Visa Runs From Ha Tien

    Hi.. I'm Canadian, with nothing but a tourist visa.
If i move to Ha Tien, can I do a 15-minute visa run to Cambodia every 3 months? Seems easier than the 12 hour runs expats do from Da Nang to Laos...
   

    -@kakooljay

Living in Hà Tiên will definitely make the process quicker, though not exactly as you've calculated the time differences.

You'll likely spend at least a full hour completing a visa run from central Hà Tiên, IF you time your trip to avoid busiest traffic periods.

The total round trip Đà Nẵng/Lao Bảo/Đà Nẵng can be as quick as 9 hours, depending on the transportation option you choose.

@OceanBeach92107

That's very good!

Pretty well what was reported, back in Aug/2022 (~1 Hour, minus the ferry ride)

    @OceanBeach92107
That's very good!
Pretty well what was reported, back in Aug/2022 (~1 Hour, minus the ferry ride)
   

    -@Aidan in HCMC

The trustworthy source for my answer...

😎👍

I do it from Dalat every 3 months. plane,  taxi, return

    I do it from Dalat every 3 months. plane,  taxi, return        -@stretch5

Time? Cost?

    I do it from Dalat every 3 months. plane,  taxi, return
   

    -@stretch5

You fly from Đà Lạt to Hà Tiên?

Complete, on topic answers are helpful and greatly appreciated 🙏

@kakooljay

You can do the border run, provided you hold a new eVisa to reenter VN immediately.

Received reports from two friends (one in Hanoi, the other Saigon) who received denials today.

Denied reason:  Application must be made from outside VN.

Your visa run might be a three day stay-over in Cambodia. Not a bad thing, really, just be prepared for that possibility.

    @kakooljay
You can do the border run, provided you hold a new eVisa to reenter VN immediately.
Received reports from two friends (one in Hanoi, the other Saigon) who received denials today.
Denied reason:  Application must be made from outside VN.

Your visa run might be a three day stay-over in Cambodia. Not a bad thing, really, just be prepared for that possibility.
   

    -@Aidan in HCMC

Again, another great reason to check with a trustworthy agent.

Our main agent here in Đà Nẵng and at least one I've heard of in HCMC will arrange in advance to make an emergency application as soon as a person leaves Vietnam, especially helpful for people who waited until the last minute and didn't make other plans.

So far they've been able to get the new visa and do a turnaround within 4 hours, which isn't a bad amount of time to have to hang around in a coffee shop or restaurant on the other side of the border.

But as with everything it comes at a price that some people might not want to pay.

If you move a bit west of Ha Tien, you can get a 365-day visa extension (but for a different country).

Also, you have to be old enough.

    If you move a bit west of Ha Tien, you can get a 365-day visa extension (but for a different country).
Also, you have to be old enough.
   

    -@jayrozzetti23

Knowing what I know now, if I hadn't gotten married I'd be very tempted to follow that suggestion JR 👍 (BTW, I miss being able to meet you for lunch or dinner. Hope you visit the Đà Nẵng area someday, in spite of your allergy to VN 😉)

        If you move a bit west of Ha Tien, you can get a 365-day visa extension (but for a different country). Also, you have to be old enough.        -@jayrozzetti23Knowing what I know now, if I hadn't gotten married I'd be very tempted to follow that suggestion JR 👍 (BTW, I miss being able to meet you for lunch or dinner. Hope you visit the Đà Nẵng area someday, in spite of your allergy to VN 😉)        -@OceanBeach92107

Yes, we enjoyed some fine meals there in Vũng Tàu, a place I have lots of good memories of. I'm not allergic to VN but was there for a long time so I'm just not in a big rush to return. Anywayz, you never know...

In spite of the long-term visa situation, Việt Nam still has several major advantages that are important to people of retirement age, namely quality of life, health care services and facilities, and level  of infrastructure development. Anyone thinking of moving across the border needs to consider that.

So, yes, moving TO the border could be a good plan.