As a backpacker in Southeast Asia, crossing borders becomes a regular undertaking! Each country has a different rule of entry and some countries will require you to apply for a visa before you travel. Visa requirements change often which makes it difficult for travellers in Southeast Asia to plan things like budget and duration of travel. We’ve done our very best to compile the latest visa information in Southeast Asia to make it easier for you to plan your trip.
This guide contains a short overview of the current rules and entry requirements for each country in Southeast Asia. After each of these overviews, there is a link to a more detailed guide to the rules for that specific country. Follow the links and read the in-depth guide for any country you plan to visit.
Visa Guide to Southeast Asian Countries A-Z
Disclaimer: The following information reflects South East Asia Backpacker’s understanding of the visa rules. While this article has been extensively researched and is updated regularly to ensure the information is as current as it can be, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. If you believe any of the information on this page to be out of date, please let us know in the comments.
🇧🇳 Visa Information for Brunei Darussalam:
Travelling to Brunei? – Read our travel guide to Brunei here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Brunei? Visa exemption is offered to citizens of certain countries, including the EU, UK and US. Find out whether you need a visa here. Nationalities that are not visa-exempt will need to apply for a visa at the nearest Brunei consulate or office. Citizens of a few countries can apply for a Visa on Arrival.
- What are the other requirements for entering Brunei? Travellers must complete an E-Arrival Card. This is mandatory for all foreign nationals entering Brunei. Visitors also need to complete a health declaration before or on arrival. Visitors may be required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate if travelling from a transition-risk country .
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Yes, visitors are required to have proof of onward travel when entering Brunei.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, visitors are not required to show proof of travel insurance, however, holding a policy can offer peace of mind. See popular insurers here.
Read more about visas in Brunei here.
🇰🇭 Visa Information for Cambodia:
Travelling to Cambodia? – See our Cambodia Backpacking Guide here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Cambodia? Almost everyone is required to apply for an eVisa or Visa on Arrival (VOA). Only very few nationalities are visa exempt.
- What are the other requirements for entering Cambodia? All travellers need to submit an e-Arrival Card (this can be done up to 7 days before arrival).
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Officially, yes, but this is rarely enforced at land borders.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but having a policy is strongly advised. Read about some of the most popular travel insurers here
Read more about visas in Cambodia here.
🇹🇱 Visa Information to East Timor (Timor Leste):
Travelling to East Timor? – Read our travel guide to East Timor here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Timor-Leste? Unless you are a Portuguese passport holder, you will need a visa. The majority of citizens can obtain a visa on arrival (30 days) if entering by sea or air, or a tourist visa online (90 days) if entering by land. More details can be found here.
- What are the other requirements for entering Timor-Leste? Travellers are required to demonstrate proof of funds ($100USD for each entry & $50USD for each day you remain in the country). You may also be asked to show your accommodation booking.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Yes, you will be asked to show proof of onward travel, or that you have the necessary funds to cover your departure when you enter Timor-Leste.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, visitors are not required to show proof of a travel insurance policy. If you wanted to take out cover anyway, you can see popular insurers here.
Read more about visas in Timor-Leste here.
🇮🇩 Visa Information for Indonesia:
Travelling to Indonesia? – See our travel guide to Indonesia here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Indonesia? Yes. Only passport holders from the majority of Southeast Asian countries are visa exempt, all other countries require a visa to enter Indonesia. Citizens from 87 countries can apply for a 30-day eVisa or Visa on Arrival.
- What are the other requirements for entering Indonesia? All arrivals need to complete a health declaration. Visitors travelling from a yellow fever transition-risk country may be required to show a vaccination certificate.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Yes, you are required to provide an onward ticket out of Indonesia.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but visitors who have it can cover unexpected in-country medical treatment costs. Read about popular travel insurers here.
Read more about visas in Indonesia here.
🇱🇦 Visa Information for Laos:
Travelling to Laos? – Read our travel guide to Laos here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Laos? The majority of nationalities need to obtain an eVisa (eVOA) or Visa on Arrival (VOA). This list specifies the countries that can enter under visa exemption. If you see ‘not available’ written in the ‘Ordinary Passport’ section for your country, you need to get a visa.
- What are the other requirements for entering Laos? Aside from a visa, there are no special requirements for entering Laos.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? While not an official requirement, you may be asked to show it, especially if travelling by air.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but having a policy is strongly advised. Read about some of the most popular travel insurers here.
Read more about visas in Laos here.
🇲🇾 Visa Information for Malaysia:
Travelling to Malaysia? – See our travel guide to Malaysia here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Malaysia? Most travellers to Malaysia are visa-exempt, with the exception of citizens from the 33 countries listed here.
- What are the other requirements for entering Malaysia? All visitors must complete a digital arrival card within 72 hours before arriving in Malaysia. Travellers from some South American and African countries are required to present a yellow fever certificate. The full list can be viewed here.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? While this is not a legal requirement, the immigration officer reserves the right to check. Read more about onward travel out of Malaysia here.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but visitors are strongly advised to have it. Read about popular travel insurers here.
Read more about visas in Malaysia here.
🇲🇲 Visa Information for Myanmar:
Travelling to Myanmar? – See our travel guide to Myanmar here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Myanmar? Most travellers require a visa to enter Myanmar. A single-entry eVisa (official website here) is now available online for most foreign nationals for a period of 28 days. Citizens from eight Southeast Asian countries can enter Myanmar on the visa exemption scheme for a period ranging from 15 to 30 days.
- What are the other requirements for entering Myanmar? Visitors travelling from a yellow fever transition-risk country may be required to show a vaccination certificate.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Yes, you will be asked to show proof of onward travel when you enter Myanmar – prepare accordingly.
- Do I need travel insurance? Proof of travel insurance is not required, but it is advisable to have. See popular insurers here.
Read more about visas in Myanmar here.
🇵🇭 Visa Information for The Philippines:
Travelling to the Philippines? – See our travel guide to the Philippines here.
- Do I need a visa to enter the Philippines? The majority of nationalities are visa exempt for 30 days. If you are a citizen of any of the countries NOT listed here, you require a visa.
- What are the other requirements for entering the Philippines? All visitors are required to complete an electronic travel declaration no earlier than 72 hours before arrival. Visitors travelling from a polio or yellow fever transition-risk country may be required to show a vaccination certificate.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Yes, the Filipino authorities reserve the right to request proof of exiting the country. For more information, read about onward travel out of the Philippines here.
- Do I need travel insurance? No. Read about some of the most popular travel insurers here.
Read more about visas in The Philippines here.
🇸🇬 Visa Information for Singapore:
Travelling to Singapore? – Read our Singapore travel guide here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Singapore? The majority of travellers can enter without the need for a visa. Citizens of the 34 countries listed here will need to apply for a visa.
- What are the other requirements for entering Singapore? All travellers, regardless of their citizenship, are required to complete the SG Arrival Card three days before their intended arrival to receive a STVP (Short-Term-Visit-Pass).
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Officially, yes, but it isn’t always checked.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but having a policy is strongly advised. Read about some of the most popular travel insurers here.
Read more about visas in Singapore here.
🇹🇭 Visa Information for Thailand:
Travelling to Thailand? Read our Thailand backpacking guide.
- Do I need a visa to enter Thailand? Citizens of most countries do not need a visa to enter Thailand and will receive a 60-day visa waiver upon arrival (effective from 15th July 2024).
- What are the other requirements for entering Thailand? Effective from 1 May 2025, all travellers need to complete a digital arrival card before entering Thailand. Travellers can register up to 72 hours before arrival.
- Do I need proof of onward travel? Proof of onward travel is recommended because it is sometimes checked at various border crossings.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but having cover is recommended.
Read more about Thailand visas here.
🇻🇳 Visa Information for Vietnam:
Travelling to Vietnam? – Read our Vietnam travel guide here.
- Do I need a visa to enter Vietnam? Citizens from 30 countries can enter Vietnam via the visa exemption scheme for a period ranging from 14 to 90 days. A single-entry eVisa (official website here) is available online for most other foreign citizens for a period of 90 days. Countries eligible for eVisa can be found here and visa exempt here.
- What are the other requirements for entering Vietnam? There are no special entry requirements for entering Vietnam (apart from obtaining a visa if applicable).
- Do I need proof of onward travel? You could be asked to show proof of onward travel when you enter Vietnam, especially if you are entering on a visa exemption. If you have an eVisa, it’s unlikely you will be asked, however, there is always a chance.
- Do I need travel insurance? No, but visitors may want travel insurance to cover unexpected in-country medical treatment costs. See popular insurers here.
Read more about visas in Vietnam here.
P.S. If you have ANY updates or personal experiences of border crossings, please comment below so that other travellers can take advantage of your advice. Thanks a lot, and HAPPY BORDER CROSSINGS!
Nikki Scott | Founder & Editor
Nikki is the founding editor of South East Asia Backpacker and The Backpacker Network. In her early twenties, she left her home in the North of England on a solo backpacking adventure and never returned! After six months on the road, she founded a print magazine that became legendary on the Banana Pancake Trail. The rest is history.
Hello,
Sorry I forgot to ask my other question 😉
From the stories of other backpackers I heard that is easily to get scammed when buying your visas at the boarder. But if I read all information above, this is the only and best way? Just go with the flow at the boarder, think for how long you want to stay in the country and sometimes you need to plan your trip onward to another country? And the last question: is a flight back home from Bangkok to Amsterdam enough to show, for example in Vietnam, as an onward travel?
With kind regards,
Jip 🙂
Hi Jip! I recommend you take a read of the following articles:
– https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/onward-travel/ You are very likely to be asked for onward travel if you are arriving by air. A flight ticket is universally accepted as proof however, some may accept bus/boat reservations. It is down to the discretion of the official. I’d always recommend making sure you have a ticket to avoid being caught out. You don’t necessarily need to book a flight though, see this article for details about onward ticketing websites.
– As for scams, check this post: https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/10-scams-to-avoid-in-south-east-asia/
– For visas, the situation of whether you can get visa on arrival will depend on your nationality. Make sure to double check everything on your own gov website to be sure of the process.
Have a great trip! 🙂
Hello good morning,
Thank you for all the information. I have a question about the visas, because I already booked my flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok and also the flight back home from Bangkok 101 days later.
I will travel to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and then back to Thailand. Do you think I will need to show some proof of onward traveling to another country? Otherwise they probably think I will stay for those 101 days in Thailand. The problem is that I’m not sure of my route yet. I simply don’t know when, to where and which bus/train I will take to leave Bangkok/Thailand, yet. Do you maybe have an idea or experience with this?
Thank you on beforehand!
With kind regards,
Jip
Hello Nikki,
Firstly thank you very much for putting together all of that very useful information. For a first-time traveler, it was so handy to have all of the facts in one place! I’ve taken notes as much as possible.
Secondly, I am going traveling for the first time starting in October. I will be meeting a friend first in Hong Kong and from there I am hoping to do SE Asia, down to Indonesia in about 2 months. I have no rigid plan but what ‘order’ of countries would you suggest, in terms of ease of travel, event/festival timings?
Thank you very much, Ellie x
Hi Ellie,
I’m glad that the guide has been helpful to you!
Regarding your itinerary, do you plan to travel entirely overland or will you take budget airlines?
To avoid having to get a visa to China, I would maybe consider taking a flight to Hanoi and then travelling down Vietnam following this itinerary – https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/vietnam-itinerary/. You can then travel through Cambodia and then into Thailand. You can explore Central Thailand, then South Thailand then make your way South to Malaysia and then Indonesia! We have lots of itineraries on our website if you search in the top bar you can get some ideas. Also, our festival guide month by month will help you to pick out some events not to miss – https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/festivals-events-southeast-asia/
Best of luck! My one tip would be: try not to do too much in too short a time period. Slow travel is the best!
Ok thank you very much for your tips and advice. Yes mostly overland I think but I don’t really know to be honest! So can I fly to Hong Kong without a visa? I am definitely going there first for a few days to see my sister and then moving on.
x
Most nationalities do not need a visa for Hong Kong (I am from the UK so I know that I can fly to HK without a visa, but check as it depends on your nationality). Any more tips needed, just let me know! 🙂
Hi,
Hopefully you can help me.
We will be entering Thailand on the 22nd September 2018 for 2 days before flying straight out to Vietnam, then onto Camboida and Laos. We will then be coming back to Thailand via a land border for around 30 days.
How would this work with regards to visas as we will be in the country for two days and then 30 days after nearly 2 months out of the country.
Hi Stephen,
You shouldn’t have any problems with this. You’ll get 30 days on your way in (for free), the fact that you’ll only use two of them doesn’t matter. When you come back via land, you’ll be given another 30 days for free (starting the day you enter). If on this second entry you want anything more than 30 days, you’ll have to visit an immigration office and pay for an extension, which will be for another 30 days. This extension, though, you will have to pay for (1900 baht if nothing’s changed by then. 60 USD more or less).
Hope this helps!
Does the U.S. not fall into any of the Visa Free Entry categories for Vietnam?
I’m going to be travelling around South East Asia for 6 months (in 1 week) from the UK and flying into Bangkok with Etihad. It’s all very last minute but I have read on a couple of sites that I must have a return flight booked or an outward journey booked from Thailand. Is this true? We currently only have one-way ticket and very little planned after the first couple of days! Any advice would be great 🙂
It’s a tricky question as it just depends if you get asked or not! On several occasions, I have been asked to show an onward ticket (leaving Thailand) by the airline when flying into Thailand from Europe. A few months ago, I got asked to show an onward ticket when flying from the UK to Thailand. However, a few months before that, flying from India to Nepal, and from India to Thailand, I was not asked. So it really just depends on who you get at the desk!
To avoid any problems we usually just buy the cheapest ticket that we can find on Air Asia or Skyscanner out of the country within 30 days. (Last time we booked a flight to Mandalay that cost about $25 USD.) There are also websites where you can buy a ‘temporary’ ticket for about $10 USD and then have it refunded, but personally, I have never done this so can’t vouch for its validity. You could also turn up at the airport early, see if you get asked and then buy a ticket then and there if you need one. (Although you will likely have to pay expensive fees at the airport to print it out as they often don’t accept the confirmation on your phone/tablet!)
Once you are travelling by land in Southeast Asia (crossing borders) you should be okay without showing onward tickets. (Even though the majority of Embassy websites say that onward tickets are required to enter a country, we have never been asked – in Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia or crossing back by land into Thailand for example.
Hope that helps a bit. Enjoy your travels!
https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/resources/cheap-flights1/
Hi Nikki,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Yes, everything I have read echoes the same. Do you know if it has to be a flight or could it be a bus/ train?
I’m not totally sure, but I think that it can be a booked bus or train ticket. You will need it printed out from a well-known company I should imagine, so they know it’s the real thing!
im hoping to travel round cambodia, kuala lumpar, thailand , vietnam, laos, maybe china and sri lanka over the course of a year and im wondering if there is such thing as a multi entry allowing me to move around these places or if im better just getting visas on arrival apart from china obviously? Also this page is brill very informative
Hey Cheryl,
I think you would be better to just get visas on arrival to all of the countries that you plan to visit so that you can be more flexible with your travel plans. In Malaysia, you’ll get a 90-day visa on arrival. In Thailand and Laos, you’ll get 30 days and can extend another 30 days. For Vietnam, you’ll need to arrange a 30-day visa in advance online or you’ll only get 15 days. For Sri Lanka, you’ll also have to arrange a 30-day visa in advance. If you decide to go back to any country, then you will just get a new visa upon arrival. Hope that helps!
There is some misunderstanding in your post about Indonesian visa 🙂 First of all it’s very easy to extend visa by yourself and you can save half of the price that agents ask (of course, you need to have a bit more free time to come to imigration 3 times). Tourist visa, social cultural visa should be done before entering Indonesia, you can’t make them in Indonesia. As well you can’t change/extend visa on arrival to social or tourist visa. What you can – from tourist visa to change to social visa 🙂
All I can say is EXCELLENT work
Thanks Chris, we hope it’s useful!
Go to Laos only, every 3 months, know the system, like the back of my hand, lol
So I’ve noticed a few countries require one or more passport photos to get a visa. Are these photos different then the one on my passport and drivers licence? Do I have to carry a couple separate wallet sized pictures of myself?
Did you get an answer to this? I’m confused about this as well.
Often you’ll be able to send photos electronically when applying for an e-visa, but sometimes you will be required to carry them physically. If it sounds in any way like you’re being asked to do the latter, do it!
It’s a pretty good idea to carry a pack with you just in case anyway, as they can very often come in handy for other things (you need to provide a couple in order to get a sim card in some countries, for example).
It’s very unlikely that anyone would insist that it be the exact same photo as your passport or drivers licence, which might well be 10 years old, or more.
Most important of all, check the dimension requirements (which could very easily be different to those of passport photos in your own country), and any other instructions they give you (colour of the background, no hats/glasses etc.).
Hope this helps, and sorry for the delay in our response.
I am confused. Do you go somewhere to have these photos taken? Why do you need two of the same photo? First time traveler to SE Asia. never had to get a visa before.
You need normal passport photos that can be taken at a booth or a photo centre in your home country before you travel. Or, there are many small shops that will take your photo and make it into a passport photo when you are in SE Asia. We always travel with some extras as you never know when you will need them for visas. No idea why they require two… Maybe they are needed for two different forms? Either way, just make copies of the same photo that you get done and you’ll be fine. No worries, organising visas is not that difficult. Many people will help you alonhg the way 🙂 Where are you going first?
I am going to Thailand first, then my loose plan is to cross through Laos to Vietnam. then from Vietnam into Cambodia, and then Cambodia back to Thailand. trying to figure out all this visa stuff is confusing. Can I just buy 30 day visas to all these places for the month of December and just go to them whenever I want? and not have to cross at a certain spot?
Hi Zach, it can be confusing!
For Thailand – you do not need to arrange a visa in advance, you get a 30-day visa-free entry upon arrival at the airport. If you cross into Laos next, you also do not need to arrange a visa in advance, you just get 30 days free-visa entry upon arrival at the airport.For Vietnam, it’s a little more difficult, but not too difficult… It depends on where you’re from. Most nationalities have to apply for an e-visa online which costs $25 USD and is valid for 30 days…. Apply here – https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/
Thanks for the concise, useful and up to date info. Just wanted to check what are the visa requirements when entering Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam by land? As in, can we apply on arrival at each border with enough money and passport photos? Thanks again. Andrew
Hey Andrew, sorry that we’re so late in replying to this message – let us know if you’re still a backpacker in Southeast Asia and if you need any visa help, we’ve got loads of up to date info for you!
Amazing topic! There are so much useful information for readers! Thank you and I will share your site to other travelers.
You’re welcome!
I see this hasn’t been updated in a few years. Anyone know of any changes? Is there anything new I should be aware of?
Hi Tristan, sorry that we didn’t reply back in 2014! We’ve revamped the website and we’re pretty sure that this is THE MOST UP TO DATE VISA GUIDE to South East Asia on the Internet! Any questions let us know…
Hi , thanks for the info . I will be travelling to Thailand later this month but i dont have any fully blank pages on my passport , will it be an issue to get a visa on arrival .
Hey Rajnesh, unfortunately, yes it might do, you will need full blank pages in your passport in order to get your visa to Thailand. It’s best to travel to Southeast Asia with at least 6 blank pages just incase!
Hi im a citizen of fiji how can I apply for backpackers job.
thanks
Hey Komal, jobs for backpackers are readily available! Just put your backpack on, step outside and go! You’ve already got the job 😉
If you’re travelling overland from Cambodia to Vietnam where is the best place to obtain a visa? Can it be done in person or must be applied for online before travel?
Can I buy all my visas for South East Asia in my home country?
Or do I just get them on arrival?
Thanks
Are the passport photos required to obtain visas the standard passport size or does each one differ in size country to country? If I bring along a bunch of Canadian standard passport photos will those work?
My understanding that some countries require you to have proof of a flight/transport out of the country when you apply for the visa when entering the country.
Which countries require you do so? I don’t want to be at the airport and not be let in because I don’t have a flight/train out of the country booked yet.
Any help would be appreciated, I am embarking on a 3month trip through SE Asia mid March.
So if I understood – We can stay in Thailand for 60 days, go to a neighbouring country and upon return to Thailand they will grant us another 60 day VISA?
Don’t forget to make sure you will have enough pages on your passport for all the visas! It sounds stupid, but sometimes you decide to keep on traveling or extend a visa and your pages won’t be enough. Also note that most countries take up a whole page and if you don’t pay attention when you go through immigration, some agents may stamp a blank one and that one will not serve as a visa page anymore. That happened to my husband when we went to Cambodia. He only had one page left. We went to the US embassy and he added 48 pages for $100 (usd) and got them the same day. If you are American and is going to get a first/new passport, you can request extra pages at no additional cost (recommended!).
Thailand: Brazil and Thailand have a visa agreement so I got a 3 month no fee visa. My husband is American, so he got a visa through a travel agent in Phnom Penh for USD 60 and it was valid for 90 days. By the way, be very careful with that. It was hard to contact the embassy and the guard wanted my husband to give him his passport and charge $70 for it!
We also extended our visa in Vietnam hassle free 🙂 If you go to Phu Quoc you will want to stay longer!
In applying for a Cambodia Visa online, I noticed the following language in their Q&A document:
“If my children are under 12 years old, do they need a Visa?
No, as long as they don’t have they own passport and are traveling with parent’s passport.”
What does it mean for a child to be “traveling with a parent’s passport?” Our 7-year old child does have a passport. The question is to buy a Visa or not to buy?
Same question for Vietnam…pay the extra for a child’s Visa or travel without? Thanks for the tips!
i only get 14 days in Brunei????? 🙁
You don’t need any longer that place is boring as hell
Dear,
How can you live for a long time in Bangkok for example if only have a 30 days visa?
Thank you!
Apply for a single, double or triple entry tourist visa in your home country and that will give you 60 days on your first entry which you can extend to 90 days in Thailand at the Thai immigration office, then when the 1st 90 days is almost up head to one of the surrounding countries and cross the border, if you have multiple entry visa simply re enter Thailand and extend visa again to 90 days, if you didn’t get multiple entry visa in your home country than just apply for a tourist visa in one of the bordering countries on you visa run.