You do not need a dummy ticket for a Vietnam e-visa. The Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi lists a portrait photo and your passport data page, with no flight ticket or hotel booking. The e-visa costs USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry as of September 2026, and is processed within 5 to 30 working days. Airlines may still ask one-way passengers how they will leave.
- Vietnam's e-visa asks for a portrait photo and your passport data page; no flight ticket or hotel booking is listed.
- The fee is USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry (September 2026) and is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- The Embassy in New Delhi gives processing as 5 to 30 working days and advises applying 7 to 40 working days before departure.
- Official sources disagree on whether you must enter at the checkpoint you name, so name the airport you will actually fly into.
- No official Vietnamese onward-ticket rule was found, but airlines can ask a one-way passenger for proof of exit at check-in.
On this page
- What the Vietnam e-visa application asks for
- Vietnam e-visa fee, validity and processing time
- Entry checkpoint: name the airport you will fly into
- How to apply for the Vietnam e-visa from India
- Onward and return tickets at check-in for Vietnam
- Dummy ticket for Vietnam visa trips: what it does and does not do
- Vietnam e-visa checklist before you fly
A dummy ticket for Vietnam visa applications is optional. The e-visa form does not ask for one: the Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi lists a portrait photo and your passport data page, and nothing about a flight ticket, reservation or hotel. You can submit a complete e-visa application without any flight document.
Where a flight booking can matter is the check-in desk in India. No official Vietnamese source we checked publishes an onward-ticket rule, but airlines run their own document checks, and a passenger on a one-way ticket is the one most likely to be asked how they plan to leave. This page covers the e-visa first, then the airport.
What the Vietnam e-visa application asks for
The e-visa asks for two uploads and a few choices on the form, and none of them is a flight document. India is not on the visa-exemption list on Vietnam's official tourism site (checked September 2026), so Indian passport holders apply for the e-visa, which Vietnam has issued to all nationalities since 15 August 2023. The Embassy's e-visa page sets out the uploads.
| Item | What the Embassy in New Delhi lists |
|---|---|
| Portrait photo | 4x6 cm, white background, looking straight ahead, no glasses |
| Passport data page | The full page, including photo, personal details and the two machine-readable (ICAO) lines at the bottom |
| Passport validity | Expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive |
| Entry checkpoint | Chosen on the form (see the checkpoint section below) |
| Flight ticket, reservation or itinerary | Not listed |
| Hotel booking | Not listed |
Other countries differ, and our country-by-country visa guides show which ones want a flight itinerary. Japan's visa checklist, for example, asks for a document showing your flight schedule to and from Japan. If an agent tells you a flight booking must go into a Vietnam e-visa file, the Embassy's own list does not support that.
Vietnam e-visa fee, validity and processing time
As of September 2026 the e-visa costs USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry, paid online when you apply. The official portal gives those two figures, and the Embassy in New Delhi puts it as "25 – 50 USD". The fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Single-entry fee | USD 25 |
| Multiple-entry fee | USD 50 |
| Refund if refused | No |
| Validity | Up to 90 days |
| Processing time | Within 5 to 30 working days of the Immigration Department receiving a complete application |
| When to apply | At least 7 to 40 working days before departure |
The Embassy counts working days as Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. Say you fly to Hanoi on Monday 14 December 2026. The 40-working-day end of the Embassy's advice puts your application around Monday 19 October. An application filed on Monday 2 November that takes the full 30 working days could run until Friday 11 December, one working day before you fly. Some websites quote a 3-working-day turnaround. That figure is not on the official pages we read, so do not book fixed plans around it.
Entry checkpoint: name the airport you will fly into
Name the checkpoint you actually plan to use, because two official sources describe the rule differently. The form asks you to choose an entry checkpoint: an international airport such as Hanoi's Noi Bai (HAN), Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat (SGN) or Da Nang (DAD), or a land border or seaport.
The Embassy in New Delhi says your actual entry checkpoint "does not have to match" the one you chose. The UK government's travel advice for Vietnam says: "E-visas restrict you to the entry and exit points you select when you apply." With the two in conflict, choose the airport on your planned flight. If your arrival airport changes after the e-visa is issued, check with the official portal before you fly rather than relying on either reading.
An earlier reading of the portal's FAQ said the form asks for your first address of stay in Vietnam, and that the Immigration Department recommends a separate pre-arrival form. We could not open evisa.gov.vn to confirm either point in September 2026, so check both on the official portal when you apply. Separately, GOV.UK says that from 15 April 2026 foreign nationals arriving at Tan Son Nhat are "encouraged" to complete a digital arrival card online before they land.
How to apply for the Vietnam e-visa from India
You apply online, on one of the two addresses the Embassy names as official: evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn. Check the address bar before you pay: a site with a different address is not one the Embassy names.
Open the official portal
Go to evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn and start a new application. Have your passport and a digital photo ready before you begin.
Upload your photo and passport page
The photo is 4x6 cm with a white background and no glasses. Scan the whole data page, including the two machine-readable lines at the bottom, and check that your passport expires at least 6 months after your arrival date.
Choose your checkpoint and pay
Select the airport or border you will actually use, then pay USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry. Budget for the fee as spent: it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Collect and print the e-visa
Vietnam's official tourism site says you receive a code by email and use it to print the visa or view it on the official website. Carry a printout for check-in and arrival, with a copy on your phone.
Onward and return tickets at check-in for Vietnam
No official Vietnamese source we checked publishes an onward-ticket or return-ticket rule for arrival. The e-visa portal's home page, Vietnam's official tourism site and the travel advice from GOV.UK and the Government of Canada do not mention one.
The check that can stop you comes earlier, at the airline counter in India. Check-in staff verify entry requirements using IATA's Timatic database, and airlines check because they carry the cost of flying back a passenger who is refused entry. A one-way booking is the detail most likely to prompt a question about how you will leave. For how individual carriers handle it, see which airlines check for an onward ticket.
Whether a held reservation satisfies the check-in agent is the airline's decision. If the agent insists on a ticket with an e-ticket number, a reservation will not meet that request. Your options are then a fully refundable fare (compare the two in reservation vs refundable ticket) or a cheap one-way flight out of Vietnam that you intend to use. Read what happens if boarding is refused before you choose.
If you already hold a return flight to India, you have what an agent would ask for. If you are flying in one-way, carry proof of a planned exit, such as a return or onward flight booking. Our guide to proof of onward travel sets out the options, and the onward ticket page explains how the check works in general.
Dummy ticket for Vietnam visa trips: what it does and does not do
For the e-visa itself a reservation does nothing, because no flight document is on the list. Its use is at the airport: a one-way traveller can carry a checkable exit flight, such as Hanoi to Delhi, to show if the check-in agent asks.
A dummy ticket from Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) is a flight reservation made in the airline's reservation system and held without paying the fare. It has a PNR you can look up on the airline's Manage booking page and arrives as a PDF itinerary by email or WhatsApp, typically 10–20 minutes after payment is confirmed. It costs ₹699 per passenger, one-way or return, and one order can cover up to 9 passengers on the same itinerary. It is not a paid ticket and cannot be used to board.
Works well when
- You fly into Vietnam one-way and want an exit flight with a PNR to show if the check-in agent asks
- Your family is travelling together and needs the same exit flight shown for everyone
Falls short when
- You are filling in the e-visa application: nothing on the form needs it
- The airline asks for a ticket with an e-ticket number rather than a reservation
- You need to board the flight: only a paid ticket does that
A reservation is a temporary hold, and how long it stays live depends on the airline. Ask for delivery one day before you fly, and check the PNR on the airline's website before you leave for the airport. You can order the reservation online and choose the delivery date on the form. If anyone asks what it is, say so plainly: a flight reservation, not a ticket.
An exit flight reservation for Vietnam
A PNR you can check on the airline's website, ₹699 per passenger, typically delivered 10–20 minutes after payment.
Vietnam e-visa checklist before you fly
- Passport expiry at least 6 months after your arrival date
- 4x6 cm photo (white background, no glasses) and the full passport data page uploaded
- Application made on evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn, the two addresses the Embassy names
- Entry checkpoint set to the airport you will actually fly into
- USD 25 or USD 50 fee paid, with up to 30 working days allowed for a decision
- Address of first stay and any pre-arrival form checked on evisa.gov.vn, plus the digital arrival card if you land at Tan Son Nhat
- Printed e-visa in your hand luggage
- A return or onward flight if you fly in one-way, with its PNR checked on the airline's website
If you already hold a paid return flight, the e-visa steps above are all you need from this page. If only the exit leg is still open, our one-way reservation page explains how a single-flight reservation works and where it falls short.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a hotel booking or an address in Vietnam for the e-visa?
A hotel booking is not on the Embassy's list of uploads. An earlier reading of the portal's FAQ said the form asks you to declare your first address of stay in Vietnam, but we could not confirm that on the official portal in September 2026. Check the current form on evisa.gov.vn before you apply, and keep the address of your first night's accommodation to hand in case it is asked for.
Can I travel to Vietnam on a one-way ticket?
The e-visa does not depend on it, because the form asks for no flight. The question comes at check-in, where the airline decides whether to ask how you will leave. A return flight answers it. If you want a reservation for the exit leg instead, our one-way flight reservation page explains how it works and what it cannot do.
Will Vietnamese immigration ask to see my return flight?
No official Vietnamese source we checked says a return or onward ticket is required on arrival, so we cannot tell you how often officers ask. If an officer asks about your plans, answer truthfully. If you are carrying a reservation rather than a ticket, call it a reservation. It shows a planned exit; it is not a paid ticket.
Should I buy my flight before the Vietnam e-visa is approved?
The e-visa form does not need a flight, so you can wait. The Embassy gives processing as 5 to 30 working days, and the USD 25 or USD 50 fee is not refunded if the visa is refused, so a non-refundable fare bought first adds a second loss if things go wrong. Our guide on booking a flight before visa approval covers the trade-offs.
Do I need to print my Vietnam e-visa?
Vietnam's official tourism site says you receive a code by email and use it to print the visa or view it on the official website. A printed copy is the simplest thing to hand over at the check-in desk in India and on arrival in Vietnam. Keep a copy on your phone as well, in case the paper goes missing.
- Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi: e-Visa application
- Vietnam e-Visa portal (Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security)
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: visa requirements
- GOV.UK: Vietnam travel advice, entry requirements
- Government of Canada: travel advice for Vietnam
- IATA: Timatic travel document database
Last reviewed by the DTV Editorial Team. Visa requirements change, so confirm the current checklist with the embassy, consulate or official application centre before you apply. A reservation supports a visa file and cannot guarantee a visa decision.