Vietnam E-Visa Still Processing? What to Do In a Pinch
What you should do if you applied for the Vietnam E-Visa but it’s still being processed
Vietnam E-Visa Guide • travel guide post & photos by Jeanie A
Need an emergency E-Visa to Vietnam? Check out what we did to get an expedited emergency E-Visa and successfully make our flight to Vietnam. We had a panic attack at the airport because of it so I wanted to let others know so they don’t make the same mistake I did!
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If you applied online for Vietnam’s E-Visa too close to your departure flight, then it’s possible your E-Visa might not get approved and granted in time to board your flight. If this happened to you (like it did to me), then this post covers what I had to do to make my flight on time without delay.
Vietnam E-Visa Bottom Line
Apply for your Vietnam visa DAYS before your flight as it needs to be accepted and granted before you board your flight towards Vietnam, even if you have a layover.
The official website to apply for a Vietnam visa is here. Apparently it will take them 3-5 business days to process your visa. I had made the mistake and applied for a visa the day before my flight, and this was a terrible mistake.
Continue reading to find out what we had to do to make our flight.
The Realization
At the ticket counter, the rep asked for our visa, to which I responded “I already applied online. It is still processing but I have my application number.” I thought this was sufficient to get onto the plane since I don’t land until Friday in Vietnam, which theoretically would have been enough time for the visa to be approved. BUT to our horror, Singapore airlines does not allow you to check-in/board the flight without an approved and granted E-Visa. I am normally very good when it comes to visa entry and I dropped the ball this time.
The Solution
Panic Research
We were told to contact Vietnam to try and get an exemption visa… but this was not successful. The hotline on the website did not work from calling from the US so I resorted to spamming the emails that were provided on the website. But I knew this wasn’t going to work and our flight was boarding in an hour. . .
SO we went to Reddit and saw that others have experienced this same exact situation and after doing some digging and research we went with a website Vietnam-immi.org to get an expedited E-Visa.
Prompt Contact
We reached out to a number on the site via WhatsApp during Pacific time 6:30 pm (8:30 AM in Vietnam) and to our surprise, someone responded! They told us that for our specific situation, we would need to apply online using the “Holiday & Weekend” which would grant us our visas in only 10 minutes, so we did.
This is a PRICEY service but the quickness of it made it worth it for us since we did NOT want to cancel our flights and trip. Plus we booked our flights using points so we look at this expense as our flight lol.
Applied Fast
Anyways we applied and paid online and the WhatsApp number was messaging us simultaneously so that we were reassured we would get our E-Visa in 10 minutes. They guided us through what emails to expect and which to respond to so that we could do so promptly.
The main email requested for our flights entering and exiting Vietnam as well as our Vietnam hotel bookings. So I quickly took screenshots of all this information and threw them in the email response.
Quick Turnaround
Then literally 2 minutes later I received the E-Visa letter order!!!
We returned to the airline kiosk, showed them the granted E-Visa letter we just received, and went on our way to our flight.
I can’t recommend Vietnam-immi.org enough! Their prompt responses, quick turnaround, and guidance through the entire process was top-notch and allowed us to board our flight with no delay. This was certainly one of our more stressful and panicked situations regarding Visas, but I’m glad it all worked out in the end.
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Thank you!-Jeanie
Summary Tips
1. To Avoid this Altogether, Apply for the E-Visa 3-5 Days BEFORE your Departure Flight
Of course the best course of action is to apply for the Vietnam E-Visa 3-5 days before your departure flight (not the arrival flight like I had thought). If you receive your E-Visa ahead of your departure flight, then you won’t have to worry.
2. If your Application is Still Processing, then Head to Vietnam-immi.Org and Reach out Via the Whatsapp Number on the Site
As the whole article covers, go to Vietnam-immi.org to get an expedited emergency E-Visa! The best way to get into contact with a representative is to Text the WhatsApp Number on their website, and hopefully someone promptly responds!
3. Understand that the Emergency E-Visa (Weekend & Holiday) is PRICEY
Weigh the pros and cons of the high price tag. Maybe your flight has free flight changes, cancellations, or refunds. In this case, maybe you would want to just wait for the original application to approve. But if you don’t have a privileged ticket, or even the time to wait and push your Vietnam trip, then maybe shelling out the money will make it worth it.
As mentioned, I bought our flights to Vietnam using points, so paying the high price for the emergency Visa sort of acted as our flight cost, making it more reasonable and bearable for me. Plus I only have limited time off so I did not want to delay our trip, making the emergency E-Visa make sense for my situation.
If you were in a pinch and had a panic attack about how you were going to get an E-Visa to continue your trip to Vietnam, then I hope this post has helped you get what you needed and where you needed to be! Good luck and safe travels!
Did you make the same mistake? What was your solution – Let me know in the comments below!
Jeanie has traveled to over 50 countries and has a love for new experiences, visiting iconic attractions, and finding breathtaking views. Hoping to help plan unforgettable adventures, Jeanie aims to inspire others to visit new places through her travel stories and photography.
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