Home › Vietnam Visa Guide › Why Vietnam Visa Gets Rejected for Indians

Last updated April 2026 · Verified against official sources

Why Vietnam Visa Gets Rejected for Indians , Every Cause and Fix

Vietnam’s e-visa rejection rate for Indian passport holders is approximately 8%. Every single rejection cause is preventable. Not one of them relates to your finances, travel history, or employment status. They are almost always technical errors in the application itself , a grey photo background, a name that doesn’t exactly match the passport, or the wrong entry airport selected. This guide covers every cause in order of frequency and gives the precise fix for each.

📑 In This Article

Every Rejection Cause , Ordered by Frequency
What to Do After a Rejection
Pre-Submission Checklist to Prevent Rejection
Frequently Asked Questions About Rejection
Vietnam vs Other Southeast Asia Destinations for Indians
Before You Apply , Final Checklist
Common Mistakes Vietnam Travelers Wish They Had Known
Vietnam Visa Guide by Departure City

Rejection , Key Numbers

Indian Rejection Rate

~8%

All entirely preventable

Top Cause

Grey Photo

About 40% of Indian rejections

Waiting Period

None

Reapply immediately

Reapplication Fee

Rs 2,100

Non-refundable each time

Every Rejection Cause , Ordered by Frequency

Grey or cream photo background , About 40% of Indian rejections

Why it happens for Indians: Indian studios use grey by default because most Indian documents accept it. Vietnam’s portal checks this automatically , grey is rejected without human review.

Fix: Use remove.bg (free, under 1 minute) to convert any photo to pure white background. Or retake at a studio and specifically say ‘pure white background for Vietnam Visa, not grey’.

Name doesn’t exactly match passport , About 25% of Indian rejections

Why it happens for Indians: Many Indians omit their middle name in daily use and enter it that way on forms. Vietnam does character-by-character matching.

Fix: Open passport to bio-data page and copy name exactly , every word, same capitalisation, including middle name.

Entry airport doesn’t match actual flight , About 15% of rejections

Why it happens for Indians: Travelers select a city they know rather than verifying the exact airport from their booking.

Fix: Open your flight itinerary and confirm the IATA airport code before selecting from the dropdown.

Passport scan blurry, dark, or cropped , About 10% of rejections

Why it happens for Indians: Using regular phone camera app which doesn’t handle document scanning well.

Fix: Download Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens. Scan in bright daylight. All four corners visible. MRZ zone at bottom fully readable.

Passport number entered incorrectly , About 5% of rejections

Why it happens for Indians: Indian passport numbers mix letters and digits where O vs 0, I vs 1 look identical in small print.

Fix: Copy character by character from physical passport with both visible simultaneously. Double-check before submitting.

Prior visa overstay in Southeast Asia , About 3% of rejections

Why it happens for Indians: Regional immigration databases shared between Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Fix: Apply via Vietnam Embassy in New Delhi for sticker visa with manual review. Cover letter explaining prior overstay helps.

What to Do After a Rejection

Identify the exact cause before reapplying

Check the rejection notification for any stated reason. If none given, work through the list above in order: photo background first, then name, then entry airport, then passport scan quality, then passport number. One of these is almost certainly the issue.

Fix the cause completely before starting a new application

Photo: use remove.bg. Name: open passport bio-data page and copy character by character. Entry airport: check your actual flight itinerary. Passport scan: rescan in good daylight with Adobe Scan. Passport number: verify each character against physical passport. Address the root cause fully before opening a new application.

Reapply immediately , no waiting period

Go back to https://evisa.gov.vn/ and start a fresh application with corrected documents. You pay Rs 2,100 again , non-refundable from the previous attempt. Processing starts fresh from the new submission date.

If rejected twice , go to the embassy

Contact the Vietnam Embassy in New Delhi (phone: +91-11-2301-8059, address: 17 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri) for a sticker visa with manual review. Requires more documentation but goes through human review rather than automated processing.

Pre-Submission Checklist to Prevent Rejection

Check Every Item Before Paying

Photo background is genuinely white , verified by zooming in on corners of the image
Photo saved as JPEG (not PNG, not HEIC) and under 2MB
Full name in form matches passport bio-data page exactly, including middle name
Entry airport matches the airport your flight actually lands at
Passport number matches passport character by character , checked twice
Passport scan shows all four corners of bio-data page, MRZ zone fully sharp
Passport scan file is under 2MB
Passport expiry is at least 6 months beyond intended entry date
International transactions enabled on your Visa or Mastercard

Frequently Asked Questions About Rejection

Can I get a refund after Vietnam Visa rejection?

No. The Rs 2,100 fee is non-refundable in all cases. You pay the same fee again when reapplying. This is why fixing the cause before reapplying rather than resubmitting immediately with the same documents is important.

How long do I have to wait before reapplying after rejection?

There is no mandatory waiting period. You can reapply the same day you receive the rejection. Fix the cause first, then start a fresh application.

Does a Vietnam Visa rejection affect future applications?

For technical rejections (grey photo, name mismatch, blurry scan) , generally no. Fix the issue and reapply. A single technical rejection does not create a negative record. Rejections caused by actual immigration violations are different and may require the embassy route.

Why do Indian applications get rejected for photo background specifically?

Indian studios use grey backgrounds because most Indian government documents accept it. Vietnam’s portal checks background colour automatically with a precise threshold and rejects grey instantly. Use remove.bg (free, 30 seconds) to fix any grey photo before uploading.

What if my Vietnam Visa keeps getting rejected?

If rejected twice with no clear technical cause, contact the Vietnam Embassy in New Delhi at +91-11-2301-8059 for a sticker visa application with manual human review. You will need more documentation but the manual review can approve applications the automated system rejects.

Vietnam vs Other Southeast Asia Destinations for Indians

Country	Visa for Indians	Fee	Stay	Best For
Vietnam	E-visa required	Rs 2,100	90 days stay	Culture, food, history, first SE Asia trip
Thailand	Visa-free 30 days	Rs 0	30 days stay	Beaches, nightlife, families, island hopping
Bali Indonesia	Free VOA 30 days	Rs 0	30 days stay	Wellness, honeymoon, Instagram scenery
Cambodia	E-visa required	Rs 2,550	30 days stay	Angkor Wat, budget travel, combine with Vietnam
Malaysia	Visa-free 30 days	Rs 0	30 days stay	Cities, shopping, Borneo wildlife

Before You Apply , Final Checklist

Check These Before Submitting Payment

Photo background is pure white , verified by zooming into corners. Use remove.bg if any grey. Saves Rs 2,100 reapplication cost.
Name copied exactly from passport , full name including middle name, same capitalisation as bio-data page.
Entry airport matches actual flight , checked against your flight booking or e-ticket, not memory.
Passport number verified twice , character by character. O vs 0, I vs 1.
Passport validity at least 6 months beyond entry date , check expiry date now.
International transactions enabled on your card , in your bank app before opening the form.
Entry type selected correctly , single or multiple depending on your itinerary. Check fees for each in the visa types table.
Applying at least 14 days before travel , enough buffer for any rejection and reapplication.

Common Mistakes Vietnam Travelers Wish They Had Known

Booking non-refundable flights before getting visa approval. The e-visa takes 3 to 5 business days but can extend during Vietnamese public holidays. Always wait for the approval email before booking flights you cannot cancel.

Using a travel agent for the e-visa. Agents in India charge Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000 to fill a 15-minute form available at the official portal for Rs 2,100. The visa you receive is identical. Apply at https://evisa.gov.vn/ directly.

Printing only one copy of the approval letter. You need it at two points: the check-in counter at the Indian airport, and Vietnam immigration on arrival. Print two copies and carry both.

Arriving at the airport with only a phone screen. Some immigration counters in Vietnam do not accept phone screens. Physical printed copies are always accepted. Print before you leave home.

Choosing the wrong entry type. Single entry (Rs 2,100) is right for a Vietnam-only trip. Multiple entry (check visa types table for Vietnam fee) is needed if you plan to exit to Cambodia or Laos and return. Confirm which you need before paying.

Vietnam Visa Guide by Departure City

MumbaiCity-specific guide
DelhiCity-specific guide
BangaloreCity-specific guide
KolkataCity-specific guide
ChennaiCity-specific guide
HyderabadCity-specific guide
PuneCity-specific guide
AhmedabadCity-specific guide
JaipurCity-specific guide
LucknowCity-specific guide

Full Vietnam Visa Guide

This page covers why vietnam visa gets rejected for indians. For the complete Vietnam visa guide with all topics: Vietnam Visa for Indians 2026 , Complete Guide

Apply for Vietnam Visa

Cost: Rs 2,100. Processing: 3 to 5 business days. Apply at least 2 weeks before travel.

Official portal: https://evisa.gov.vn/

Updated April 2026. For information only. Verify at official sources before booking travel.

📅 Last updated: April 15, 2026