# Does Vietnam have an arrival card, and do you have to fill it in? > Vietnam's online arrival card (PAI) at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn is voluntary at 5 airports as of November 2026. The 3-day window and fake sites. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/vietnam-arrival-card-pre-arrival-declaration-pai-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-11-04 **Yes, Vietnam now has a digital arrival card, but as of 4 November 2026 it is voluntary. It is called Pre-Arrival Information (PAI), you file it at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn within 3 days before you land, and it covers foreign nationals arriving at Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Noi Bai (Hanoi), Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Nha Trang) and Phu Quoc airports.** Filing gets you a QR code and a quicker pass through immigration; skipping it is allowed, it just means a longer wait. The Ministry of Public Security has proposed making it compulsory, with no date set, so this could change. PAI is not a visa: Americans, Australians and Canadians still need an e-visa, while Britons and many Europeans get 45 days visa-free. We spent about four weeks in Vietnam from April to May 2023, arriving in Hanoi, before PAI existed, so we have not used it ourselves; this page is built from the official sources, checked on 4 November 2026. ## The short answer: yes, but it is not compulsory (yet) For years Vietnam had no arrival card at all for most visitors: you showed your passport and visa and walked through. That changed on **15 April 2026**, when the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security started the **Pre-Arrival Information (PAI)** system as a pilot at Tan Son Nhat. By June it covered Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc as well. The ministry's own announcement calls it **not yet mandatory**. The Singapore Embassy in Hanoi says foreign visitors are strongly advised to complete it to avoid longer queues, and the UK government says Vietnam encourages it but does not currently require it, warning that this may change. A 2 November 2026 report in Báo Pháp Luật said the pilot is encouraged, not compulsory, that current law has no rule requiring foreigners to declare before entry, and that the ministry has proposed adding one. About 66% of foreign arrivals at those airports were already using it by the end of September 2026. Some news reports in April 2026 described PAI as required at Tan Son Nhat. The official wording is voluntary; the practical difference is speed. | | | | --- | --- | | **Mandatory?** | No, voluntary during the pilot; a proposal to make it compulsory has no date | | **Who** | Foreign nationals, and overseas Vietnamese entering on a foreign passport and visa | | **Airports** | Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc | | **When** | Within 3 days before arrival | | **Where** | prearrival.immigration.gov.vn only | | **What you get** | A confirmation QR code to show at immigration | _Vietnam's Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) at a glance (checked 4 November 2026)_ ## Should you fill it in anyway? If you are landing at one of the five pilot airports, yes. It takes a few minutes, costs nothing on the official site, and the point of the system is to cut queuing at the immigration desk. Vietnam Airlines says passengers who have declared use a priority lane. • **Flying into Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang (Cam Ranh) or Phu Quoc:** file it inside the 3 days before you land. • **Arriving overland** from Cambodia, Laos or China, or by sea: land borders are not part of the pilot as of November 2026, so there is nothing to file. • **Transit passengers** who stay airside, and **Vietnamese passport holders**, are not covered. If you forget, nothing stops you entering. The Singapore Embassy notes you can also complete it on arrival, and QR codes for the site are posted in the arrival halls. ## How to fill out the Vietnam pre-arrival form The ministry describes three parts: **passenger information, visa information and trip information**. Have your passport, your e-visa (if you need one) and your flight number ready. • **1.** Type **prearrival.immigration.gov.vn** into the browser yourself, or scan the official QR code. It is the only official address. • **2. Passenger information:** your details exactly as in your passport. • **3. Visa information:** your e-visa details, or that you are entering under a visa exemption. • **4. Trip information:** your flight, arrival date and arrival airport. • **5. Submit.** The system generates a **confirmation QR code**. Save it on your phone or print it, and show it with your passport at immigration. File within **3 days before you arrive**. If your flight changes to a different day or airport, submit again with the new details. ## Fake pre-arrival and e-visa sites The Ministry of Public Security says fake websites copying the PAI system have already been found, set up to take money through card payments, and tells travellers to use only **prearrival.immigration.gov.vn**. The Indian Embassy in Hanoi issued a similar warning in May 2026. The same applies to the e-visa, where the scam sites are older and better at ranking. Vietnam's official e-visa portal is **evisa.gov.vn**; the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada lists more than a dozen lookalikes, some with "gov" in the name but not ending in **.gov.vn**. • Official Vietnamese government addresses end in **.gov.vn**. Not .com, .org, or .govt.vn. • The pre-arrival form is not a visa. A site that sells it as one, or bundles it with a "visa approval letter", is not the government. • The official e-visa fee is **US$25** single entry or **US$50** multiple entry, with nothing added for "processing". ## What you actually need to enter Vietnam The pre-arrival form is optional. The visa is not. • **E-visa:** needed by citizens of the **United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand** and other countries not on the exemption lists. Apply at evisa.gov.vn: US$25 single or US$50 multiple entry, valid up to 90 days. Our [Vietnam e-visa guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/vietnam-e-visa-how-to-apply-official-site-guide) walks through it. • **45 days visa-free:** the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Japan, South Korea and Russia until 14 March 2028, and Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland until 14 August 2028. • **Customs:** declare cash over **US$5,000** or **15 million dong**, as well as anything prohibited or taxable. Most tourists have nothing to declare. • **Health declaration:** a decree in force since 1 July 2026 allows Vietnam to require one during specific disease outbreaks. The Ministry of Health said on 30 June 2026 that it is not a routine requirement for every traveller, and that tokhaiyte.vn is not its site. Our [Vietnam visa guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/do-i-need-a-visa-to-visit-vietnam) covers which group you are in, and [things to know before visiting Vietnam](https://clevertourists.com/resources/things-to-know-before-visiting-vietnam) covers money, traffic and SIM cards for the first day. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Vietnam arrival card mandatory? No, not as of 4 November 2026. The Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) form is voluntary during the pilot at Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc airports. The ministry has proposed making it compulsory, with no date set. ### What is the official website for Vietnam's arrival card? prearrival.immigration.gov.vn, run by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security. The ministry has warned about fake copies that take card payments. ### When should I fill out the Vietnam pre-arrival form? Within 3 days before you arrive. You can also complete it on arrival by scanning the QR codes in the arrival hall, but filing first is quicker. ### Is the Vietnam pre-arrival form the same as the e-visa? No. The pre-arrival form is a voluntary trip declaration. The e-visa at evisa.gov.vn, at US$25 or US$50, is what Americans, Australians and Canadians need to enter. ### Do I need the Vietnam arrival card at a land border? No. As of November 2026 the pilot covers only five airports: Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc. ## Official sources - [Vietnam Pre-Arrival Information (PAI): official site](https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn/) - [Ministry of Public Security: PAI system announcement (Vietnamese)](https://bocongan.gov.vn/bai-viet/cuc-quan-ly-xuat-nhap-canh-trien-khai-he-thong-cung-cap-thong-tin-truoc-chuyen-di-pai-1778469461) - [Vietnam e-visa: official portal](https://evisa.gov.vn/) - [Singapore Embassy in Hanoi: pre-arrival declaration notice](https://hanoi.mfa.gov.sg/mission-updates/pre-arrival-declaration-for-foreign-travellers-entering-vietnam/) - [GOV.UK: Vietnam entry requirements](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements)