Which Vietnam Entry Port Should You Use? A Traveler's Guide by Direction
Vietnam has 79 e-visa entry points. Which one should you actually use? This guide recommends the right airport, land crossing, or seaport based on where you are coming from and where you are headed.
Vietnam accepts e-visas at over 79 designated entry points. Choosing the wrong one costs you: remote land crossings have no onward transport, minor seaports lack facilities, and arriving at a non-listed crossing means immediate denial regardless of visa validity. This guide cuts through the full list of accepted Vietnam e-visa entry points and tells you which port to use based on where you are coming from.
Flying In — Which Airport to Choose
Most international visitors arrive by air. Vietnam has 14 airports on the e-visa acceptance list, but in practice, three handle the overwhelming majority of international traffic.
The Three Main International Gateways
Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) is the primary entry point for northern Vietnam. It handles the most international routes in the country and is the default choice for anyone starting their trip in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, or Sapa. Immigration is well-organized. Taxi and bus links into the city center take about 45 minutes.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) is Vietnam's busiest airport. It is the correct choice for travelers starting in the south — HCMC, the Mekong Delta, and beach areas like Mui Ne. Expect 45–90 minutes at immigration during peak hours due to volume.
Da Nang International Airport serves central Vietnam and is the right pick for anyone focusing on Da Nang, Hoi An, or Hue. It has grown significantly as a direct international hub, with routes from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and parts of China.
Secondary Airports Worth Knowing
| Airport | Best For |
|---|---|
| Cam Ranh Int Airport | Nha Trang beach resort area |
| Phu Quoc International Airport | Phu Quoc island directly |
| Cat Bi Int Airport (Hai Phong) | Halong Bay — faster than flying into Hanoi |
| Lien Khuong International Airport | Da Lat, the highland city |
| Phu Bai Int Airport | Hue, if traveling between central cities |
| Can Tho International Airport | Mekong Delta starting point |
| Van Don Int Airport | Halong Bay eastern side |
Rule of thumb for air travel: Fly into the airport nearest your first destination. Do not default to Hanoi or HCMC if you are heading directly to Nha Trang, Da Lat, or Phu Quoc — there are often direct international routes.
Crossing by Land — Three Borders, Different Logic
Vietnam shares land borders with Cambodia, Laos, and China. Each has one or two crossings that handle most tourist traffic reliably. The remaining crossings are remote, have limited transport connections, and are better suited for freight than travel.
Coming from Cambodia
Moc Bai → Ho Chi Minh City is the standard route. Bus services run regularly between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City (5–7 hours total), crossing at Moc Bai. It is the most organized crossing on the Cambodia–Vietnam frontier, with money changers, consistent transport, and buses on both sides.
Ha Tien → Kien Giang is the southwestern option, useful if you are coming from Kampot or Sihanoukville. From Ha Tien, you can take a ferry to Phu Quoc island — it connects directly to island travel without going through HCMC.
The remaining crossings on the Cambodia side (Xa Mat, Tinh Bien, Dinh Ba, Thuong Phuoc, Vinh Xuong) exist on the e-visa list but have little tourist infrastructure. Unless you have a specific reason to use them, stick to Moc Bai or Ha Tien.
Coming from Laos
Lao Bao → Quang Tri is the main Laos–Vietnam crossing. Located on Route 9 (the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail corridor), it connects Savannakhet in Laos to Da Nang and Hue by bus. Journey time from Savannakhet to Da Nang is roughly 10–12 hours. Multiple bus companies operate this route daily.
Cau Treo → Ha Tinh / Vinh handles the Route 8 corridor. If you are coming from Lak Sao in Laos and heading to Vinh or Hanoi, this is the more direct route. Bus services connect Vientiane to Vinh via Cau Treo.
La Lay is a third option between Lao Bao and Cau Treo, with some bus services but less frequency.
The others — Bo Y, Cha Lo, Na Meo, Tay Trang, Long Sap — are all on the list but have minimal tourist use and sparse transport.
Coming from China
Huu Nghi Landport → Lang Son → Hanoi handles the bulk of China–Vietnam overland travel. Bus services connect Nanning (China) to Hanoi via Lang Son. The crossing is organized and has experience processing international travelers.
Lao Cai (Railway) is the scenic choice. The overnight sleeper train between Kunming and Lao Cai crosses here, connecting to Sapa in the Vietnamese highlands. It is the most comfortable overland entry from China and the route most travelers use for the Yunnan → Sapa journey.
Mong Cai is the coastal crossing near Guangxi. It is more commonly used for freight and day trade. Bus services to Hanoi exist but are less frequent than the Lang Son route.
Dong Dang is adjacent to Huu Nghi and handles the same Lang Son crossing — most travelers use Huu Nghi but the same processing area covers both.
Arriving by Sea — Cruise and Ferry
Cruise ships dock primarily at Ho Chi Minh City Seaport, Da Nang Seaport, Chan May Seaport (near Hue), and Hon Gai Seaport (Halong Bay). All four accept e-visas and are equipped for cruise arrivals.
Chan May Seaport is purpose-built as a cruise terminal for Hue. It is better organized for cruise arrivals than Da Nang's commercial port, and most cruise itineraries that include Hue and Hoi An dock here.
Duong Dong Seaport on Phu Quoc island connects to Ha Tien on the mainland. If you are doing the Cambodia coast → Phu Quoc route, this is your entry point by ferry.
Vietnam has 38 seaports on the e-visa acceptance list in total — the majority are small cargo ports that also permit passenger entry, but they are not practical entry points for tourists.
What You Specify When Applying
The Vietnam e-visa application asks for your intended entry point. You are not strictly locked to it — immigration checks your visa validity, not the port you specified. However:
- Choose a port that is plausible for your travel plan
- If your plans change, you can generally cross at any listed port
- If you arrive at a port not on the e-visa list, you will be denied entry
The complete list of all 79 accepted Vietnam e-visa entry points with full names and categories is available if you need to cross-reference the exact name when filling your application.
Filling the Application
The entry port field on evisa.gov.vn is a dropdown — you select from the official list. The spelling must match exactly. EVisa Helper fills your passport data automatically and presents the same dropdown options, eliminating copy errors on this field.