A Minor Name Error Almost Ruined a Couple’s Vietnam Trip Until Atlys Helped

A minor clerical oversight delayed a couple's trip. After facing a name mismatch at Kuala Lumpur airport, they used Atlys to secure a new visa in 17 minutes.

Even the most carefully planned holidays can be disrupted by a small clerical error. Gurgaon-based couple Kamna and Himanshu learned that the hard way during their recent trip to Vietnam, when an unexpected name mismatch at Kuala Lumpur airport nearly brought their journey to a halt.

A couple's vacation in Vietnam was nearly derailed due to a clerical error in their visa application.

The two were en route to Ho Chi Minh City for a long-planned vacation. Their itinerary was organised in detail, with flights, hotels and a cruise booked in advance. A short layover in Kuala Lumpur was meant to be a routine stop before they continued to Vietnam. But at the boarding gate, their plans suddenly stalled.

Kamna was cleared to board. Her husband wasn’t.

The issue, officials explained, was with Himanshu’s name on his visa. His passport lists only his first name, a minor clerical oversight from years ago. But while applying for his Vietnam visa, both the given-name and surname fields were mandatory. To complete the form, he entered “Himanshu” twice - once in each field. The visa therefore read “Himanshu Himanshu”, while the passport simply said “Himanshu”.

Utilising Atlys, they received a new visa in just 17 minutes, enabling them to continue their journey without further delays.

That inconsistency was enough for the Kuala Lumpur authorities to stop him from flying. They warned that Vietnam’s immigration officers could refuse him entry or deport him on arrival. The only solution was to secure a fresh visa that exactly matched the passport.

For the couple, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Their hotel and cruise bookings were confirmed, and they had little margin to wait for new paperwork. In a state of panic, Kamna contacted multiple travel agents, but none could assure a quick fix.

Running out of options, she reached out to a friend for advice. The friend suggested trying Atlys, a visa-processing platform available both as an app and a website that helps travellers apply for and track visas online.Kamna decided to give it a try.

The process worked faster than expected Using Atlys’ visa express service, Himanshu’s new Vietnam visa was issued in 17 minutes. Even the airline staff were cautious until the couple showed them the visa’s verification on Vietnam’s official government portal. “Even the AirAsia staff couldn’t believe it was real until we showed them the verification,” Kamna later wrote in a LinkedIn post recounting the incident.

Once confirmed, they were cleared to board the next available flight. They landed in Ho Chi Minh City that night and checked into their hotel as planned.

Kamna’s post reflects a common challenge in international travel: even a small documentation error can lead to major disruptions. From missing surnames to spelling mismatches, name inconsistencies remain a common cause of visa and boarding issues for Indian passengers.

It also highlights how digital tools like Atlys are changing the visa process. What once took days of waiting can now be managed more efficiently through online verification and submission. For travellers facing last-minute issues the ability to reapply, validate and receive documents online can prevent cancellations and delays.

For Kamna and Himanshu, the episode ended not as a holiday disaster but as a reminder of how unpredictable travel can be and how timely solutions can help avoid unnecessary setbacks

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