Travellers often assume that an approved e-visa means the formalities are finished. In practice there is still a short sequence at the border, and knowing it removes most of the stress.
Before you board
Airlines check your visa at check-in. Have the printed PDF in your hand luggage, not buried in a suitcase or sitting in an email you cannot open offline.
At immigration
Join the queue for foreign passports. Hand over your passport together with the printed e-visa. The officer scans the document, checks the photograph, and stamps your entry. The whole exchange usually takes under a minute.
What the stamp actually says
Look at the date written on the stamp before you walk away. It sets the day your permitted stay ends. Overstaying, even by a day, means a fine on departure — and the stamp, not your assumption, is what counts.
Baggage and customs
Collect your luggage, then pass through customs. Declare cash above the published threshold. Green channel if you have nothing to declare, red channel if you do.
Getting into the city
Official taxi ranks and ride-hailing pickup points are signposted just outside arrivals. Agree the fare or use the app before getting in, and keep a screenshot of your hotel address in Vietnamese to show the driver.