What you actually pay, broken down by city, route, and transport type. All prices in VND with USD approximations.
Most people asking "how much does a visa run cost in Vietnam" want a straight number, so here it is: expect to pay somewhere between 1.5 million and 6 million VND (about 60 to 240 USD) for a one-day border run, depending on where you live and whether you share a van or take a private car. That total covers transport to the border and back, the entry fees on the far side, and your new Vietnam visa paperwork.
The spread is wide because two things drive the price: distance to the border, and how many people are splitting the ride. Someone in HCMC going to Moc Bai with a shared van pays far less than a solo traveler in Hanoi who needs a private car for an overnight trip to the Laos border.
This page breaks down every cost so you can see what you are actually paying for. The table below covers all 7 city sites in our network. Each city page has its own detailed price list, so click through for the full breakdown of your route.
Prices here are the real numbers our sites quote in 2026, marked as VND with USD approximations at roughly 25,000 VND to the dollar. Exchange rates move, and services adjust prices, so treat everything as a guide and confirm with the operator before you book.
All prices in VND. Transport prices are per person for shared vans and total per vehicle for private cars.
| City | Shared van | Private car | Border fee | 90 day e-visa | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCMC | 1.5M | 5-6M | ~1.1M (Cambodia) | ~2.4M | $60 van / $200-240 car |
| Da Nang | 1.5M | 5-6M | ~$35 USD (Laos) | ~2.4M | $60 van / $200-240 car |
| Hanoi | N/A | 5-7M | ~$35 USD (Laos) | ~2.4M | N/A / $200-280 car |
| Nha Trang | 1.5M (bus) | 6M | ~1.1M (Cambodia) | ~2.4M | $60 bus / $240 car |
| Hue | N/A | 4-6M | ~$35 USD (Laos) | ~2.4M | N/A / $160-240 car |
| Da Lat | 1.5M (bus) | 5-6M | ~1.1M (Cambodia) | ~2.4M | $60 bus / $200-240 car |
| Hoi An | 1.5M | 5-6M | ~$35 USD (Laos) | ~2.4M | $60 van / $200-240 car |
Prices are approximate and can shift. Always confirm with the service before booking.
A visa run quote is really three separate costs bundled into one number.
Transport is the biggest line item. A shared van from HCMC to Moc Bai and back runs about 1.5M VND per person. A private car is 5-6M VND total, which makes sense only if you are traveling with a group or want to leave on your own schedule. From cities farther from the border, like Hanoi or Hue, expect the private option to cost more because the drive is longer.
The border fee is what you pay on the far side. Cambodia charges USD 30 for a visa on arrival at Moc Bai, plus small entry and stamping fees, which is why our table shows roughly 1.1M VND for Cambodia routes. Laos charges around USD 35 at Lao Bao or the other northern gates. You pay this in cash at the border, in US dollars, so carry some.
The visa fee for your new Vietnam entry is the third part. Most runners now use the 90 day e-visa, the longest tourist option available. The government fee is USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry, and visa run services handle the application for you, which is where the service markup sits. Our price table lists the full service package at about 2.4M VND so you know the total, not just the government portion.
Why does the border fee column show 1.1M VND for some cities and USD 35 for others? Different countries, different pricing.
Cambodia routes (HCMC, Nha Trang, Da Lat) cross at Moc Bai, with Xa Mat as the quieter alternative. Cambodia's visa on arrival is USD 30 for most nationalities, and there are small extra charges at the gate: a passport photo fee if you did not bring one, an entry stamp, sometimes an exit form. Stack those together and the Cambodia side typically costs around 1.1M VND in total, about 44 USD. You pay in US dollars, and the exchange counters right at the border take a cut, so bring exact notes if you can.
Laos routes (Da Nang, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An) cross at Lao Bao, or further north at Na Meo and Huu Nghi. Laos charges about USD 35 for a visa on arrival at these land gates, depending on your nationality. The Lao side is generally quicker and cheaper than Cambodia in practice: fewer add-on fees, less pressure at the counter.
One thing both sides share: the fees are set in US dollars, and the rate you get converting VND at the border is never the best one. Plan to carry USD from the city, and check the visa-on-arrival fee list for your passport before you go. The route hubs explain each crossing in detail: visa run to Cambodia and visa run to Laos.
A cheap visa run in Vietnam does not mean a sketchy one. It means picking the options that cut the price without adding risk.
The quoted price covers the run, but a few small costs sneak up on first-timers. None of them are big, they just look annoying when they appear at the border.
None of these are dealbreakers. Budget an extra 300-500K VND on top of your quote and every one of them is covered.
A visa run is the cheapest way to stay legal month to month, but it is not the only way, and after a few runs the comparison changes.
If you only need one renewal, a single run at 1.5-6M VND beats any alternative. That is the simple case.
If you are staying six months or more, add up the runs. Two 90 day e-visa cycles means two border trips a year, roughly 3-12M VND in transport plus the visa fees each time. A temporary residence card (TRC) costs more up front, usually several million VND including the paperwork service, but it removes the border trips entirely and covers stays of up to one, two, or three years depending on your situation. For long-term residents, the TRC usually wins the math by the second year.
The middle option is the 90 day multi-entry e-visa at USD 50, which lets you leave and re-enter without a fresh application each time. Useful if you travel regionally anyway, less useful if you only need one clean renewal.
There is also the question of how many back-to-back runs immigration is comfortable with. Frequent border crossings get noticed, and a TRC removes that whole conversation. Our visa run vs e-visa vs TRC guide walks through the decision with a comparison table. For a rough yearly budget: one run every 90 days costs about 6-24M VND a year in transport alone, so the TRC becomes the cheaper long-term answer for most expats.
Between 1.5M and 6M VND (about 60-240 USD), depending on your city, the border, and whether you share a van or book a private car. The full price table is above.
Usually transport to the border and back, help with the paperwork on both sides, and the service fee for your new Vietnam visa. The Cambodia or Laos visa-on-arrival fee and the Vietnam government visa fee are often separate line items, so ask what your quote covers.
Yes. Cambodia charges about USD 30 at Moc Bai, plus small gate fees, roughly 1.1M VND total. Laos charges around USD 35 at Lao Bao. Both are paid in cash in US dollars at the border.
Most services charge the full package, around 2.4M VND, which covers the application handling plus the government fee of USD 25 for single entry or USD 50 for multiple entry. Confirm the breakdown before booking.
Book a shared van, go on a normal weekday, bring your own passport photos, and carry USD with exact change. That combination keeps a run at the low end of the price range without cutting corners on the paperwork.
Related guides: Vietnam visa run complete guide 2026 · Visa run to Cambodia · Visa run to Laos · Visa run vs e-visa vs TRC · Choose your city