Children entering Vietnam: passports, e-visa records and accompanying adults
Prepare children’s Vietnam entry documents by actual passport, avoid the shared-passport field when it does not apply and organise evidence of family relationships.
Cat Ba Connect3 min read
The short answer
Prepare Vietnam entry for each child from the passport actually held and the applicable visa or exemption. The official application form distinguishes children under 14 sharing a parent’s passport from children who have their own passport; the shared-passport field is not a general family group list. Adults should also check who may accompany the child and carry appropriate relationship or authority documents. Do not assume one adult’s approved application automatically covers every child on the flight booking.
Start with the child’s actual passport
Place each child’s passport beside the adult documents before opening any application. Check nationality, name, date of birth and whether the child has an individual passport. A family can contain different nationalities and different entry bases, even when everyone shares an address. Build one private checklist per traveller rather than copying the adult’s visa choice into every child’s record. This makes a missing document visible before payment and reduces the risk of confusing similarly named family members.
Read the shared-passport field narrowly
The official form’s accompanying-child section is specifically for a child under 14 issued with the same passport. It also says not to request the shared-passport e-visa treatment when the child has a passport of their own. Read that condition before entering every son or daughter into the parent’s application. Where an unusual older travel document creates uncertainty, ask the competent Vietnamese authority rather than inferring that a child’s appearance on a family booking establishes coverage under an adult visa.
Check the accompanying adult’s authority
Entry rules include restrictions concerning children under 14 who are not accompanied by a parent, guardian or authorised person. A holiday with a grandparent, another relative or a family friend therefore deserves document preparation before departure. Ask the relevant authorities and carrier what evidence applies to the particular relationship and route. Do not invent one universal permission-letter format for all nationalities; the issuing country, airline and transit arrangements can introduce additional questions beyond Vietnam’s own entry check.
Carry useful relationship evidence
The US State Department advises its travellers to bring a copy of each child’s birth certificate or other evidence of the legal relationship. Such documents can help explain a family situation to authorities if questions arise. Keep copies accessible but protected, alongside any relevant custody or authorisation papers. Check that names can be connected where a parent and child use different surnames. Having a file ready is more practical than trying to obtain a legible scan from home during a time-sensitive airport check.
Review results traveller by traveller
When visa results arrive, compare each file with the corresponding passport and ensure that dates fit the same family itinerary. One approval should not hide another pending application. Label printed documents clearly and give the accompanying adult access to the relevant originals and confirmations. Before a regional side trip, repeat the entry check for every child returning to Vietnam. A family’s travel permission is only as complete as the documents needed by each member, rather than the first successful result in the group.
Questions travellers ask
Is the accompanying-child field a list of all my children?
No. It is tied to the form’s shared-passport condition.
Should a child’s approval be checked separately?
Yes. Match each required document with that child’s passport and dates.
