On April 15, 2026, Vietnam's Immigration Department began operating the "Digital Arrival Card" at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City in the south. All foreign travelers entering Vietnam must declare passport information and accommodation in advance on an online portal by 72 hours before arrival, and present the QR code issued at immigration. Failure to declare does not result in refused entry, but it significantly extends the wait time for inspection. Japanese travelers planning a Vietnam trip over a long holiday should finish the 5-minute procedure before departure.
Immigration at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport in particular often has long lines, so caution is needed!
How the Digital Arrival Card works and the declaration procedure
The Digital Arrival Card procedure is as follows (as of April 27, 2026)
Step 1:Between 72 hours before arrival and before departure, access the portal site of Vietnam's Immigration Department prearrival.immigration.gov.vn . Registration site:https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn/
Step 2:Enter passport information, flight number, your accommodation address in Vietnam, and purpose of visit. It takes about 5 minutes.
Step 3:Once your submission is approved, a QR code arrives at the email address you registered.
Step 4:On arriving in Vietnam, present the QR code to the immigration officer. Presenting it on your smartphone screen or as a printed sheet are both fine.
※There's no fee for registration, so you don't need to enter a credit card or the like. Beware of fake sites and agency sites.
Who it applies to and its scope
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Start date | April 15, 2026 |
| Applicable airports | Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) *Planned to expand going forward |
| Eligible | All international travelers other than Vietnamese passport holders |
| Visa-exempt travelers | Covered (including Japanese travelers' 45-day visa-free entry) |
| E-visa holders | Target |
| Overseas Vietnamese | Entry on a foreign passport is covered |
| Submission deadline | 72 hours before arrival to before departure |
| If not declared | Entry is not refused, but there's a long wait for inspection |
| Future expansion | Planned to be introduced at land and sea entry points in turn |
Why it was introduced at this timing
The Vietnamese government has set a target of 25 million foreign tourists for 2026.In the first quarter alone, 6.76 million people entered, updating the record high.It's a measure to streamline immigration for the rapidly increasing travelers.
Although Tan Son Nhat Airport's passenger processing capacity was expanded to 38 million per year in 2025, cases of immigration taking over an hour at peak times have been reported. The aim is to ease officers' burden and shorten processing time through the advance information gathered via the Digital Arrival Card.
An airport staffer says, "If information is entered in advance, inspection is completed with just a passport scan and QR code check. The wait time is expected to be cut to less than half." A Vietnam-based travel industry insider praises it: "There was already a method of filling in arrival cards by hand, but digitization resolves problems of missing entries and illegibility." Multiple travelers on social media say things like, "It was easy, the same feel as an airline's online check-in."
Impact on Japanese travelers and points to note
Japanese nationals can enter Vietnam visa-free for 45 days, but even with this visa-free entry, advance declaration of the Digital Arrival Card is required.
Points to be especially careful about:
- The 72-hour rule:The portal only accepts declarations within 72 hours of arrival. It won't be accepted if too early, so it's best to do the procedure 2 to 3 days before departure.
- Accommodation address:Not just the hotel name but the address (street number, street name, district name) is required. Keep your booking confirmation email at hand.
- Email address:Where the QR code is sent. It may be filtered into the spam folder, so check before departure.
- If arriving in Hanoi:At present, only Tan Son Nhat Airport is covered. Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) and Da Nang Airport are not yet included, but expansion is expected in turn.
It's a must if you're entering Vietnam via Ho Chi Minh City during Golden Week.Travelers using Vietjet's Nagoya and Fukuoka–Ho Chi Minh City direct flights, launching April 24,are all covered.
Comparison with similar systems
Registering entry information in advance is a global trend.
| Country | System name | Submission deadline | Fee | Response when not declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | digital arrival card, | 72 hours before | Free | Delayed inspection (entry allowed) |
| South Korea | K-ETA | 72 hours before | 10,000 won (about 1,100 yen) | Boarding refused |
| United States | ESTA | 72 hours before recommended | $21 (about 3,200 yen) | Boarding refused |
| Canada | eTA | Before boarding | CA$7 (about 770 yen) | Boarding refused |
| Australia | ETA | Before boarding | AU$20 (about 2,000 yen) | Boarding refused |
| EU | ETIAS (from 2025) | Before boarding | €7 (about 1,200 yen) | Boarding refused |
Vietnam's Digital Arrival Card isFreeand differs greatly from other countries' systems in that entry itself is not refused even without declaration. Still, given the difference in inspection wait time, there's no reason not to finish it in advance.
A summary of the information needed for the procedure
| Required information | Preparation tips |
|---|---|
| Passport number | Valid for at least 6 months from the entry date |
| Flight number | Listed in your airline booking confirmation email |
| Accommodation address | Copy from the confirmation screen of the hotel booking site |
| Purpose of visit | Select "Tourism" |
| Email address | For receiving the QR code. Check your spam settings |
| Portal URL | prearrival.immigration.gov.vn |
Summary: a 5-minute smartphone procedure 3 days before departure
Vietnam's Digital Arrival Card is a procedure that's free, takes 5 minutes, and is completed with just a smartphone. You can enter even without declaring, but at Tan Son Nhat Airport's peak times the inspection line can exceed an hour. To avoid the first stress of your trip, do finish it quickly from the portal site 2 to 3 days before departure. By saving time, it becomes more worthwhile to spend that time onthe shrimp-fishing experience after arriving in Ho Chi Minh City.
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- complete guide to flights from Japan to Vietnam
