Independent visa-handling service. Vietnam Visa by BDA is not affiliated with the Vietnamese government.

No visa needed for short stays. Russian citizens can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days per entry, so most holidays and short business trips need no visa at all. You only need the eVisa (valid up to 90 days, single or multiple entry) if you plan to stay longer than 45 days or want multiple entries. Russia is one of Vietnam's largest and fastest-recovering European markets, with about 232,000 arrivals in 2024 (up roughly 85% year-on-year) and further growth in 2025-2026, though still below the 2019 peak of around 646,000.

Apply for Russian citizens →

Do Russian Citizens Need a Visa for Vietnam?

No, not for a short trip. Russian passport holders can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days per stay. The exemption covers tourism, business, family visits, and transit, and it is honoured at airports, land borders, and seaports. You only need a visa - most simply the online eVisa - if your stay will run longer than 45 days, or you want the flexibility of multiple entries.

Your 45-Day Visa-Free Entry, Explained

Here is exactly how the 45-day visa-free entry works, and the conditions to meet before you fly:

  • Stay of up to 45 days counting from the date of entry
  • Applies regardless of passport type and purpose of entry
  • Passport valid at least 6 months from date of entry
  • Exemption window valid 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028 (subject to future extension)

Resolution 44/NQ-CP (issued 7 March 2025) extends Vietnam's unilateral 45-day visa exemption for citizens of Russia, in effect from 15 March 2025 through 14 March 2028.

When You Still Need an eVisa

The visa exemption covers most short trips, but the eVisa is the right call in these cases:

  • Staying longer than 45 days: the visa exemption cannot be extended in-country, so a 90-day eVisa is the way to stay longer.
  • Multiple entries: if your trip loops out to Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand and back, a multiple-entry eVisa guarantees smooth re-entry.
  • A fixed itinerary you can't risk: a documented eVisa in hand removes any border-officer discretion on repeat or back-to-back visits.
  • Longer business needs that call for a documented visa rather than a visa-free stamp.

The Vietnam eVisa is an electronic visa issued by Vietnam's Immigration Department and emailed to you as a PDF, valid up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, and accepted at all 83 designated entry points. You can apply yourself at the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, or let us handle the whole application for a small service fee. The government fee is identical either way; what we add is a review of every field before submission, error correction, faster processing options, and a real person to email if anything looks off.

Apply for a longer-stay eVisa →

eVisa Requirements for Russian Applicants

  • A Russian passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned exit, with at least two blank pages.
  • A clear scan of your passport bio page, all four corners visible, no glare.
  • A passport-style portrait photo: 4x6 cm, plain white background, taken in the last 6 months, no glasses, neutral expression.
  • Your travel dates and intended entry point (airport, land border, or seaport).
  • An email address and a Visa or Mastercard for the government and service fees.

Cost: What Russian Citizens Pay for the eVisa

OptionValidityOur fee (per applicant)
1 Month Single Entry30 days from arrival$54
1 Month Multiple Entry30 days from arrival$84
3 Month Single Entry90 days from arrival$94
3 Month Multiple Entry90 days from arrival$104

All prices include the Vietnam Immigration Department's stamp fee, with no hidden add-ons. The official government fee is USD 25 (single entry) or USD 50 (multiple entry) and is non-refundable even if an application is rejected, which is exactly why our pre-submission review matters. Your card is charged in USD, so your bank applies its own exchange rate to roubles. See the full fee breakdown and currency estimator →

Processing Times

  • Normal: 5 to 10 business days.
  • Urgent: 2 business days (+$45 per applicant).
  • Super Urgent: 1 business day (+$85 per applicant).

Times start when our team submits your application to Immigration, usually within 2 business hours of payment during office hours (08:00 to 21:00 GMT+7). Apply at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead where you can, and add a buffer around Vietnamese public holidays such as Tet, when the Immigration Department is closed and even urgent processing pauses.

Single vs Multiple Entry

Single entry is enough for a one-way visit, even with domestic flights inside Vietnam (Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc all count as one entry). Multiple entry is the right choice if you plan to leave and re-enter, for example a regional itinerary through Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand, or a cruise that calls at several Vietnamese ports. Both options carry the same 90-day maximum, so if there is any chance you will leave and return, choose multiple entry.

⚠️ Do not overstay. Under the December 2025 fine schedule, overstays draw tiered penalties rising to as much as VND 40 million for the most serious cases, plus possible deportation and a future entry ban. On arrival, check that the exit date stamped in your passport matches your permitted stay, and leave on or before that date.

Photo & Passport Requirements

  • Portrait photo, 4x6 cm, color, JPG or JPEG, taken within the last 6 months.
  • Plain white background, no shadows, filters, glasses, or head coverings (unless religious).
  • Full face to camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
  • A clear scan of your passport bio page with all four corners visible and no glare.
  • Passport valid at least 6 months beyond your planned exit, with two blank pages.

A non-compliant photo or bio-page scan is the single most common cause of a stuck or rejected application. Our team checks yours against the requirements before anything is filed.

How to Apply for an eVisa, Step by Step

  1. Open our application form.
  2. Pick your visa type, processing speed, and number of applicants (up to 10 in one order).
  3. Enter trip details: nationality (Russia), entry point, arrival date, and contact email.
  4. Add each applicant's information exactly as printed on the passport.
  5. Review, pay, and submit. We review within 2 business hours and file with Immigration after any corrections.
  6. Receive your eVisa PDF by email. Print it in color and bring it with your passport.

See the full walkthrough on our How to Apply page.

Where Russian Travelers Typically Arrive

Your visa-free entry and the eVisa are both accepted at these gateways:

  • Aeroflot direct flights from Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) to Nha Trang / Cam Ranh (CXR)
  • Service to Nha Trang from regional cities including Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok
  • Seasonal charter flights to Cam Ranh (CXR) serving the Nha Trang beach market
  • Vietnam Airlines Hanoi (HAN) to Moscow route, plus onward connections to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)

Your entry point is fixed once the eVisa is approved. The port you name on the form is printed on the visa, and turning up somewhere else means a new application rather than a correction at the desk. Vietnam accepts the eVisa at 83 places: 17 airports, 27 land border gates and 39 seaports. Decide which one you will actually use before you pay.

Common Questions From Russian Applicants

Do Russian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

No, not for short stays. Under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, Russians can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days, regardless of passport type or purpose of travel, through 14 March 2028.

What if a Russian traveler wants to stay longer than 45 days?

If you plan to stay beyond the 45-day visa-free window, apply for a Vietnam eVisa, which allows stays of up to 90 days as single or multiple entry.

Are there direct flights from Russia to Vietnam?

Yes. Aeroflot operates direct flights from Moscow and several regional Russian cities to Nha Trang (Cam Ranh, CXR), and Vietnam Airlines flies Hanoi-Moscow, so Nha Trang and Hanoi are the main gateways for Russian travelers.

My eVisa was denied. What now?

Because we review every application before submitting, we catch most issues up front, such as a passport expiring within 6 months. If we spot a problem - or we anticipate that Vietnam Immigration would deny your application - we refund you in full before submitting and suggest alternatives. See our Terms and Conditions.

Practical Details for Russian Travelers

  • Time difference: Russia spans 11 time zones (roughly UTC+2 to UTC+12) and observes no daylight saving; Vietnam is 4 hours ahead of Moscow (UTC+3) and only 2 hours ahead of the Far East.
  • Getting there: Aeroflot flies non-stop Moscow (Sheremetyevo)-Nha Trang/Cam Ranh (about 11 hours), and Vietnam Airlines operates direct Moscow-Hanoi; otherwise one-stop connections run via Gulf hubs (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha) or Central Asia/China.
  • When to go: Russians most commonly visit the beach resorts of Nha Trang and Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa) during the dry winter months of roughly November to March to escape the cold.
  • Money: The currency is the Russian ruble, but the online eVisa fee is charged in US dollars and Vietnamese dong is used locally; because of sanctions, Russian-issued Visa/Mastercard and Mir cards generally do not work in Vietnam, so bring US dollars cash to exchange.
  • Good to know: Since Russian bank cards mostly fail abroad, pay the eVisa with a valid non-sanctioned card and carry enough USD cash for your whole trip, as local ATMs will not accept your Russian cards.

Vietnamese embassy and consulates: Vietnam's Embassy is in Moscow, with a Consulate-General in Vladivostok; confirm current missions via Vietnam's official MOFA directory rather than any address given here.

When You Need a Mission, Not an eVisa

Most Russian travellers never deal with a Vietnamese mission at all. The eVisa is issued online, your passport is never surrendered, and nothing is posted anywhere. Three things do still have to go through the mission listed above rather than through us:

  • Stays beyond 90 days, and any visa tied to work, study or investment. Those need a sponsoring organisation inside Vietnam and are issued by a mission, not online. The eVisa cannot be extended or converted once you are in the country.
  • The 5-year Visa Exemption Certificate, for people of Vietnamese origin and for the foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens. It runs five years and allows stays of up to 180 days per entry, well beyond anything the eVisa offers.
  • Legalising documents for use in Vietnam, such as marriage, birth or academic certificates.

Missions open, close and change accreditation - Vietnam opened resident embassies in Dublin and Lisbon during 2025, and third-party directories were slow to catch up. Check Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission directory at mofa.gov.vn before relying on any listing, including ours.

Applying from Russia

  • The clock: Vietnam is UTC+7 and never changes its clocks. Russia is UTC+3, which puts Hanoi 4 hours ahead of you.
  • More than one zone: Russia spans eleven time zones; Moscow is UTC+3 and Vladivostok is UTC+10, so check against your own city.
  • When you can reach us: Our Hanoi team answers from 08:00 to 21:00 GMT+7, which is 04:00 to 17:00 where you are.
  • How far ahead to apply: normal processing runs 5 to 10 business days from submission, so start 2 to 3 weeks before you fly. Add a buffer around Tet and other Vietnamese public holidays, when the Immigration Department closes and even urgent processing pauses.
  • Paying: the fee is charged in US dollars, so your bank converts from the rouble at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee on top. Payment guidelines →

Other Nationalities

Elsewhere in Europe: Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova.

Also visa-free for 45 days: Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Bulgaria.

Not listed? The eVisa has been open to every country and territory in the world since Resolution 127/NQ-CP in August 2023 - check your nationality on the full list →

Ready to Apply?

Start your Vietnam eVisa application now. Under 10 minutes, no signup required, with a real team checking every detail.

Apply for Russian citizens →