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Guest9832

Hello!

Next month I'm due to visit Vietnam for the first time to see my girlfriend. I hope to be there for just under 6 months while she waits for her next UK visa (which are all now taking 6 months!). I'd like to ask some practical information surrounding visas for my trip.

Since only 1 month tourist visas are currently being issued, I'm wondering what the exact process is for renewals. I have consulted with agents here / there and even had my girlfriend raise this matter with an immigration official directly in Ho Chi Minh City, but they don't seem to give clear / consistent / detailed answers, and just vaguely suggest that I can "easily" renew these contiguously (via several methods). After a bit of reading, I assume that the only reliable means to accomplish this from the dubious options mentioned (e.g. bribery / "just don't leave and pay an exit fine") is in fact border runs.

Let's assume that I am easily able to visit a suitable border crossing by bus / taxi / whatever. What is the process there? Do I need my next e-visa queued up in advance or should I apply there and then? What are the requirements from the Cambodian / Laotian side? Can I literally step into Cambodia at a valid checkpoint, take no action there and immediately turn around (without interacting with the Cambodian side) and return to Vietnam to renew / restart my visa again? Or do I need to gain some form of "stamp" from Cambodia? And if I require a stamp, would I therefore have to obtain two visas (one for Vietnam and one for Cambodia) for each month of my stay? None of this is clear to me unfortunately!

As a second (related) matter, I cannot board my flight from the UK without proof of forward travel within my visa dates (i.e. a plane / train / bus ticket out of Vietnam). Speaking with my airline (Emirates) they can only tell me that they will definitely accept a plane ticket, so I'll probably do that for the first time (30 days after arriving) and we'll take a 2 week trip to Thailand (where I can definitely stay visa free for that period) with a flight back. However, upon leaving Thailand, I will be left with exactly the same problem that I had when flying back into Vietnam (I will need yet another plane ticket in advance showing my exit point which will have to match my second e-visa). How is this cycle broken? Do Vietnamese officials simply not care / check which exit point I leave by? I would far rather be able to save money (and the planet) by taking a bike / taxi / bus / train to a land border in order to renew my visa. Is this practical? Will more local airlines accept bus tickets as proof of forward travel? I have seen BusBud suggested for buses, but they are a LOT more expensive than booking directly though companies there (nearly the same as flights)! At least the ticket / email would be in English, but that's less relevant as proof once over there. [Obviously plane tickets can be cancelled (at a cost), if exit points are unimportant, but this all seems very complicated and frankly unnecessary.]

If you could shed any light on the practicalities of staying in Vietnam for 6 months (as many people seem to do), that would be extremely helpful! [I am retired / won't be working out there, but I guess I could if it would assist in this process]

Thanks in advance,

Paul
OceanBeach92107

Hello!

Next month I'm due to visit Vietnam for the first time to see my girlfriend. I hope to be there for just under 6 months while she waits for her next UK visa (which are all now taking 6 months!). I'd like to ask some practical information surrounding visas for my trip.

Since only 1 month tourist visas are currently being issued, I'm wondering what the exact process is for renewals. I have consulted with agents here / there and even had my girlfriend raise this matter with an immigration official directly in Ho Chi Minh City, but they don't seem to give clear / consistent / detailed answers, and just vaguely suggest that I can "easily" renew these contiguously (via several methods). After a bit of reading, I assume that the only reliable means to accomplish this from the dubious options mentioned (e.g. bribery / "just don't leave and pay an exit fine") is in fact border runs.

Let's assume that I am easily able to visit a suitable border crossing by bus / taxi / whatever. What is the process there? Do I need my next e-visa queued up in advance or should I apply there and then? What are the requirements from the Cambodian / Laotian side? Can I literally step into Cambodia at a valid checkpoint, take no action there and immediately turn around (without interacting with the Cambodian side) and return to Vietnam to renew / restart my visa again? Or do I need to gain some form of "stamp" from Cambodia? And if I require a stamp, would I therefore have to obtain two visas (one for Vietnam and one for Cambodia) for each month of my stay? None of this is clear to me unfortunately!

As a second (related) matter, I cannot board my flight from the UK without proof of forward travel within my visa dates (i.e. a plane / train / bus ticket out of Vietnam). Speaking with my airline (Emirates) they can only tell me that they will definitely accept a plane ticket, so I'll probably do that for the first time (30 days after arriving) and we'll take a 2 week trip to Thailand (where I can definitely stay visa free for that period) with a flight back. However, upon leaving Thailand, I will be left with exactly the same problem that I had when flying back into Vietnam (I will need yet another plane ticket in advance showing my exit point which will have to match my second e-visa). How is this cycle broken? Do Vietnamese officials simply not care / check which exit point I leave by? I would far rather be able to save money (and the planet) by taking a bike / taxi / bus / train to a land border in order to renew my visa. Is this practical? Will more local airlines accept bus tickets as proof of forward travel? I have seen [link under review] suggested for buses, but they are a LOT more expensive than booking directly though companies there (nearly the same as flights)! At least the ticket / email would be in English, but that's less relevant as proof once over there. [Obviously plane tickets can be cancelled (at a cost), if exit points are unimportant, but this all seems very complicated and frankly unnecessary.]

If you could shed any light on the practicalities of staying in Vietnam for 6 months (as many people seem to do), that would be extremely helpful! [I am retired / won't be working out there, but I guess I could if it would assist in this process]

Thanks in advance,

Paul - @PaulChelsfield
I get the definite sense that you've come to the forum and asked your questions without reading any of the existing threads on these subjects.

Please do take the time to read what's already been posted.
pogiwayne
Paul,
If you enter Vietnam on a visa exemption then you must have a onward ticket. If you enter with evisa there is no onward ticket required. There are airlines that will ask for one because they can but not required.
You can exit anywhere but only enter as listed on your evisa.
There are people on their 5th evisa but nobody on 6.
Why don’t you marry her and get a proper visa that way. Much faster than waiting 6 months for a probable visa for her to UK with no guarantee that the visa will be issued.
Guest9832
@pogiwayne

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Good to know that I can exit anywhere, that certainly solves one of my questions! I wonder why they bother to capture that information on the e-visa?
There are people on their 5th evisa but nobody on 6
I'm not sure what to make of that? 5 is the maximum?

My airline (Emirates) has excellent support and I was even put in touch with the ground crew in Manchester airport. They told me that I'd need an onward flight ticket to ensure being able to travel. But I think that you're saying that most airlines may not be that strict. Do you happen to know which are lenient? I'm not an experienced traveller and don't really want to get stuck trying to book a new flight from an airport / last minute hotels!!

[ASIDE (but answering what was asked): The UK visa that we are currently awaiting is a fiancee visa for my girlfriend so that we can be married in the UK (where we intend to live long term). A spouse visa takes the same time. The reason that we are doing things this way is due to legal advice that getting married in the UK is better for this scenario (from an ex UKVI official) and also so that we get about a year actually living together to see if we work properly rather than being forced into taking a premature legal commitment. We met before the pandemic here in the UK, but were forced to have a long distance relationship for most of it due to border closures. She came back here for as long as she could in April the moment that she was allowed. Now it's my turn...]
Guest9832

@OceanBeach92107

Thanks for taking the time to reply, but that's not actually the case! I read the forum all morning, but very quickly found myself reading pre-pandemic (out of date) advice about 3-6 month visas. And none answering my quite specific questions. I've emailed the consular services here and there with the same questions (translated by my partner), but am not holding my breath.

What I am in essence asking is: When I exit and re-enter Vietnam via a land border, do I need to have a Cambodian visa to do it? And should that be an e-visa lined up in advance? What actually happens at the border? Is it like an airport and I MUST cross? OR can I simply have another Vietnamese e-visa queued up and ready to go and just go to an office (at the border) queue for a bit and turn around?

As a Brit, it would seem that I need a visa to enter Cambodia, but there's actually nothing about it on their website, nor on the Vietnamese equivalent and this would mean that I am paying for a 30 day visa for a visit of an hour or so! I just want to understand what the process is. I've only once crossed a land border for this purpose before (USA -> Mexico for a similar purpose in about 2006), the level of security there was nothing short of extreme, but the requirements were clear! Also, I at least spoke the same language as the officials there and could understand their questions. I'm just asking for someone to describe the process... Do you check-out on one side and check-in on the other? I am looking to allay my travel anxieties and prepare as much as possible in advance.

To be very clear, I'm not asking about documentation at all, nor which border is best / cheapest (and I'll take my own pen)! I have a new British passport, $20m worldwide travel insurance, I'm provably triple vaccinated against Covid and have had all relevant travel vaccinations in good time. I'm sure that I meet all the requirements as outlined in this thread, but it doesn't answer the practical aspect of my question at all. Nor do I see another that does, for example this one - related but quite different.

[I apologise if I missed a relevant thread, but this isn't my "world" and I don't know the terms to search on. I thought that it would simply be prudent to ask...]

pogiwayne
@pogiwayne

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Good to know that I can exit anywhere, that certainly solves one of my questions! I wonder why they bother to capture that information on the e-visa?
There are people on their 5th evisa but nobody on 6
I'm not sure what to make of that? 5 is the maximum?

My airline (Emirates) has excellent support and I was even put in touch with the ground crew in Manchester airport. They told me that I'd need an onward flight ticket to ensure being able to travel. But I think that you're saying that most airlines may not be that strict. Do you happen to know which are lenient? I'm not an experienced traveller and don't really want to get stuck trying to book a new flight from an airport / last minute hotels!!

[ASIDE (but answering what was asked): The UK visa that we are currently awaiting is a fiancee visa for my girlfriend so that we can be married in the UK (where we intend to live long term). A spouse visa takes the same time. The reason that we are doing things this way is due to legal advice that getting married in the UK is better for this scenario (from an ex UKVI official) and also so that we get about a year actually living together to see if we work properly rather than being forced into taking a premature legal commitment. We met before the pandemic here in the UK, but were forced to have a long distance relationship for most of it due to border closures. She came back here for as long as she could in April the moment that she was allowed. Now it's my turn...]
- @PaulChelsfield
I said 5 not because that is the maximum but because it is the only know amount. First evisa as March 15..... I went to Emirates website and this is what it says concerning onward ticket: "Visa exempt visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused entry." This meets the requirements of the Vietnamese law. So if you use a 30 day evisa there is no requirement for showing a ticket for onward travel. That being said all airlines can implement any requirement they want.
Vietnam Airlines knows the law and most likely if you don't use the visa exemption would not require an onward ticket. Also being you will need to do a border run every 30 days go ahead and book a ticket for onward travel to another country. If it was me I would correspond with Emirates explaining to them which visa is going to be used. Escalate questions up the chain of command if they say no.
Thanks for explaining your situation and there are many of us working out situations like yours.
Guest9832
"What I am in essence asking is: When I exit and re-enter Vietnam via a land border, do I need to have a Cambodian visa to do it? And should that be an e-visa lined up in advance? What actually happens at the border? Is it like an airport and I MUST cross? OR can I simply have another Vietnamese e-visa queued up and ready to go and just go to an office (at the border) queue for a bit and turn around?"

You will need to enter Cambodia, which requires a visa, exit Cambodia then return to Viet Nam and re-enter. You can't just go to the border and get a new visa, you must exit the country, they will generally look for an entry and exit stamp when coming back into VN.
Guest9832
You will need to enter Cambodia, which requires a visa, exit Cambodia then return to Viet Nam and re-enter. You can't just go to the border and get a new visa, you must exit the country, they will generally look for an entry and exit stamp when coming back into VN.
- @colinoscapee

Thanks, that's extremely helpful and what I was looking for clarity on. So for every "border run" I actually need two e-visas for the same period (one per country) and I just waste the Cambodian / Laotian one each time. This does rather make the whole process riskier as it relies upon being granted successive visas from two countries, not just one (or paying for flights to Thailand instead).

Very useful to know though!
Guest9832
I said 5 not because that is the maximum but because it is the only know amount. First evisa as March 15.....
Gotcha. I understand now.
I went to Emirates website and this is what it says concerning onward ticket: "Visa exempt visitors not holding return/onward tickets could be refused entry." This meets the requirements of the Vietnamese law. So if you use a 30 day evisa there is no requirement for showing a ticket for onward travel. That being said all airlines can implement any requirement they want.
If it was me I would correspond with Emirates explaining to them which visa is going to be used. Escalate questions up the chain of command if they say no.
Indeed, and I've already checked with their UK departure team that they do require a "verifiable" proof of forward travel. For them the easiest is a plane ticket and less verifiable options (e.g. bus ticket) may cause issues. Not wanting any possibility of not being allowed on the flight, I opted for flights to Thailand for a few weeks.

I've now booked all of our Thai flights and hotels for our "holiday" there too, so the first exit / re-entry should be easier (only requiring the Vietnamese visa). I guess that I'll get to experience the joys of the border in early October!

I do feel that this simple piece of information (actually needing 2 visas) is not discussed enough and should be in the guides!
Guest9832

I do feel that this simple piece of information (actually needing 2 visas) is not discussed enough and should be in the guides!

Well, it has been discussed so many times over the last 10-years. A search online (Google)would have  given you this information.
Guest9832
Well, it has been discussed so many times over the last 10-years. A search online (Google)would have  given you this information.
- @colinoscapee

This may well be the case, BUT there are some very important points that you need to remember when telling people to just "Google it" for this particular information...
  • These rules have changed very recently. Much of the advice online is (un / out)dated and alludes to many options that simply aren't available any more. Most agent websites are like this and the official websites are dire. How do you know what to trust? (spoiler: you can't)
  • You guys must remember that this is a world (expat life / travelling) that you are very used to. Many people on here have hundreds / thousands of posts and have been doing this for years (seasoned travellers) - you yourself note a 10 year span. You have a general idea of what exists, what to search for and where might be a good place to find it. Some of us new folk simply don't have this background and just want a little hand holding! That's why we ask people such as you with more knowledge; it's literally what fora such as this one exist for!
  • "Official" advice given directly by immigration staff and agents is very poor! I've had extremely conflicting opinions in the last month alone - several have even offered to sell me 3 month visas for several hundred dollars or suggested businesses that I could "work for" (for a fee). One (a very helpful young girl) told me not to get a visa in advance and to simply "talk to" the officials when there, explain my situation and they will understand. When I told her that only e-visas are being issued, she repeated the "talk to" phrase and rubbed her fingers together (i.e. a bribe). This is not something that Brits are used to, we don't do corruption on a daily basis, it's not how we think! (exiting and re-entering a country for visa reasons is a similarly foreign process to us too)
  • Of the related guides on this very site, only one is recent and the others are from 2010-2014. Even the most recent one mentions 3 month tourist visas (i.e. incorrect information)!! (incidentally none of them mention border renewals in any detail nor the practicalities thereof and no sniff of exit port enforcement on e-visas).
If there is a post in recent history (the last 6 months) discussing my questions, then I do apologise, but I just don't see it (and I've looked)! As to reading advice from prior to that? I don't see the benefit since it's all different now, I would simply be reading how it was and still require clarity as to how it actually is now anyway...

As always in life, it should always be safe / encouraged to ask for help when you need it. I'm not suggesting encouraging people to be lazy, but the sheer volume of text that I write in my messages should hopefully assure you that this is not my case.



[ASIDE: I have actually been a moderator (and active contributor) for several popular (programming) fora and am well aware of "lazy" posts from people who want you to do their homework and the corresponding desire to use Let Me Google That For You ([link under review]) to passive aggressively "educate" them! However, that's totally against the spirit of a forum. It's the community's job (especially the moderator's) to avoid this urge and calmly either point them in the right direction (e.g. direct links to other related posts / resources / sites / explanations) or if it's a novel enough situation, help them to the best of your abilities without judgement. In programming-land that means never saying "your code is terrible, you shouldn't be doing that at all and you should know better, there are guides out there, follow them!" - because that is the very definition of unhelpful (even if true). The reason to do this is to ensure that all posts are somewhat useful for future visitors of all levels of experience and to encourage new users to your friendly community. Just my 2₵.]
Guest9832
Typed this, "visa run from Viet Nam to Cambodia" and got  over 20 different pages relating to visa runs. If that is too difficult for the average Joe, then  god help us.
OceanBeach92107
Paul,

For such a seasoned moderator, it's surprising you haven't discovered the sticky threads in this and every country's expat.com forum.

After you first read the Forum Code of Conduct, you could have clicked on the sticky thread "Vietnam Reopening for Tourists, With Conditions" and seen how the visa situation in Vietnam has been evolving since COVID restrictions began to be lifted.

It might not have answered all of your questions, but it would have served to give you insight into the ongoing discussion we've already been having here in the forum for quite some time.

That could have allowed you to enter the discussion in context, asking specific unanswered questions.

We (general members, Vietnam advisor and Vietnam expert) have virtually nothing to do with the myriad articles published by this website.

Believe me, we are all well aware of their shortcomings (there is another sticky thread about that).

You started off by making certain assumptions about simple things that your extensive research failed to uncover, first being, there is currently no such thing as a tourist visa RENEWAL.

You get an E-visa (or use a visa exemption) and enter the country on or after the approved entry date on your E-visa and then leave the country (mandatory) on or before the expiration date of your visa.

This is pretty much Visa 101 everywhere in the world.

Should you want to "remain" in the country, you can't.

Period.

As is said nightly in honky tonks and pubs, "You don't have to go home but you've got to get the h-ll out of here!"

Common sense dictates that in order to go to that place (across the Cambodia or Laos borders, or on a flight to Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines or wherever) you must have a visa for that sovereign state.

However, you can immediately return from whence you've gone, since visa rules allow that (as discussed in the aforementioned sticky thread).

By all means, welcome to the forum and join the conversations.
jayrozzetti23

Hello!

Next month I'm due to visit Vietnam for the first time to see my girlfriend. I hope to be there for just under 6 months while she waits for her next UK visa (which are all now taking 6 months!). I'd like to ask some practical information surrounding visas for my trip.


Since only 1 month tourist visas are currently being issued, I'm wondering what the exact process is for renewals. I have consulted with agents here / there and even had my girlfriend raise this matter with an immigration official directly in Ho Chi Minh City, but they don't seem to give clear / consistent / detailed answers, and just vaguely suggest that I can "easily" renew these contiguously (via several methods). After a bit of reading, I assume that the only reliable means to accomplish this from the dubious options mentioned (e.g. bribery / "just don't leave and pay an exit fine") is in fact border runs.


Welcome to the forum, Paul.

As mentioned in some recent threads such as
and as your own research has confirmed, 30-day visas are what are currently offered. This may change in the (near) future, but no one really knows what to expect. For example, a recent article

(https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/cen … 86563.html)

states:

“Several industry insiders have proposed that the government steps up tourism promotion campaigns and relax current visa policies to give the industry a big boost for the remaining months of the year.

Vietnam targets 5 million foreign arrivals this year, around 30 percent of 2019, when their numbers had reached record levels.

However, it has only received 602,000 foreigners so far this year.”

Actually, there are two options: border runs and visa runs (actually taking a trip to another country as you mention in regard to Thailand). If you are in HCMC, you go to the Mộc Bài border crossing, which is a couple hours away. I can’t give you any specific info as I haven’t been there since 2017. They were renovating the building at that time, so hopefully it’s a lot better. You can go yourself by bus or hired car with driver, but travel and visa agents also offer packages where you travel with a group and they take care of everything. For your first trip, it’s probably better to use this guided option.   

However, in my experience, if you have the time and money, and it sounds like you do, the visa run option is a lot more rewarding and relaxing. Visiting Laos, Cambodia (a bit dodgy, actually), Thailand, Malaysia, or Singapore, etc. for a few days or even a week or two is going to give you a break from Vietnam and broaden your horizons, whereas a border run means being jammed in a speeding van or a slow bus to be herded like cattle under the blazing hot sun and waiting around in no-man’s land with a lot of dodgy people around wanting to help you (if you go on your own) just to turn around and come straight back to overcrowded noisy Sài Gòn.

Anyway, there are recent videos on youtube about these topics although again, there’s not much to discuss at this point.

Guest9832
Welcome to the forum, Paul.
Thank you, John. And thanks for replying! I'm aware that boosting tourism will be on the cards for Vietnam at some point and that it's a balancing act for the government.
Actually, there are two options: border runs and visa runs (actually taking a trip to another country as you mention in regard to Thailand). If you are in HCMC, you go to the Mộc Bài border crossing, which is a couple hours away. I can’t give you any specific info as I haven’t been there since 2017. They were renovating the building at that time, so hopefully it’s a lot better. You can go yourself by bus or hired car with driver, but travel and visa agents also offer packages where you travel with a group and they take care of everything. For your first trip, it’s probably better to use this guided option.   
My girlfriend was planning to drive me there (because I get coach sick), but she has never done this before either. I might well look into a guided option for my first land border run then. Good tip!
However, in my experience, if you have the time and money, and it sounds like you do, the visa run option is a lot more rewarding and relaxing. Visiting Laos, Cambodia (a bit dodgy, actually), Thailand, Malaysia, or Singapore, etc. for a few days or even a week or two is going to give you a break from Vietnam and broaden your horizons, whereas a border run means being jammed in a speeding van or a slow bus to be herded like cattle under the blazing hot sun and waiting around in no-man’s land with a lot of dodgy people around wanting to help you (if you go on your own) just to turn around and come straight back to overcrowded noisy Sài Gòn.
We have been considering this, and may still do it (we're visiting Thailand for the first visa run), but costs are still a consideration and it would be nice to experience some of the real Vietnam with my partner while I have the guided opportunity. I've been to Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore on package holidays multiple times before anyway (some before they were unspoilt).
Anyway, there are recent videos on youtube about these topics although again, there’s not much to discuss at this point.
Sadly another site that I firmly block on my network. Never write commercial tracking software for big companies, it makes you  ̶p̶a̶r̶a̶n̶o̶i̶d̶ cautious for life!!
Guest9832
Typed this, "visa run from Viet Nam to Cambodia" and got  over 20 different pages relating to visa runs. If that is too difficult for the average Joe, then  god help us.
- @colinoscapee
*sigh* there's no need to be rude.

However, I did exactly this just now as an exercise (on DDG, Google is blocked on my networks), and half way down on page 2 (who gets there?) was the first one to actually offer useful information (I think!!). I'll put it here because it's potentially very useful for future people asking these sorts of questions (at least for the moment):

vietnam-visa.com/visa-run/
(and even this one doesn't tell me that I should probably be getting an e-visa for Cambodia too, because they have also adopted that system - though I'm still unsure of whether that is actually better / required, but don't really want to ask now in case I'm told to Google it!)

ALL other links that appeared for me (in the UK, via DDG) are agency sites of unknown age (many in the US?), obvious clickbait sites or are simply very outdated travel sites (like the guides section here). Every single one references things that I believe (not sure!) to be out of date prior to the above article (e.g. letters of approval, 90 day visas?). Literally, try **actually opening** the first 20. I'm not saying that there isn't useful information in them (there is!), but I personally lack the domain knowledge to filter the correct pieces of data as pertinent information and ignore the junk! Google may do a better job! Google Australia might be better than Google UK too (more common to travel to Vietnam from there?), but my experience is that Internet search was not useful for this question.

Most Internet articles these days are written as SEO fodder (hell, I used to employ people to do the same thing for my business), they are written by a blogger writing articles for little / no money who does basic research for 20 mins into the subject at hand and writes the article in an hour with stock photos. This is the single biggest thing wrong with the Internet in my opinion (although ads and cookies are strong contenders).

Back on topic though, what I have tried (and and seemingly failed) to communicate, is that I am looking for some confirmation; some validation of what is correct. That is why I went to a forum. For the up-to-date community knowledge. I didn't go for judgement nor to argue with Internet strangers (even though it may seem that I did). I came to reduce my anxieties around travel (up to now I've been a package holiday person or had a company take care of it all for me).
Guest9832
Geez mate, your replies are very long winded and sound very childish. Anyway, youve been here for a few days now Im sure we can change things to suit you. Good luck. 1f644.svg
Guest9832

@PaulChelsfield there is a company running daily Moc Bai visa runs from Saigon. Leave in the morning as a group return in the arvo. Costs $35 plus the cost of the evisa.

Guest9832

For such a seasoned moderator, it's surprising you haven't discovered the sticky threads in this and every country's expat.com forum.
Funnily enough, I've read them all. None answer my specific questions!
After you first read the Forum Code of Conduct, you could have clicked on the sticky thread Vietnam Reopening for Tourists, With Conditions and seen how the visa situation in Vietnam has been evolving since COVID restrictions began to be lifted.
I did, and it's interesting, but sadly not relevant to my questions directly. I'm a nervous traveller, I want direct relevance...
It might not have answered all of your questions, but it would have served to give you insight into the ongoing discussion we've already been having here in the forum for quite some time.

That could have allowed you to enter the discussion in context, asking specific unanswered questions.
It does give context, but I did ask specific unanswered questions. If my questions have been answered in those sticky threads, please do post a link and I will eat humble pie!
We (general members, Vietnam advisor and Vietnam expert) have virtually nothing to do with the myriad articles published by this website. 

Believe me, we are all well aware of their shortcomings (there is another sticky thread about that).
I wasn't criticising anyone, just pointing out via an example close to home that knowing which information to trust on the Internet is difficult. Very difficult if you are not a domain expert. Which I certainly am not when it comes to travel!

The reason that I posted here is because you guys are though!
You started off by making certain assumptions about simple things that your extensive research failed to uncover, first being, there is currently no such thing as a tourist visa RENEWAL.

You get an E-visa (or use a visa exemption) and enter the country on or after the approved entry date on your E-visa and then leave the country (mandatory) on or before the expiration date of your visa.
I apologise for my incorrect vernacular. Renew is the wrong world. Contiguous issuance of new visas is what I meant. Pedantry aside, there was no misunderstanding, I knew that it would be a new visa, just not if I had to actually exit (with a Cambodian visa) to get it.
This is pretty much Visa 101 everywhere in the world.
I'm European, travelling round here, we don't really do visas! Or borders in fact. The whole EU zone is visa free for normal holiday lengths! I'm being serious on this one. I've needed a visa about 3 times in my life and am pretty well travelled from a 2-week holiday point of view. I've had visas for the US <- work, India (> 1 month) and the Seychelles and all were arranged transparently by a travel agent as part of the package.
Should you want to "remain" in the country, you can't.

Period.

As is said nightly in honky tonks and pubs, "You don't have to go home but you've got to get the h-ll out of here!"

Common sense dictates that in order to go to that place (across the Cambodia or Laos borders, or on a flight to Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines or wherever) you must have a visa for that sovereign state.
Actually I don't see the "common sense" in it at all! It's basically just a monetary fine to another country and a coach trip that I don't want to take in order to renew a visa! (sorry, "contiguously issue a replacement visa" 1f923.svg). A building spanning the border where I walk in a circle across an imaginary border line and straight back to a desk makes exactly as much sense to me! Why I need to spend $30 and queue in a line 100m from the border only to turn back around (which is obviously a common occurrence) makes utterly no sense to me. As a business man, I would simply double the cost of a visa if anyone wanted to renew it, offer it online and be done with it. Have a maximum renewals limit of 6 (to ensure people actually leave with steep fines to enforce it) and enjoy the extra income from tourists and reduced salaries from border staff! I would argue that that would be the "common sense" approach that a government should take on this matter.
However, you can immediately return from whence you've gone, since visa rules allow that (as discussed in the aforementioned sticky thread).
Indeed, which is why it makes so little sense to me! Though just FYI, many agents here (London) are still advising that you need to leave for 30 days prior to re-entry! The rules are honestly not universally known even among travel companies (because I was the only white guy in most of them, I guess they're not used to helping foreigners).
By all means, welcome to the forum and join the conversations.
- @OceanBeach92107
I look forward to doing that, but perhaps when I have a little expat experience under my belt and some opinions built out of personal empirical evidence (aka limited anecdotal experience 1f602.svg) I will be able to contribute usefully.

Until then, my rock beckons. It's missing me and someone else might crawl under it if I don't get back there in time.

Guest9832
Geez mate, your replies are very long winded and sound very childish. Anyway, youve been here for a few days now Im sure we can change things to suit you. Good luck. 1f644.svg
- @colinoscapee
You mean that I used empirical evidence to refute what you said? Indeed, how very childish of me. I just want people to be aware of what telling people to "Google it" is actually like when looking for changing information - i.e. often not useful.
Guest9832
@panda7

Thanks, I'll look into companies like this one. Might be a good option with some travel sickness pills.
SimCityAT

Please keep it civil

Just to remind you all Paul is new to the forum, and unlike a lot of you is not familiar with the site.

Maybe the questions sound silly to you, but as the title says "First Time Visitor Visa Questions"

All you needed to do was point him in the right direction.

SimCityAT
Expat Team
OceanBeach92107
  Should you want to "remain" in the country, you can't.

Period.

As is said nightly in honky tonks and pubs, "You don't have to go home but you've got to get the h-ll out of here!"

Common sense dictates that in order to go to that place (across the Cambodia or Laos borders, or on a flight to Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines or wherever) you must have a visa for that sovereign state.
Actually I don't see the "common sense" in it at all! It's basically just a monetary fine to another country and a coach trip that I don't want to take in order to renew a visa! (sorry, "contiguously issue a replacement visa" 1f923.svg). A building spanning the border where I walk in a circle across an imaginary border line and straight back to a desk makes exactly as much sense to me! Why I need to spend $30 and queue in a line 100m from the border only to turn back around (which is obviously a common occurrence) makes utterly no sense to me. As a business man, I would simply double the cost of a visa if anyone wanted to renew it, offer it online and be done with it. Have a maximum renewals limit of 6 (to ensure people actually leave with steep fines to enforce it) and enjoy the extra income from tourists and reduced salaries from border staff! I would argue that that would be the "common sense" approach that a government should take on this matter.
However, you can immediately return from whence you've gone, since visa rules allow that (as discussed in the aforementioned sticky thread).
Indeed, which is why it makes so little sense to me!
- @PaulChelsfield
I haven't meant to be inhospitable to you, but you've just clarified why I resisted being pulled down the rabbit hole of your first post.

You did indeed know the simple process before you posted here, but because it doesn't pass your personal sniff test and because you obviously have little respect for national sovereignty (one step into another country is as much of a cross-border entry as a flight taking you hundreds of miles into the interior) you've now gone out of your way to tell us how things should work, from your educated and superior viewpoint.

You definitely are entitled to your viewpoint here in the forum.

What you seemingly fail to see is that this system is actually a courtesy of sorts, allowing us to honor the laws of our host nation by exiting in a timely manner, while still having an opportunity to give it one more 30 day shot, IF we so desire.

You don't "need" to be involved in the process or pay anything unless you choose to do so.

Recognize that you are choosing the only current option of having TOURIST status for 30 days, which includes the requirement that you exit the country on time.

You (and all of us limited by current visa restrictions) are free to refuse the current visa rules and visit a different country or go home.

But when a "first time visitor" (who hasn't actually visited yet) makes it a point to denigrate the system already in place, it smacks of a sense of entitlement.

Here's hoping you end up having a tolerable experience as you follow what seem to be nonsensical rules here.

You will undoubtedly have many more opportunities to do just that.

Cheers!

O.B.




Guest9832

Please keep it civil

Just to remind you all Paul is new to the forum, and unlike a lot of you is not familiar with the site.

Maybe the questions sound silly to you, but as the title says "First Time Visitor Visa Questions"

All you needed to do was point him in the right direction.

SimCityAT
Expat Team
- @SimCityAT


Nah, he's been here two days and trying to have changes made to suit.

I must say, he's writing skills are very similar to a certain poster that kept getting banned.

In relation to your E-visa rant. You don't have to get an E-visa, it shows that you can get a visa at the border gate. Maybe your reading skills are failing you, but my VN wife read the info and understands what's being said.

I won't comment again as I can see this poster just likes to ***
Moderated by Cheryl 2 years ago
Reason : Unnecessary comment
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct
AndyHCMC
@everyone

I think the point has been made - how to go out and in via bordergate.

The rest of the back and forth is gettinge off topic.

@Paul your girlfriend can jump on her phone and book one of the many buses that go to Phnom Penh and ask the fare to Moc Bai plus ask them to book a ticket back from Moc Bai.

The staff on bus get your passport and walk you through the border gates.

They go daily and just about every 30mins or so. She will know heaps of them as they flood the streets going every part of the country.

Booking a bus to any VN is as easy as ordering a milktea or food on Grab, they use them to go hometown, holiday, TET.
OceanBeach92107
@panda7

Thanks, I'll look into companies like this one. Might be a good option with some travel sickness pills.
- @PaulChelsfield
Insight:

Drivers never get carsick.

Passengers get carsick.

Why?

The driver is always scanning the horizon and keeping their inner ear oriented/balanced.

Passengers read books or write/draw or look at their smartphones or focus on a baby/pet or food plus cover the window and/or go to sleep.

Stop doing those things, keep your eyes on the scenery as much as does the driver and you'll stop getting motion sickness.

You're welcome...
OceanBeach92107
For further discussion about the requirements to make a land crossing into and out of Cambodia, please start with this post by the Cambodia expert on the Cambodia forum (link).
Cheryl
Hello everyone,

I think you have already addressed this subject.

I will now close the thread.

Cheers,

Cheryl
Expat.com team
Closed

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