Vietnam’s government on 4 December adopted Resolution 389/NQ-CP, expanding its electronic-visa (e-visa) programme from 42 to 83 international checkpoints—adding four airports, 11 land borders and 26 seaports. Indians, already eligible for Vietnam’s 90-day multiple-entry e-visa since August 2023, can now enter via secondary gateways such as Vinh and Chu Lai airports or cruise directly into 26 new seaports.
The change is part of Vietnam’s push to disperse tourism beyond Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Indian arrivals have boomed—up 240 % year-on-year to 389,000 in January-October 2025—on the back of direct flights by Vietjet and IndiGo. Tour operators forecast that easier access to central provinces will boost wedding, MICE and film-shoot traffic, segments where India is an emerging source market.
![Vietnam doubles e-visa entry points to 83, widening options for Indian leisure and MICE travel]()
Practically, the wider checkpoint network reduces costly domestic positioning flights. A textile-machinery delegation from Tiruppur can now land at Vinh, only 90 minutes from their supplier park, cutting six hours of surface travel. Cruise lines courting Indian passengers—such as Royal Caribbean’s Mumbai-Singapore repositioning voyages—can schedule more Vietnamese port calls without cumbersome group visa letters.
Travel managers should note that the e-visa fee remains US $25, but carriers will update minimum-connection-time rules because immigration capacity at new airports is smaller. Early 2026 group movements should therefore build buffer time until on-ground processes stabilise.
Strategically, the upgrade reinforces a broader trend: ASEAN destinations are racing to digitalise entry formalities to capture India’s outbound boom. Mobility planners should expect similar e-visa expansions in Thailand and Indonesia in the coming quarters.
The change is part of Vietnam’s push to disperse tourism beyond Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Indian arrivals have boomed—up 240 % year-on-year to 389,000 in January-October 2025—on the back of direct flights by Vietjet and IndiGo. Tour operators forecast that easier access to central provinces will boost wedding, MICE and film-shoot traffic, segments where India is an emerging source market.
Practically, the wider checkpoint network reduces costly domestic positioning flights. A textile-machinery delegation from Tiruppur can now land at Vinh, only 90 minutes from their supplier park, cutting six hours of surface travel. Cruise lines courting Indian passengers—such as Royal Caribbean’s Mumbai-Singapore repositioning voyages—can schedule more Vietnamese port calls without cumbersome group visa letters.
Travel managers should note that the e-visa fee remains US $25, but carriers will update minimum-connection-time rules because immigration capacity at new airports is smaller. Early 2026 group movements should therefore build buffer time until on-ground processes stabilise.
Strategically, the upgrade reinforces a broader trend: ASEAN destinations are racing to digitalise entry formalities to capture India’s outbound boom. Mobility planners should expect similar e-visa expansions in Thailand and Indonesia in the coming quarters.
