Do you know Vietnam visa run?

If you want to stay in Vietnam for longer than your visa duration and you think it’s difficult and to extend Vietnam visa, I reveal you, let do a visa run.

1. So what is really Vietnam visa run?

A Vietnam visa run for is a trip that you need to take to remain stay in Vietnam as your Vietnam visa is about expire, and it is hard to extend it, or simply it is costly. So, you have to leave Vietnam, get to a neighboring country (Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, or China), and then turn back to re-entry Vietnam with a new visa.

2. So where can you get a run visa?

There are two ways you can get visa run in Vietnam, 

Do the visa run via Vietnam international airports; 

At these 8 air - port you can get Vietnam visa run 

Do the visa run via land borders.

At these 16 land borders you can get Vietnam visa run

Tipping:

• If you are in Hanoi and northern provinces, choose to do a visa run via Noi Bai Airport to Singapore, Thailand, or Cambodia. (cheapest)
• If you are in Hochiminh city or southern provinces choose to do Moc Bai visa run which is considered the cheapest, fastest, and most convenient 

3. What you need prepared to get Vietnam visa run?

3.1 Original passport (valid for at least 06 months following your re-entry date);

3.2 A valid entry paper for Vietnam. It can be:

Your Vietnam 5-year visa;
Your e-visa for Vietnam;
Your visa approval letter if you get visa stamped at the checkpoint (original if you do the visa run via land border, or print if doing it via international airports of Vietnam). At the moment available for a business visa only;

3.3 Stamping fee; 02 passport-sized photos & Vietnamese application form in case you get the visa on arrival in this visa run;

3.4 Air ticket/bus ticket;

3.5 A black or blue pen to complete the form.

Note:
In case you do the visa run with visa exemption, items 3. 2 and 3.3  are NOT required.
If you do the visa border run, you must show the original visa approval letter with the red stamp and signature, a copy, scan, or photo is not accepted.
There is also regulation concerning the photos if required. Spend some minutes reading Vietnam visa photo requirements and sizes. Don’t forget your photos as you may be subject to a penalty of $2 or have to take it at the airport at around US $2/one. 
The visa stamping fee at Vietnam airport (if required) is US $25 for a single entry visa, US $50 for a multiple entry visa valid for up to 3 months.
The Vietnamese visa application form (if required) can be taken on your flight in case you do the visa run via the airport, in the front desk of the visa counter at the border gates, or downloaded here.

4. How to do a visa run for Vietnam?

4. 1. Vietnam visa run via international airports

Follow these steps
- Get your e-visa or visa approval letter (if required) via email, print it out, and prepare 02 photos and stamping fee (if required);
- Reach the Vietnam airport for a flight leaving Vietnam;
- Complete the customs procedure such country, and then come back to Vietnam;

4. 2. Vietnam visa run via land borders

Follow these steps:
- Get the e-visa or visa approval letter (if required);
- Book a van or a bus or simply drive on your own to the border. If you want to drive on your own and have no motorbike or car, just rent one in a store near your residence as it is very easy.
- Show your passport once you are at the Vietnamese border, and get the Vietnam exit stamp. After that, you’re officially not able to stay in Vietnam anymore.
- At the border, you pass one more passport control, and then you will head to Laos/Cambodia immigration office.
- Once you reach Laos/Cambodia immigration office, you need to show your original passport and Cambodia visa (if required) or get the visa on arrival (if available) and fill out the required forms. You will get the entry stamp of such a country on your passport.
- After that, you can get into the country for a few days’ trip or go back to the immigration counter to do the exit procedure to get the exit stamp. You’re done and successfully outside Laos/Cambodia and ready for a new Vietnamese visa!
- Once you reach the Vietnam border, the immigration will recheck your passport and Vietnam entry paper. After that, you will get the entry sticker.

5. Is visa approval letter for airport visa run the same as that for land border run?

The answer is No. Although they are both issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department via a local travel agency as permission to allow its holders to get visa stamped at the Vietnam border, they are different in the following aspects:

- Your port of entry for airport visa run is stated on the ending part of the letter, while that for the land border run is on its body;
- Your port of entry for airport visa run is not fixed, and you can switch among the above 8 international airports to get the visa stamped, but that in the letter for a land border visa run is fixed and cannot be changed;
- The letter you show to get visa stamped at Vietnam airport is a print while it must be original for the land border run. As such, you can get the letter for an airport visa while you are in Vietnam or in a foreign country, but you are required to get the letter for border visa run when you are in Vietnam, before leaving the country.