Visas and Border Crossings Most visitors to Vietnam require a 15- or 30-day tourist visa to enter the country, and these can applied for at any Vietnamese embassy or consulate, either by post or in person. The fee may vary, depending on the issuing country, but the costs is usually around US$25, and one passport-sized photo is required. Processing generally takes five days though a two-day express service is available, and this application may be faxed. A same-day express service is also available for those staying less than 15 days, and these generally take an hour to process.
Vietnam is bordered by China, Lao PDR and Cambodia, and there are several overland border crossings to each, though many are in remote locations. The seven checkpoints into Cambodia include Moc Bai some 70 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Sa Mat near Tan Bien, Chau Doc in Ang Giang province west of
Ho Chi Minh City, Le Thanh in Gia Lai, Dinh Ba in Dong Thap and Xa Xia in Kien Giang. A boat checkpoint is located about 50 km north of Chau Doc on the Tien Giang (Mekong) River, which connects to Phnom Penh.
Besides a train crossing, there are three overland borders checkpoints into China. The Lao Cai border gate connects to Yunnan province in the far northwest, the Mong Cai border is on the South China Sea and serves the Guangxi coast, and the Huu Nghi crossing near Lang Son opens traffic from Hanoi to
Chengzong and Nanning. Seven border crossings connect Vietnam to Laos. The Na Meo checkpoint in Thanh Hoa province leads to northern Lao, Nam Can on Route 7 ties Vinh to Luang Prabang and Keo
Nua on Route 8 allows passage from Vinh to Vientiane. The Lao Bao crossing in Quang Tri on Route 9 goes straight to Savannakhet, Laos. The Cha Lo border in Quang Binh province, Po Y in Kon Tum and Tay Trang in Dien Bien also open passage to Laos.
Getting There & Away
Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport welcomes flights from 17 foreign destinations and 19 international routes service Vietnam’s HCM Airport, which is being expanded. Within the Mekong Sub-region, direct flights link to Bangkok, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, while regional service connects to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming and Taipei. The Hanoi-Beijing rail line crosses the Vietnam border at Lang Son (Dong Dang).
Local Time
Vietnam is seven hours ahead of GMT/UTC.
Working Hours
Keeping Healthy
No vaccinations are officially required to visit Vietnam, but local medical authorities recommend protection against polio, diphtheria, typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, and Japanese encephalitis. For travellers spending time in the countryside, precautions should take to not to get bitten by mosquitoes.
Repellents and mosquito nets are necessary. All travellers are advised to bring required prescription medications in the original containers. You should pack a small medical kit, which includes sunscreen, insect repellent, diarrhoea medication, ibuprofen or aspirin and antibacterial ointments. For those who wear eyeglasses, bring an extra pair, as the quality of local replacements vary.
Medical care facilities are available in the largest cities, but are limited outside of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Travellers should consult with their insurance companies to determine whether coverage is included for Vietnam, as care is expensive, and often requires evacuation to nearby countries such as Thailand.
Pharmacies carry most common medicines and antibiotics at a reasonable price, and prescriptions are rarely needed. Though there are many tropical diseases, the most common ailments inflicting travellers are diarrhoea, upset stomachs and dehydration. The best advice is to use common sense, avoid tap water and drink plenty of bottled water.
Money
Vietnam’s official currency is the dong (VND), though US dollars are widely accepted. VND paper notes come in the following denominations: 500,000, 200,000, 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins include VND 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200. VND 1,000,000 and 500,000 cheques are also available.Foreign currencies and travellers cheques can be exchanged into VND at banks or foreign exchange agencies throughout the country. Credit cards are generally accepted in cities
and large tourist centres, but most shops prefer cash. ATMs are also readily available in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as well as other major cities such as Danang, Nha Trang, Vinh and Hue. Bargaining is very much a part of the Vietnamese way of life, and almost everything except meals is negotiable. Don't bargain just for the sake of it; if your price is agreed, then you are honour bound to make the purchase. Don't waste time and energy haggling over what only amounts to a few cents.
Tourists are regarded as wealthy, but small shopkeepers and restaurateurs usually charge the local rate.
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