Is fast-track immigration worth buying at Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat Airport?
From messages by 3 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 46 days ago
Fast-track may be unnecessary if you leave the aircraft promptly and compare queues at all immigration lanes: one traveler found a line of about 10 people while the others had roughly 30.
Queue of ~10 instead of ~30 people
The fast-track payment counter at the airport only opens at 8:00 am. If your flight lands earlier, you won't be able to buy the service there, so it's worth having some cash for other needs.
Fast-track counter opens 8:00 am
Arriving around 1:00 am, passport control was smooth: from deplaning to baggage claim and leaving for the hotel took about 10 minutes without fast-track. The traveler wasn't sure if it's as fast during earlier daytime hours.
Arrival ~1:00 am, no fast-track needed
Arriving at 4:00 pm, delays at passport control were expected, but the traveler had no issues personally since the airport was half-empty.
Arrival at 4:00 pm, half-empty airport
After arriving from Malaysia, travelers expected a short line because they assumed there were no more incoming flights. At Tan Son Nhat, they found more international arrivals than expected, so immigration lines can change quickly.
Tan Son Nhat, flight from Malaysia
One traveler chose to fly and reached Ho Chi Minh City in about 1 hour instead of spending much longer by train or taxi. If you arrive by air, fast-track only matters for airport immigration and control.
about 1-hour flight
On an arrival around 9:00 am, buying fast-track gave almost no benefit: there was effectively only one flight at immigration, and the line could have been cleared nearly as quickly without paying extra.
9:00 am, Tan Son Nhat (SGN)