Hekou border gate (China): location, opening hours, visa and visa run 2026

Hekou border gate is in Hekou Yao Autonomous County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan province (China), opposite Lao Cai International Border Gate. Lao Cai is about 260 km from Hanoi by expressway and about 35 km from Sa Pa; Hekou is about 400 km from Kunming, about 3–4 hours by high-speed train. Passenger processing runs roughly 8:00–23:00 Beijing time (7:00–22:00 Vietnam time). Foreigners need a Chinese visa obtained in advance or must qualify for visa exemption. This is a popular route for travellers visiting Sa Pa and then continuing to Yunnan (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang), and also the nearest visa run point for people living in northwest Vietnam.

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Hekou border gate at a glance

Country / province	China, Hekou county, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan
Opposite border gate	Lao Cai, Lao Cai province
Distance	Hanoi about 260 km, Sa Pa about 35 km (Vietnamese side); Hekou North station about 15 minutes by taxi; Kunming about 400 km
Opening hours (passengers)	Roughly 8:00–23:00 Beijing time (7:00–22:00 Vietnam time), daily
Visa on arrival	Not issued
Chinese e-visa	Not applicable; you need a visa sticker obtained in advance or visa exemption
240-hour transit	Not available at this gate

Border gate location on Google Maps

Tap the button below to open Google Maps on your phone and get directions straight to the border gate.

Get directions to the border gate View on Google Maps

Chinese visa when entering via Hekou

The most important point: China does not issue visas at Hekou border gate (there is no visa on arrival at land crossings with Vietnam). If your nationality is not visa-exempt, you must apply for a Chinese visa in advance, at the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi or the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City (usually by submitting your application through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center), or in your home country. China also has no tourist e-visa that ordinary travellers can use instead of a visa sticker.

30-day unilateral visa exemption: citizens of about 50 countries holding ordinary passports can enter China without a visa and stay up to 30 days for tourism, business, visiting family, exchanges or transit. The list includes most European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden…), Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, some Latin American and Gulf countries, Russia (from 15/9/2025), and the UK and Canada (from 17/2/2026). For most countries on the list it applies until 31/12/2026. According to Chinese guidance, this policy applies at ports open to foreigners, including land crossings.
Mutual visa exemption: Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are visa-exempt for 30 days under agreements with China.
Visa required in advance: nationalities not in either group above, for example US citizens.
The 240-hour (10-day) transit policy cannot be used at Hekou. It only applies at 65 designated ports. In Guangxi these are only Nanning (Wuxu), Guilin and Beihai airports and Beihai passenger port; in Yunnan only Kunming and Lijiang airports and Mohan railway station. Travellers must also hold an onward ticket to a third country: a Vietnam – China – Vietnam trip does not meet this condition. From 20/8/2026 the 240-hour transit list grows to 57 countries (adding Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan), but land crossings with Vietnam are still not on the list.

The visa exemption list changes fairly often and the current period ends on 31/12/2026, so check with the Chinese Embassy or the website of China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) before you go. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 more months.

Crossing at Hekou step by step

Go to the Lao Cai border gate (about 2 km from Lao Cai station) and complete Vietnamese exit formalities.
Walk across the bridge to the Hekou side, a short distance of a few hundred metres.
Fill in the arrival card (you can do it online in advance or scan the QR code in the arrival hall), show your passport and visa, have your photo and fingerprints taken and your luggage scanned. On weekdays formalities usually take less than 1 hour; on holidays it can take longer.
If you are doing a visa run: complete Chinese exit formalities and walk back to the bridge.
Enter Vietnam at Lao Cai with an e-visa, temporary residence card, visa exemption certificate or visa exemption.

Where to go from Hekou border gate

Hekou North station: about 15 minutes by taxi, usually around 20 yuan (agree on the price first); there are also city buses.
To Kunming: high-speed trains from Hekou North to Kunming South take about 3–4 hours depending on the service. Tickets often sell out early, so book ahead via the 12306 app or an agent (your passport number is required).
Hekou town: small, with a border market, hotels and restaurants near the gate, enough for an overnight stop.
Vietnamese side: Sa Pa is about 35 km from Lao Cai; to get back to Hanoi take a bus, limousine van or train.

Documents to bring

A passport valid for at least 6 more months with blank pages.
A valid Chinese visa (already in your passport), unless you are visa-exempt. Visas cannot be obtained at the border.
Documents to re-enter Vietnam: an e-visa (printed, with the correct gate selected), temporary residence card, 5-year visa exemption certificate, or a nationality on the list of visa-exempt countries.
Some cash in Chinese yuan (CNY). There are dong – yuan exchange counters near both gates and banks on the Hekou side; rates at informal counters are usually poor. Install Alipay/WeChat Pay before you go.
Details of your accommodation or itinerary in China, in case border officers ask.

Visa run via Hekou border gate

Via Lao Cai – Hekou, you exit Vietnam, enter China and then return to Vietnam on new documents, which can be done in a day. This route is convenient for people in Sa Pa and Lao Cai, but it is only feasible if you are visa-exempt for China or already hold a visa. See China visa run, is a visa run legal and Info Travel’s visa run service. If you are not visa-exempt for China, consider a Laos visa run via Sop Hun (opposite Tay Trang).

Tips for crossing at Hekou

China is 1 hour ahead of Vietnam; train timetables in Hekou use Beijing time.
Arrive before 16:00 Vietnam time if you want to return the same day; during Vietnamese and Chinese holidays formalities can take 2–3 hours.
International ride-hailing apps do not work in Hekou; taxis usually do not use the meter, so ask the price first.
When applying for a Vietnam e-visa, choose Lao Cai as your entry gate; see the list of border gates accepting the e-visa.
Do not overstay your Vietnamese visa (see visa overstay); when you return, remember the temporary residence declaration.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a Chinese visa at Hekou border gate?

No. This gate does not issue visas to foreign travellers; you need a visa obtained in advance or must qualify for visa exemption.

Do British, French, German or Australian citizens need a visa at Hekou?

These countries are currently on the 30-day visa exemption list (until 31/12/2026), which also applies at land crossings. US citizens still need a visa.

Does the 240-hour transit apply at Hekou?

No. In Yunnan the policy only applies at Kunming and Lijiang airports and Mohan station, even though the permitted stay area includes Honghe Prefecture.