How far in advance should you apply for a Vietnam e-visa, and can you set any future entry date?

Apply for the visa in advance, but use your real expected entry dates — the country you're departing from (e.g. transiting through the UAE) has no effect on the application.

One traveler reported being denied boarding on a flight transiting through Dubai — they had received a notice via a government portal a year earlier, even though there was no formal exit ban. Worth checking your status in advance if you've had similar notices before.

When filling out the application, the system rejects an entry date set too far in the future — the date must match your actual day of departure. You also need to select the standard exemption/conditions type applicable for your country.