Vietnam Visa Run and How to do visa run

1. How to do a visa run through air border

For those who are eligible for E-visa can apply directly on the government official website: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/. Keep in mind that the Vietnam E-visa is valid for maximum of 90 days, single entry or multiple entries. You must have a visa ready before your arrival in Vietnam. 

• On your return to Vietnam, head to the "Visa on Arrival or Landing Visa" counter, submit your passport, a print-out of the visa invitation letter, a full-filled Vietnamese visa application form, two passport-size photos and pay US$ cash to the Immigration Officer for the stamp fee to collect your visa (stamp fee is 25 US$ for single entry, 50 US$ for up to 3 month multiple entries, 95 US$ for up to 6 month multiple entries and 135 US$ for 1 year multiple entries).
• The actual visa shall be granted after the immigration unit completes checking applicant’s information and letter of visa approval. Then you will go through the passport control on exit.

• On your return to Vietnam, head to the Visa counter, submit your passport, a print-out of your evisa, you will get a stamp on your passport, then go through the passport control on exit.

2. How to do a visa run through land border (Vietnam to Laos, Cambodia or China)

• Find a closest land border to your location (please see the list of land borders below);
• Get your visa invitation letter to the specific land border from our company or any other trusted travel agency before you leave. You need to get the official letter (not a scanned copy sent via email) to be able to get visa stamp sticker at border check point. This original letter can be mailed to you by post, or delivered to your location or picked up at agency office.

• Take a bus to the border, disembark the bus and walk to the Vietnamese side of the border where you will get stamped out and your old visa invalidated.
• Make your way to the Laos/Cambodian/Chinese side of the border. Fill in the form, add your photo, pay the fee and keep waiting for around 10 minutes. Get through customs, stamp your visa, go across to the exit building, and get your stamp out of the country again.
• Walk back to Vietnamese immigration. Hand over your photo, invitation letter, passport and pay visa stamp fee (stamp fee is 25 US$ for single entry, 50 US$ for up to 3 month multiple entries, 95 US$ for up to 6 month multiple entries and 135 US$ for 1 year multiple entries). Wait until they finished and then stamp into Vietnam again.
• Back to the bus for return to Vietnam once again. Depending on what bus you used to come here the bus will be waiting close to where it dropped you off or you walk to the official bus station. Jump on the bus and wait for it to leave. All done.

3.  List of land borders for visa run

3.1- Cau Treo border (Ha Tinh, Vietnam) – Nam Phao border (Borikhamxay, Laos) - VISA ON ARRIVAL FOR LAOS IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS BORDER.

3.2- Lao Bao Border(Quang Tri, Vietnam) – Dansavan Border (Savannakhet, Laos)

3.3- MOC BAI BORDER (Tay Ninh, Vietnam) -  BAVET BORDER (Svay Rieng, Cambodia)

Mộc Bài is an international border gate between Vietnam and Cambodia located in Tây Ninh Province, Vietnam. It is 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 170 km from Phnom Penh.
On the Cambodia’s side, Bavet is the counterpart across the border, which belongs to Svay Rieng Province of Cambodia.

The border gate is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm every day. Daily buses can be access quickly and easily from Ho Chi Minh City to Moc Bai. Almost all of the bus stations and offices in Ho Chi Minh City are located in the Pham Ngu Lao area, so it is easier to depart or arrive.
The cheapest way to get to the border is by public bus number 703 that you can board at Saigon Bus Station in Park 23/9 (at the corner of Pham Ngu Lao and Cong Quynh street, opposite to Thai Binh Market). You can find these buses parked near the entrance facing the Cong Quynh Street roundabout. The buses, run by SAPACO Tourist are usually blue or silver with Moc Bai written on the front display. The 3-hour journey will cost you only VND 40,000 each way.
Alternatively you can book any bus at any office at Pham Ngu Lao street (Mekong Express, Sapaco, Kumho…). You can buy it yourself. Be noted that these bus goes to Phnom Penh. Bus tickets cost around 10-12 US$/way.
The Cambodian visa on arrival is available at Bavet border.  You can buy the Cambodian Visa at Visa on arrival counter without applying in advance. 
 

4. VISA FOR LAOS

Laos Visa Exemption:
Citizens of the following 15 countries can visit Laos without a visa:
-14 days: Brunei, Myanmar.
-15 days: Japan, Luxembourg, Switzerland.
- 30 days: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Laos visa on arrival:
Visitors of other nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days (extendable once) at the above borders, except for Napao-Chalo (Vietnam). Laos Visa can be issued at Visa on arrival counter without applying in advance. 

Visa on arrival fee: Visa fee varies according to nationality between 30-45 US$
Laos Visa on arrival fee varies depending on citizenship. The price list is on display at the visa counter.
The fee for US citizens, UK and European citizens is 35 US$, for Canadian citizens is 42 US$, for Sweden citizens is 31 US$. For Australian and other nationalities the fee is 30 US$. 

Note: On weekends, Lao public holidays, before 8 A.M and after 4 P.M weekdays, there is a 1 US$ over time fee. In addition an entry fee (2,500 Kip or so) may be charged.

* Visa fees are payable in cash only (US dollars, Lao Kip or Thai baht).
Requirements:
- Your original passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity and a blank page for a visa sticker.
- A Visa Application Form, filled out and signed by the applicant (available at visa window at Lao ports of entry or given before landing if you are arriving by plane).
- Two (2) recent passport-type photographs (If you are unprepared (cannot provide the photo) there will be an extra fee (few dollars) for scanning your photograph from your passport, and placing it onto your visa application form).
- Visa fee (in cash).

WHO CAN'T GET LAO VISA-ON-ARRIVAL?
Nationals of the following countries are ineligible to obtain a visa on arrival, and they can only obtain a visa on arrival if they are traveling on an official visit and are holding an official letter of guarantee issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Jordan, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Syria (Syrian Arab republic), Swaziland, Tonga, Turkey, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
 

5. VISA FOR CAMBODIA

Cambodian Visa Exemption:
Citizens of the following 10 countries can visit Cambodia without a visa:
- 14 days: Thailand, Myanmar, Brunei, Seychelles.
- 21 days: Philippines.
- 30 days : Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos and Vietnam.

Cambodian visa on arrival:
Visitors of other nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days (extendable once) at Bavet border. Cambodian Visa can be issued at Visa on arrival counter without applying in advance. 

Visa on arrival fee: The 30-day tourist visa costs 30 US$, 30-day business visa costs 35 US$.

* Visa fees are payable in cash only (US dollars,  Cambodian riel)
Requirements:
- Your original passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity and a blank page for a visa sticker.
- A Visa Application Form, filled out and signed by the applicant (available at visa window at Cambodian ports of entry or given before landing if you are arriving by plane).
- Two (2) recent passport-type photographs (If you are unprepared (cannot provide the photo) there will be an extra fee (few dollars) for scanning your photograph from your passport, and placing it onto your visa application form).
- Visa fee (in cash).

WHO CAN'T GET CAMBODIAN VISA-ON-ARRIVAL?

• REMEMBER to check the expiry date of your current visa. If you’ve accidentally overstayed your visa, the immigration officer will point it out to you and you will be required to pay a fine depending on how long you have overstayed. You will also be required to sign some documents as part of the paperwork process. Once again, an inconvenience that could easily be avoided. Also ensure your passport has a minimum validity of six months or you might not be allowed to enter Cambodia, effectively wasting your time and effort getting there.

6. TOP TIPS:

• Beside US$ cash to pay for visa fee, you should take some VND with you, occasionally the officials will ask for an extra tip around 100k (no more), so make sure you have this on you just in case. Plus there are lots of drink and food stalls where the bus waits so you can grab some food here.
• Take some snacks in case you do not want to buy at the border.
• Have the right denominations of dollars so that you don’t get caught out needing change, usually they will give you change but it does depend on the official that day.
• Take some extra clothes because the air-con on the bus can be pretty chilly when you’re on it for 3 hours!
• If you need more information, feel free to reach out to visa agents who are mostly bilingual.