Every visa run from southern Vietnam has two immigration desks, and people plan for only one of them. You stamp out of Vietnam, and before you can turn around and come back on a new e-visa, Cambodia has to let you in. Whether that costs you nothing or costs you cash and a passport page depends entirely on the passport you carry.
This guide covers the Cambodian side only: who enters visa-free, for how long, and what the rest of us do at the counter. For the Vietnam side of the day, see our Vietnam visa run page.
The short answer
Cambodia's ordinary-passport exemption list is short and almost entirely Southeast Asian. North American, European, and Australian passports are not on it, and neither are Japanese, South Korean, Indian, or Russian ones. Holders of those passports need a Cambodian visa to step across at Moc Bai. That is routine, not a problem: Cambodia issues the visa at the border.
Passports that enter Cambodia without a visa
These are the ordinary-passport exemptions as we checked them in early October 2026. The day count is the maximum stay per entry.
- 30 days: Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam
- 15 days: Seychelles
- 14 days: Brunei, Myanmar, Thailand
A note for Thai passport holders: Cambodia shortened the Thai allowance during the 2025 border dispute, and published figures have not all moved back in step. A visa run only needs a few hours on the Cambodian side, so either figure is enough — but confirm the current allowance if you plan to stay longer.
Chinese passports: a pilot that ends on 15 October 2026
Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism announced a pilot exemption for Chinese tourists on 3 December 2025. It allows stays of up to 14 days, with multiple entries, from 15 June to 15 October 2026. Travelers still complete Cambodia's e-arrival card; they simply skip the visa and its fee.
Two cautions. First, this is a time-limited trial. Unless Cambodia announces an extension, a Chinese passport holder crossing on or after 16 October 2026 should plan to buy a visa like everyone else. Second, the announcement speaks of “Chinese tourists” without spelling out every passport type, so Hong Kong and Macau SAR passport holders should confirm before relying on it.
“My country has a visa agreement with Cambodia” — check the passport type
Cambodia has signed exemption agreements with a long list of countries, and that list causes regular confusion at the border. Many of those agreements cover diplomatic and official passports only. Several large countries appear on Cambodia's exemption table for that reason alone, while a tourist or expat travelling on an ordinary passport from the same country still needs a visa. The table has a separate column for each passport type — read the ordinary-passport one.
If you found your country on an official list and not in the section above, that is almost certainly why.
If you are not exempt: two ways to get the visa
Visa at the border
This is what most visa-run travelers do. At Moc Bai you walk from the Vietnamese exit hall to the Cambodian checkpoint at Bavet, fill in the form, pay, and receive a visa in your passport. On our Moc Bai routes the Cambodia visa step is 35 USD, or about 1,100,000 VND — both currencies are taken at the border office. Bring it in cash.
The visa is a full-page sticker. If you do visa runs regularly, those pages add up, which is one more reason to check you have at least two blank pages before you leave.
E-visa before you travel
Cambodia's official e-visa is issued through evisa.gov.kh. It saves counter time, but it is only accepted at the checkpoints listed on that site. Bavet, opposite Moc Bai, is on the list. Do not assume the same for smaller crossings — if you are using Ha Tien, check the list first or plan on the border visa. Apply only through the official site; lookalike domains charge more for the same document.
Which Vietnam border gates this applies to
Our southern routes use two Vietnam–Cambodia gates. The exemption list above is the same at both; what changes is the journey.
- Moc Bai (Tay Ninh) / Bavet — the default from Ho Chi Minh City, and reachable as a longer day from the south-central coast and highlands: Ho Chi Minh – Moc Bai, Nha Trang – Moc Bai, and Da Lat – Moc Bai.
- Ha Tien / Prek Chak — the practical choice from the island: Phu Quoc – Ha Tien.
Being visa-free in Cambodia does not change the Vietnam side
A Singaporean or Filipino traveler saves the Cambodian fee and a passport page. Nothing else about the day gets easier. You still need:
- A new Vietnam e-visa approved and printed before you walk back to the Vietnamese counter.
- That e-visa to name the gate you are actually using. An e-visa listing an airport will not be accepted at Moc Bai.
- A passport with at least six months of validity, undamaged, with blank pages.
- A current Vietnam stay that has not already expired. Overstay has to be settled before any crossing.
The costly mistake on this route is rarely the Cambodian visa. It is crossing before the timing of the new Vietnam e-visa has been arranged, and then waiting on the wrong side of the line.
Quick check before you book
- Find your passport in the exempt list above. If it is there, note the day limit and skip to step 3.
- If it is not, set aside 35 USD or about 1,100,000 VND in cash for the Cambodian visa, or apply for the official e-visa in advance.
- Confirm your new Vietnam e-visa lists the correct land gate.
- Count blank passport pages and check the expiry date.
- If your current stay ends within a few days, tell us that first so the trip is planned around the deadline.
Crossing somewhere else?
Cambodia is the easiest neighbor for most Western passports because a border visa is available. The other two are less forgiving. If you are based in the north or centre, read the matching guide before choosing a route: China visa-free countries and the Huu Nghi rule and Laos visa-free countries for Lao Bao and Bo Y.
Entry rules are set by Cambodian authorities and can change without notice; the final decision always belongs to the officer at the checkpoint. If you would rather have someone confirm your passport and dates against the current rules, send them through our visa run page and we will tell you which gate fits.