A rowboat glides across the golden Mekong River near riverside stilt houses at sunset in Chau Doc.

Travel guide

Crossing overland to Cambodia and Laos

Crossing into Cambodia or Laos by land or river is straightforward on most days and goes wrong for one reason more than any other: a visa that is not accepted at that particular gate. This page is about avoiding that.

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The one thing to get right

Last checked 22 September 2026

Checked every month and after any report from travellers or partners of a change at a gate. The lists of gates accepting each country’s e-visa change without much notice, so we check your specific gate and passport at booking, not from this page.

Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos all issue electronic visas, and each country accepts its e-visa only at a published list of airports and land gates. A visa that is perfectly valid at the airport can be refused at a river crossing. Visas on arrival exist at many gates too, but not all, and not for every nationality.

So the question is never just “do I need a visa?” It is “is this visa accepted at this gate on this date, for this passport?” That is the check we do for every overland crossing we book, and it is the reason we do not print fees or a fixed list here: both change.

Cambodia

Vietnam to Cambodia

Vietnam side	Cambodia side	Type	Usual use
Moc Bai	Bavet	Road	Saigon to Phnom Penh, 6 to 7 hours door to door
Vinh Xuong (near Chau Doc)	Kaam Samnor	River	Chau Doc to Phnom Penh by boat on the Mekong, 5 to 7 hours
Xa Xia (near Ha Tien)	Prek Chak	Road	Ha Tien or Phu Quoc to Kep and Kampot, a short drive

Moc Bai is the busy one, used by buses and private cars from Saigon; you walk through both sets of formalities and change vehicles on the Cambodian side. Vinh Xuong is the river crossing, and the boat from Chau Doc stops at both posts while you clear immigration. Xa Xia near Ha Tien links the far south-west of Vietnam with the Cambodian coast.

A woman in a conical hat sits at the back of a boat overlooking floating houses on the river in Chau Doc.

A tree-lined boulevard leads to city skyscrapers, viewed from an elevated gate in Ho Chi Minh City.

Leaving Chau Doc by river: allow the full day. · The road to Moc Bai, the fast way to Phnom Penh.

Laos

Vietnam to Laos

Vietnam side	Laos side	Usual use
Lao Bao	Dansavanh	Hue or the DMZ to Savannakhet along Route 9
Nam Can	Nong Haet	Vinh area to Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Cau Treo	Nam Phao	Ha Tinh towards Thakhek and Vientiane
Tay Trang	Sop Hun	Dien Bien Phu to the far north of Laos, towards Muang Khua

All four are mountain crossings with long drives on either side, and the facilities are simpler than at the Cambodian gates. Transport on the Lao side can be irregular, which is why we arrange a car and driver to meet you rather than leave you to find onward transport. For most travellers, flying to Luang Prabang or Vientiane is quicker; the land routes are for people who want the journey.

Military-style jeeps travel a winding rainy road through dense jungle along the former DMZ near Hue. — Route 9 near Lao Bao: the old road west from the DMZ.

Documents

What to carry at any gate

A passport with at least six months’ validity from the date you enter and several blank pages.
The visa for the country you are entering, confirmed as valid for that gate — printed if it is an e-visa.
A way back into Vietnam if you are returning: a multiple-entry visa, a new e-visa, or a visa exemption that applies to your passport.
Passport photographs and clean US dollar notes if you are using a visa on arrival.
Your onward booking and hotel address, which officers occasionally ask to see.

Pay only the official fees at the window, and ask for a receipt. Small extra requests are not unknown at some gates; the answer is patience and good humour, and on our crossings the guide or driver will explain what is and is not normal at that gate.

On the day

Timing a border day

Most gates open early in the morning and close in the late afternoon or early evening; the smaller Lao gates keep shorter hours and may close for lunch. Arrive with time to spare, avoid the weekends and holidays around Tet when queues are long, and never plan a flight on the far side the same afternoon. Queues at Moc Bai can take a few minutes or a couple of hours depending on how many buses arrive together.

01
Tell us your passport and dates
We check which visa each country accepts at the gate on your route.
02
We confirm the gate and the visa route
e-visa or visa on arrival, in writing, with the documents you need.
03
Crossing day
Our guide or driver takes you to the Vietnamese post; a partner vehicle meets you on the other side.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Can I use the Cambodian e-visa at Moc Bai or on the river crossing?

The Cambodian e-visa is accepted at some land gates and not others, and the list has changed over the years. We check the current position for your gate before booking.

Does the Laos e-visa work at the land borders with Vietnam?

Historically it has been valid at only a limited list of ports, and a visa on arrival has been the usual route at these gates. Check with us before applying; the list changes.

Do I need a new Vietnamese visa to come back?

If your Vietnamese visa was single entry, yes. If it was multiple entry and still valid, no. We check this when you book a route that leaves and returns.

Is the boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh worth it?

If you have the day, yes. It is slower than the road and far more interesting.