Planning a trip to Vietnam? You will not be admitted without getting a visa in advance. Every foreign visitor to Vietnam needs to get a visa and they generally do not do visa-on-arrival (VOA) like other countries do. This means you have to plan in advance and get a visa at a Vietnamese consulate somewhere.

First, if you’re a US citizen, it’s super easy to get a Vietnam visa in their DC embassy or, preferably, their San Francisco consulate.

This is also available in New York too. It’s possible to get a visa at the consulate in Siem Reap, Cambodia or Bangkok, Thailand but there can be delays of a couple days, which may not work if you have a tight itinerary.

The consulate in San Francisco is generally known as being the best for a quick turnaround. Typically they can turn around a visa within 24 hours and for $65 (money order). If you get another visa in the future the cost goes down to $45.

If you’re doing it by mail, they usually have a really quick turnaround as well and if you use priority mail or FedEx, you’ll have it back in about a week.

Also, if you’re backpacking or going in and out be sure to get a multiple entry visa. It can be a pain to get another fresh visa if you’re in Cambodia visiting Siem Reap for just a few days.