lunch from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm Hanoi time, and those two hours are not counted for the 1, 2 and 4-hour packages: sent at 11:00am, the 2-hour package gives the result by 3:00pm and the 4-hour package by 5:00pm. Money back with the 1-hour and 2-hour packages: if we cannot take your application, or the e-visa is refused or not issued by your arrival date, you get everything you paid back.
Does contacting the Immigration Department speed it up?
The official site has no paid urgent option. You can use the contact details on evisa.gov.vn for questions, but answers can take days.
Ava Travel's Vietnam visa and arrival guides
Guides
- Vietnam visa rules by passport: who needs a visa, the official site, cruises, Cambodia and Laos side trips
- How much a Vietnam e-visa costs: the US$25 government fee next to what agencies charge
- How long a Vietnam e-visa takes: working days, holidays and urgent options
- E-visa rejected: what to do next: the usual reasons and how to reapply
- Vietnam e-visa photo rules: size, background, glasses, a phone photo at home
- Can you extend a Vietnam visa?: why an e-visa cannot be extended and what works instead
- E-visa still processing: how long is normal (this page): when to wait and when to act
- Still processing and you fly tomorrow: what you can still do, in order
- E-visas at weekends and on holidays: the latest safe time before a weekend flight
- Is an urgent visa service legit?: 5 checks before you pay anyone
- Immigration wait at Hanoi Noi Bai: how long from landing to the exit
- Whether Noi Bai fast track is worth it: when to pay for it and when to skip it
Services you can book
- Vietnam e-visa service: from US$55 with the government fee, book online
- E-visa result in 1 or 2 hours, already applied: US$200 or US$165, money back if it is not issued in time
- Urgent help with an e-visa still processing: 4 hours (US$90) or 8 to 12 hours (US$70)
- Arrival package: e-visa, fast track and car: 10% off when you book them together
- Hanoi Noi Bai fast track: arrival and departure, book online
- Noi Bai connecting flight assistance: international to domestic and back
- Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat fast track: Terminal 2 arrivals and departures
- Da Nang airport fast track: for Da Nang and Hoi An trips
