Lao Bao
Laos
Stamp run (border and back)
1. Exit Vietnam by presenting your passport with a valid visa/stamp and receive an exit stamp (they may ask for 50,000 VND — give it).
2. Walk approximately 500 meters through the neutral zone.
3. Enter Laos (they will most likely ask for 20,000 VND — give it). If you need a visa for Laos (it is required for everyone except citizens of Russia, Belarus, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mongolia, and ASEAN countries), fill out the form and provide $40 and a photo or 1,400,000 VND.
4. After passing border control in Laos, immediately return to Vietnam; pass through the neutral zone again, present your passport, and re-enter Vietnam (they may ask for money again — give it).
5. Make sure to check the entry stamp in your passport and verify the expiration date (it is handwritten below the stamp); if the border officer makes a mistake, point it out immediately on the spot.
6. Return straightaway to the bus/car; the scheduled departure time is 8:30. The bus departs only once all passengers have arrived, so try not to linger and help those who are left behind to save everyone time. A lunch stop is scheduled at a café 2.5 hours after leaving the border. You can choose your own Vietnamese dishes from the menu.
Visa run (with a wait for the visa)
1. Exit Vietnam by presenting your passport with a valid visa and receive an exit stamp (they may ask for 50,000 VND — give it).
2. Immediately send us a photo of the exit stamp from the same account you used to sign up.
3. Walk approximately 500 meters through the neutral zone.
4. Enter Laos (they will most likely ask for 20,000 VND — give it). If you need a visa for Laos (it is required for everyone except citizens of Russia, Belarus, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mongolia, and ASEAN countries), fill out the form and provide $40 and a photo or 1,400,000 VND.
5. While waiting for your visa in Laos, there are several cafés available; Vietnamese mobile coverage is available, Wi-Fi is provided, and payments can be made in Vietnamese dong.
6. As soon as your visa is ready (around 11:00 AM), return to Vietnam immediately; pass through the neutral zone again, present your e-visa on your phone and your passport, and re-enter Vietnam (they may ask for money again — give it).
7. Make sure to check the entry stamp in your passport and verify the expiration date (it is handwritten below the stamp); if the border officer makes a mistake, point it out immediately on the spot — the date must match the one shown in your e-visa.
8. Return straightaway to the bus/car; the scheduled departure time is 12:00. The bus departs only once all passengers have arrived, so try not to linger and help those who are left behind to save everyone time. A lunch stop is scheduled at a café 2.5 hours after leaving the border. You can choose your own Vietnamese dishes from the menu. Your visa will be sent to your email — please watch your inbox (we no longer send visas to the chat).