Vietnam Visa Processing Times: What Foreign Teachers Should Expect

Vietnam visa processing takes 5-7 business days for most teacher applications, based on commonly reported experiences from embassies and agencies. If you submit your complete application on Monday, you’ll typically receive approval by the following Monday or Tuesday. However, Vietnam’s Immigration Department officially allows up to 10 working days, so you should plan for a two-week window to account for potential variables.

For teachers needing faster turnaround, expedited processing commonly delivers approvals in 3-4 business days for additional fees of $30-60, though this accelerated timeline depends on current processing capacity and isn’t officially guaranteed. The complete journey from starting your application to arriving in Vietnam typically requires 3-4 weeks when you factor in document preparation, processing time, and travel coordination.

Three critical factors will determine your specific timeline: how complete your documentation is (the single biggest variable affecting processing speed), which embassy handles your application (processing times range from 3-5 days at US embassies to 7-14 days at smaller regional offices), and when you apply (peak hiring seasons in August-September can add 3-7 days to standard timelines). Understanding these variables helps you plan accurately and avoid the delays that turn a one-week process into a month-long ordeal.

How Long Does Vietnam Visa Processing Actually Take?

Most teacher visa applications process in 5-7 business days from the moment your complete package reaches the processing office. This timeline has remained consistent across thousands of documented teacher applications processed through Vietnamese embassies and established visa agencies over the past several years.

The 5-7 day window represents actual processing time – the period when immigration officials are actively reviewing your application, verifying your documents, and making approval decisions. It doesn’t include weekends or Vietnamese public holidays, which means the calendar time from submission to approval is usually 7-10 days when you account for weekends falling within the processing period.

Here’s what happens during those 5-7 business days. Your application moves through five distinct stages: initial intake and logging (Day 0), basic completeness review where officers verify you’ve included all required documents (Days 1-2), document authentication where they check your educational credentials and background check are legitimate (Days 3-4), final approval decision by immigration officials (Days 5-6), and visa issuance where they actually stamp your passport or issue your approval letter (Day 7).

When Processing Takes Longer Than Expected

Vietnam’s Immigration Department officially states that processing can take “up to 10 working days” rather than the 5-7 days most people experience. This official timeframe serves as a buffer that covers several scenarios. Complex applications requiring additional verification may need the full 10 days. High-volume periods when embassies are processing hundreds of applications simultaneously can push processing toward the longer end. Applications with minor issues that don’t require full rejection but need clarification might take 8-10 days while officials contact sponsoring schools or verify specific document details.

The practical takeaway: plan for 10 business days as your working timeline when booking flights or coordinating job start dates, but expect to receive approval faster. This conservative planning prevents the stress of missed flights or scrambling to change travel plans if processing takes a few extra days.

Expedited Processing: When Speed Matters

Teachers facing tight timelines can request expedited processing at most embassies and through many visa agencies. This service typically costs an additional $30-60 beyond standard visa fees and commonly delivers approvals in 3-4 business days instead of the standard 5-7 days.

• How expedited processing actually works: Your application moves to a priority queue rather than waiting in line with standard applications. Immigration officers review expedited applications first each day, which can cut processing time nearly in half during normal periods.
• When expedited processing is most reliable: October through June (excluding the Tet holiday period in January-February). During these months, expedited services consistently deliver 3-4 day turnaround because processing offices maintain capacity for priority handling.
• When expedited processing is less effective: August and September, when Vietnam’s education sector hires hundreds of foreign teachers ahead of the academic year. Even expedited applications may take 4-5 days during this peak period because the sheer volume overwhelms even the priority queue.
• The critical limitation: Expedited processing only helps when your application is complete and correct from submission. If immigration officers identify any issues – wrong photo size, missing apostille, expired document – your application gets returned regardless of expedited status. You’ll lose both time and your expedited fee, then need to resubmit as a standard application. This makes thorough document preparation even more important when paying for expedited service.

The Complete Timeline: Application to Arrival

When teachers ask “how long does the visa take,” they often mean the entire process from deciding to apply to stepping off the plane in Vietnam with approved visa in hand. That complete journey typically requires 3-4 weeks and breaks down into several phases:

• Document gathering and authentication (2-3 weeks): This is usually the longest single phase. You need to collect your passport, obtain proper visa photos, gather educational certificates, get a criminal background check, and most time-consuming – have your credentials and background check apostilled by your home country’s authorities. The apostille process alone takes 2-3 weeks in most countries.
• Application submission (1-2 days): Once documents are ready, actually submitting your application takes 1-2 days depending on whether you’re doing online submission with courier document delivery or visiting an embassy in person.
• Processing period (5-10 days): The visa processing window we’ve been discussing, where immigration officials review and decide on your application.
• Travel coordination (2-3 days): After receiving approval, you need to book international flights, finalize temporary accommodation in Vietnam, and coordinate arrival logistics with your school.

Teachers who already have apostilled documents ready can compress this timeline to 2-3 weeks. Those who need to start the apostille process from scratch should budget a full month from application start to Vietnam arrival.

What Causes Processing Delays?

Three factors account for the vast majority of processing delays: incomplete or incorrect documentation, peak season application backlogs, and document authentication issues. Understanding these delay sources is crucial because each one can add 5-15 days to your timeline, transforming a straightforward one-week process into a month-long ordeal.

Documentation Problems: The #1 Delay Cause

Applications returned for document corrections must be resubmitted, restarting the entire 5-7 day processing timeline from zero. This single issue causes more delays than all other factors combined because even small errors can trigger application returns.

Photo specification errors are surprisingly common and account for roughly 35-40% of documentation-related returns based on visa agency reports. Vietnam requires precisely 4×6 centimeter photos with white backgrounds taken within the past six months. Photos that are 2×2 inches (US passport standard) don’t meet requirements. Colored or off-white backgrounds trigger returns. Photos showing glasses, even clear prescription glasses, often cause rejection. Older photos or those where your appearance has significantly changed get flagged.

The solution: use professional photo services and specifically tell them you need Vietnam visa photos with exact 4x6cm dimensions and pure white background. The $10-15 cost is negligible compared to the 7-10 day delay from using incorrect photos.

Missing or incorrect apostille stamps cause about 25% of document returns. Your educational credentials and criminal background check must be authenticated through your home country’s apostille process (for countries that participate in the Hague Apostille Convention) or embassy authentication process (for countries that don’t). Simply having notarized copies isn’t sufficient – Vietnam requires the specific apostille certification that confirms your documents are genuine government-issued credentials.

Different documents require authentication by different authorities, and using the wrong authentication body triggers returns. Educational credentials typically need apostille from your state or national education authority. Background checks need apostille from your state police department or justice ministry. Using a general notary or wrong government office means starting the authentication process over from scratch, which takes 2-3 weeks.

Expired documents create straightforward but frustrating delays. Criminal background checks must be dated within the past six months. Your passport needs at least six months of validity remaining from your intended Vietnam entry date. Health certificates have specific validity windows. Teachers who gather documents over several weeks sometimes find their earliest documents have expired by the time they’re ready to submit the complete application.

Application form errors – incomplete fields, missing signatures, inconsistent information between the form and supporting documents, or illegible handwriting – account for about 15% of returns. These are entirely preventable through careful completion and thorough review before submission.

Unclear scans or copies sometimes trigger returns when immigration officers can’t read critical information. Blurry phone photos, cut-off document edges, or low-resolution scans of important certificates can result in requests for better-quality copies, adding 3-5 days to your timeline.

The prevention strategy is straightforward but requires diligence: triple-check every requirement before submission, use professional services for photos and document scanning, verify your country’s specific apostille procedures rather than assuming, and review your complete package as if you were the immigration officer who needs to verify every detail.

Peak Season Backlogs

Vietnam’s education sector creates predictable surge periods when visa applications spike, overwhelming embassy processing capacity and extending timelines. The impact varies from moderate (1-3 extra days) to severe (7-15 day extensions including holiday closures).

• August and September represent the year’s worst bottleneck. International schools, language centers, and public schools hire hundreds of foreign teachers ahead of Vietnam’s academic year starting in late September or early October. Visa application volume increases by 200-300% during these two months compared to off-peak periods. Standard processing that normally takes 5-7 days extends to 8-10 days as embassies work through application backlogs. Even expedited services stretch from 3-4 days to 5-7 days. Embassy appointment availability becomes constrained, sometimes requiring 2-3 weeks wait just to submit your application.
• The Tet holiday period (late January through early February) causes the most severe disruption of the year. Vietnamese Lunar New Year shuts down government offices for 7-10 days, completely halting visa processing. Applications submitted in the two weeks before Tet wait in queue until offices reopen, then face additional delays while immigration staff clear the backlog. Total delay from Tet impact: 10-15 business days. Teachers accepting positions with January or early February start dates should submit visa applications by early December to completely avoid this disruption.
• June and July bring a secondary surge as international schools fill mid-year vacancies and summer intensive programs hire teachers. This creates moderate volume increases around 150% of normal, extending processing by 1-3 days. Less severe than August-September but still noticeable.
• Off-peak periods (October-November and March-May) offer the smoothest processing experience. Applications during these months consistently process at the fastest end of the 5-7 day range. Expedited services reliably deliver 3-day turnaround. Embassy appointments are readily available within days rather than weeks. Immigration offices operate at normal capacity with minimal backlogs.

Teachers with some flexibility in start dates can potentially save 5-7 days total timeline by timing applications for off-peak periods. For those whose job offers require peak season application, understanding the likely delays enables realistic planning rather than stressful surprises.

Document Authentication Issues

Problems with apostille or authentication processes create the longest delays because they require completely reprocessing documents before you can resubmit your visa application. Unlike photo errors that you can fix in a day, authentication issues add weeks to your timeline.

• Missing apostille stamps occur when teachers submit documents without realizing Vietnam requires this specific authentication. A notarized copy of your degree isn’t sufficient – you need your university to provide an official transcript or degree verification, then have your state or national education authority add an apostille stamp confirming the document is genuine. This process takes 2-3 weeks in most countries.
• Incorrect authentication authority happens when documents get apostilled by the wrong government office. Teachers sometimes have documents notarized by general notaries or authenticated by inappropriate government departments, neither of which Vietnam accepts. Educational credentials need authentication from education authorities specifically. Background checks need authentication from law enforcement or justice departments specifically. Using the wrong authority means starting the entire authentication process over with the correct office.
• Expired apostille certificates occasionally cause problems when documents are authenticated far in advance. Some countries’ apostille certifications have validity periods, typically 6-12 months. If your apostille certificate expires between when you obtained it and when you apply for your visa, you’ll need to renew it, adding 2-3 weeks.
• Translation issues affect documents in languages other than English or Vietnamese. Official translations must come from certified translation services and include the translator’s certification stamp and signature. Unofficial translations or those lacking proper certification trigger holds while you obtain properly certified translations, adding 3-7 days.

The prevention approach: start your apostille process immediately upon accepting your job offer, typically 4-6 weeks before you plan to submit your visa application. Research your specific country’s authentication procedures through official government websites rather than assuming. Use government-certified authentication services exclusively. Verify all expiration dates on authenticated documents before submitting your visa application.

How Different Embassies Affect Your Timeline

Vietnamese embassies worldwide show significant processing speed variation ranging from 3-5 days at high-capacity North American locations to 7-14 days at smaller regional offices. Where you apply matters almost as much as when you apply in determining your actual processing timeline.

US and Canadian Embassies: Fastest Processing

Vietnamese embassies and consulates in the United States and Canada consistently deliver the fastest processing times for teacher visa applications. The Embassy of Vietnam in Washington DC, Consulates General in Houston, San Francisco, and New York, plus the Ottawa embassy all commonly process applications in 3-5 business days for standard service.

These locations handle enormous application volumes – thousands of visa requests monthly – which creates counterintuitive efficiency. High volume justifies dedicated visa processing staff, sophisticated digital systems for application tracking, and direct communication channels with Vietnam’s Immigration Department for faster verification. The operational experience of processing thousands of teacher visas means these offices understand documentation requirements thoroughly and can quickly identify whether applications are complete.

Teachers applying through US locations also access the most reliable expedited processing. The 3-day expedited service is consistently available (capacity permitting) and reliably delivers within the promised timeframe about 85-90% of the time during off-peak periods. This reliability makes the expedited service a reasonable investment for teachers with tight timelines.

Appointment availability at US embassies remains relatively good even during peak seasons. You can usually schedule appointments within 1-2 weeks during August-September, and within days during off-peak periods. Many US locations also allow online application submission with courier document delivery, eliminating the need for in-person embassy visits entirely for some visa types.

European Embassies: Standard but Seasonal

European Vietnamese embassies maintain the 5-7 business day processing window consistently during most of the year. The Embassy of Vietnam in London, plus major consulates in Berlin, Paris, Rome, Madrid, and Amsterdam all report average processing around 6 days according to their official statistics.

These locations handle moderate application volumes and maintain professional operations aligned with standard Vietnamese processing protocols. The consistency during normal periods makes European embassies reliable processing options for teachers in those regions.

• Summer creates processing extensions at European embassies that don’t affect North American locations as severely. June through August brings dual surges – both tourism peaks and teaching position hiring – that can push processing toward 8-9 days as offices manage increased workloads. Teachers applying from Europe during summer should add an extra week to timeline estimates to account for this predictable seasonal extension.
• Expedited processing availability varies at European embassies. Some locations offer expedited services during normal periods but suspend them during peak seasons due to capacity constraints. When available, expedited processing typically delivers 4-5 day turnaround rather than the 3-day service common at US embassies. Teachers should confirm expedited availability at application time rather than assuming it will be offered.
• Regional routing adds time for teachers in smaller European countries without direct Vietnamese diplomatic representation. Teachers in Scandinavia might route applications through Stockholm, while those in Eastern Europe might use Warsaw or Prague embassies. This adds document courier time – typically 2-3 days in each direction – to the overall timeline, meaning you should account for 4-6 extra days total when applying through out-of-country embassies.

Asia-Pacific Region: Widest Variation

Vietnamese embassies across Asia and the Pacific show the widest processing time variation, ranging from 5 days at major city locations to 14 days at smaller regional offices. This variation reflects differences in office capacity, local application volumes, and operational structures across this geographically diverse region.

• Australian and New Zealand embassies typically process teacher visa applications in 7-10 business days, representing the longer end of standard processing. The Australian Embassy in Canberra and New Zealand embassy appear to process applications on weekly schedules rather than daily review cycles, meaning your processing time can vary by several days depending on which day of the week you submit relative to their processing schedule.
• Major Southeast Asian city embassies – Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong – maintain more efficient operations with processing typically completing in 5-8 business days. These locations serve significant expatriate populations and handle enough volume to justify streamlined processing systems. Teachers already living in these Asian hubs while searching for Vietnam teaching positions benefit from reasonable processing timelines.
• Smaller regional embassies in countries like Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, or the Philippines report the most variable timelines ranging from 7-14 business days. Some of these embassies clearly batch process applications weekly rather than reviewing them daily as they arrive. Others face staffing limitations that create processing delays.
• Visa-on-arrival with pre-approval letters offers an alternative pathway for teachers in Asia-Pacific regions. This approach shifts processing from embassies to Vietnam-based agencies and can sometimes reduce total timeline by 2-3 days. However, it requires your sponsoring school to issue the approval letter and involves different procedures than traditional embassy processing. Teachers should discuss this option with their schools to determine if it’s appropriate for their situation.

Note: Some teachers initially consider entering Vietnam on tourist visas for faster processing, then converting to work visas after arrival. While this is possible in certain circumstances, understanding the proper legal procedures is essential. You can learn more about converting tourist visa to business visa in Vietnam without leaving the country to evaluate if this approach fits your specific situation.

What Should You Do During the Processing Period?

The 5-7 days while your visa processes aren’t just waiting time – they’re an opportunity to complete parallel preparation tasks that will speed your transition once approval arrives. Teachers who use this period productively reduce post-approval scrambling and often save 3-5 days on their overall timeline to Vietnam arrival.

Continue Document Authentication If Needed

If you submitted your visa application before completing authentication of all required documents, continue that process during visa processing. This particularly applies to documents you’ll need for work permit application after arriving in Vietnam.

Your work permit requires the same authenticated educational credentials and background check that your visa required, plus potentially additional documents depending on your school’s requirements. If these aren’t fully authenticated by the time your visa approves, you’ll face delays in Vietnam while waiting for authenticated documents to arrive by international courier. Continuing authentication during visa processing means everything is ready when you land.

The apostille process typically takes 2-3 weeks, so if you started it around the same time as your visa application, both processes should complete roughly simultaneously. This parallel processing saves you weeks compared to doing tasks sequentially.

Arrange Your Initial Vietnam Accommodation

Book temporary housing for your first 1-4 weeks in Vietnam during the visa processing period. Most teachers use serviced apartments or hotels initially before finding permanent accommodation after arrival and evaluating neighborhoods.

• What to look for: Accommodation near your school, flexible cancellation policies (in case visa delays shift your arrival), budget of roughly $300-800 for the first month depending on city and comfort level. Serviced apartments with kitchen facilities cost more than hotels but enable cooking your own meals while adjusting.
• Timing strategy: Book after visa submission but before approval, choosing accommodations with free cancellation up to 24-48 hours before arrival. This lets you lock in options during processing without financial risk if processing delays occur.
• Logistics coordination: Once you’ve booked temporary housing, share details with your sponsoring school. Many schools offer airport pickup services or can coordinate arrival assistance, but they need your accommodation address to plan logistics.

Coordinate Closely with Your Sponsoring School

Maintain active communication with your Vietnamese school throughout the visa processing period. Schools need timeline information for several planning purposes: finalizing your teaching schedule and class assignments, coordinating work permit application procedures, potentially arranging housing assistance or airport pickup, and planning your orientation and training.

• Provide your school with: Visa application submission confirmation, expected approval date range, immediate notification of any processing delays, and confirmation of your planned arrival date once you book flights.
• Request from your school: Specific work permit requirements and procedures, details about first week schedule and orientation, housing recommendations or assistance programs, contact information for arrival day coordination.
• Understanding work permit requirements during visa processing is crucial because you’ll need to complete that application within your first week in Vietnam. Once you have clarity on visa timelines, reviewing Vietnam labor code requirements for foreign teachers ensures you understand employment regulations and remain compliant throughout your contract.

Track Your Application Status Actively

Most Vietnamese embassies provide tracking numbers at application submission that enable online status monitoring through their visa portals. Check your application status every 2-3 days rather than daily – processing stages typically take 1-2 days each, so daily checking won’t show meaningful changes and may increase anxiety unnecessarily.

What status updates mean:

• “Received/In queue”: Your application has been logged but review hasn’t begun
• “Processing/Under review”: Immigration officers are actively reviewing your documents
• “Additional review required”: Flag for potential issues – contact embassy immediately for clarification
• “Approved”: Your visa has been granted, awaiting issuance
• “Ready for collection”: Your visa is ready for pickup or courier delivery

Red flags requiring immediate action: If your status shows “additional review required,” “pending clarification,” or remains unchanged for 5+ consecutive days, contact the processing office immediately rather than waiting for them to contact you. Proactive contact often identifies easily-resolved issues that would otherwise add days to your timeline.

Embassy contact tips: Have your application reference number and passport details ready when contacting. Email often works better than phone for embassies with high volumes. Be specific about what information you need rather than asking general “what’s my status” questions.

Prepare Teaching Materials and Resources

Use processing downtime productively by compiling teaching materials you’ll bring to Vietnam. This preparation reduces first-week stress once you arrive and helps you start teaching more effectively.

• Subject-specific resources: If you’re teaching specific subjects, gather digital teaching resources, lesson plan templates, presentation slides, educational videos, and reference materials. Vietnam’s schools may have limited resources for some subjects, especially advanced sciences, specialized electives, or newer pedagogical approaches.
• General teaching tools: Compile classroom management strategies, activity templates, assessment rubrics, and parent communication templates that you can adapt to your new school’s context.
• Digital organization: Organize everything in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) accessible from Vietnam. Don’t rely on bringing physical materials through customs – digital resources are more flexible and won’t add baggage weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Vietnam visa processing actually take in 2025?

Standard processing takes 5-7 business days for most teacher applications submitted with complete documentation, though official timelines allow up to 10 working days. The 5-7 day window represents what teachers typically experience based on thousands of documented applications through embassies and agencies. The official 10-day allowance provides buffer for complex cases, peak periods, or applications requiring additional verification. Teachers should plan for 10 days as a conservative timeline when coordinating travel and job start dates, but can reasonably expect faster processing with complete applications during normal periods.

Expedited processing commonly delivers approvals in 3-4 business days for additional fees of $30-60, though this accelerated timeline depends on current embassy capacity and isn’t officially guaranteed by the Vietnamese government.

Can I start teaching immediately after my visa is approved?

No – visa approval enables Vietnam entry but doesn’t provide legal work authorization. After arriving in Vietnam with your approved visa, you must complete a separate work permit application through Vietnam’s Department of Labor, which requires an additional 5-7 business days minimum.

This work permit application requires your approved visa, employment contract with your school, authenticated educational credentials, apostilled background check, health certificate, and coordination with your sponsoring school’s administrative team. Some schools allow teachers to begin orientation, training, or classroom observation during work permit processing, but legal paid teaching requires completing the work permit before you can formally start.

Teachers entering on LD (work) visas rather than DN (business) visas have a slightly streamlined work permit process, but still need to complete the formal application after arrival before beginning paid teaching work.

What happens if my visa processing exceeds the stated timeline?

Contact the processing embassy or agency immediately if your application extends 2-3 days beyond estimated timelines. Most delays beyond standard processing windows result from applications placed on hold for document clarification, additional information requests, or verification processes.

Vietnamese embassies typically send email notifications if specific issues arise requiring your response, but some offices have limited notification systems. Proactive status checks through embassy visa portals combined with direct contact often identify problems faster than waiting for official notifications.

When contacting embassies: Have your application reference number and passport details ready, clearly explain how long processing has been ongoing, ask specifically what stage your application is in and whether any issues require resolution. Email often works better than phone for high-volume embassies.

Inform your school immediately about any delays extending beyond standard timelines so they can adjust start date expectations, extend temporary work arrangements, or provide assistance expediting the process through their Vietnamese contacts.

Should I book international flights before receiving visa approval?

No – wait for confirmed visa approval before booking international flights to Vietnam. Booking before approval creates risk of costly change fees or lost ticket value if processing delays shift your timeline or if applications face rejection.

Visa rejection rates are low (under 5%) for teacher applications with complete documentation, but processing delays are common enough that booking before approval is financially risky. Standard flight change fees run $200-400 for international routes, and some discount tickets are non-refundable/non-changeable.

Better approach: Research flight options during visa processing so you understand pricing and availability, set up price alerts for your preferred routes, and be ready to book immediately upon receiving visa approval. Last-minute international bookings (within 7 days of departure) typically cost 20-40% more than advance bookings, so booking immediately upon approval helps control costs while avoiding premature booking risk.

Some airlines offer flexible tickets with change options for $100-300 premiums, which can be worthwhile if your timeline is tight and you need booking certainty before approval.

Does visa processing stop during Vietnamese holidays?

Yes – Vietnam’s Immigration Department and embassy processing completely halt during official Vietnamese public holidays, extending timelines by the holiday duration plus additional days for backlog clearing.

The most significant disruption is Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), typically occurring in late January or early February. Government offices close for 7-10 days, completely halting visa processing. Applications submitted in the two weeks before Tet wait in queue until offices reopen after the holiday, then face additional 3-5 day delays while immigration staff clear backlogs. Total delay impact from Tet: 10-15 business days.

Teachers accepting positions with January or early February start dates should submit visa applications by early December to completely avoid Tet disruptions.

Other significant holidays affecting processing:

• National Day (September 2): 1-2 day closure
• Reunification Day (April 30): 1-2 day closure
• International Labor Day (May 1): 1 day closure

Check current year Vietnamese holiday calendars before application submission and avoid submitting within two weeks before major holidays, particularly Tet.

What if my passport expires during visa processing?

Vietnamese visa processing offices reject applications or halt processing for passports with less than 6 months validity remaining from your intended Vietnam entry date. If your passport expires within 6 months of your planned arrival, renew it before submitting your visa application.

Passport renewal takes 2-4 weeks for standard service in most countries, or 1-2 weeks for expedited renewal service. The renewal timeline should be factored into your overall planning – if you need renewal, start that process 6-8 weeks before your intended visa application submission.

If you discover passport validity issues after visa submission: Contact the processing office immediately within the first 1-2 days. Some embassies allow passport replacement mid-process if caught very early, but most require application withdrawal and resubmission with your new passport, which restarts the entire 5-7 day processing timeline from zero.

Passport validity is non-negotiable – it’s one of the first things immigration officers check, and insufficient validity triggers automatic application rejection or hold.

Can I apply for a Vietnam visa from inside Vietnam?

You cannot apply for your initial entry visa from within Vietnam – you must apply from outside the country through a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Initial entry visas require application from your home country or country of current legal residence through proper diplomatic channels.

However, teachers already in Vietnam on tourist visas or other temporary visas can sometimes apply for visa type conversion or extension through Vietnam’s Immigration Department offices or licensed agencies. This in-country conversion process typically takes 5-7 business days but involves different procedures, documentation requirements, and legal considerations than initial visa applications.

Important considerations for in-country conversion: This process involves potential overstay concerns during processing, requires strong coordination with your sponsoring school, may have legal grey areas depending on your current visa type, and isn’t available for all visa category changes. Teachers considering this approach should consult with both their schools and immigration professionals before proceeding.

The more straightforward and legally clear approach is applying for proper DN (business) or LD (work) visas from your home country before traveling to Vietnam, even though it takes longer initially.

How do I track my visa application status?

Most Vietnamese embassies provide tracking numbers at application submission that enable online status monitoring through embassy visa portals or websites. Log into the relevant embassy’s visa tracking system using your application reference number and passport details to check your current status.

Typical status stages:

• “Received/In queue” = Application logged but review hasn’t begun
• “Processing/Under review” = Active document review and verification
• “Approved” = Visa granted, awaiting physical issuance
• “Ready for collection” = Available for pickup or courier delivery

Checking frequency: Monitor status every 2-3 days rather than daily. Processing stages typically take 1-2 days each, so daily checking won’t show meaningful updates and may increase stress unnecessarily.

Red flags: If your status displays “additional review required,” “pending clarification,” or remains completely unchanged for 5+ consecutive days, contact the processing office directly for clarification rather than continuing to wait. Proactive contact often identifies easily-resolved issues.

Alternative tracking: If online tracking is unavailable through your embassy, you can contact them via email or phone with your reference number for status updates. Email often works better than phone for high-volume embassies with limited phone staffing.

Remember that visa approval is only the first step. After arriving in Vietnam with your approved visa, you must complete work permit application through the Department of Labor before legally beginning paid teaching. This requires an additional 5-7 business days minimum.

Factor this post-arrival timeline into your overall planning, especially when coordinating teaching start dates with your school. Most schools understand this requirement and build it into their hiring timelines, but confirming expectations upfront prevents misunderstandings.