The official line is 3 working days for Vietnam e-visa processing. In my experience, it’s usually faster – my last two applications cleared in under 48 hours. But “working days” is the key phrase here. Apply on a Friday and you might not see approval until Wednesday, because Saturday and Sunday don’t count.

Vietnamese holidays are the wild card. During Tet (Lunar New Year), processing can stretch to two weeks. Same goes for Liberation Day in late April or National Day in September. I always check the Vietnamese public holiday calendar before submitting an application and add a buffer to my travel dates accordingly.

For those who need it faster, there are expedited services that claim 24-hour processing. I’ve never used them myself – planning ahead has always worked fine – but colleagues have reported good results when they were in a pinch.

For official information and to check your application status, visit the official e-visa website.