Vietnam - Laos border gate

With the new Vietnam e-visa you can use other international border crossings in addition to the international airports.* For example, with a Vietnam e-visa you can use 5 land crossings between Laos and Vietnam. There are two types of border crossings, international and local. As you may suspect, international borders are generally open to all travelers who have a valid passport and visa, while local borders are only accessible to locals (on each side of the border). The international borders are the only ones covered here. If you miss a border crossing or important information, let us know in a response at the bottom of the page.

* Not all countries can apply for Vietnam E-Visa.

Important!

• The bus trips from Vietnam to Laos are a cheap alternative to flying, but long and tiring. If it fits your budget, always choose a flight.
• When you travel from Laos to Vietnam you must have an E-visa or a valid Vietnam visa.
• There are border crossings where an e-visa is not valid; so you must already have a valid visa here.
• You cannot use these border crossings with a VOA (visa on arrival). With a VOA you always have to arrive at one of the 5 international airports in Vietnam.
• With an e-visa you can travel to Vietnam once (single entry) and is valid for a maximum of 30 days.
• If you travel from Vietnam to Laos you can arrange the visa at the border. Make sure you bring enough cash in US Dollars.

Arrange visa for Vietnam

You can arrange your Vietnam visa before you travel at the Vietnamese embassy in your country. Are you already traveling, you have 2 options to arrange this:

1. Vietnam E-visas
2. Arrange a visa through a Vietnamese embassy

E-visas

You can apply for the E-visa via the official website of the Vietnam Immigration Service (evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn). When you arrange something through an online visa service, you will not receive an e-visa, but a Visa On Arrival and you can only enter Vietnam via an international airport. So only use the official website.

The e-visa starts on the day that you indicate that you are arriving in Vietnam. You specify this when applying for the e-visa. You cannot enter the country before this date, but later. Just keep in mind that the validity of the visa starts on the day that you have specified in the application, and therefore does not start until you arrive.

Also keep in mind that an e-visa is valid for a maximum of 30 days, single entry and not possible to extend. If you want to stay in Vietnam for more than 30 days, you need to arrange a Vietnam visa at the embassy.

Arrange Vietnam visa in Laos

Step 1: Find a nearest Vietnamese embassy

• Vientiane Embassy of Vietnam in Vientiane, Laos Address: 23 Singha Rd, Vientiane, Lao PDR Tel .: +856 21 451 990 Email: vnemb.lao@mofa.gov.vn
• Luang Prabang Vietnamese Consulate General in Luangprabang, Laos Address: 15 / II, Wat That Village, Phothisalath Road, Luangprabang Town, Luangprabang Province, Laos Tel .: +856 71 254 748 Email: tlsq-lpb@mofa.gov.vn or tlsqlpb@yahoo.com
• Pakse Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Paksé, Laos Address: No 31 Phabat, Paksé, Champasak, Laos Tel .: + 856-31 214 199 Email: vnemb.la@mofa.gov.vn
• Savanakhet Vietnamese Consulate General in Savannakhet Address: No.118, Sisavangvong, Kayson Phomvihan district, Savannakhet province, Laos Tel .: +856 41 212 418

Step 2: Apply for the visa

• Take your passport with you (With a validity of at least 6 months)
• Take a passport photo with you
• Fill in the paperwork, choose the length of stay and the date you arrive in Vietnam.

Processing your application can take between 1 hour and one entire working day, depending on which embassy you apply for and how busy it is.

Step 3: Get your visa and pay the visa costs

• Pay the visa fee (they only accepted US dollars).

Important:

The costs, procedures and opening times for applying for the visa are sometimes changed, so it is best to call the embassy of Vietnam and check the costs and the application process if you have any doubts.

Arrange a visa for Laos

If you travel from Vietnam to Laos, it doesn’t matter what kind of Vietnam visa you have. If you have entered Vietnam via the airport with a visa on arrival, you can go to Vietnam across a country border. If you travel to Laos from Vietnam, you need to arrange a visa for Laos. At most border crossings you can get a visa on arrival for Laos. You don’t have to arrange anything for this. It is important to check which country border you are crossing, because this is not possible with all of them.

For exact rules and procedures regarding visas in Laos, we recommend that you consult other websites, as this website is aimed at traveling around Vietnam.

Which border crossings are there?

• Sop Hun – Tay Trang *
• Bo Y – Ngoc Hi
• Cha Lo – Napao
• Nam Phao – Cau Treo
• Dansavanh – Lao Bao
• Nam Khan – Nam Can

Bus companies and travel agencies generally only use: Lao Bao, Tay Trang, Nam Khan and Cau Treo.