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The Moc Bai visa run is the usual choice for foreigners in Ho Chi Minh City. Mộc Bài is the closest international gate to the city, it accepts the Vietnamese e-visa, and it faces Bavet, the only crossing on the Vietnam–Cambodia border that accepts the Cambodian e-visa. This guide covers Mộc Bài only: the route, documents for both sides, the order of the checkpoints, and how to arrange things with your driver so the trip fits into a morning.
Rules can change, and only the officers decide on entry. We provide the car and driver; we do not handle visas and cannot promise any result. Check evisa.gov.vn and Cambodian official sources first. The general rules are in our visa run by private car from Ho Chi Minh City guide.
Updated 21 October 2026. Written by the Car Rental Vietnam operations team from experience running trips to Tây Ninh and the Mekong Delta, checked against current legal texts. Immigration rules can change; check the official portals before you travel.
Mộc Bài International Border Gate is in Tây Ninh province. Since 1 July 2025, Tây Ninh and Long An have formed the new Tây Ninh province, but the gate's name is unchanged. It is about 70 km north-west of central Ho Chi Minh City, mostly along National Route 22 through Củ Chi and Trảng Bàng. The drive usually takes from about 90 minutes to over two hours depending on when you leave and how busy the city exits are.
Three reasons people choose it:
Apply on evisa.gov.kh, the Cambodian foreign ministry's official site. It quotes processing of about three business days, so apply early, not the night before. Print the approval and carry it. This option has the fewest surprises because you know in advance that you hold a visa.
Cambodia's foreign ministry says visas on arrival remain available at international land checkpoints. Bring a passport photo and small, clean US dollar notes. Some nationalities must get a visa from an embassy in advance, so check yours before the day.
Cambodia's e-visa site states that every traveller must complete the e-Arrival form even with a visa, ideally within seven days before arrival. Keep a screenshot of the confirmation.
Some ASEAN nationals are visa-exempt for Cambodia and need only a passport and the e-Arrival. Confirm your own status on an official source.
What matters most is having a valid basis to re-enter Vietnam the same day:
Check your name, passport number, date of birth and validity dates on the e-visa three times. A single wrong character can hold you up at the counter.
Timing varies a lot. Weekday mornings are often quicker, while holidays and long weekends can mean an hour or more in each direction.
| Time of day | Plan | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning | Pickup at your hotel or home | Send your address and a map pin the day before |
| Mid-morning | Arrive at Mộc Bài and complete both sides | Morning gives you time to fix any problem |
| Around noon | Light lunch near the gate | Re-check your stamp and stay date while you rest |
| Early afternoon | Drive back to the city | Beat the evening peak on the city approaches |
The driver waits in the Vietnamese car park the whole time. Save the driver's number, photograph the number plate before you get out, and agree a specific meeting point such as the car-park gate or a drinks stall. Phone signal can be weak around the gate, so if you lose contact, go back to the agreed spot.
Some visitors want to see the Cao Đài Holy See or Bà Đen mountain afterwards. If you finish early and have the energy it can be done, but it makes the day longer and the return later. Our advice is to put the formalities first and add sights only once you have definitely re-entered Vietnam. Tell us when booking so the driver can plan. See also our Tây Ninh and Bà Đen mountain day trip.
A visa run needs only a shoulder bag for documents, money, phone and water. If you are moving between places with suitcases, they can stay in the car: a 4–5 seater takes about 3 suitcases and a 7-seater about 4. Groups can share a 16-seater or 9-seat Limousine.
The cars are 2022–2025 models, and VinFast EVs suit the Mộc Bài distance. Chauffeur prices include fuel and tolls, every quote gets 10% off, and an 8% VAT invoice is available on request. Send the quick-quote form with date, pickup time, address and passengers. See also car rental with driver and private driver versus taxi.
If you travel with others, everyone keeps their own passport. At the counter, officers may ask about the purpose of your stay, where you live in Vietnam and when you plan to leave. Answer briefly and truthfully. If you have an onward ticket out of Vietnam or a booking for your accommodation, bring a printout or a screenshot. It costs nothing to carry and can save time if questions come up.
Long public holidays in Vietnam and Cambodia tend to make the border busier. Over the 2027 Lunar New Year (Vietnam's holiday runs from 4 to 10 February 2027), traffic through Mộc Bài is expected to rise sharply, and Tết car bookings need a deposit of about 10%. If your permitted stay allows, go before or after the peak. Weekends are usually busier than weekdays. In the southern rainy season, heavy storms often arrive in the afternoon, and an early start avoids most of them. Your driver can tell you what conditions look like the day before and suggest a pickup time.
Families with children should bring each child's own passport, check that every family member's visa or exemption covers re-entry, and pack snacks, because waiting with young children in a queue is harder than with adults. A child seat can be fitted on request. Groups of friends who share a car should agree in advance on what to do if one person is delayed or refused. The usual arrangement is that the car waits for everyone and returns together, so tell us beforehand if you want a different plan. A 7-seater or a 16-seater gives room to rest on the way back.
Rules can change; check evisa.gov.vn and evisa.gov.kh in the week before you travel.
About 70 km via National Route 22, usually from about 90 minutes to over two hours depending on timing.
Yes. According to the Royal Embassy of Cambodia's table updated 3 October 2026, Bavet accepts Cambodian e-visa entry. Apply on evisa.gov.kh.
Yes. The Cambodian e-visa site requires every traveller to complete it, ideally within seven days before arrival.
Mộc Bài, if that is where you re-enter. Choosing an airport and then arriving overland is a common mistake.
No. The driver waits in the Vietnamese car park; the car does not cross.
Hours are agreed between the two sides and can change. Go in the morning; your driver confirms the day before.
Yes, at least a day ahead through the quick-quote form so we can set a pickup time.
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