Can I enter Vietnam on my old passport (before a legal name change) and exit on the new one?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 10 days ago
TL;DR
Yes — as long as your old passport is still valid (in Russia it stays valid up to 6 months after marriage registration), you can use it for both entry and exit. The key rule is entry and exit must be on the SAME passport; if you get a new one mid-trip, you'll need to pay the airline a fee to update the passport number on your ticket.
What the community said
After a marriage name change, travelers report sometimes successfully transferring the visa from the old passport to the new one while already in Vietnam by presenting the marriage certificate, even though the surnames differ — though this isn't guaranteed and sources disagree on whether it works.
16 days ago Visa transfer via marriage certificate
For a short trip, entry and exit must be on the same passport. The workaround: book tickets under the old passport now, and once the new passport is issued, pay the airline a fee to update the passport number in the booking so both entry and exit are on the new document.
19 days ago Airline fee for passport number change
Under Russian rules, the old passport is only cancelled in the Interior Ministry database at the moment the new one is physically issued (biometric re-scan required). Until then, the old passport remains fully valid for entry/exit, and border officers have no record of an upcoming replacement.
19 days ago
After a marriage-related name change, Russian rules allow the old passport to remain valid for 6 months from the marriage registration date — usually enough time to either get the new passport before departure or book flights early on the old one before prices rise.
20 days ago 6-month validity window for old passport