You’ve Submitted the Vietnam Pre-Arrival Form. Here’s What Happens Next.
Where Your QR Code Goes
After you submit, the system emails you a confirmation with the QR code attached. That email is what you show at the airport — present the QR itself or just open the email.
Save it somewhere you can reach without a signal. Airport WiFi is free but crawls when several flights land together, and you may be queuing with no data roaming. A screenshot in your camera roll works offline.
No email arrived. Now what?
Work through this in order before refilling the form:
Check spam and promotions
A government notification with an attachment is exactly what spam filters grab. Search your whole mailbox for “prearrival” rather than scrolling the inbox.
Check the address you typed
A typo in your own address is the most common reason nothing arrives. If you can still open your submission, check what’s recorded there.
Submit again
There’s no penalty for filing twice. If the first attempt vanished, a fresh submission with a correct email address is faster than recovering the old one.
Stop worrying at this point
Even with no QR code, you can still enter Vietnam — you’ll complete the declaration at a counter on arrival. It costs time, not entry.
Would rather someone else handled it?
Send us your passport and flight details and we file the declaration for you, then send the QR code to your phone. $5 per person, $12 for a family of four — and free if you’re already booking fast track or an e-visa with us.
You Spotted a Mistake After Submitting
The most common panic, with the calmest answer: it’s fixable, two ways.
The submission page has an “Edit this submission” option — correct the field, resubmit, use the new QR code. If you can’t get back into it, fill out a new declaration from scratch. It takes about five minutes, there’s no rule against having submitted before, and no fee. Bring the newest QR code and ignore the old one.
What actually matters, and what doesn’t
| If this is wrong | How much it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your name spelling | High — it’s what gets compared to your passport | Fix and resubmit before you fly |
| Passport number | High — same reason | Fix and resubmit before you fly |
| Nationality or visa details | High — determines your entry basis | Fix and resubmit before you fly |
| Flight number or arrival date | Moderate — see the next section | Resubmit if the change is significant |
| Hotel name or address | Low — plans change and officers know it | Resubmit if you have time; don’t lose sleep |
| Intended departure date | Low — it’s an estimate | Leave it |
Your Flight or Hotel Changed After You Submitted
Airlines reschedule and bookings fall through. The declaration is tied to a specific arrival, so if it no longer describes the trip you’re taking, submit a fresh one.
Two things make this less painful than it sounds. The form takes five minutes and can be submitted up to three days before arrival, so there’s usually room to redo it. And there’s no approval step — you’re recording information, not applying for permission.
Already travelling? Submit from your phone at the departure airport — it works on mobile, and you’ll have the QR before you board.
Do You Need to Print Anything?
No. Showing the QR on your phone is enough — officers scan from screens all day.
That said, a printed copy covers the one scenario a phone can’t: a dead battery in a queue with no power outlet. On a long-haul overnight, print it.
Can One Form Cover the Whole Family?
Yes. One submission can cover a family travelling together — a relief if you’re doing this at 11pm with three kids’ passports on the table.
Check every passenger’s details inside that submission — one form doesn’t mean less checking. If people are arriving on different flights, file separately: the declaration is tied to a specific arrival, and mixing two into one record creates a mismatch at the counter.
Where Your QR Code Actually Gets Scanned
Most guides get this wrong, including several that call it a customs form. It isn’t. The declaration is issued by the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security, and it’s checked at passport control — the officer who stamps you in, before baggage claim. The sequence:
Off the aircraft, follow the arrivals signage
Have passport and QR code in hand before you join the queue, not at the counter.
Immigration counter — the QR is scanned here
The officer checks your passport and visa status, scans the declaration, and stamps you in. This is the only point where the QR is used.
Baggage claim
Nothing to show. Collect your bags.
Customs — green or red channel
Separate process, separate rules — about what’s in your luggage, not who you are. Nobody asks for the pre-arrival QR here. What they do check is in our Vietnam customs guide.
You’ve Landed and You Don’t Have a QR Code
You can still enter. The declaration can be completed at the airport on arrival — explicitly allowed, not a loophole.
The cost is time. You’ll fill it in at a counter while everyone from your flight who prepared moves ahead of you. On a quiet morning that’s a minor detour. During an evening arrival bank it’s the difference between clearing in half an hour and clearing in considerably longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s emailed to you after you submit. If nothing has appeared, check spam and search your mailbox for “prearrival” before assuming it failed — and check that the email address recorded on your submission is correct. If it genuinely didn’t arrive, submitting a fresh declaration is quicker than trying to recover the first one.
Yes — the submission page offers an “Edit this submission” option. If you can’t get back into your original submission, simply file a new declaration instead. There’s no rule against submitting twice, and no fee either way. Take the newest QR code to the airport.
If the flight number or arrival date changes, submit a fresh declaration — it takes about five minutes and can be filed up to three days before arrival. A delayed departure on the same flight doesn’t require anything new.
No. Showing it on your phone is sufficient. Screenshot it so it works without a signal, since airport WiFi gets congested during busy arrival periods. A printed backup is only worth it as insurance against a dead battery.
Yes, one submission can cover a family or group travelling together. File separately if members are arriving on different flights, since the declaration is tied to a specific arrival.
At the immigration counter, when the officer checks your passport and stamps you in — before baggage claim. It is not a customs form and nobody asks for it in the green or red channel.
You can complete the declaration on arrival at the airport. You will not be refused entry over it. The cost is time — you’ll be filling in a form while prepared passengers move ahead of you in the queue.
Operated free of charge by the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. Mandatory at Vietnam’s main international airports since mid-2026. Current as of 16 August 2026.
