Flying into Vietnam: a practical guide to landing and overflight permits

Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing destinations for business aviation and charter in Southeast Asia. Every foreign-registered non-scheduled flight, whether a private jet, a charter or a ferry flight, needs prior permission before it enters Vietnamese airspace or lands. This guide sets out the essentials.

Which permits does a flight need?

• Landing permit: required for foreign-registered private, charter and other non-scheduled flights landing in Vietnam.
• Overflight permit: required to cross Vietnamese airspace without landing.
• Diplomatic clearance: state, government and military aircraft are cleared through diplomatic channels rather than the standard civil process.

Civil landing and overflight permits are issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV). Airport slots and parking are confirmed separately with the airport, which matters at busy airports such as Tan Son Nhat (SGN) and Noi Bai (HAN).

Documents authorities usually ask for

Requirements depend on the flight type, but a typical application includes:

• Certificate of registration and certificate of airworthiness
• Worldwide insurance certificate
• Noise certificate
• Operator details, and the Air Operator Certificate for commercial flights
• Crew licences and medical certificates
• Schedule in UTC with routing, entry and exit points
• Passenger information and purpose of flight

Planning tips

• Start early. Permits, slots and handling all drive the timeline. Send the request as soon as the aircraft and schedule are known, even if details may change.
• Keep documents current. Expired insurance or a missing crew licence is the most common reason for delay.
• Plan the whole route. A flight to Vietnam often crosses several other countries. Check their overflight requirements at the same time.
• Expect changes. When timing moves, request the revision immediately rather than flying on an outdated permit.

Regulations and procedures change. Use this guide for planning, and confirm current requirements for each flight with your trip-support provider.

Stellar Aero prepares, submits and follows up landing and overflight permits for Vietnam and the countries along your route. See our permit service or send us your trip details.