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Which is a better option for traveling to Vietnam while awaiting a DTV visa approval: a one-way ticket or a flexible return ticket?

DTV Visa Vietnam Visa Travel Tips Flight Booking One-Way Ticket Return Ticket Visa Approval Process Expat Experiences

Aug 26, 2025

8 months ago

Katherine *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

For those that applied for DTV in Vietnam is it better to:

• A) Just buy a one way plane ticket to Hanoi, then once visa is approved buy another one way back? (Sometimes at airports they wanna see ur return flight so that is my concern with this option)

• ⁠B) Buy a Return Flex ticket. So you can change your fly back date depending on when your visa is approved.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The discussion revolves around whether it's more advantageous to buy a one-way flight to Hanoi when applying for a DTV visa or to purchase a flexible return ticket instead. Many commenters shared their experiences, suggesting that there is often no issue with traveling on a one-way ticket, as immigration officers in Vietnam are generally lenient and do not always require proof of a return flight. Options discussed include the feasibility of waiting to book the return ticket until after the visa has been approved.

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A. ************

So many people go Vietnam with no return flight out. Especially those planning to live there because, unless you have a work permit, you can't get more than a 90-day tourist visa. So people end up border runs that they don't setup until it's time to do it, and then they return again without an onward ticket.

8 months ago

Anonymous ******************

I only had one way booked and it was no issue at all

8 months ago

Mercy *********

Just book one way

Then book return once approved

That's what I did. Nobody cares about the return ticket. And you don't know how long approval will take.

8 months ago

AC ******

Vietnamese Immigration is very chilled compared to the Thai side. I went to Hanoi with only one way flight and 3 nights hotel booking. The IO at the airport didn't ask for anything and stamped my passport.

I only booked a return flight after I got the DTV about seven days later.

So Option A is very feasible, you can also travel around Vietnam if you have time and hop back on the plane from the nearest airport.

8 months ago

Patrick ****************

I just got approved in Hanoi and I had a flexible ticket, but they never asked to see my return flight, so option A would have been feasible for me as well.

8 months ago

Reply to

Patrick ****************

Can I apply for a long-term visa to Thailand without a return flight?

19 comments

8 months ago

Do I need a round-trip ticket for entry into Ho Chi Minh City when applying for a DTV visa?

2 comments

9 months ago

Do I need to buy a one-way or round-trip ticket to enter Vietnam?

3 comments

9 months ago