Vietnam to Cambodia via Moc Bai – A Smooth Visa Run Experience

What is a Vietnam visa run?

A Vietnam visa run means taking a short trip out of Vietnam just before your visa expires. You complete it when extending your visa within Vietnam is either not possible or too expensive. Typically, you’d travel to a nearby country like Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, or China. After a brief stay, you return to Vietnam and obtain a new visa upon re-entry.

Pros and Cons of Visa Border Runs

Pros

• Cost-effective: A border run for visa extension is usually more affordable than other methods.
• Flexible Choices: A visa border run doesn’t tie your new visa to your previous one. Choose a visa that fits your needs: either a one-month or three-month duration, with single or multiple entries.

Cons

• Doing a visa border run means leaving Vietnam and then coming back through the same border. This can be time-consuming and require extra effort.
• Using the visa border run too often may raise suspicion, and immigration authorities could deny your entry on a future trip.

Visa run options from Vietnam

You have two main choices for a visa run in Vietnam

1. Using Vietnam’s international airports.
2. Crossing through terrestrial borders.

Vietnam’s 24 approved visa run checkpoints

Airports	Land borders
Noi Bai International Airport – Hanoi	Bo Y Landport (to Laos)
Tan Son Nhat International Airport – HCMC	Cha Lo Landport (to Laos)
Da Nang International Airport – Da Nang	Cau Treo Landport (to Laos)
Cat Bi International Airport – Hai Phong	Huu Nghi Landport (to China)
Cam Ranh International Airport – Khanh Hoa	Ha Tien Landport (to Cambodia)
Phu Quoc International Airport – Phu Quoc	Lao Bao Landport (to Laos)
Lien Khuong International Airport – Da Lat	Lao Cai Landport (to China)
Can Tho International Airport – Can Tho	La Lay Landport (to Laos)
	Moc Bai Landport (to Cambodia)
	Mong Cai Landport (to China)
	Nam Can Landport (to Laos)
	Na Meo Landport (to Laos)
	Song Tien Landport (to Cambodia)
	Tinh Bien Landport (to Cambodia)
	Tay Trang Landport (to Laos)
	Xa Mat Landport (to Cambodia)

Top tips for cost effective visa runs

• From Hanoi: Many people prefer to fly out of Noi Bai Airport to destinations like Singapore, Thailand, or Cambodia.
• From Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City): If you’re in Saigon or nearby southern regions, consider the Moc Bai visa run. People generally view it as the quickest, most affordable, and easiest option from HCMC.

Vietnamese visa run checklist

Planning a visa run from Vietnam

Here’s a simplified checklist of what you need:

• Essentials:
• Original passport (ensure it’s valid for 6 more months from your return date).
• A valid Vietnam entry document. This might be your 5-year Vietnam visa.
• Your Vietnam e-visa.
• Your visa approval letter for a business visa (Original for land border runs; printout for airport runs).
• Visa Stamp Fee.
• If getting a visa on arrival: 2 passport-sized photos, Vietnamese visa application form.
• Kindly furnish us with your flight or bus ticket details.
• Kindly complete the forms using a black or blue pen.

Key points to remember

• For a visa run with a visa exemption, you can skip items 2 and 3 from the ‘Essentials’ list.
• For land border runs, they only accept the original visa approval letter with a red stamp and signature.
• Review Vietnam’s specific photo requirements for visas. If you forget, they could charge you a $2 penalty or ask you to pay around $2 for instant airport photos. You can conveniently take photos across Vietnam for around 50,000 to 100,000 VND.
• Visa stamping fees at Vietnam’s airport are: $25 (single entry) and $50 (multiple entries up to 3 months).
• For your visa run by air, you’ll find the Vietnamese visa application form on the flight. If traveling by land, get the form at the border or download it from our website.

How can you perform a visa run for Vietnam?

You can complete a visa run in one of two ways: through international airports or via land borders. Let’s break it down:

Visa run through international airports:

Follow these steps for an airport-based visa run:

• First, secure your e-visa or visa approval letter. If required, you’ll receive this via email. Print it, and gather two photos and the necessary stamping fee.
• Head to a Vietnamese international airport and board a flight leaving the country.
• Complete the customs process in your chosen destination. You can either spend a few days there or immediately book a return flight to Vietnam.

If you’re skilled at finding affordable flights, or if you have a flexible budget, this method is ideal. It minimizes travel fatigue. Some recommended countries for an airport visa run from Vietnam include Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Land border visa run

Many expats in Vietnam prefer this cost-effective method of doing a visa run. To make this process easy, follow these steps:

1. Obtain the necessary e-visa or visa approval letter (if applicable).
2. Arrange transportation to the border. One may reserve a van or coach for their journey. Should one not possess a motorbike or automobile, local rental establishments offer suitable alternatives.
3. Present your passport at the Vietnamese border to receive the Vietnam exit stamp, signifying the end of your stay in Vietnam.
4. After the border checkpoint, you’ll proceed to the immigration office of Laos or Cambodia.
5. When you arrive at the immigration office in Laos or Cambodia, show your passport. If needed, provide your Cambodia visa or apply for one on the spot if they offer visas on arrival. You’ll also need to complete any necessary forms. They will provide you with an entry stamp for the respective country in your passport.
6. Once you have your entry stamp, you can explore the country briefly. You can immediately return to the immigration desk to complete your exit and receive your exit stamp. After that, you can leave Laos or Cambodia and apply for a new Vietnamese visa.

 

1. When you return to the Vietnam border, officials will review your passport and entry papers, then give you an entry sticker.
2. Congratulations! You have successfully completed your visa run.

Is the visa approval letter for an airport visa run identical to the one for a land border run?

• In airport visa runs, they mention the entry port at the end of the letter. For land border runs, they mention it within the main body.
• For an airport visa run, pick any of Vietnam’s 8 international airports to stamp your visa. However, in land border runs, you cannot change the fixed entry port.
• At the Vietnam airport, a printed copy of the letter is acceptable. But for land border entry, you must show the original letter. You can obtain the airport visa letter either in Vietnam or overseas. However, you must get the land border letter while still in Vietnam, before leaving the country.

Here’s an example of the letter for the airport visa run:

Below is a sample letter you can use for a visa land border run:

Looking to get a visa for a quick visa run at Vietnam airport?

It’s simple! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Fill out the Vietnam visa form online.
2. Please remit the fee for the letter.
3. Receive your visa approval letter in your email. This usually takes 2-3 working days. If you require expedited service, we can provide it within 2-4 business hours.

Getting your visa approval letter for a border run from Vietnam

Getting a visa letter for a border run in Vietnam is straightforward. Here’s a simple guide:

1. Reach Out to a Travel Agent: Connect with a local travel agency, like us, and request a visa approval letter.
2. Pay the Letter Fee: Once confirmed, proceed with the payment.
3. Collect Your Approval Letter: You can either pick up the letter in person or have it mailed to you.

Do you require assistance? For assistance, please contact us at +84 82 736 9120 or reach out via email at vietnamvisalink@gmail.com.

Cost of a visa run in Vietnam

If you plan a visa run, prepare for the following expenses:

• E-visa or visa approval letter fee
• Transportation (bus or air tickets)
• Visa stamping fee (only if you get a visa upon arrival)
• Visa fee for Cambodia, Laos, etc., if applicable.

Recommendation: It is advisable to have approximately US $10 in cash when undertaking a visa run. Immigration officers at land borders might ask for it.

Popular border options for visa runs

Foreigners in Vietnam frequently opt for affordable visa runs to places like Moc Bai (towards Cambodia) or Lao Bao and Cau Treo (both to Laos). For a cost-effective choice and instructions:

• See the Moc Bai visa run guide.
• Explore the steps for a Vietnam visa run to Laos.