Are Vietnamese citizens required to have a visa if they want to leave the country?

Exit conditions for Vietnamese citizens are specified in Article 33 Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, modified by Clause 11 Article 1 Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam Amended 2023 as follows:

Exit conditions

1. Vietnamese citizens are allowed to leave the country when all of the following conditions are met:

a) Have intact and valid immigration documents;

b) Have a visa or documents confirming entry from the destination country, except in cases of visa exemption;

c) Not in the case of being banned from leaving the country, not allowed to leave the country, or temporarily postponed from leaving the country according to the provisions of law.

2. People who have lost civil act capacity, people with difficulty in cognition and behavior control according to the provisions of the Civil Code, and people under 14 years old, in addition to the conditions specified in Clause 1 of this Article, must have accompanying legal representation.

Accordingly, Vietnamese citizens who want to leave the country must meet the conditions specified in Article 33 above.

There is a condition that citizens must have a visa or documents confirming and proving that they can enter the country of destination, except in cases of visa exemption.

Therefore, when wanting to leave the country, in principle Vietnamese citizens must have a visa from the country of entry, except in cases of visa exemption (visa exemption).