Entering Vietnam for a Hoi An Trip
Vietnam’s entry rules have been liberalised in stages and the detail changes, so the only reliable source is the official e-visa portal shortly before you travel. The shape of it is stable: most visitors need either an e-visa or fall under a visa exemption of limited length. Travellers who book Hoi An flights on Traveloka for Hoi An should note the nearest airport is Da Nang, not Hoi An. E-visa or exemption A single-entry or multiple-entry e-visa, applied for online in advance, covers most nationalities for a stay of up to several weeks. A number of countries also have a visa exemption for shorter visits. Which applies to you determines how long you can stay, so check the current list rather than assuming from a previous trip. Applying without an agency The official e-visa site is run by the immigration department and charges a modest fee. A large number of agency sites rank higher in search results and charge several times as much for submitting the same form. Use the government domain, upload a passport scan and a photograph, and expect a decision within a few working days. Print the approval Airlines at check-in and immigration on arrival both want to see the approval, and relying on a phone with a flat battery after a long flight is a bad plan. Print it. Check the details match your passport exactly, because a mismatched name or number means a refusal and the fee is not refunded. Which airport and which port of entry An e-visa is valid only at the ports of entry listed on it, which is a long list but not universal. For Hoi An, arrive at Da Nang, which is forty-five minutes north by car and has direct regional flights. Flying into Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and taking a domestic connection also works and is often cheaper. Customs and currency There are declaration thresholds for cash and for gold. The dong is not easily obtained outside the country, so change on arrival or withdraw from an ATM at the airport. Vaping products occupy a legal grey area and have been subject to restriction, so travel without them if you want no conversation at all. Getting to Hoi An Fixed-price taxis and ride-hailing both run from Da Nang airport to Hoi An for a modest sum, and most hotels will arrange a pickup for similar. The route passes Marble Mountain, which makes a reasonable stop. Hoi An’s old town is closed to cars in parts of the day, so expect to be dropped at the edge. Practical notes February to May is the driest and most comfortable window on this coast; October and November bring heavy rain and occasional flooding in the old town itself. Carry small notes for the ticket booths. Traveloka offers the lowest flight prices in the region for the Da Nang connections. Use the official portal, print the approval, check Da Nang is listed as your port of entry, and budget forty-five minutes from the airport. Nothing else about arriving is difficult.