Lost Passport in Vietnam: Emergency Passport and Exit Visa Guide

Losing your passport while traveling in Vietnam can be a stressful experience, but there is a clear legal process to resolve it. You cannot exit Vietnam on an emergency travel document alone; you must obtain a temporary Exit Visa (Visa xuất cảnh) issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department before you can board your flight or cross the border.

TL;DR: A lost passport does not let you exit Vietnam by itself. You need a stamped police report, an embassy-issued emergency document with a diplomatic note, and a separate Exit Visa from Vietnam Immigration before you can fly or cross a border — the full process rarely finishes in one day, so do not book a same-day or next-day non-refundable ticket.

Step-by-Step Recovery Process

Step	Action Required	Expected Document / Outcome	Location
1. Report Loss	File a report with the local ward police (Công an Phường)	Stamped Police Report of Lost Passport	Local police station where loss occurred
2. Apply for Emergency Document	Apply at your home country's embassy or consulate	Emergency Passport / Travel Document + Diplomatic Note	Embassy (Hanoi) or Consulate (HCMC)
3. Apply for Exit Visa	Submit documents and Form NA5 to Vietnam Immigration	Stamped Exit Visa in your Emergency Document	Vietnam Immigration Department

1. Obtain a Stamped Police Report

The first legal requirement is to report the loss to the local Vietnamese police in the ward (Phường) or district where the passport was lost.

What to prepare: Bring a copy or photo of your lost passport (if saved on your phone), a passport photo, and an address/contact details of your current accommodation.
Outcome: The police will issue an official Report of Lost Passport. Ensure the document is stamped with the official red police seal.
Warning: Without this stamped police report, neither your embassy nor the Vietnam Immigration Department will process your emergency applications.

2. Obtain an Emergency Travel Document

Once you have the police report, contact your country's embassy (in Hanoi) or consulate-general (in Ho Chi Minh City).

Embassy/Consulate Role: They will verify your citizenship and issue an Emergency Passport or Emergency Travel Document (valid only for a direct trip home or through specific transit hubs).
Diplomatic Note: Along with the new travel document, the embassy/consulate must issue an official Diplomatic Note (Công hàm) addressed to the Vietnam Immigration Department, requesting them to issue an exit visa for you.
Requirements: Typically includes passport photos, a copy of the police report, the embassy's application fees, and proof of travel (such as a flight ticket).

3. Apply for the Vietnam Exit Visa

You cannot pass through airport security or border control with only an emergency travel document. The Vietnamese government requires all foreign nationals leaving the country to hold a valid visa linked to their current travel document.

Where to apply:
- Hanoi: Vietnam Immigration Department, 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam Immigration Department, 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1.
Documents required:
1. Your new Emergency Passport or Travel Document.
2. The original stamped police report.
3. The Diplomatic Note from your embassy/consulate.
4. A completed Form NA5 (Application for Visa Issuance, Extension, and Temporary Residence Card), which you can obtain at the immigration office.
5. One passport-sized photo.
6. Your confirmed outbound flight ticket departing within the next few days.
7. The official processing fee (a separate line item from the eVisa fee), payable in USD or VND — confirm the current amount at the counter.
Processing time: Typically 3 to 7 business days; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices may quote different turnarounds, so confirm the current estimate when you submit. Do not book a non-refundable ticket for the next day, since counters cannot expedite processing.

Overstay Fees and Penalties

If your original Vietnam entry visa or visa-free stay expires while you are waiting for your emergency document or exit visa, you are legally overstaying. Check your original entry type before the loss — see Vietnam Visa Exemption Guide for visa-free stay limits, or Vietnam eVisa Validity for eVisa expiry dates — so you know how much buffer you have.

The Vietnam Immigration Department calculates overstay fines on a daily basis.
You must settle any overstay fines at the immigration office counter before they will issue the Exit Visa.
Proactively report the passport loss to avoid accumulating large overstay penalties.