Five Tips for Vietnam & Cambodia Visa's

Vietnam & Cambodia Visa's: What you need to know! 

I'm breaking down our experiences with the visas in both Vietnam and Cambodia. Both processes can seem intimidating because they are not quite as easy as most countries but if you plan ahead, you will have no problems. 

Before going further, as information changes, always check the United States Department of State for the most up-to-date travel information related to safety and visa requirements for each location.

U.S Department of State for Consular Affairs: Vietnam

Embassy of Vietnam for Visa Information

#1: National Holidays Mean No Visa on Arrival 
You must have a valid passport and a visa (or pre-approval for a visa on arrival) to enter Vietnam. 

Your first step in planning travel should always be to check national holidays during your travel time! The visa on arrival is not always an option during public holidays, for example, during the Vietnamese New Year. During certain holidays, the visa office at the airport will be closed for visa's on arrival and you will have to pay a very expensive fee (approx. $200 USD to enter the country - prior to arrival) for a middle-man to work your visa when you get to Vietnam. This can be easily avoided by making sure you attain a e-visa prior to arrival.

#2 Check the visa put in your passport  
- Check to make sure you recieve the visa you paid for! (Multi-entry vs. single!)
We paid online for a multi-entry and a single entry was put into our passport. . . we didn't notice until it was too late.

Airlines will not let you board your flights to Vietnam if they know the visa on arrival is closed. There is a expensive fine for airlines that let passengers show up to a country without a visa when it's needed. The process for an emergency visa can take up to an hour, and if you find yourself in this bind, we used this service: https://www.vietnamvisaorg.com/


#3: Children need their own separate e-visa
Although Vietnam's e-visa website has the option to add a child to a parent's application, they need their own separate visa.
Another lesson learned the hard way for us! The downfall, you have to go through the lines to apply for their visa on arrival which can add more time depending on lines.

#4 You are ready to apply for your e-visa! 
You will need to upload a passport sized photo and a copy of your passport picture page. We took the visa photos with our phones, nothing fancy required but there are passport photo apps.
Vietnam E-Visa ($25)

*Check and double check your e-mails 
Our first round of visa application was denied because the scanned image of my passport photo wasn't clear enough for their liking.  All we needed to do was log-in and re-upload a new version, but all notifications are sent via e-mail. Don't just assume yours will be instantly approved.

#5 Cambodia Likes Crisp Cash 
Visa on arrival: Crisp, clean, new USD is all they will accept upon arrival and at some locations like ticketing for Angkor Watt. Be prepared! I'm not kidding, they rejected some of our USD for not being new looking. 

There is an ATM inside of the visa arrival area but, whether or not it will be stocked with money is not a risk you should take. People with babies and young children are called out of line to the front to be processed through first. Try to get off the plane as quick as possible so that you can be easily seen with your children!
Cambodia E-visa ($36)

And as always, carry a pen or two for extra forms just in case!