Bavet border gate (Cambodia): location, opening hours, visa and visa run 2026

Bavet International Border Gate is in Bavet city, Svay Rieng province (Cambodia), directly opposite the Moc Bai border gate in Tay Ninh province. From Bavet it is about 160–170 km to Phnom Penh along National Road 1, and about 70–80 km to central Ho Chi Minh City. Foreigners can enter Cambodia here with a visa on arrival or a Cambodian e-visa; the gate is open 6:00–20:00 daily (according to Google Maps; Cambodia uses the same time as Vietnam). Bavet is the busiest crossing between the two countries, with Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh buses passing through every day. It is also the most popular visa run option for foreigners living in Ho Chi Minh City.

Contents

Bavet border gate at a glance

Country / province	Cambodia, Bavet city, Svay Rieng province
Opposite border gate	Moc Bai, Tay Ninh province (Vietnam)
Distance	about 160–170 km to Phnom Penh (National Road 1); about 70–80 km to central Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours (local time, UTC+7)	6:00–20:00 daily (according to Google Maps; check before you go)
Visa on arrival	Yes, tourist visa 30 USD in cash, 1 photo
Cambodian e-visa accepted?	Yes, Bavet is a land border gate on the Vietnamese border that accepts the e-visa

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

Cambodian visa when entering via Bavet

Cambodia issues tourist visas (type T) on arrival for an official fee of 30 USD, and business visas (type E) for 35 USD; both allow a 30-day stay and a single entry. You fill in the form at the counter, hand over 1 passport photo and pay in US dollars cash. Citizens of Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore are visa-exempt for 30 days; Thailand, Myanmar and Brunei for 14 days. Rules can vary by nationality, so double-check before you travel.

Bavet is the only land border gate on the Vietnam – Cambodia border on the list of crossings that accept the Cambodian e-visa. Apply on the official site evisa.gov.kh; the fee is 30 USD plus a processing fee (usually about 36 USD in total), and processing takes about 3 working days. Print your e-visa in advance. Because the e-visa is single-use, each visa run requires a new e-visa or a visa bought at the border.

Travellers entering by land currently still usually fill in a paper arrival card at the border; e-Arrival (arrival.gov.kh) mainly applies to air travel, so check for any changes.

Crossing at Bavet step by step

Complete Vietnamese exit formalities at Moc Bai: show your passport, get your exit stamp and have your luggage scanned.
Walk, or follow your bus, across the zone between the two checkpoints (a few hundred metres).
At Bavet: fill in the arrival card, buy a visa at the counter (or show your e-visa/exemption), then get your entry stamp and fingerprints taken.
If you are doing a visa run: after entering Cambodia, go back to the Bavet departure counter for your exit stamp.
Walk back to Moc Bai and enter Vietnam with an e-visa, temporary residence card, 5-year visa exemption certificate or visa exemption.

If you take a Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh bus, the bus staff usually collect passports, help you fill in the forms and may arrange the visa for a small service fee; ask about the fee clearly beforehand.

Where to go from Bavet border gate

Phnom Penh: follow National Road 1 over the Neak Loeung bridge (Tsubasa Bridge) across the Mekong River; buses take about 3–4 hours.
International Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh buses run by companies such as Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, Kumho Samco… stop at Bavet for formalities; the whole journey takes about 6–7 hours.
Taxis and motorbike taxis are available at the border area; agree on the price before setting off.
Right by the border there are many casinos, hotels, duty-free shops, money changers and food stalls. Bavet is also a special economic zone with many factories.

Documents to bring

A passport valid for at least 6 more months with blank pages for the visa and stamps.
Documents to re-enter Vietnam: a Vietnam e-visa (printed, with Moc Bai as the entry gate), temporary residence card, 5-year visa exemption certificate, or a nationality on the list of countries exempt from Vietnamese visas.
US dollars in cash (new, undamaged notes) for the Cambodian visa fee and some small change for transport.
1–2 passport photos (4×6) for the visa-on-arrival application.

Visa run via Bavet

A visa run via Bavet means exiting Vietnam at Moc Bai, entering Cambodia at Bavet and then returning to Vietnam on new documents; from Ho Chi Minh City it is usually done in a day. Read the Cambodia visa run guide and the article is a visa run legal first. Info Travel offers a visa run service and visa run transfers from Ho Chi Minh City.

Tips for crossing at Bavet

Weekends and public holidays, especially Tet, are very busy with buses; go early on a weekday morning.
Bring passport photos; forgetting them may cost you an extra fee.
Money changers at Bavet exchange USD, riel and VND, but rates are worse than in the city; change only a little.
The casino area has nothing to do with visa run formalities; you do not need to go there.
Cambodia is in the same time zone as Vietnam (UTC+7), so the hours on both sides match; no need to change your watch.
The official visa fee is collected in USD. Sometimes someone asks for a few extra dollars as a “speed fee” or “health check”; you can politely ask for a receipt and pay the posted amount.
When applying for a Vietnam e-visa, choose Moc Bai as your entry gate; see the list of border gates accepting the e-visa.
Do not overstay before leaving Vietnam: fines range from 0.5 to 40 million VND under Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP (see visa overstay).
After you return to Vietnam, your accommodation must complete the temporary residence declaration within 12 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bavet border gate accept the Cambodian e-visa?

Yes. Bavet is a land border gate on the Vietnamese border that accepts the Cambodian e-visa. You can also buy a visa on arrival if you have not applied in advance.

How much is a Cambodian visa at Bavet border gate?

The tourist visa has an official fee of 30 USD and the business visa 35 USD, payable in US dollars cash. If the bus company arranges it for you, there may be an extra service fee.

Can I go to Bavet and come back to Vietnam on the same day?

Yes, if you already have valid documents to enter Vietnam through Moc Bai. Set off early to allow time for queues on both sides.

Should I extend in Vietnam instead of doing a visa run?

If you have a company or relative to sponsor you, extending in Vietnam is usually more convenient. Visa-exempt travellers can also read about the 45-day visa-exempt visa run.