Part of Ava Travel's Vietnam visa guide. Last updated 9 November 2026 by the Ava Travel team in Hanoi.
The short answer, from Ava Travel in Hanoi: a Vietnam e-visa cannot be extended from inside Vietnam. To stay longer you leave the country before it ends and come back on a new e-visa, which you can apply for before you leave. The same goes for the 45-day visa-free stay. Ava Travel does not sell visa extensions, because for tourists on an e-visa there is nothing to extend.
Your options, by the visa you have
| You are in Vietnam on | Can it be extended? | What works |
|---|---|---|
| An e-visa (up to 90 days) | No | Apply for a new e-visa, leave before the old one ends, re-enter on the new one |
| A visa-free stamp (45 days for the UK, most of the EU, Japan, Korea; 30 days for most of ASEAN) | No | Leave and re-enter; for certainty, get a 90-day e-visa before you come back |
| A visa from a Vietnamese embassy, sponsored by a company | Sometimes, through the sponsor | Ask the sponsor; this is not a tourist route |
How a visa run works in practice
- Apply for the new e-visa first, from Vietnam, with the start date on the day you plan to come back and the border or airport you will use.
- Choose the exit. Common ones: by road from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (Moc Bai), by boat up the Mekong from Chau Doc, by road to Laos from Hue (Lao Bao), or a cheap flight to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
- Check the other side. Cambodia sells a tourist e-visa on evisa.gov.kh; Laos and Thailand have their own rules for your passport.
- Come back on the new e-visa through the exact border or airport written on it.
Do not stay past the end date. Overstaying means a fine at the airport and can delay your departure; ask the Immigration Department before it happens, not after.
Plan for it before you fly
The simplest fix is to ask for enough days at the start: an e-visa can run up to 90 days. If your trip goes to Cambodia or Laos and back, a multiple-entry e-visa (US$80 with Ava Travel, US$50 government fee) covers both entries in one application. See the visa rules by passport for the Cambodia side trip.
Frequently asked questions
Can I extend my Vietnam e-visa?
No. A Vietnam e-visa cannot be extended from inside the country. Apply for a new e-visa, leave Vietnam before the old one ends and come back on the new one.
Can I extend a 45-day visa-free stay in Vietnam?
No. Leave and come back, or get a 90-day e-visa before you re-enter if you need more time.
Can I apply for a new Vietnam e-visa while I am in Vietnam?
Yes, you can apply online from inside Vietnam, but it only starts when you leave and enter again on it.
What is the easiest visa run from Vietnam?
A flight to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, or the road from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. Apply for the new Vietnam e-visa first, with the border or airport you will use to come back.
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? (this page): why an e-visa cannot be extended and what works instead
- E-visa still processing: how long is normal: 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
