You do not need a visa for Phu Quoc if you arrive there straight from abroad and stay on the island. Vietnamese law gives foreigners who enter Phu Quoc from another country 30 days without a visa, whatever their passport. The exemption ends at the shore: it does not cover the mainland, and it does not help if you clear immigration in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City first.
How we built this guide: on 19 October 2026 we read the consolidated Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners as published in the Official Gazette, which includes the 2019 and 2023 amendments, Government Resolution 80/NQ-CP of 2020, Decree 75/2020/ND-CP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' exemption list, the Immigration Department's e-visa portal and the UK and Canadian travel advice. We did not test entry at Phu Quoc ourselves, and this is not legal advice. For visas in general, read our Vietnam visa guide; this page goes deeper on the island only.
Do I need a visa to visit Phu Quoc?
No, as long as you enter Vietnam at Phu Quoc. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' exemption list, updated to 14 March 2025, says Vietnam exempts foreigners entering Phu Quoc from abroad from the visa requirement, with a 30-day stay. Three legal texts sit behind that line:
- The law. Article 12, clause 3a of the immigration law, added by Law 51/2019/QH14 from 1 July 2020, allows visa-free entry to coastal economic zones chosen by the government that have an international airport, their own separate space and a defined boundary cut off from the mainland (consolidated law).
- The government's choice. Resolution 80/NQ-CP, dated 25 May 2020 and in force from 1 July 2020, names the Phu Quoc Economic Zone as the coastal economic zone where that exemption applies (LuatVietnam).
- The length of stay. Article 31, clause 1, point d, as amended by Law 23/2023/QH15 from 15 August 2023, grants a 30-day temporary residence certificate to people entering such a zone who are not covered by a visa or another exemption.
The policy itself dates from 10 March 2014, when a Prime Minister's decision brought it in (Tuoi Tre News, January 2014); the 2019 amendment turned it into law.
The rules at a glance
| Question | What the rule says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies? | Foreigners entering Phu Quoc from abroad, any nationality | Ministry of Foreign Affairs list; Law, Art. 12(3a); Resolution 80/NQ-CP |
| How long? | 30 days, unless another rule gives you more | Law, Art. 31(1)(d) |
| Where can I go? | Phu Quoc only; anywhere else needs a visa | Law, Art. 46(3); Decree 75/2020, Art. 3 |
| Which way in? | Direct from abroad by air or sea, or via the transit area of another Vietnamese international gate | Ministry of Foreign Affairs list |
| Passport validity | The law sets no figure for this exemption; the UK and Canada advise six months | Law, Art. 20; FCDO; Government of Canada |
| Onward ticket | Not mentioned in any of the texts we read | Our reading of the law, resolution and decree |
Who gets the 30 days, and who gets more?
Anyone can use the Phu Quoc exemption, but the 30-day stay is written for travelers with nothing better. Article 31 of the consolidated law sets the stay in order: visa holders get their visa's length, treaty-exempt travelers their treaty's, nationals of unilaterally exempt countries 45 days, and everyone else 30 days on Phu Quoc.
| Your situation | Stay if you land at Phu Quoc | Can you go on to the mainland? |
|---|---|---|
| Passport from one of the 24 countries with Vietnam's 45-day exemption (for example the UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea) | 45 days under Art. 31(1)(c) | Yes, the exemption covers all of Vietnam |
| Passport covered by a bilateral treaty (for example Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines) | The treaty's period | Yes |
| E-visa holder | The visa's validity, up to 90 days | Yes, through gates on the e-visa list |
| Everyone else, for example US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian or Irish passports | 30 days under Art. 31(1)(d) | Only with a visa |
So the Phu Quoc rule matters most to the nationalities our visa guide lists as needing an e-visa for the rest of the country. We could not confirm which stamp officers at Phu Quoc give in practice to travelers in the first row, so check the date in your passport before you leave the desk.
Does a connection through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City count?
On paper, yes, if you never leave the international transit area. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the exemption also applies to people who stay in the transit area of a Vietnamese international border gate, by air or by sea, and then continue to Phu Quoc (exemption list).
In practice, this is the riskiest part of the rule. The UK government says that if you transfer from an international flight to a domestic flight in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you must go through immigration and enter Vietnam (FCDO). Once you pass mainland passport control, you need whatever visa or exemption your passport normally requires. The law itself defines transit as stopping on the way to a third country, so a connection to a Vietnamese island rests on the ministry's wording alone.
We found no published procedure from Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat for keeping international passengers airside on a domestic flight to Phu Quoc. If your ticket connects through the mainland, buy the e-visa or get your airline to confirm the transfer in writing before you fly.
Watch out: If the 30-day exemption is your only way into Vietnam, a nonstop international flight to Phu Quoc is the safe choice. Sun PhuQuoc Airways, for example, opened a Taipei route on 29 March 2026 with five flights a week (Sun PhuQuoc Airways) and a daily Kuala Lumpur service from 1 September 2026 (New Straits Times).
Can I arrive by domestic flight or ferry?
You can, but the exemption plays no part, because you have already entered Vietnam somewhere else. The ministry's wording covers foreigners entering Phu Quoc from abroad. If you fly in from Ho Chi Minh City or take a speedboat from Rach Gia or Ha Tien, your stay on the island depends on the visa or exemption you used when you first entered the country. Our Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc guide compares those flights and ferries.
The same applies overland. Ha Tien, where many travelers cross from Cambodia before taking the boat, is a mainland land gate on the government's e-visa list (Immigration Department), so you need an e-visa or a nationwide exemption to cross there. International cruise passengers are the exception: Duong Dong and An Thoi ports are on the same list as sea gates, and the ministry says the exemption covers sea arrivals.
| Arrival | Does the 30-day Phu Quoc exemption apply? |
|---|---|
| International flight that lands at Phu Quoc | Yes |
| International cruise calling at Duong Dong or An Thoi | Yes, according to the ministry's list |
| International flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, then domestic flight, without leaving the transit area | Yes on paper; unconfirmed in practice |
| Same connection, passing mainland immigration | No, normal visa rules apply |
| Domestic flight or ferry after entering Vietnam elsewhere | No, your first entry decides |
| Land border at Ha Tien, then the ferry | No |
How long must my passport be valid?
Six months is the safe answer, even though the law does not set a figure for this exemption. Article 20 of the immigration law requires six months of validity only for travelers using Vietnam's unilateral exemption; for everyone else it asks for a valid passport (consolidated law). The UK government tells British travelers to have six months from the date they arrive and two blank pages (FCDO). Canada asks for six months beyond your planned departure from Vietnam and warns that airlines may apply stricter rules (Government of Canada, updated 13 October 2026), so a passport close to expiry can stop you at check-in, before you ever reach Phu Quoc.
Do I need an onward or return ticket?
None of the texts we read requires one. The law, Resolution 80/NQ-CP and Decree 75/2020 say nothing about onward travel for Phu Quoc, and the ministry's list mentions an onward ticket only for Philippine citizens under their bilateral agreement. We could not confirm whether airlines ask for one at check-in, so keep proof of a flight out within 30 days on your phone.
What if I want to visit the mainland too?
You need a visa, and it is much easier to get it before you fly. Article 46 of the law leaves it to the government to regulate foreigners exempted in coastal economic zones who want to go elsewhere in Vietnam. Decree 75/2020/ND-CP, Article 3, says they apply for a visa through an agency, organization or individual in Vietnam that invites or sponsors them, at the immigration authority (Decree 75/2020). Under Article 19 of the law, the authority considers such a request within five working days of receiving a complete file.
The e-visa is not a shortcut once you are on the island. The official portal says e-visas are issued to foreigners who are abroad, not to people already staying in Vietnam. If the mainland is even a possibility, apply on evisa.gov.vn before you travel. It costs US$25 for a single entry or US$50 for multiple entries, lasts up to 90 days, and Phu Quoc's airport is on the list of e-visa entry gates. Our Phu Quoc guide covers the island itself once you land.
Tip: If you overstay the 30 days, you face the same fines as any other overstay; the table is in our Vietnam visa guide.
How does the Phu Quoc exemption compare with the other options?
It is the narrowest of Vietnam's entry routes: free, but short and tied to one island.
| Option | Who can use it | Stay | Where it is valid | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phu Quoc exemption | Any foreigner entering Phu Quoc from abroad | 30 days | Phu Quoc only | Free |
| Unilateral exemption | Nationals of 24 countries | 45 days | All of Vietnam | Free |
| Bilateral exemption | Nationals of about 15 countries with treaties | 14 to 90 days, by treaty | All of Vietnam | Free |
| E-visa | All nationalities | Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry | All of Vietnam, through listed gates | US$25 or US$50 |
E-visa figures are from the Immigration Department; the exemption lists are in our visa guide.
What happens at the airport on arrival?
You show your passport and the officer stamps a temporary residence certificate, the date by which you must leave; Decree 75/2020 says it goes in your passport or on a loose-leaf visa. The Immigration Department also recommends a pre-arrival form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn (portal notes), which its own site presents as a way to save time at the desk.
The island's status changed in 2025, but we found nothing that changed the visa rule. Since 1 July 2025 Phu Quoc has been a special zone of An Giang province, covering more than 589 km² (SGGP). Resolution 80/NQ-CP, written in 2020, still describes the Phu Quoc Economic Zone as part of Kien Giang province, and we found no newer resolution replacing it.
Key facts at a glance
- Foreigners entering Phu Quoc from abroad get 30 days visa-free, including via the transit area of another Vietnamese international gate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
- Legal basis: Article 12(3a) of the immigration law, added by Law 51/2019/QH14 from 1 July 2020, and Article 31(1)(d) as amended by Law 23/2023/QH15 from 15 August 2023 (consolidated law).
- Resolution 80/NQ-CP of 25 May 2020 names the Phu Quoc Economic Zone as the zone where the exemption applies (LuatVietnam).
- Leaving the island for the mainland requires a visa obtained through a sponsor in Vietnam (Decree 75/2020).
- E-visa: US$25 single entry, US$50 multiple entry, up to 90 days, issued only to people outside Vietnam (Immigration Department).
Limitations
We read the law, the resolution and the decree, not the internal guidance immigration officers work from, so practice at the airport may differ. Three points we could not confirm in an official source: how airlines and airports handle an airside transfer to Phu Quoc in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, which stay officers stamp for nationals of the 45-day countries arriving at Phu Quoc, and whether the 30-day stay can be extended on the island. The resolution text comes from a legal database rather than the gazette, and Decree 75/2020 was written when the unilateral exemption was 15 days, so parts of it may be out of date. Before you book, check the ministry's list and the e-visa portal again, ask your airline how it treats your connection, and if in doubt, buy the e-visa.
