A Ho Chi Minh City visa run with a child is a day trip to the Moc Bai border, and the child needs a Cambodian tourist visa of their own. That visa costs $30 per person in 2026, and the whole day takes 5 to 10 hours depending on traffic and the queue. I organise these trips from Ho Chi Minh City on request with BestBus Vietnam, so this guide shows how the day works once a child is in the car.
For adult costs and the Ha Tien alternative, see the Ho Chi Minh City visa run guide with routes and costs. For paperwork that applies to minors on the Vietnamese side, see visa runs with kids.
Why is Moc Bai the border for a one-day trip from Ho Chi Minh City?
Moc Bai in Tay Ninh province is the main and fastest land crossing between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, which makes it the practical choice for a single day. Its Cambodian counterpart is Bavet in Svay Rieng province. The two immigration buildings stand about 300 metres apart, so you walk the stretch between them, and Bavet accepts the Cambodian e‑visa.
The checkpoint lies roughly 60 to 80 km from the city centre, depending on where you start. Queues are longest from 9:00 to 11:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00, and those two windows decide how tired a child is by the time you get back.
How long does the day take with a child, hour by hour?
Plan for 5 to 10 hours door to door. This is my estimate from the ranges below, and the low end needs an early start and light traffic. The checkpoint works from early morning to evening, and I plan around 7:00 to 20:00 and aim to be through the first crossing before noon.
- Drive from the centre to Moc Bai: 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on traffic when you leave the city.
- Exit from Vietnam and entry into Cambodia: 1 to 2 hours with a child.
- Turn around at Bavet: a short break for water and a toilet.
- Cambodian exit and Vietnamese entry: 1 to 2 hours with a child.
- Drive back to the city: allow the same range as on the way out.
A child under school age usually sleeps through the first drive, which is one more reason to leave before 7:00. I keep the Bavet stop short, since the return crossing comes after hours in the car and that is where a child’s patience ends. Leaving at 9:00 puts you in the middle of the morning queue with a child who is already awake and hungry.
Which Vietnamese entry rules apply to your child on the way back?
Citizens of Russia enter Vietnam without a visa for 45 days under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028, as the Vietnam Immigration Department confirms, and other nationalities need a valid exemption or an e‑visa. Vietnam gives no visa on arrival at a land border, so a family without a valid entry basis is sent back to Cambodia. Other nationalities have different rules, and the Vietnamese e‑visa portal shows what applies to yours.
An e‑visa for Vietnam is valid for up to 90 days and costs $25 for a single entry or $50 for multiple entries. If your family exemption runs out soon, apply for the e‑visa before you set off. For a one-day run I take the single entry at $25, because the multiple-entry tariff only pays for itself if you plan another exit within the 90 days.
The check itself is a matter of ten minutes with every passport and the official portal, and you can do it tonight. The part I usually take over is the day itself: a car from your door in Ho Chi Minh City, a departure time that keeps you out of the 9:00 to 11:00 queue, and a person next to you at both buildings. Message me on WhatsApp with your dates and the number of travellers, and I will tell you what fits this week. Details on what is included are on the visa services page.
Does a child need their own visa for Cambodia?
Yes. Every child needs a separate Cambodian visa in 2026, and no age exemption exists. A parent files the application for a minor, and the child needs a passport of their own, a photo and a scan of the passport page. Forum posts that promise free entry for children under 12 or entry on a parent’s passport have no official confirmation, so budget for the child as for an adult.
The tourist e‑visa, category T, is issued on the government portal evisa.gov.kh and costs $30 per person since 1 January 2025. It gives one entry and 30 days in Cambodia, and the e‑visa must be used for entry within three months of issue. Check the child’s name and passport number twice on the form, since a typo there leaves you with a visa that does not match the passport at the counter. The portal asks for a card from a foreign bank, and many Russian cards are declined, so apply a few days before the trip: a declined card on the last evening leaves no time to try another.
Step-by-step: how to organise the day
- Choose the date and check that every passport, including the child’s, is valid for the planned entry into Vietnam.
- Apply for the child’s Cambodian e‑visa on the official portal, or decide to buy the visa at the border.
- Print the e‑visa for every traveller and carry the paper copies in your hand, with the phone as a backup.
- Leave Ho Chi Minh City before 7:00 so that you reach Moc Bai ahead of the 9:00 to 11:00 queue.
- Walk the 300 metres between the two buildings with the child, collect the Cambodian entry stamp and turn around at Bavet.
- Return through Vietnamese immigration, check the stamp date in each passport and drive home.
How to decide: car, bus or a different day?
Choose Moc Bai for a one-day run from Ho Chi Minh City, apply for the child’s Cambodian e‑visa a few days ahead, confirm that every passport has a valid way back into Vietnam and leave before 7:00. With a child under school age, a private car on your own schedule is easier than a bus, because you can stop on the road and keep the crossing out of the peak queue.
You can fill in the e‑visa form at home in one evening. The border itself asks for patience. The long day is the part families underestimate, and that is where I step in with the car, the timing and the crossing. Send me your preferred date and the child’s age on WhatsApp and I will plan the day around it.
Frequently asked questions
Can we take a public bus instead of a car?
Yes. Intercity buses to Phnom Penh leave from the Pham Ngu Lao area in District 1 and cross at Moc Bai, and the full journey takes 5 to 8 hours. A bus runs on a fixed timetable, so you cannot avoid the queue windows.
Can I buy the Cambodian visa at the border instead of online?
Yes. The visa on arrival costs the same as the e‑visa and is paid in cash at the border, once for each person including the child. The online application is worth doing when you want the paperwork closed before the day.
Can we continue to Phnom Penh instead of turning back at Bavet?
Yes. The road from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is about 235 km, and a private car covers it in 5 to 6 hours including the border. The single-entry visa allows 30 days in Cambodia.
What if only one parent travels with the child?
An officer may ask how you are related to the child. A birth certificate with a translation and a notarised consent from the other parent answer that question at once. Check the current requirements on the immigration portals before you go.
What if the child's passport expires soon?
Visa-free entry into Vietnam requires a passport valid for at least six more months, and the child’s passport is checked on the same terms as an adult’s. Renew an expiring child’s passport before booking the day.
