Ho Chi Minh City is where southern Vietnam does its visa paperwork. Germany, Italy, Switzerland and others run consulates-general here, and the VFS Global centres in District 1 and District 4 take files for several Schengen states, the UK and Japan. Residents include Vietnamese professionals and students, but also thousands of foreigners on temporary residence cards: Indian IT staff, Filipino teachers, Korean and Japanese managers, Pakistani and Bangladeshi traders, Nigerian students. This guide sets out who handles your file, the exact flight lines on the checklists used in the city, the routes out of Tan Son Nhat, and how to order a reservation online. We do not have an office in Saigon; you deal with us through the website and email only.
Ho Chi Minh City: key facts
| Item | Detail (last checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Airport | Tan Son Nhat International (SGN), Tan Binh |
| German Consulate General | 33 Le Duan, District 1; district covers southern provinces including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai[1] |
| Germany's flight line | "Flugreservierung", with a note that a firm booking is not needed[2] |
| Italian Consulate General | Handles residents of 22 southern and central provinces; VFS in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang[3] |
| Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland | VFS Global in the city[4][5][6] |
| Japan | Flight tickets not mandatory, except for transit visas[7] |
| Our fee | $9 per passenger, card payment online, email delivery in about 10 minutes |
Which consulate handles a Ho Chi Minh City resident?
It depends on the country, and Hanoi and Saigon split the work differently for each.
Germany has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general at 33 Le Duan. The consulate's district covers the southern provinces, Ho Chi Minh City among them, along with Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Can Tho and the Mekong Delta.[1] For short Schengen stays, Germany's page adds that its missions also handle files where Portugal is the main destination.[2] Applications go in through VFS Global.[2]
Italy spells out its map province by province. Its consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City takes Vietnamese and foreign residents of 22 provinces and cities, from Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang down to Ca Mau, including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An.[3] People living in Lam Dong, Tay Ninh, An Giang or Kien Giang, perhaps surprisingly, are assigned to the embassy in Hanoi.[3]
The Netherlands sends Vietnamese residents to VFS in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and says you can only submit there if you live in Vietnam.[4] Denmark points city residents to VFS at REE Tower in District 4.[5] Switzerland processes through its consulate-general here, with VFS as the service provider.[6]
The flight lines, quoted
Saigon's checklists vary more than most. One says outright that no firm booking is needed; another wants the booking to come from the airline itself. Read your own line closely.
| Country | Official wording on flights | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | "Flugreservierung (es ist nicht erforderlich, den Flug bereits fest zu buchen)": a flight reservation, with no need to have booked the flight firmly[2] | A held reservation fits the wording |
| Italy | "Airline booking confirmation. This booking needs to be sent directly from the airline company with contacts and logo"[3] | Ask VFS what they accept before ordering anything |
| Japan | Officers "do not require applicants providing flight tickets as the mandatory documents", transit visas excepted[7] | Usually nothing needed |
| United Kingdom | Flight bookings are among documents UKVI calls less useful; GOV.UK opened a VFS-run centre in District 1 in 2014[8][9] | Generally leave out |
| United States | Don't buy "tickets until you have a visa"[10] | Optional; not required |
A word on Italy. Our reservation lives in the airline's system under a real PNR, and you can open it on the airline's website. But Italy's line talks about a booking sent by the airline with its contacts and logo, and we cannot promise that VFS Ho Chi Minh City will treat our PDF as meeting that. Ask the centre first. If they want something else, a refundable fare booked directly with the airline is the cleaner answer.
Filing a German or Dutch Schengen visa in Saigon?
A live PNR, $9 per person, ordered a few days ahead of the VFS slot.
Foreigners on a temporary residence card
If you are not Vietnamese, the residence card often matters more than the flight. Germany lists a Vietnamese residence permit as a requirement for anyone without Vietnamese nationality, "gültig mindestens bis zur geplanten Ausreise aus dem Schengen-Raum": valid at least until you plan to leave the Schengen area.[2] The Netherlands accepts files only from people who live in Vietnam.[4] Italy takes applications from foreign nationals residing in its 22 provinces.[3]
Put your card's expiry next to your planned return date before you book anything. An Indian software engineer whose card ends on 15 June cannot sensibly plan a Schengen trip that ends on 20 June, however tidy the reservation looks. Renew first. If you are between cards, or still in Vietnam on a business visa while the card is processed, ask the consulate whether you can apply here at all.
Routes out of Tan Son Nhat
Most residents can start their reservation right here at SGN; there is no need to route it through Hanoi.
- Europe nonstop: Vietnam Airlines has published nonstop services from Ho Chi Minh City to London, Paris and Frankfurt, each several times a week.[11] Check the current timetable, as days change by season.
- Singapore: Singapore Airlines flies several nonstop services a day to Changi, about two hours each way.[12] Handy for one-stop itineraries to almost anywhere.
For a German file, SGN–Frankfurt nonstop is the obvious shape. For Italy, a connection through Frankfurt, Paris or a Gulf hub to Rome or Milan reads naturally. Italy's VFS page insists that flight and hotel dates match; it will not accept a hotel stay that starts or ends even one day off the travel dates.[3]
Example: a District 7 couple visiting Germany
Suppose a Vietnamese couple in District 7 want two weeks in Bavaria in September. Their address puts them under the consulate-general on Le Duan,[1] and they book VFS for 12 August.
The German list asks for a flight reservation and says the flight need not be firmly booked.[2] On 9 August they order an SGN–Frankfurt return reservation with both names, exactly as printed in their passports. The hotel reservations in Munich and Nuremberg cover the same nights, and the travel insurance runs from departure day to return day. Nothing is paid for flights until the visa is issued.
A second example: a Filipino teacher heading to Japan
Picture a Filipino English teacher at an international school in Thu Duc, with a temporary residence card and a work permit. She wants a week in Kyoto over Tet.
Japan's VFS page for Vietnam says flight tickets are not mandatory for visitor visas, and that if applicants choose to add flight details, the embassy and VFS take no responsibility for the outcome.[7] Our view: she need not order anything from us for this one. If she wants to show a defined trip, a reservation does no harm, but we would not push it. Her effort is better spent on the documents Japan does require, such as proof of funds and her residence status.
Several countries on one trip: which consulate?
Plenty of Saigon travellers plan a loop: Paris, then Switzerland, then Italy. The European Commission's guidance settles where to apply. You file with the country where you will spend the most time, or with your first point of entry if the stays are equal, and normally in the country where you legally live.[13]
Your reservation should tell the same story. Say you plan three nights in Paris, five in Lucerne and three in Milan. Switzerland is the main destination, so you apply through the Swiss consulate-general, even though you land in France. A routing of SGN–Paris on the way out and Milan–SGN on the way back makes the plan obvious. The worst outcome is a file lodged with one country while the flights and hotels show most nights in another.
Coming in from Binh Duong, Dong Nai or the Delta
Many people filing in Saigon do not live in the city itself. Factory staff in Binh Duong and Dong Nai, and families in Can Tho or Long An, travel in for the appointment. Germany and Italy both include those provinces in their southern districts.[1][3] If you are coming from further afield, check the Italian list in particular, because some southern provinces belong to Hanoi for Italy.[3]
Your reservation still starts at Tan Son Nhat; nobody expects a bus leg on it. What you should do is leave room in the day. Arrive early, have everything printed at home, and do not plan to fix missing papers near the centre.
Ordering from Ho Chi Minh City
- Identify the mission from the notes above, using your current address.
- Read the flight line on that mission's list; if it is Italy, ask VFS first.
- Enter your SGN route and passengers on our booking page, with names copied from the passport.
- Pay $9 per passenger by card through our Razorpay checkout.
- Open our email, normally within about 10 minutes of payment.
- Retrieve the PNR on the airline's site to check it. Here is how to verify it.
If something goes wrong, the order tracker shows progress. Other currencies: see the price page.
When to order in Saigon
Three days or so before the VFS appointment. Expect the hold to survive two weeks at the very most; each carrier fixes its own limit, and some routes give less. In a city where appointments are often booked weeks ahead, the temptation is to order the day you get the slot. Please don't. Order close to the date, and if the consulate later asks for a fresh itinerary, order again.
At the VFS counter in District 1 or District 4
- Arrange papers in checklist order. Germany asks for documents to be sorted that way.[2]
- Bring originals and copies of your residence card if you are a foreigner.
- Have VND ready, or a card, for Italian fees: VFS Ho Chi Minh City accepts cash or card, unlike Hanoi.[3]
- Check the booking online the evening before, so a schedule change is not a surprise.
What to avoid
- Assuming Saigon handles everyone in the south. Italy assigns some southern provinces to Hanoi.
- A residence card expiring before your return from Europe.
- Submitting a reservation to Italy without first asking VFS what form they accept.
- Altered PDFs. A PNR that the airline cannot find is worse than no booking.
Ho Chi Minh City FAQ
Does the German consulate in Ho Chi Minh City accept a flight reservation?
Yes. Germany's tourism checklist for Vietnam lists a "Flugreservierung" and adds that it is not necessary to have booked the flight firmly. Applications are lodged at VFS Global. Make sure the dates match your hotel bookings and insurance, and remember the consulate makes the final decision.
What does Italy want for flights from Saigon?
Italy's VFS page for Vietnam asks for an airline booking confirmation that is sent directly by the airline, with its contacts and logo, showing every applicant's name. Our reservation can be opened on the airline's website, but ask VFS before you rely on it. If they need something different, book a refundable fare with the airline.
Do I need a flight booking for a Japanese visa in Vietnam?
Not normally. Japan's visa centre page for Vietnam says flight tickets are not mandatory except for transit visas, and that adding them is at the applicant's own risk. Spend your energy on the documents Japan does require.
I am a foreigner living in Ho Chi Minh City. Can I apply here?
Generally yes, with a valid Vietnamese residence permit. Germany wants it valid at least until you leave the Schengen area; the Netherlands accepts files only from people living in Vietnam. If your card is about to expire or not yet issued, ask the consulate before booking an appointment.
Can the reservation start from Tan Son Nhat?
Yes, and for most residents it should. Vietnam Airlines has published nonstop SGN flights to Frankfurt, Paris and London, and Singapore Airlines flies to Singapore several times a day. Choose the routing you would really take.
How do I pay $9 from Vietnam?
By card through our Razorpay checkout. The fee is $9 for each passenger, single or return, with multi-city trips priced per pair of legs. We have no office in Ho Chi Minh City, so payment and delivery both happen online; the PDF usually arrives within about 10 minutes.
Can my employer in Saigon pay for the reservation?
Yes. Whoever pays, the booking is made in the travellers' names exactly as they appear in their passports. A company sending several staff to a trade fair can order one reservation listing everyone, or separate ones if they travel on different dates. The cost is still $9 per passenger, and the PDF goes to the email address given at checkout.
How long is the reservation valid?
No more than two weeks, and the carrier decides precisely how long. Ordering it in the same week as your VFS appointment keeps it live when the file is checked. If your application is delayed and the consulate asks for an updated itinerary, order a new one at that stage.
Get your Ho Chi Minh City reservation
$9 per passenger, online only, retrievable on the airline's website.
Keep in mind: no fare has been paid on a reservation, so it is no use at the check-in desk. Call it a reservation on your forms and in any interview. Only the consulate can grant a visa.
Background pages: the DummyTicketPrice home page, our explainer on reservations for visa files, a country-by-country requirements list, onward ticket rules and hotel reservations. For your destination or passport: Schengen visa, Germany, Italy, Vietnam visa, Vietnamese travellers and Filipino travellers. Nearby city guides: Bangkok and Yangon.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- German Missions in Vietnam, Generalkonsulat Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt.
- German Missions in Vietnam, Checkliste für die Beantragung von Visa für touristische Reisen.
- VFS Global for the Embassy and Consulate General of Italy in Vietnam, Visa information.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Vietnam.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, How to apply for a visa to Denmark (Vietnam).
- Switzerland in Vietnam, Where to apply for a Schengen visa.
- VFS Global for the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, Temporary visitor visa information.
- GOV.UK, UK unveils new visa application centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (May 2014).
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor visa.
- Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam Airlines increases flights to Europe.
- Singapore Airlines, Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
