Visa / Border run

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

I have a one year tourist visa which I got from the VN consulate in Houston, TX. When I arrived in June, it was stamped that it was permitted to remain until December. I went to England in October and the stamp I have now is for January 22,2019. So I guess I have to make a border run. Any suggestions how I go about that? Not too excited about it at all, but will give it a whirl. I am planning a trip to the U.S. in May and will endeavor to get a 1 year business visa just before that trip. Any info or insight is appreciated.

Thanks
Ken

See also

Working in Vietnam as a digital nomad - Guide
Border runs - 10 Replies
Vietnam visa run at Moc Bai border question - 7 Replies
Border Run to Cambodia - 27 Replies
Visa/Visa Exemption Certificate - need a border run? - 19 Replies
Border-Runs --- - 9 Replies
Extending visa without border run? - 13 Replies

charmavietnam ViP

2841POSTS

7 years ago

Arrange a VOA letter from here. Take a bus to Moc Bai on that date, enter and exit.
Walk or pick a XE Om to Bavet border office. Pay $35 and take a 1 month tourist visa from Cambodian immigration, Bavet. Enter and exit. May be immigration officer ask $1 as tip (his language may be stamping fee

) Don't forget to get the departure stamp on your passport.
Just go back to Moc Bai immigration post then enter and apply for a new Vietnam visa, pay the amount and get stamped. Exit from there and wait outside for bus.
So many bus will come that way to Saigon. 100k -200k.

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

If your visa is still valid for 6 months, you just need a VN exit stamp, and a visa, entry and exit stamp from Cambodia. No need for another visa if the current one is valid. There is a company operating out of Saigon that will take you there and back in their mini bus.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/169934546 … 3204851319

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

Yeah that's what I was thinking I just needed to do that. I guess there's no way out of it but I got to go to the Border in and out

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

Thanks everyone for their help. Guess it's off to Cambodia for me. I guess I don't undertand why it is necessary to come and go from Viet Nam every three months or so when the Visa is good fora year.....doesn't make sense, but oh well......

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

def1412 wrote:
Thanks everyone for their help. Guess it's off to Cambodia for me. I guess I don't undertand why it is necessary to come and go from Viet Nam every three months or so when the Visa is good fora year.....doesn't make sense, but oh well......

Most countries do this, even the 5 year VEC you have to exit at some stage. The trip to Moc Bai and back can be done in around 6 hours, as long as its not busy. I have done it numerous times and it's not too painful.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

Do I need pictures for the Cambodian Visa?

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

def1412 wrote:
Do I need pictures for the Cambodian Visa?

Yes. Get them done before going there.

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

You must exit periodically or you will qualify as a resident for tax purposes for most countries. That happens at 183 days. There are other resident issues as well. I think maybe VN also want to kepp better control of tgeir tourist and not have them cone and never leave. It the USA they are very lax about that. You can get in and stay forever. But we do not check a persons status lije they do here.

jayrozzetti23 Serial expat

842POSTS

7 years ago

#10

Two points:

1) You should consult a visa agent. I have heard that it may be possible to pay an extra fee instead of leaving. Try to get a word-of-mouth recommendation for an agent from another expat.

2) Traveling to Moc Bai and back is the fastest and cheapest way to go (IF you are in Sai Gon) but it's not necessarily the best. A round-trip flight to Bangkok on VietJet Air is an option. Lao Airlines flies to Pakse in southern Laos every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are also nearby. Those are just some of your potential choices for a break from VN. Really leaving VN for a while also helps you appreciate living here more when you get back.

Also, yes, you need photos for the Cambodia visa.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#11

Thanks for your response. I think what I will do will be to take the bus to the border and walk out of Vietnam and then walk back in and see if that works. I'll have the pictures in case I need to go in to Cambodia and get a Cambodian Visa. But I was wondering if anybody is just walked out of Vietnam then walk back in and gotten stamped for reentry?

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#12

Have you ever heard of anyone just walking out of Vietnam then walking back in to get to reentry stamp? I guess I'm wondering why it's necessary to go into Cambodian walk back out of Cambodia when you've already walked out of Vietnam which is the point of the whole process.

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

7589POSTS

7 years ago

#13

def1412 wrote:
Have you ever heard of anyone just walking out of Vietnam then walking back in to get to reentry stamp? I guess I'm wondering why it's necessary to go into Cambodian walk back out of Cambodia when you've already walked out of Vietnam which is the point of the whole process.

How can you walk out of the one country (cross the border) without walking into the other country?

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

#14

OceanBeach92107 wrote:
def1412 wrote:
Have you ever heard of anyone just walking out of Vietnam then walking back in to get to reentry stamp? I guess I'm wondering why it's necessary to go into Cambodian walk back out of Cambodia when you've already walked out of Vietnam which is the point of the whole process.

How can you walk out of the one country (cross the border) without walking into the other country?

Transit zone at the destination airport.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#15

As I understand it there is a distance to go from the VN immigration building to the Cambodian immigration building. So the procedure would be to walk out of one door and back into the VNese immigration building through another door. Or simply getting stamped as exiting, leaving the building and re-entering the building to get entry stamped.

BUMBLEBEE123 Member

21POSTS

7 years ago

#16

def1412 wrote:
As I understand it there is a distance to go from the VN immigration building to the Cambodian immigration building. So the procedure would be to walk out of one door and back into the VNese immigration building through another door. Or simply getting stamped as exiting, leaving the building and re-entering the building to get entry stamped.

you just need to go out of Viet Nam border and comeback, u will have a visa

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

#17

BUMBLEBEE123 wrote:
def1412 wrote:
As I understand it there is a distance to go from the VN immigration building to the Cambodian immigration building. So the procedure would be to walk out of one door and back into the VNese immigration building through another door. Or simply getting stamped as exiting, leaving the building and re-entering the building to get entry stamped.

you just need to go out of Viet Nam border and comeback, u will have a visa

Not totally correct. If the VN immigration check for an exit visa stamp from Cambodia, you will be asked to go to Cambodia and get one. You could try and just exit then re-enter VN as some people have done in the past.

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

#18

Had no clue it was so complicated. As with any visa from any country is give the holder of holder of the visa to visit a foreign country for a specified period of time. When you enter you will be given an entry stamp. Once you leave, at expiration of the visa or prior to expiration you will get an exit stamp. Now if you returning to your home country, the country where you are a citizen you require no visa. Just proceed through immigration and show them your passport. But if you are entering another foreign country you will be required to have a visa ( in most cases). So the cycle starts anew. Show immigration your approved visa and the will give you an entry stamps. Does not matter if you walk, take a ship, fly or whatever. You still must go through the same process. At the Cambodian border it is quite simple. You just wal a few feet and you go through one immigration control point and then another. Very simple.

van88 Active member

38POSTS

7 years ago

#19

I have a 5Y visa (if you are a Vietnamese born you can request 5Y visa at the VN embassy at your country, around 20-30usd), i need only a "entry stamps" every 6 months, my is run out beginning of april 2019.

thanks for all the tips, I read this follow great tips as well, he shows every steps
http://oneweeknotice.com/vietnamese-visa-run/
aha never thinking of having a visa when enter Cambodia (meaning waiting time & money), my bad

ok, I dont bother to do it, sitting 2-6h on the bus, waiting for the visa (before enter Cambodia), meet St. Peter and his lackeys...... i prefer to pay 200usd to a friend to do it, no messy and high quality she promises :-). it will take max 10 working days (2 weeks). she has business in District 1 saigon . If you have question about VISA and "entry stamps", she can help at phanhaihiep@gmail.com. If issue PM me.

About the 200 bucks, if the money route to the right place, it is ok with me ......and let hoping the city get more money so they can finish the Metro NOW :-)

btw: for vietnamese if they want to enter (e.g holiday, visit family) the EU/US....they need to pay bunch of money for visa as well, around 80€-100€ to enter the EU . Before that they need to go though a test, paperwork ~150-200€ , if you fail the test, goodbye to 150-200€. I dont know how much the money goto the destination country and how much money go for the bribe :-(

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

#20

Hope your friend can give you a legitimate visa stamp since they are no longewr handled locally bu through Ha Noi's centralized system. Many are now finding out they are fraudulent stamps and getting blacklisted. Good luck

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#21

UPDATE ON MY VISA BORDER RUN....OR HOW TO HAVE FUN SATURDAY MORNING:

I looked at a couple of services here in Sai Gon and ultimately decided that the money wasn't worth it. I spoke to someone and got more info about the process and watched a couple of videos on Youtube (the city buses look better there). So I went of to catch the first bus out to Moc Bai, getting to 23/9 Park around 5:30am. There is a area near the public restrooms to meet the bus. Bus ride wasn't bad, older bus, but it was comfortable and noisey. We left slightly after 6:00am, made a couple of stops leaving Sai Gon and headed to the border. Now where it stops at the border is a bit confusing because it looks like an old deserted border crossing and the real one is no where in sight. Walk towards the old crossing for a couple of minutes then cut across another parking lot (turn left) and over to the main road...lined with semis. Hang a right and continue on to the VNese border. Exited VN, providing 20kvnd coffee money any time I presented the visa.

One note, you can get a Cambodian evisa online,

https://www.cambodiaimmigration.org/faq … uJEALw_wcB

used a selfie for the picture...

took a couple of hours for it to be delivered via email the cost is 36usd. Saves a lot of time at the border.

Out of VN walk for a few minutes (getting harrassed by motorbike peddlers) to the Cambodian side. Walked into the building, filled out my entry and exit card, which I received from a guy in a wooden booth. Filled them out, then got in line (only one in line) got stamped by immigration official and i entered Cambodia. Looked for an exit section in the building and couldn't find one. So I went off to VN. Bad Idea, Turned around to Cambodia...that's okay I needed the excercise. Found an exit person in one of the booths for cars and motorbikes. She did the stamping, and I was off to Viet Nam a happy camper. What confused me on the exit was that the exit card stapled to my visa was stamped and I thought that was enough. Nope, exit control pulls the card and applies another stamp to the visa. Back to Nam, stamped and back to the bus. It was in the same place, turned around and we left shortly. The high point was that after shortly leaving Moc Bai and I think it was in Go Dau a guy got on the bus selling freshly made banh mi and frozed coconut juice....and I needed the meal...really hungry.

Finally got back ito Sai Gon around 1:00pm. Would have been quicker if I hadn't made a couple of mistakes like going from exiting VN to immediately reentering VN. Busted and told to go to Cambodia. And the errors with exiting. Either way, it wasn't a bad trip, a decent adventure, sort of and there you are. Heartily recommend it over the guided tours, takes less time and costs less as well. Thanks for all your input here.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ … border+run

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

7 years ago

#22

Good to hear it all worked out. The next trip will be much easier.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#23

I know that it was a lengthy posting, but I wanted to cover all the things I was confused or unsure about. And yes, it all worked out well.

notax2018 Member

19POSTS

7 years ago

#24

Great information def1412, thanks for sharing

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#25

off for my second and last border run tomorrow morning...yee haa!!

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#26

So things went pretty smoothly except for me leaving my Samsung Tablet somewhere in Cambodia...maybe the table where I filled out the entry / exit card....that sucks big time. Got back to Sai Gon around 1:30pm, and spent the next six hours changing passwords. Damn!

Gia-na-dai Active member

29POSTS

7 years ago

#27

Hello Charma.

Just read this post and I would like to ask you for some more clarification, details about this visa

I am with you up to the point where you come back across to Viet Nam and go to the Immigration Post. That is at the border, right?
O.K. You go inside and "get your visa."?
You don't make an appt. for tomorrow - or make an appt. to make an appt. to get a queu ticket?
And this is a One Year Visa, right?

And you still have to exit and re-enter in three months anyway, right?

van88 Active member

38POSTS

7 years ago

#28

I did my yesterday (2 days before deadline) , everything went smoothly , thanks all :-)

At the border, I only need a “new entry stamp” on my passport (max 6 months stay), my VISA is still valid.

All details, pic, references can be found here https://drive.google.com/open?id=136p1Q … il6EcRY4B8

ps: feel sorry for you def1412, the samsung tablet.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#29

well on the upside, the processor was slow....and I had it for a couple of years...was considering getting a new one....just forced the issue....hehehe. found a different one (still Samsung) on amazon...will have it shipped here in a day or two.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

7 years ago

#30

I'm fixin' to apply for a business visa letter. I understand that it is getting difficult now. Any opinions on who is the best to use, I have two names so far, but the prices are nearly 70usd different....how to choose?
PS the higher priced one had an Aussie get rejected....is this common?

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

7589POSTS

7 years ago

#31

def1412 wrote:
I'm fixin' to apply for a business visa letter. I understand that it is getting difficult now. Any opinions on who is the best to use, I have two names so far, but the prices are nearly 70usd different....how to choose?
PS the higher priced one had an Aussie get rejected....is this common?

I will private message you my trusted agent in Hanoi (you can use any agent in the country via internet).

Yes, according to my agent, restrictions are getting tighter, and some nationalities are being rejected that were once routinely accepted.

She says U.S. citizens still have it fairly easy, in her experience.

Please focus first on the "trusted" factor.

Price has been fluctuating lately, but I'm pretty sure she can help you for between $199 USD and $250 USD

Deslin New member

5POSTS

6 years ago

#32

Confused about the land border crossing, as read approval letter can only be used at airports? Is there a different approval letter for crossing in Cambodia for 3 month single visa.

def1412 Contributor

167POSTS

6 years ago

#33

As I understand it there are two different letters. As I understand that there are different letters. Myself I have a one year or I had it when your US Visa tourist visa. So I did not need to get the letters every three months or so.

jayrozzetti23 Serial expat

842POSTS

6 years ago

#34

The main difference is that you have to specify if you will return by international airport or if you will use a land crossing. Also, if by land, I think you must specify which crossing.

Your agent will certainly ask you. Also, you need to specify the date of return when you will re-enter Vietnam. You can arrive after that date but your visa will be counted from the ate specified on the letter.

Anyway, you should be able to get the letter for a 3 month-visa that can be used at the Moc Bai border crossing with Cambodia, which is about 3 hours from Sai Gon.

hyagly256 Banned

127POSTS

6 years ago

#35

So let's clarify this issue. Is it possible or not possible, if you have a one year multi-entry VN visa, to exit VN at Moc Bai when your 3 months stay is finished and re-enter VN immediately from no-man's land WITHOUT first entering/exiting Cambodia?

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

7589POSTS

6 years ago

#36

hyagly256 wrote:
So let's clarify this issue. Is it possible or not possible, if you have a one year multi-entry VN visa, to exit VN at Moc Bai when your 3 months stay is finished and re-enter VN immediately from no-man's land WITHOUT first entering/exiting Cambodia?

NO!!!

I think...

Guest2023 Guest

0POSTS

6 years ago

#37

hyagly256 wrote:
So let's clarify this issue. Is it possible or not possible, if you have a one year multi-entry VN visa, to exit VN at Moc Bai when your 3 months stay is finished and re-enter VN immediately from no-man's land WITHOUT first entering/exiting Cambodia?

Legally no.
You can try it, but if the officer does a check for your Cambodian exit stamp, you may have an issue.

Not really worth the 30 usd you can save by not going into Cambodia.

jayrozzetti23 Serial expat

842POSTS

6 years ago

#38

colinoscapee wrote:
BUMBLEBEE123 wrote:
def1412 wrote:
As I understand it there is a distance to go from the VN immigration building to the Cambodian immigration building. So the procedure would be to walk out of one door and back into the VNese immigration building through another door. Or simply getting stamped as exiting, leaving the building and re-entering the building to get entry stamped.

you just need to go out of Viet Nam border and comeback, u will have a visa

Not totally correct. If the VN immigration check for an exit visa stamp from Cambodia, you will be asked to go to Cambodia and get one. You could try and just exit then re-enter VN as some people have done in the past.

This is post #17 above.

Basically, in order to legally leave one country (VN), you need to legally enter a second country (Cambo).