Vietnam Plans Nationwide Pre-arrival Immigration System After Tan Son Nhat Pilot

Airport Trial Sets Up a Wider Digital Rollout

Vietnam is preparing to expand its Pre-arrival Information system across international entry points after a voluntary trial at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City recorded 161,596 passenger accesses and 119,854 completed declarations in its first 15 days. The pilot began on April 15, giving immigration authorities an early look at how travelers use an online arrival declaration before reaching the border.

As of May 12, 2026, the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security had announced plans to move the platform from a voluntary trial toward broader implementation. Additional international airports are the immediate priority. Officials are also studying how to introduce it at land border gates, where internet access, equipment and other operating conditions can differ from those at major airports.

The expansion comes as Vietnam faces rising international travel demand and seeks to modernize border procedures. Officials see information submitted before arrival as a way to reduce congestion at immigration counters and build a management system using passenger data available immediately.

For travelers, the change would move part of the arrival process to the days before their journey. Passengers can enter their details online, receive a QR code and bring that code to immigration inspection. Visa applications remain a separate process, and visitors who need a visa must still obtain one through the usual channels before traveling.

What Travelers Submit Before Arrival

The Pre-arrival Information system, known as PAI, works as a digital arrival card. Travelers can access the official declaration portal from any device connected to the internet within three days before their scheduled arrival in Vietnam.

A passenger first chooses a preferred language and creates a declaration. The form then asks for passenger details, visa information and flight information. Once the declaration is completed, the system generates a QR code that can be saved on a mobile phone or printed for presentation during immigration checks.

The QR code gives border officers a way to retrieve and verify the electronic declaration. It connects the information entered before travel with the inspection that takes place on arrival, reducing the need to handle that information from scratch at the counter.

The Ministry of Public Security has warned travelers about fraudulent websites that imitate the official portal and request credit card payments for unnecessary services. Visitors should use the official address when submitting their details and remain alert to websites presenting paid services as part of the declaration process.

What the First 15 Days Revealed

Tan Son Nhat recorded 161,596 passenger accesses and 119,854 successful declarations during the first 15 days of the trial. Because participation was voluntary, immigration officials viewed the uptake as an encouraging sign of traveler interest in a newly introduced digital service.

Foreign passenger participation reached approximately 70%. Officials also reported a successful declaration rate of 51% among total users, with the remaining 49% representing incomplete or failed submissions. The precise relationship between the user total behind those percentages and the separately stated access and declaration counts was not explained.

The figures capture both the platform's appeal and the practical difficulties passengers encountered. Many travelers were willing to submit information in advance, while incomplete forms and errors showed where the process needed further work.

The Immigration Department plans to use feedback from the trial to refine the interface and improve instructions. Airlines and relevant agencies have actively supported the pilot, and their continued cooperation will be essential as more entry points begin using the system.

Why Flight Codes Caused Problems

Incorrect flight codes were the most common reason declarations could not be completed successfully. Some passengers entered codes that did not match the Passenger Name Record data held by airlines, preventing the system from validating their declaration.

A Passenger Name Record, or PNR, is the digital booking record an airline creates when a person reserves a flight. It contains information including the passenger's details, itinerary and ticketing status. PAI compares the flight information entered by the traveler with this airline data.

A mismatch means that the information in the declaration and the airline booking record does not line up. The pilot showed how a small entry error can interrupt an otherwise straightforward online process, particularly when passengers are unfamiliar with aviation terms or unsure which booking detail to use.

The Immigration Department intends to continue reviewing the platform and making it easier to use. Clearer instructions and a more accessible interface are part of the response, with attention to passengers who may have limited experience with digital forms or airline terminology.

How Earlier Information Could Ease Airport Queues

Immigration authorities expect declarations submitted before landing to help them prepare for incoming passengers. Access to that information in advance allows officials to analyze arrivals and assign staff more efficiently during busy periods.

The intended benefit is a shorter wait at immigration checkpoints. Earlier processing of passenger information could also reduce complications for travelers with tight connecting schedules, whose available time can quickly shrink when arrival queues are long.

Border officers would be able to verify electronic declarations through the QR codes generated by the platform. That would shift more of the process away from handling large volumes of paper forms or entering records manually after passengers arrive.

Airlines and tourism businesses serving international visitors can guide customers through the declaration before departure. Their involvement can help travelers locate the right booking information and complete the form before reaching the airport, reducing confusion at the last minute.

Officials place the system within the growth of digital aviation and smart tourism across Southeast Asia. Easier entry procedures are part of the region's effort to appeal to tourists, business travelers and investors, while Vietnam's platform is intended to connect that traveler experience with faster access to data for border management.

Airports First, Land Borders Under Study

The Immigration Department has outlined a phased expansion. Its immediate focus is other international airports, followed by an assessment of how the system could work at land border gates.

Land crossings require their own practical review because infrastructure and connectivity vary. The timetable for introducing PAI at those locations will depend on assessments of local resources and readiness to use the technology.

Officials have committed to addressing technical problems and improving the user interface before requiring participation on a large scale. As of May 12, no date had been given for a nationwide mandatory requirement or for availability at each individual entry point.

Travelers should monitor announcements from the Ministry of Public Security for changes affecting their intended airport or border crossing. The voluntary trial at Tan Son Nhat is the starting point for the expansion, while wider use will depend on the department's implementation decisions.

Where PAI Fits in Project 06

Vietnam's border declaration platform is part of a broader effort to digitize public services. Under Project 06, recently approved by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, the country aims to conduct all transactions between citizens and government digitally by 2035.

The program focuses on population data applications, electronic identification and authentication to support digital transformation from 2026 to 2030. Electronic identification provides a digital way to identify a person, while authentication checks that the person using a service is who they claim to be.

By 2035, Vietnam intends to become a comprehensively digital country, with national databases connected and information shared in real time. Population data would serve as the central foundation for that system.

The intended uses extend across healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture, justice and security. Connecting databases would allow government services to draw on shared information when making decisions, rather than relying on separate records that must be processed independently.

PAI applies the same broad approach to arrivals: collect information digitally, make it available before it is needed at a counter and use it to support administrative decisions. Its nationwide expansion therefore sits alongside changes in how Vietnam manages identity, movement and public administration.

Digital Services Have Their Own Deadlines

The government's wider program includes plans to deploy artificial intelligence and virtual assistants in support of public services by September 2026. These tools are intended to help deliver services as more government transactions move online.

A network of Digital Citizen Stations is scheduled to begin implementation in January 2027. The stations are planned for public locations and government offices as another part of the move toward digital administration.

The VNeID application is also being developed into a national digital platform with several functions. Plans include storing digital data, providing electronic authentication, supporting online public services and integrating payment accounts.

The key dates and stages are:

• April 15, 2026: The voluntary PAI pilot began at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
• First 15 days of the pilot: The platform recorded 161,596 passenger accesses and 119,854 successful declarations.
• May 12, 2026: Wider deployment was being prepared, with additional international airports the immediate priority and land border use under study.
• September 2026: Artificial intelligence and virtual assistants are scheduled for deployment to support public services.
• January 2027: Implementation of Digital Citizen Stations is scheduled to begin.
• 2026 to 2030: Project 06 focuses on population data applications, electronic identification and authentication.
• 2035: Vietnam targets fully digital transactions between citizens and government and connected national databases sharing information in real time.

The Essentials

• Vietnam plans to expand PAI across international entry points after its voluntary trial at Tan Son Nhat.
• Travelers can submit details within three days before arrival and save or print the resulting QR code.
• Visitors who need a visa must still obtain one through normal channels before travel.
• The first 15 days produced 161,596 accesses and 119,854 successful declarations.
• Officials reported approximately 70% foreign passenger participation and a 51% successful declaration rate among total users.
• Incorrect flight codes that failed to match airline booking data were the most common submission problem.
• Other international airports are the next priority; land crossings require assessments of infrastructure and connectivity.
• The expansion forms part of Vietnam's wider digital administration strategy, with major public service targets running through 2035.