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Updated Vietnam Visa Exemption Policy

With breathtaking landscapes, incomparable gastronomy, and a rich cultural heritage, Vietnam continues to attract European tourists every year. To offer you even more ease in your trip, the country has chosen to extend its Vietnam visa exemption policy. There are now twelve European countries that can benefit from it. But the real major change concerns Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, a new trio joining for the first time this list of privileged countries, along with a few others from Central and Eastern Europe. With Autour Asia, you are accompanied in preparing your trip by staying informed of these changes. Since you are arriving in the city, it may be preferable to contact us once you are there. Thanks to this new opportunity to travel without a visa, Vietnam opens up to you more easily than ever to discover a freer, simpler, and more authentic journey.

1. Vietnam Visa Exemption - Overview and importance

The Vietnam visa exemption, often called visa-free, is a policy that allows you, as a citizen of certain countries, to enter and stay in Vietnam for a specified period without having to apply for a visa in advance. In practical terms, this means you cross the border more easily, save time, and reduce administrative procedures.

This decision might come from a one-sided choice by the Vietnamese government for tourism or exchange reasons, or it could be part of a mutual agreement. However, this measure is more than just convenience for you; it is strategic. It improves the tourism sector, draws in investment, helps diplomatic relations, and increases Vietnam's visibility worldwide. In short, for those curious about which countries can be visited without a passport, Vietnam is becoming an important gateway, a tool to boost the economy, and a sign of openness.

Until 15 August 2025, Vietnam visa exemption policy already applied to several countries in Europe and Asia. These travelers had the possibility for a trip to Vietnam without a visa, for a short stay, generally from 15 to 45 days. This helped to widely open the country and to boost tourism, which every year welcomes millions of travelers. Nevertheless, the list was still too limited, which is why the government decided on a broader opening to improve Vietnam’s attractiveness at the international level.

2. Updated Vietnam visa exemption 2025–2028: including Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland

Traveling to Vietnam is becoming truly effortless for you, citizens of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. You now benefit from a 45-day tourist stay under the new government policy. And that’s not all: there are also nine other European countries that are entitled to this exemption as well—Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

This extension pursues a clear objective: to make the country more accessible and to strengthen its attractiveness on the international stage. What a revolution for us, residents of Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. It makes your trips much simpler by eliminating administrative formalities, allows you to enjoy an extended 45-day stay, and leads you to richer and more varied explorations. Moreover, if you are wondering what advantages a Belgian passport visa-free countries have, Vietnam perfectly illustrates this new freedom to travel.

Beyond leisure tourism, this policy also supports your business trips, by creating more favorable conditions for economic exchanges and investments. In other words, for you, citizens of Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, traveling to Vietnam without a visa is not only a practical advantage: it is a new opportunity to build closer cultural, economic and human ties with Southeast Asia.

3. Which countries are already exempt from a Vietnam visa ?

Well before its extension, Vietnam had already applied a visa waiver policy for several European and Asian countries. The partnership, always very significant in terms of trade and especially tourism, included France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom in Europe, but also more recently Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland in Northern Europe. Russia, Japan, and South Korea were also privileged with this visa-free travel in Asia. Most of these exemptions concerned relatively short stays, from 15 to 30 days, which already made access to the country easier but still limited for travelers wishing to explore Vietnam in greater depth. Nevertheless, this policy largely contributed to increasing the country’s reputation as a destination and to attracting millions of visitors every year, particularly from Europe and Asia.

The presence of these countries on the initial Vietnam visa exemption list proves that the government wishes to target a number of major tourist markets, both in Europe and in Asia. As for you, residents of these countries benefiting from the visa-free destination status, many of you have seen your stays made easier, have been encouraged to return more and more often, and have contributed to strengthening your economic and cultural exchanges.

By maintaining this policy until 2028, Vietnam confirms its strategy of consolidating existing markets while expanding access to new countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

4. Advantages of visa-free travel to Vietnam

A trip to Vietnam is now much easier if you are Belgian, Luxembourgish or Swiss. Under the new Vietnam visa exemption policy, you can stay up to 45 days without any other formality. No more tedious procedures, visa fees, or administrative waiting: entering the country is as simple as buying a plane ticket and having a valid passport.

For you, it is a true opportunity. One month and fifteen days is the perfect amount of time to indulge in the Sapa rice fields of the terrace, be amazed at Halong Bay, discover the nightlife of Hanoi, experience the beaches of Phu Quoc, and cruise along Mekong Delta bends. This increased period of time also allows you to travel slowly, to actually immerse yourself in the culture of Vietnam, and even to combine Vietnam with other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand or Cambodia, all without any hassle of a visa.

But beyond holidays, this open door also allows you to travel more easily for business or for a cultural exchange. For you, Swiss or Belgian citizen, often seeking authentic experiences and opportunities, Vietnam is no longer today a distant destination but truly an accessible and even strategic one. In this sense, speaking of a visa-free country means much more than simple comfort: it is an invitation to explore Vietnam in complete freedom, to multiply encounters and to strengthen the ties between Europe and Vietnam.

5. Practical tips to make the most of Vietnam visa exemption

Visiting Vietnam without a visa is a real comfort. But to make the most of it and avoid unpleasant surprises, here are a few practical tips to keep in mind.

• Check your passport validity: Make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after your date of arrival in Vietnam. Without this, you could be denied boarding.
• Prepare an onward ticket: Even when benefiting from the Vietnam visa exemption, the authorities may ask for proof of exit (return flight or to another country).
• Plan ahead for your length of stay: You can stay up to 45 days without a visa. If you wish to extend, consider the e-visa (valid for 90 days) or other procedures before your stay ends.
• Plan your stops: Take advantage of the visa-free freedom to explore at your own pace: from Hanoi to Halong Bay, from Hue to Hoi An, all the way to the beaches of Da Nang and the Mekong Delta.
• Combine with other destinations: Visa-free travel also makes it easier to combine with neighboring countries like Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.
• Keep your papers with you: In Vietnam, it is recommended to always carry an identity document or a copy of your passport with you.

With the extension of the Vietnam visa exemption, citizens of Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland are now among those entitled to a country to visit without a visa. Forty-five days of freedom to immerse yourself in the culture, taste the local gastronomy, and admire Vietnam’s magnificent landscapes, without complicated paperwork. And to give you some itinerary ideas or inspiration to build your trip, the advisors at Autour Asia, your expert Vietnam travel agency, are here to share their tips and accompany you in living an authentic experience. From North to South, Vietnam opens up to you more easily than ever – all that’s left is to pack your bags.

Learn more:

- Essential guide to Vietnam visa
- How to apply for a Vietnam visa online
- Vietnam Travel Guide
- Vietnam trip 2 weeks itinerary
- Vietnam Tours