Cambodia-Vietnam Land Crossings: Open Borders and eVisa Validity for Americans

The Mekong Delta crossings — Prek Chak, Phnom Den, and Tinh Bien

Beyond the two big ones, the Mekong Delta has a cluster of designated crossings that matter if your route runs through the south of Vietnam rather than straight up the highway. These see lighter long-haul traffic, but they are on the eVisa-eligible list and they open up routes the Bavet bus never touches — particularly the run between the Vietnamese coast and Cambodia's southern beaches.

Prek Chak — the Ha Tien coastal crossing

Prek Chak, in Cambodia's Kampot province, is paired with Ha Tien on the Vietnam side, and it is the crossing that connects the Mekong Delta coast to Cambodia's south — Kep, Kampot, and on toward Sihanoukville. For Americans coming up from Phu Quoc or the Vietnamese coast and heading for Cambodia's beaches, this is the natural land route, and the eVisa is accepted here. It is far quieter than Bavet, with fewer buses and a smaller post, so the thing to plan is your onward transport on the Cambodia side rather than the visa itself.

Phnom Den and Tinh Bien — the Chau Doc back route

Phnom Den, in Takeo province, is paired with the Tinh Bien crossing on the Vietnam side near Chau Doc, and together they form the overland back route between the western Delta and southern Cambodia. This is the road alternative to the Kaam Samnor river crossing if you are coming from the same Chau Doc area but would rather take a bus than a boat. The eVisa is accepted at the designated post, and the same rule applies as everywhere else on this border — your visa is prepaid, so any "processing fee" pitched at the window is not a real charge.

A short, practical note on all three Delta crossings: they are designated and eVisa-eligible, but they run far fewer scheduled services than Bavet. If your plan depends on one of them, confirm the bus or boat connection on the day before you commit, and always carry your eVisa printed. A remote southern post is exactly where a dead phone battery and no paper copy turns a simple stamp into a long, hot problem.

How your eVisa validity works when you arrive by land

The single most reassuring fact about the Cambodia-Vietnam border is that your eVisa does not change because you cross by land. It is the exact same document you would use at an airport: single entry, valid for three months from its issue date, and good for a 30-day stay once you are stamped in. The crossing method has no bearing on what the visa is or what it lets you do.

Two parts of that validity trip Americans up, so worth being precise. First, the three-month window is the time you have to actually enter — issue the eVisa, then cross any time inside those three months. Second, the 30-day clock starts at the stamp, not at issue, so a land crossing on day 80 of your validity window still gives you a full 30 days from the day you walk across. Plan the entry date around the three-month window, and the stay around the stamp.

The part that genuinely matters for a Vietnam-Cambodia trip is single entry. Your eVisa admits you once. If you cross from Vietnam into Cambodia, then later want to head back into Vietnam and return to Cambodia again, that second Cambodia entry needs a fresh visa — the old tourist auto-extension that used to top up a stay ended in November 2025, so there is no automatic workaround. Our guide to single-entry re-entry after a Vietnam or Laos leg walks through exactly how to handle a loop without getting stuck at the border.

What actually happens at the Vietnam border

A land crossing is slower and more manual than an airport hall, but with the eVisa already approved it is simple. Here is the sequence I see Americans move through at Bavet, Kaam Samnor, and the Delta posts — the steps are the same at all of them.

1. 1
   Carry a printed eVisa PDF

   There is no kiosk at a land post, so a paper copy of your eVisa in your passport is what keeps you moving.

2. 2
   Submit the e-Arrival Card first

   Complete the separate e-Arrival Card — 14 fields, $5 USD — within 7 days before you arrive, not on a phone at the window.

3. 3
   Clear Vietnamese exit

   Complete the Vietnam exit formalities, then cross the short stretch of no-man's-land to the Cambodian side.

4. 4
   Present your passport and eVisa

   Hand your passport with the printed eVisa to the Cambodian counter; the officer matches your face to the document.

5. 5
   Get stamped in

   The stamp starts your 30-day single-entry stay; the eVisa stays valid 3 months from issue, which is your window to cross.

6. 6
   Keep your documents together

   Hold your printed eVisa, passport, and e-Arrival confirmation in one place so you are not digging through a bag at the counter.

First, have your eVisa printed. There is no kiosk at a land post to fall back on, so a paper copy in your passport is what keeps you moving. Second, have your e-Arrival Card done before you arrive — it is the separate pre-arrival form, it applies at land crossings as well as airports, and travelers who skip it end up filling it out on a phone in the heat at the window, which is the slowest part of the whole day.

At the post itself, you clear Vietnamese exit formalities first, cross a short stretch of no-man's-land, then present your passport with the printed eVisa at the Cambodian counter. The officer matches your face to the document and stamps you in. That stamp starts your 30-day clock; the visa stays valid for three months from issue, which is the window you have to actually cross. Keep your printed eVisa, passport, and e-Arrival confirmation together in one place so you are not digging through a bag at the counter.

One direction Americans ask about less often but should plan for: leaving Cambodia by land back into Vietnam. The exit crossings are not always the same set as the entry ones, and a few travelers get caught out planning a tidy entry without checking the way back out. Our guide to leaving and returning to Cambodia on the same trip covers how the visa rules work in the outbound direction.

Putting your Cambodia-Vietnam overland route together

The clean version, for any American planning a Cambodia-Vietnam land leg in 2026: the border is open, and your eVisa works at the designated crossings — Bavet on the Ho Chi Minh City highway, Kaam Samnor on the Mekong river, and the Delta posts Prek Chak, Phnom Den, and Tinh Bien. Bavet is the most reliable choice, Kaam Samnor the most scenic, and the Delta crossings the ones that open up the southern coast route. Confirm your exact crossing is on the eVisa-eligible list, carry a printed PDF, and remember the visa is single entry.

Next steps: apply for your Cambodia eVisa when you are ready, read the full list of Cambodia land borders that accept the eVisa for the Laos side too, walk through the Bavet crossing if the highway bus is your route in, or check the re-entry rules if your trip loops back into Vietnam. The Tourist eVisa is $80 USD all-in and the Business eVisa is $90 USD, both approved in 3 business days and delivered as a printable PDF by email.