Correction (September 15, 2026): When this article was first published, it stated that this pre-arrival declaration had been \"mandatory from April 15.\" However, the Consulate-General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City announced on April 16, the day after the launch, that it \"has not become mandatory,\" and Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security also explained in its May announcement that it is \"voluntary, not mandatory.\" We have corrected the title and the body text, and reflected the fact that the airports covered expanded from June onward and that guidance from different countries is currently split on whether it is mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On April 15, 2026, the Immigration Department of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security began a pilot of \"Pre-Arrival Information (PAI),\" a pre-arrival declaration for foreign visitors also known as the digital arrival card, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City in the south. From three days before the scheduled date of entry, you register your passport details and where you are staying online, and present the QR code you are issued at immigration. In June it expanded to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, Da Nang Airport and other airports. The Ministry of Public Security and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and its consulates-general say it is not mandatory, while the U.S. Embassy describes it as mandatory, so the guidance is split. It is free, so registering gives you peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n
Immigration at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport in particular often has long lines, so caution is needed!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n The steps for the digital arrival card are as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1:<\/strong>On or after three days before your scheduled date of entry, go to the official website of the Immigration Department of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security Step 2:<\/strong>Enter your passport details, flight number, the address where you will stay in Vietnam and the purpose of your visit. The official website is also available in Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3:<\/strong>Once your submission is approved, a QR code arrives at the email address you registered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 4:<\/strong>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u203bThere'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.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/a>It's a measure to streamline immigration for the rapidly increasing travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The aim is to make immigration screening more efficient and faster by receiving travelers' information in advance and handling arrivals by checking a QR code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Ministry of Public Security, 161,596 declarations were filed between April 15, when the pilot began, and April 30, and 119,854 of them were completed. Even though it was a pilot that was not mandatory, the ministry says about 70% of foreign passengers arriving at Tan Son Nhat filed one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nHow the Digital Arrival Card works and the declaration procedure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
prearrival.immigration.gov.vn<\/code> . Registration site:https:\/\/prearrival.immigration.gov.vn\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWho it applies to and its scope<\/h2>\n\n\n
Item<\/th> Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Start date<\/td> April 15, 2026
(Pilot at Tan Son Nhat Airport)<\/td><\/tr>Mandatory or voluntary<\/td> The guidance is split
\u2022 Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security (May): not mandatory
\u2022 Japan's diplomatic missions (June): not mandatory
\u2022 U.S. Embassy (June 17): mandatory
Registration is free<\/td><\/tr>Applicable airports<\/td> Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat): from April 15
Phu Quoc: from June 1
Hanoi (Noi Bai): from the second week of June
Da Nang: from June 15
Nha Trang (Cam Ranh): introduced by late June
\u203b Phu Quoc is based on news reports and embassy guidance
\u203b Everywhere except Nha Trang is described as a pilot<\/td><\/tr>Target<\/td> Anyone entering on a passport other than a Vietnamese one<\/td><\/tr> Visa-exempt travelers<\/td> Target
(including Japanese nationals entering under the 45-day visa exemption)<\/td><\/tr>E-visa holders<\/td> Target<\/td><\/tr> When you can file<\/td> from 3 days before your planned arrival date<\/td><\/tr> Fee<\/td> Free
(no credit card details are entered)<\/td><\/tr>If you did not file in advance<\/td> After arrival, using the QR code at the airport or a paper form
you can also file (U.S. Embassy)<\/td><\/tr>Future expansion<\/td> A plan to expand to international airports nationwide
Introduction at land border crossings is also under consideration (Ministry of Public Security)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy it was introduced at this timing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n