Home Arrow FAQ Arrow What to do if I import the wrong passport number?

What to do if I import the wrong passport number?

In the process of obtaining a Vietnam visa (particularly e-Visa or Visa on Arrival), the number of passports provided should be the same as the number indicated in the passport.

Vietnam’s immigration system uses this number as a critical identifier to:

  • Verify your identity.
  • Match your visa to your passport.
  • Prevent fraudulent entries.

If your visa approval letter, e-Visa, or visa sticker carries a passport number that doesn’t match your actual passport, you could face:

  • Refusal of boarding by the airline.
  • Denial of entry at the Vietnam border.
  • Time-consuming delays and additional costs to correct the issue.

What to do if you’ve entered the wrong passport number

1. Check when you discovered the error

  • Before submission: When you realize that you have made the error before hitting the submit button on the internet form, just correct the error and move on.
  • Once you have submitted but before you have received your visa: Contact the visa agency or Vietnam Immigration Department or the agency that issued your visa. Other systems can be edited when the visa has yet to be processed.
  • Once a visa is issued: It is more complex once you have already been given the wrong passport number and it has been issued as a visa or a letter of approval.

2. If you have an e-visa with the wrong number

An e-Visa with the wrong passport number is not valid. Vietnamese immigration officers will likely deny entry because your details do not match.

What you should do:

  • Apply for a new e-Visa with the correct passport details.
  • Pay the visa fee again, as fees are non-refundable.
  • Allow sufficient processing time (usually around 3 working days).

Don’t risk trying to enter Vietnam with the incorrect e-Visa - it’s almost certain you’ll be turned away.

3. If your VOA approval letter has the wrong number

If you received a Visa on Arrival approval letter with the wrong passport number, it’s also invalid. Airlines may refuse to let you board your flight.

Steps to fix it:

  • Contact the visa agency who issued your approval letter immediately.
  • Request them to correct the mistake and issue a new letter.
  • Pay any additional service fees, as most agencies consider this a new application.

Never try to travel with an incorrect VOA letter; Vietnamese authorities are strict about passport number accuracy.

4. If your embassy-issued visa is wrong

In case you have applied at an embassy or a consulate and the visa sticker contained the wrong passport number:

  • Immediately contact the embassy/consulate.
  • They are also able to cancel the wrong visa and give them a corrected one in many instances.
  • Further charges can be incurred.

Do not carry a visa with mis-fitting details because your entrance might be denied.

Important tips

Make sure you recheck all the information just before submitting your application in particular passport number, full name and date of birth.

Save a copy of your visa documents so that errors can be identified in time.

Leave some time of error fixing, particularly the high travel periods.

Conclusion

Once you have put in the wrong number of the passport you are applying for a Vietnam visa, do not panic but on the other hand, do not leave it. Before traveling, it is necessary to rectify the errors. Depending on the type of your visa, you will have to:

  • Apply a new e-Visa.
  • Apply to obtain a corrected VOA approval letter.
  • Make contact with the embassy to re-issue a visa.

At all costs, act fast to prevent heavy delays or denials at the border. Send me the details of your condition and I will advise you more on what you need to do next!

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