India e-Visa for Vietnamese Citizens; Here is Everything Before You Book the Flight!
India and Vietnam share more than proximity on the Asian map. The Cham temples of My Son in central Vietnam bear the unmistakable marks of Hindu architectural influence, carried across the sea from the Indian subcontinent centuries ago. The lotus, revered in both Hinduism and Buddhism, appears in both cultures' architecture, poetry, and daily ritual. Two ancient civilizations on the same continent, shaped by the same currents of trade, religion, and art.
Today, Vietnamese travellers heading to India encounter something considerably more modern: an entirely online visa process that delivers approval by email. Here is exactly what it requires.
Vietnamese Passport Holders Need an India e-Visa
Vietnam is on the list of nationalities, eligible for India's e-Visa system. Vietnamese nationals require a visa before entering India; there is no visa-free arrangement and no visa on arrival, but the application is completed entirely online through the official Indian government portal. No visit to the Embassy of India in Hanoi or the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City is required for the India e-Visa process.
Two things worth confirming before you begin:
OCI cardholders: If you hold an Overseas Citizen of India card alongside your Vietnamese passport, you are fully exempt from the India visa requirement. The OCI card grants lifelong, visa-free access to India regardless of which passport you carry.
Diplomatic and official passport holders: Not eligible for an India e-Visa. Applications must go through the Embassy of India in Hanoi directly.
Confirm your eligibility before starting!
India e-Visa Categories Available to Vietnamese Nationals
The official Indian e-Visa portal lists nine categories. Three cover the overwhelming majority of Vietnamese :
India e-Tourist Visa: For holidays, sightseeing, visiting family or friends, yoga programs, Ayurveda retreats, and short recreational courses not exceeding six months. Available in three durations:
- 30 days: double entry, valid from first arrival date. Apply up to 30 days in advance.
- 1 year: multiple entry, valid from ETA grant date. Total stay must not exceed 180 days within any single calendar year.
- 5 years: multiple entry, valid from ETA grant date. Same 180-day annual cap applies.
Note: the 1-year and 5-year visas start from the day the ETA is granted — not from when you first travel. Apply close to your intended first trip to maximize usable validity.
India e-Business Visa: For trade visits, business meetings, industrial tours, and commercial activity. Valid for one year from ETA grant, multiple entries, with continuous stay per visit not exceeding 180 days. Vietnam and India's growing bilateral trade through ASEAN-India channels and increasing direct investment, makes this a relevant and growing category for Vietnamese professionals.
India e-Medical Visa: For treatment at a recognized Indian hospital, including Ayurvedic and traditional medicine. Valid for 60 days from first arrival, triple entry. Requires a letter from the treating hospital in India on official letterhead. Up to two companions may accompany the patient on e-Medical Attendant Visas under identical conditions.
The remaining categories including e-Student, e-Family, e-Transit, e-Miscellaneous, and e-Production Investment, are also available to Vietnamese nationals for specific purposes.
If any of these apply, confirm category and document requirements through IVC Visas before applying. Applying under the wrong category is one of the most common and costly application mistakes as the fee is non-refundable regardless of the reason for rejection.
What You Need to Apply
Documents required:
✔️ Valid ordinary Vietnamese passport with minimum 6 months validity from your India arrival date, at least 2 blank pages for immigration stamps. If your passport was issued within the last 6 months, carry the previous one to India as well.
✔️ Scanned passport bio page in color PDF, 10 KB–300 KB, all personal details clearly legible. The portal checks file size and format, while legibility is assessed by a human reviewer. A dark, blurry, or partially cropped scan passes the automated check and fails manual review. Rescan at high contrast with all four corners of the page visible.
✔️ Recent passport photograph in JPEG, 10 KB–1 MB, plain white background, no glasses, full face front view, taken within the last six months. Equal height and width dimensions. No digital editing, background removal, filters, or retouching of any kind. File name in plain alphabets only — no numbers, spaces, or special characters.
✔️ Supporting documents if applicable; business card and invitation letter from your Indian counterpart for e-Business (in English); hospital letter on Indian hospital letterhead for e-Medical (in English). All supporting documents must be in English — documents in Vietnamese are liable for rejection regardless of content.
What else you need:
✔️ Valid email address as your approved ETA arrives here and nowhere else. Verify the spelling before submitting. A single typo means your India e-Visa goes nowhere.
✔️ Payment card; credit or debit card is required. A 3% bank transaction charge applies additionally on the applicable India e-Visa fee (4% for PayPal). Check the current India e-Visa fee for Vietnamese nationals before applying.
All fees are non-refundable once submitted, whether the application is granted, rejected, or you change your travel plans.
Applying Through IVC Visas - Standard and Express Service
Step 1 - Choose your service level
IVC Visas offers standard service for Vietnamese applicants with ample time before departure, and express service for travelers with tighter windows. Your application is prioritized and submitted ahead of standard queue applications on IVC's side. The Indian government's own processing timeline is the same for every applicant regardless of service level. No legitimate provider can purchase faster government review as it doesn't exist.
Choose either:
Option A - IVC Visas completes and submits the full application on your behalf; or
Option B - You fill the form and our team reviews it before submission. Both include a pre-submission photo and document compliance check before anything reaches the government portal.
Step 2 - Complete the application form
Enter your nationality- Vietnam, visa category, intended travel dates, and passport details. Every name, date of birth, and passport number must match your Vietnamese passport exactly. A single character discrepancy between the form and your passport is grounds for rejection.
Step 3 - Upload your documents
Passport bio page scan and photograph are mandatory for every visa type. For business or medical applications, upload the relevant supporting document. English language only. Plain alphabet file names only, avoid numbers, spaces, or special characters.
Step 4 - Pay the India e-Visa fee
Visa fees are nationality and category specific. A 3% bank transaction charge applies additionally. Confirm the current amount on the IVC Visas pricing page before paying. All fees are non-refundable once submitted.
Step 5 - Receive your ETA and prepare to travel
Your approved India e-Visa ETA arrives by email as a PDF. Download it, print a physical copy, and carry it to India. Before leaving for the airport, confirm your status reads 'GRANTED' on the official portal. Never board on a pending or unconfirmed status. Track your application through IVC Visas at any stage after submission.
Apply at least 2–3 weeks before your travel date on standard service. The official processing window is 72 hours but the processing currently averages 8–10 business days. If your departure is within two weeks, choose express service.
Rules That Apply! Restrictions and What to Do Instead
📌 Your India e-Visa is only valid at authorized entry points — not every airport or crossing.
Confirm your specific arrival location against the authorized India entry and exit ports list before booking. Land border entry is permitted only at four designated ports- Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Jogbani, and Darranga. Any other land crossing requires a regular sticker visa, not an India e-Visa. You may exit India from any authorized Immigration Check Post regardless of where you entered.
📌 A granted India e-Visa does not guarantee entry.
Carry your printed ETA, a confirmed return or onward journey ticket, proof of accommodation in India, and evidence of sufficient funds. Immigration officers at the arrival port retain full discretion to deny entry regardless of ETA validity.
📌 Complete the e-Arrival Card before boarding, not at the Indian airport.
Since April 2026, all foreign nationals entering India must complete a digital e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival — via the official Indian government portal or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. This is mandatory, separate from your India e-Visa, and must be done before you board in Vietnam. On arrival, your biometrics will be captured and your passport stamped. Verify the stamp is affixed before leaving the immigration counter, if it is missing, raise it with the officer immediately.
📌 Your visa category defines your permitted activity; and misuse has consequences.
Using an India e-Tourist Visa for business activity is a violation of visa conditions, not a grey area. Under India's Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, the consequences range from denial of re-entry to deportation. If your trip involves any commercial purpose, apply for the e-Business Visa before travelling. You cannot convert your India e-Visa category inside India.
📌 India e-Visas are non-extendable and non-convertible, plan your departure before you leave.
Once issued, the category and validity of your India e-Visa cannot be changed or extended. If a genuine emergency makes departure impossible before expiry, apply at eFRRO before your visa expires, not after. Extension is at the FRRO's discretion and is not guaranteed. Remaining beyond validity without approval is an illegal overstay under Indian law.
📌 Other restrictions that apply to all India e-Visa holders:
- Individuals with a defence, military, security, or police background are not eligible for an India e-Visa, apply through the Indian Mission.
- Religious preaching, distributing religious material, or any conversion-related activity is prohibited on all visa types without exception.
- If you have transited through or departed from a Yellow Fever endemic country within six days of your India arrival, carry a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate, failure to produce it may result in quarantine of up to six days.
- Parts of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh require a Protected Area Permit in addition to your India e-Visa, apply separately in advance if your itinerary includes these regions.
- Pakistani linage: Vietnamese nationals whose parents or grandparents were born in or were permanently resident in Pakistan are not eligible for an India e-Visa.
- Travel on the same passport used to apply. If renewed since applying, carry both old and new passports to Indian immigration.
Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to Delhi, and What Awaits
Vietnam and India are connected by direct and connecting flights through hubs including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Dubai. The journey from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to Delhi or Mumbai is well-serviced and increasingly popular as Indian tourism opens up to Southeast Asian travelers.
October to March is the recommended travel window from Vietnam. Vietnamese travelers familiar with the ancient temples of Hoi An and the vertical landscapes of Ha Long Bay will find India operating on a similarly epic scale but differently layered. The Mughal architecture of Delhi and Agra, the desert forts of Rajasthan, the backwaters of Kerala, and the spiritual intensity of Varanasi on the Ganges each offer something that has no direct parallel anywhere in Southeast Asia.
Fellow ASEAN travelers from Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia follow the same India e-Visa process that includes one application per person, one passport per application, confirmed before boarding.
Why choose IVC?
At IVC Visas, every India e-Visa application is reviewed before it reaches the portal — photo compliance, document accuracy, category selection, name matching against your Vietnamese passport. The India e-Visa fee is non-refundable. A review before submission protects it.
✅ Standard and express service available
✅ Pre-submission review of every application
✅ 24/7 support via Chat, WhatsApp, and Email
✅ Transparent pricing; no hidden fees
✅ Application tracking from submission to ETA
Start your India e-Visa application →
Your India e-Visa is the only step between Ho Chi Minh City and everything India offers. Get it right the first time.
Contact our team in case you feel behind in your India e-visa application.
Disclaimer: IVC Visas is an independent visa service provider. We assist with application preparation and submission to official government portals. Final visa approval decisions are made solely by Indian immigration authorities. All information is based on current regulations as prescribed by the Government of India, which may change. Always verify the latest requirements before travel.