Guide · 5 min read
What to Check Before Leaving Vietnam on a Visa Run
The exit side of a visa run: checks to make before leaving Vietnam, from your permitted stay and passport to the documents you'll need to come back.
Most visa run advice focuses on getting back in. But the trip starts with leaving, and a few checks before you exit Vietnam decide how smooth the rest of the day will be.
1. You are leaving within your permitted stay
Check the end date of the stay you were granted on your last entry. If you leave on or before that date, the exit is routine. If you have stayed longer, the exit counter will deal with the overstay, which can mean a fine and extra checks, and it may affect how future entries are handled.
If you're past your date or very close to it, talk to us before booking. Don't assume a visa run will resolve it.
2. Your passport will still work for the whole trip
- Check remaining validity against the rules of every country you'll enter, including Vietnam on the way back.
- Make sure there are blank pages for new stamps.
- Look for damage: water marks, a loose cover, a torn data page. Officers can refuse a damaged passport.
3. The document you'll come back on is ready, and correct
Before you exit, you should know exactly how you'll come back in:
- Visa-exempt: confirm your nationality is on the current exemption list and how many days it allows.
- E-visa: check every detail matches your passport and the return border gate is the one on the e-visa. If an organiser is handling your e-visa and approval comes through on the day, don't leave the border area until it is approved.
Apply for an e-visa only through the official portal, evisa.gov.vn.
4. You can enter the neighbouring country
You'll be crossing into another country's territory, even if only for a short time. That means meeting its entry rules for your passport at that checkpoint. Check the official source for that country before the trip, not at the border.
5. You aren't leaving anything behind that you'll need
If you're returning to the same accommodation, this is easy. If you're checking out, keep with you anything you might need at the border: printed documents, the card you pay with, prescription medicines, chargers.
6. You know what the day looks like
Knowing the sequence of counters and what each one checks takes a lot of stress out of the day. Our how it works page explains the border stage in plain terms.
A quick pre-departure list
- Permitted stay end date: checked
- Passport validity, pages and condition: checked
- Return visa or exemption: confirmed and printed
- Neighbouring country entry rules: checked for your nationality
- Cash for border fees in the right currency
- Pickup time and contact number saved
The full version, including route-specific items, is on the visa run checklist.