International travel to Vietnam is easier than ever with the E-Visa system. However, travel security experts have warned of a sharp increase in sophisticated fake Vietnam E-Visa PDF approvals. Scammers and unauthorized visa agencies are using AI-assisted design templates to produce fake E-Visa letters that look identical to the official ones, complete with barcodes, official stamps, and QR codes.
The catch? These fake E-visas do not exist in the official government database. If you attempt to board your flight with a fake PDF, you will be denied boarding at the check-in counter or stopped at the Vietnam border checkpoint, leading to cancellation of your trip, loss of flight costs, and potential blacklisting.
Here is the step-by-step guide on how to verify your Vietnam E-Visa PDF on the official government database before you travel.
TL;DR: Go to evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/search and enter your Registration Code (starts with "G"), application email, and date of birth. If the result shows "Granted visa", your PDF is real. If you see "No record found", the visa is fake or unprocessed — contact your agency immediately and do not board. Official government fee: USD 25 (single entry) / USD 50 (multiple entry); processing takes 3–5 business days.
The Gold Standard: How to Verify Your E-Visa Online
Never trust the PDF file alone. The only way to guarantee your visa is real is to check if it is recorded in the official database of the Vietnam Immigration Department.
Follow these exact steps:
Step 1: Visit the Only Official Government Website
Many copycat websites look like government sites but are designed to steal your information. Ensure you are on the official portal:
- Official Link: https://evisa.gov.vn
- Verification Page: Click on "Search" in the top navigation menu, or go directly to the search URL:
https://evisa.gov.vn/e-visa/search.
Step 2: Input Your Verification Details
You will need three pieces of information, which should be printed on your PDF E-Visa:
- Registration Code: This is a 15-character alphanumeric code starting with "G" (e.g.,
G26000012345678). - Email: The email address used during the application. (If you used an agency, you must ask them for the registration code and the email they registered with).
- Date of Birth: Your exact birthdate in the format
DD/MM/YYYY.
Input the captcha code and click "Search".
Step 3: Check the Status Result
- If Approved (Real): The system will display "Granted visa" along with a link to download your E-Visa PDF directly from the government server. Make sure the passport number, validity dates, and entry port match your travel plans.
- If "No record found" (Fake/Pending): If you double-check your inputs and still get this error, the visa has not been processed or is a complete forgery. Contact your agency immediately.
3 Red Flags of a Fake E-Visa PDF
If you used a third-party agent to process your visa, watch out for these common signs of forgery:
- Exorbitant Fees with "Instant" Approval: The official government processing time is 3 to 5 business days, and the official fee is $25 USD (single entry) or $50 USD (multiple entry). If an agency charges you $150+ USD and sends you a PDF within 2 hours, be extremely suspicious.
- Unclickable or Incorrect QR Codes: Real Vietnam E-Visas contain a QR code in the top right. If you scan it with your phone, it should link to the official verification page on a
.gov.vndomain (e.g.evisa.gov.vn). If the QR code is unreadable, or points to a non-government URL (like a.comor.netdomain), your PDF is fake. - Typos and Formatting Errors: Check for inconsistencies in the Vietnamese government emblem or spelling errors in the official titles.
Secure Your Travel with eVisaFlow
The safest way to avoid E-Visa scams is to apply yourself directly on the official government website. However, the official form can be confusing, and typing errors on your passport number or name order can render a real visa invalid.
eVisaFlow is a secure browser extension designed to protect and simplify your travel applications:
- Official Site Guard: Automatically checks that you are on the actual official government website, preventing you from accidentally submitting your passport to phishing or scam sites.
- Passport OCR & Autofill: Scans your passport page and pre-fills the official E-Visa form with your passport details, reducing the risk of name-order or passport-number typos that can cause entry rejection. You should always review the fields before submitting.
Don't let E-Visa fraud ruin your trip. Verify your PDF approval letter today before you fly.
