How long must your passport be valid for Vietnam?

At least six months after the day you arrive, plus two blank pages — and the passport has to be undamaged. That last condition is what sets Vietnam apart: the official advice records travellers being refused both entry and exit because of passport damage.

By Code Majesty Tech LLC Last reviewed October 13, 2026

“To enter Vietnam, your passport must have: an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive […] at least 2 blank pages […] no damage – British nationals have been denied entry and exit due to passport damage”

GOV.UK — Vietnam travel advice, entry requirements · checked 2026-10-13

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A damaged passport can be refused, even with years left on it

Most entry rules are about dates. Vietnam's also names the condition of the document itself, and it does so with a warning rather than a formality: travellers have been turned away on arrival, and stopped from leaving, over damage.

Nothing printed in a passport tells you whether it counts as damaged, which is why this catches people who checked their expiry date carefully. Look at the photo page, the cover and the binding before you travel — for water damage, a torn page or a laminate that is lifting. A passport in that state is worth replacing before the trip rather than arguing about at the desk.

Six months from arrival, and two blank pages

The six months are counted forward from the day you land. A passport with five months left on arrival does not meet the requirement, however short the stay.

The two blank pages are a separate condition, checked separately. A passport can pass on dates and fail on space, and a well-travelled one is the kind that does.

Enter and leave on the same passport

Vietnam requires visitors to leave on the passport they entered with. It sounds like something that could never go wrong, and for most travellers it never does.

It matters in two cases: if you hold two passports, and if you renew or replace your passport while you are away. In either one, the document you show on the way out has to be the one that was stamped on the way in.

If your passport falls short

Renew before you travel. All three conditions — the six months, the two pages and the damage — are solved by the same new passport, so there is no partial fix worth attempting.

Your airline checks validity at check-in, in your home airport, at the point where nothing can be done about it. Routine renewals take weeks in most countries; if the trip is already booked, ask your passport authority about an expedited service.

Passport validity for other destinations

Your documents won't warn you. We will.

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