Passports and Visas
Your passport is an important document and under Vietnamese law foreigners can be required to produce their passport to local authorities at any time. It is a good idea to keep your other forms of identification separate from your passport. This minimises the risk of losing all your identification at once.
Lost or stolen passports
If your passport is lost or stolen, you will need to do the following:
1.Obtain a police report;
2.Apply for a new travel document from the Australian Embassy or Consulate-General;
3.Obtain an exit or replacement visa in order to leave Vietnam.
Obtaining a police report
If your passport has been lost or stolen in Vietnam, you will need to obtain a replacement passport and a replacement or exit visa before you can depart Vietnam. To apply for a replacement or exit visa, you must first obtain a police report from the local police authority in the area where the loss or theft occurred. Police reports can only be issued by the police office with jurisdiction over the location of the incident and cannot be obtained from a different locality.
Please note that Vietnamese immigration authorities require a Vietnamese police report to process applications for replacement or exit visas. A statutory declaration witnessed by an Australian consular officer will not be accepted in place of a police report.
The Australian Embassy in Hanoi and the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City are unable to assist in obtaining a police report. You may wish to seek assistance from your hotel, tour operator, travel agent, employer, or other local contacts.
We recommend obtaining the police report before applying for a replacement travel document. You should also keep a copy of the police report as evidence for any travel insurance claim.
Applying for an emergency passport
To apply for an Emergency Passport, bring two identical passport-sized photos and as many personal identification documents containing your signature and photo as possible (e.g. a current Australian Driving Licence) to the Consular Section of the Embassy or Consulate-General. You will be required to complete the "Australian Passport Application - Overseas" Form PC8. Emergency passports are generally issued within two working days.
If you have lost more than one passport in the last 5 years, the Australian Government may restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passport available to you and the processing time may take longer than two working days.
The passport application fees apply and are payable under the provisions of the Australian Passports (Application Fees) ACT 2005 and the Australian Passports Determination 2005. The schedule of fees payable may be obtained from the Australian Embassy Hanoi or the Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City.
Where to obtain your exit or replacement visa
Upon issuance of your replacement passport, the Australian Embassy in Hanoi or the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City will issue an introduction letter for submission to the Vietnamese Immigration Department to facilitate your application for a replacement visa. Vietnamese authorities will not permit you to depart Vietnam until your exit visa is issued. A fee will be payable to the relevant Immigration Department and may vary.
In Hanoi
You will need to proceed to the Vietnamese Immigration Department at 69 Mac Thai To Street, Yen Hoa Ward, Hanoi (Entry via gate No 2 on Nguyen Quoc Tri Street, Yen Hoa Ward, Hanoi), to apply for a new Vietnamese visa. The Immigration Department might ask you to lodge your application through your sponsoring organisation in Vietnam.
In Ho Chi Minh City
You will need to proceed to the Vietnamese Immigration Department at 333-337 Nguyen Trai Street, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, to apply for a new Vietnamese visa. The Immigration Department might ask you to lodge your application through your sponsoring organisation in Vietnam.