🇻🇳 Entry & transport Scam alert

Vietnam’s 45-day visa-free stay, and avoiding the airport Grab scam

Korean passport holders can stay in Vietnam for up to 45 days without a visa for tourism.

As of 2026-08-18

This is the Entry & transport item for a trip to Southeast Asia. The 3 checkpoints below can only be settled properly before you leave — put them off and you queue at an airport desk or spend the first day on them instead. Work through them once and nothing has to be reopened.

Key checkpoints

Your passport must have at least six months of validity left on the day of entry, or you will not be allowed to board
Anyone approaching you outside the arrivals hall in Da Nang, Nha Trang or Ho Chi Minh City claiming to be a Grab driver is running a scam — the meter is rigged
Always book through the Grab app on your own phone and check the number plate before getting in

What to do before departure, in order

Two rules decide the order. First, anything with a deadline — pre-registration, bookings, documents to be issued: miss the cut-off and there is no substitute. Then whatever also works locally, which costs little to postpone.

Most of the items above can only be done before you leave. After arrival, patchy connectivity and opening hours make them harder, so finish what you can while you are still at home.

What to pay attention to in Southeast Asia

Visa-free stay lengths and entry conditions differ country by country in Southeast Asia, so the region as a whole tells you nothing — check each country. A passport valid for at least six months is a frequent condition.

Tap water is not drinkable in many areas, so decide how you will get drinking water before you go.

Also worth checking for this destination

For this destination it is worth reading these as well.

Official sources behind this article

The steps, fees and deadlines above were checked against 1 official source listed below — pages published by the body that runs the scheme itself, with the issuing institution named after each. Where they disagree with this page, they are right. Fees and forms change without notice, so open them once more before you travel.