Dated, sourced news from Phu Quoc island
News · Visas and entry rules
Visas and entry rules: what applies on the island
Foreign visitors reach Phu Quoc under one of three regimes: the island's own 30-day exemption, a national visa waiver for certain passports, or an e-visa. This brief sets out each one with the legal text behind it and the date it was published, and lists what we could not confirm.
At a glance
- Island exemption
- Up to 30 days, Phu Quoc only
- Legal basis
- Decision 80/2020/QĐ-TTg
- E-visa
- Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry
- E-visa since
- 15 August 2023, all nationalities
- National waiver
- 45 days for listed countries
- Checked
- 25 October 2026
This is a news summary, not legal advice. Immigration officers decide at the border. Check the official e-visa portal, evisa.gov.vn, and the Vietnamese embassy that serves your country before you travel.
Sources: Consulate General of Viet Nam in Yekaterinburg, Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa exemption page, note on Phu Quoc; Tuoi Tre News — National Assembly approves 90-day e-visa validity (24 June 2023); Embassy of Viet Nam in Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Resolution 44/NQ-CP on 12 countries · last checked .
The island's 30-day exemption
Decision 80/2020/QĐ-TTg
25 May 2020. A page of the Consulate General of Viet Nam in Yekaterinburg, part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, states that holders of foreign passports may stay on Phu Quoc for up to 30 days without a visa, under Decision 80/2020/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister dated 25 May 2020. It adds that travellers who first pass through another international border gate of Viet Nam before entering Phu Quoc also qualify.
In practice that means two routes: flying or sailing directly to Phu Quoc from abroad, or arriving at another international airport such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and transferring to Phu Quoc. A summary on Wikipedia describes the second route as clearing immigration at the first airport and taking a domestic connection, and mentions a passport valid for six months from arrival. The exemption covers a stay on Phu Quoc, not travel elsewhere in Viet Nam.
Sources: Consulate General of Viet Nam in Yekaterinburg, Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa exemption page, note on Phu Quoc; Wikipedia — Visa policy of Vietnam (summary of e-visa portal rules) · last checked .
How the exemption reached the statute book
1 August 2019. Bizhub reported in 2019 that the Ministry of Public Security proposed writing the 30-day Phu Quoc exemption into the law on foreigners' entry and residence. The exemption had applied for about five years under special mechanisms dating from the end of 2013, without a basis in law. The 2020 decision cited above is the text currently given by the foreign ministry.
Sources: Bizhub / Viet Nam News — proposal to put Phu Quoc's 30-day visa exemption into law (1 August 2019) · last checked .
The e-visa
Ninety days, single or multiple entry
24 June 2023. Tuoi Tre News reported that the National Assembly approved amendments to the law on foreigners' entry, exit, transit and residence, with 95.14% of the 475 deputies present voting in favour. E-visas for visitors were extended from no more than 30 days to 90 days, for single or multiple entry, and the stay under unilateral visa waivers was raised from 15 to 45 days. The changes took effect on 15 August 2023.
From that date e-visas became available to citizens of all countries and territories. The fees summarised on Wikipedia from the official portal are US$25 for a single entry and US$50 for multiple entries. We could not open evisa.gov.vn with our tools on 25 October 2026, so the fees are unconfirmed; check them on the portal itself.
Sources: Tuoi Tre News — National Assembly approves 90-day e-visa validity (24 June 2023); Wikipedia — Visa policy of Vietnam (summary of e-visa portal rules) · last checked .
The national 45-day waiver lists
Resolution 44/NQ-CP: twelve countries until March 2028
7 March 2025. The Embassy of Viet Nam in Denmark published Resolution 44/NQ-CP, issued on 7 March 2025. Citizens of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland may stay up to 45 days without a visa, whatever their passport type or purpose, from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028, provided they meet the general entry conditions.
Sources: Embassy of Viet Nam in Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Resolution 44/NQ-CP on 12 countries · last checked .
Resolution 229/NQ-CP: twelve more until August 2028
13 August 2025. LuatVietnam reported Resolution 229/NQ-CP of 8 August 2025. Citizens of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland may stay up to 45 days for tourism from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028. It replaced Resolution 11/NQ-CP of January 2025, which had covered Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Sources: LuatVietnam — Resolution 229/NQ-CP on 45-day waivers for 12 countries (13 August 2025) · last checked .
Several other countries have bilateral exemptions with Viet Nam of different lengths. The foreign ministry page cited above lists them by passport type; check the line for your own passport rather than relying on a summary.
Sources: Consulate General of Viet Nam in Yekaterinburg, Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa exemption page, note on Phu Quoc · last checked .
Which rule applies to you
- 01
Check the national list
If your passport is on a 45-day list, that waiver covers Phu Quoc and the rest of the country for its stated period.
- 02
Island only, short stay
If you are not on a list and will stay only on Phu Quoc for up to 30 days, the island exemption may apply, arriving directly or via another international gate.
- 03
Leaving the island
If you plan to travel on to the mainland, apply for an e-visa before departure.
- 04
Confirm
Read the official portal and your embassy's page in the week before you fly; rules and lists change.
Still unconfirmed
- Whether the wording of the island exemption has changed since Phu Quoc became a special zone on 1 July 2025. We found no notice either way.
- Current e-visa fees on the official portal, which we could not open on 25 October 2026.
- Any 2026 additions to the 45-day lists; we found none in the sources we checked.
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Can I visit Phu Quoc without a visa?
Foreign passport holders may stay up to 30 days on Phu Quoc without a visa under Decision 80/2020/QĐ-TTg, including after passing through another international gate. Confirm with official sources before travel.
Does the 30-day exemption cover the rest of Vietnam?
No. It covers a stay on Phu Quoc. For other places you need an e-visa or a national waiver.
How long is the Vietnamese e-visa?
Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, for all nationalities since 15 August 2023.
Which countries get 45 days without a visa?
Two 2025 resolutions list 24 European and Asian countries, including Germany, France, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the Netherlands and Switzerland, for periods ending in 2028.
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