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

In Vietnam, if you have lost or had your passport stolen, you will need to obtain a new passport which has an exit or replacement visa. In order to obtain an exit or replacement visa, you must first apply for a police report report from the local police office closest to where the passport was lost or stolen. You cannot apply for a police report in a different location to where you lost or had your passport stolen. Vietnamese immigration authorities will only accept a Vietnamese police report in order to process an exit or replacement visa – they will not accept a statutory declaration witnessed by an Australian Consular official. The Australian Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City cannot assist with obtaining a police report. It is recommended that you seek assistance to obtain a police report through your hotel, travel agent/group or other local in-country contacts. It is also recommended that you apply for your police report before applying for another travel document. You should also endeavour to obtain one copy of the police report as evidence for any travel insurance claims.

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 (eg. 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 issued within two working days.

You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas. For information on reporting and replacing your lost or stolen passport, visit the Australian Passport Office website.

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 you receive.

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

As soon as your replacement passport is issued, the Australian Embassy in Hanoi or the Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City will provide you with a letter to the Vietnamese Immigration Department requesting their assistance to issue an exit or replacement visa in your new passport. 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.

Hanoi

After obtaining a new passport in Hanoi, you will need to proceed to the Vietnamese Immigration Department at 44 - 46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, to apply for a new Vietnamese exit or replacement visa. The Immigration Department might ask you to lodge your application through your sponsoring organisation in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City

After obtaining a new passport in Ho Chi Minh City, you will need to proceed to the Vietnamese Immigration Department at 333-337 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, to apply for a new Vietnamese exit or replacement visa. The Immigration Department might ask you to lodge your application through your sponsoring organisation in Vietnam.

Renewal of passports

For information on how to renew your full validty passport, please visit the Australian Passport Office website. As soon as your new passport has been received, you will need to transfer your visa from your old passport to your new passport. To do this, you will have to visit the Immigration offices listed above to apply for a transfer.