flying into Hanoi on a one way ticket

[leggo]

Has anyone flown Bangkok to Hanoi on a one way ticket without hassle. I will have letter of invitation from Vietnamese govt.

[Jay Sata]

I have never had a problem. Done it quite a few times with combination of train and internal flights booked as we went.

In to Ho Chi Minh and out of Hanoi and vice versa.

Where are you planning to go. A trip to the islands in Halong Bay is a must.

[NanLaew]

No proof of outward/onward travel is needed although the visa application form that you will fill in upon arrival will ask for a departure date. Approximate date is good enough.

Yes, the letter you have from Vietnam Immigration enables you to collect the visa at the airport but you still need to fill in the application form and hand it in with your invite letter, passport and picture. Hanoi's Visa on Arrival desk is easier, more friendly and usually less busy than Saigon's VoA desk.

Let me know if you have the visa application form or I can upload it here. Some agencies provide it as a courtesy along with the invite letter but some don't. It saves some time as you don't have to get one and fill it in on arrival.

[jacksam]

Good advice Nan. Also OP. You can get the form online just type in search engine. Passport size pic and take some USD. $45 for the visa. Have the letter handy when your boarding. They will want to see it. Enjoy trip.

[leggo]

Thanks to all for advice!

[Tomtomtom69]

I have never had a problem. Done it quite a few times with combination of train and internal flights booked as we went.

In to Ho Chi Minh and out of Hanoi and vice versa.

Where are you planning to go. A trip to the islands in Halong Bay is a must.

Not the same thing. A one way ticket means the itinerary ends in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh without any booking back to Bangkok or elsewhere.

My experience is that VN immigration only asks for onward/return tickets at airports if you are a visa exempt visitor, such as a Scandinavian or Thai/other ASEAN citizen. For others that need visa either on arrival (pre-arranged) or in advance, no onward tickets are requested.

However, at the check-in counter in Bangkok, you may or may not be asked. If you are and you don't have an onward ticket, say something like you are travelling back on a different airline, or flying out of Guangzhou, China or wherever, and you should be OK.

[Jay Sata]

Leggo did not say he was not returning or travelling elsewhere or maybe I have misunderstood his plans.

[Tomtomtom69]

Leggo did not say he was not returning or travelling elsewhere or maybe I have misunderstood his plans.

His point was that he only has a one way ticket that ends in Hanoi. Your ticket, when you travelled was not a one way ticket but a multi-city or open jaw ticket. Issues occasionally arise when travellers don't have return or onward tickets for travelling to countries that have a requirement for being in possession of an outbound ticket.

I'm not sure of the exact Vietnamese government requirements, but in practice any traveller that requires a visa in their passport is generally allowed to travel on a one way ticket as the visa is used as proof of admittance (this includes visa on arrival letters). Only visa-free visitors may be asked for proof of outbound travel by Vietnamese immigration, but only at international airports. Arriving by land and there is no such requirement.

[Jay Sata]

Leggo did not say he was not returning or travelling elsewhere or maybe I have misunderstood his plans.

His point was that he only has a one way ticket that ends in Hanoi. Your ticket, when you travelled was not a one way ticket but a multi-city or open jaw ticket. Issues occasionally arise when travellers don't have return or onward tickets for travelling to countries that have a requirement for being in possession of an outbound ticket.

I'm not sure of the exact Vietnamese government requirements, but in practice any traveller that requires a visa in their passport is generally allowed to travel on a one way ticket as the visa is used as proof of admittance (this includes visa on arrival letters). Only visa-free visitors may be asked for proof of outbound travel by Vietnamese immigration, but only at international airports. Arriving by land and there is no such requirement.

If I can correct you on one point I always enter Vietnam on a one way ticket,usually with Air Asia.

However I alway obtain my visa prior to arrival.

Wonderful country and so much to see.