How to Do a Border Run in Moc Bai Border Check Point (Tay Ninh Province)

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You already applied a Vietnam visa and entered Vietnam. The date of expiry is coming but you still want to be this nation more. So you are seeking for the way to stay longer in Vietnam. Let me tell you the best way that many foreigners choose to renew a Visa: Border Run!

1/ What is Border Run

Border run is a way to renew visa in case you want to stay longer than what visa you got before. In stead of paying much more money for visa extension or fly out and fly in Vietnam, you can exit via border and re-enter at this border right after exiting.

2/ Pros and Cons of Visa Border Run

Pros:

• Cheap price: Renewal visa by border run is cheaper than the other ways.
• Variety options: It is visa renewal, so you can choose a new type of visa to apply. For example, you can apply one month single entry, one month multiple entry, three months single entry or three month multiple entry.

Cons:

• Check out and check in Vietnam: You cannot renew visa without leaving Vietnam, so you need to exit at the border and re-enter this border to get the new visa. This process takes time and effort.

3/ Fee

You need to check the full expenses of each options to compare them correctly. The fee for border run is usually cheaper than the other ones, because you do not need to pay air ticket in visa on arrival, or you do not need to pay a big amount of money for extension.

The expenses will depend on where you are in Vietnam, your nationality, type of visa you want to apply. Take the example below (the fee for USA citizen):

Come out and re-enter Vietnam via Moc Bai border check point: If you are in Ho Chi Minh city or the south of Vietnam, you can transfer to Moc Bai check point (Tay Ninh province) by bus, then come to Cambodia, and then re-enter Vietnam via this border again. The fee will be:

– Roundtrip bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Moc Bai: Around 100,000 VND (5 USD).

– Visa to Cambodia for your nationality: Please check by yourself

–  Vietnam Visa three month single entry approval letter at land border: 25 USD for approval letter + 25 USD stamp fee

–  Vietnam Visa three month multiple entries approval letter at land border: 30 USD for approval letter + 50 USD stamp fee

4/ Processing time

It takes about 5 working days (not counting Saturday, Sunday and Holidays) to get the visa approval letter

It takes a day to leave and re-enter Vietnam via Moc Bai border.

5/ Documents

No documents are required. You just need to provide the personal information, such as: Full name, Date of Birth, Passport number, date of expire.

6/ Procedure

You need the original approval letter to get visa stamp at the border check point, so you have to apply this letter in advance. You must apply the approval letter at least 5 working days prior to the arrival date.

Step 1: Apply approval letter

Send to us information of:

– personal information (or send passport copy)

– entry date

– port of entry: If you indicate Moc Bai, you can only get it in Moc Bai

Step 2: Get the original approval letter

Please note that it takes 5 working days to process (excluded Saturday, Sunday & holiday), and it is required to get the original, not the copy. Therefore, you need to come to our office to get it.

Step 3: Renew visa by border run

Take the bus to Moc Bai border check point. For example, you can take a bus number 703 from Ben Thanh market (Ho Chi Minh City) to Moc Bai. There are 40 buses from Ben Thanh to Moc Bai each day, the earliest one departs at 5:30 AM. It takes about 2 – 3 hours from Ben Thanh to Moc Bai (80km), and the last bus from Moc Bai to Ben Thanh departs at 7:15 PM. Price for roundtrip bus is about 5 USD.

At the beginning of the date, you take bus from Ho Chi Minh to Moc Bai. You get Moc Bai around 9:00 AM. After getting Moc Bai, you exit Vietnam, then enter Cambodia (please prepare Cambodia visa by yourself). At that time, your current Vietnam visa is invalid.

After enter Cambodia, you can take a rest (about 30 minutes or 1 hour), then do the process to exit Cambodia gate. Then come back to Vietnam and re-enter with the approval letter you apply before. At this step, you are required to pay stamp fee at the border. Please prepare it in cash (one month and three months single entry: 25 USD; one month and three months multiple entry: 50 USD)

When finishing this process, your passport will be stamped with the new visa, and you take the bus to come back Ho Chi Minh city. You are allowed to stay in Vietnam with the new period of time!