Summary: The Dien Bien Phu / Tay Trang border crossing (also called Pang Hoc) is a popular route between northern Vietnam and northern Laos. Since 2019 you CAN exit from Vietnam here with an e-visa (previously you couldn’t) but you can’t get a Visa on Arrival for Laos. Read on for the details.
概括：奠边府/西庄过境点（也称为 Pang Hoc）是越南北部和老挝北部之间的热门路线。自 2019 年起，您可以使用电子签证从越南出境（以前不能），但您无法获得老挝落地签证。请继续阅读以了解详细信息。
While on a recent bicycle tour through northern Vietnam I met some travelers who had been denied crossing here due to their visas, so I started researching the issue to see if my own visa would be problematic.
而在最近的一次越南北部自行车之旅我遇到了一些因签证问题而被拒绝过境的旅客，所以我开始研究这个问题，看看我自己的签证是否会出现问题。
Good news, it wasn’t, but the information I found online was a bit confusing. If you’re an independent traveler hoping to exit Vietnam at the Dien Bien Phu border crossing with Laos, here’s the deal.
好消息，事实并非如此，但我在网上找到的信息有点令人困惑。如果您是一名独立旅行者，希望通过奠边府与老挝的边境口岸离开越南，那么这里就是您的最佳选择。
2024 Update 2024 年更新
I originally wrote this post based on my own experience crossing at Tay Trang by bicycle in 2018. At that time it was possible to get a visa on arrival for Laos at this border crossing, but was not possible to exit Vietnam with a Vietnam e-visa (other visa types were fine).
我最初是根据自己 2018 年骑自行车过西庄的经历写这篇文章的。当时可以在这个过境点获得老挝落地签证，但不是可以使用越南电子签证离开越南（其他签证类型也可以）。
Since then the visa requirements for both Laos and Vietnam have changed. Currently it is possible to exit Vietnam with an e-visa (according to the official list of ports), but is not possible to get a visa on arrival for Laos at this border crossing. You can still enter Laos here if you already have your visa, but you’ll have to arrange it in advance.
从那时起，老挝和越南的签证要求都发生了变化。目前它是可能的持电子签证离开越南（根据官方港口列表）， 但是不可能得到一个落地签证老挝在此过境点。如果您已经持有签证，您仍然可以在这里进入老挝，但您必须提前安排。
No Exit Allowed with Vietnam E-visa (Update: Now Allowed)
越南电子签证不允许出境（更新：现在允许）
If your Vietnam visa is an E-visa, you cannot exit Vietnam at Dien Bien Phu border crossing. Not at all. Not on a motorbike, not on a bicycle, not in a car, not on a long-haul bus you already have a ticket for. You will be turned back and, according to most reports, not given much help, direction or sympathy from the border officials. There is not a lot of transport at this border crossing, so don’t expect to just hop in a taxi if you’re turned away. It will take some work to sort this out.
如果您的越南签证是电子签证，您无法从奠边府过境点离开越南。一点也不。不能骑摩托车，不能骑自行车，不能乘坐汽车，不能乘坐已经有票的长途巴士。根据大多数报道，你将被遣返，而且边境官员不会给予你太多帮助、指导或同情。该过境点的交通不多，因此如果您被拒绝，不要指望直接跳上出租车。解决这个问题需要一些工作。
If you’re trying to exit Vietnam at Tay Trang / Dien Bien with an e-visa, luckily for you the situation has changed and this is now possible. Here is a helpful site with a map showing which border crossings are open to e-visa holders.
如果您想使用电子签证从西庄/奠边出境越南，幸运的是，情况已经改变，现在这是可能的。这里有一个有地图的有用网站显示哪些过境点对电子签证持有者开放。
What is a Vietnam E-visa?
什么是越南电子签证？
An e-visa is a new option since 2017 that allows foreigners to apply for a visa through an official government website.
电子签证是自 2017 年以来的一项新选择，允许外国人通过政府官方网站。
The original program was limited to citizens of 40 countries, but changes were made in 2019 and again in 2023. Now the e-visa application is open to citizens of any country or territory in the world, and the list of entry and exit ports has been expanded.
最初的计划仅限于 40 个国家的公民，但在 2019 年和 2023 年进行了两次更改。现在电子签证申请对世界上任何国家或地区的公民开放，并扩大了出入境口岸名单。
An e-visa is convenient for some travelers because, unlike a Visa On Arrival, you don’t have to enter Vietnam through an airport. The border crossings you may enter and exit at are those in this list.
电子签证对某些旅客来说很方便，因为与落地签证不同，您不必通过机场进入越南。您可以进出的边境口岸是这个清单。
Which types of Vietnam visas can I exit with?
我可以持哪些类型的越南签证出境？
There are three ways to get a tourist visa for Vietnam:
获得越南旅游签证有以下三种方式：
- Visiting a Vietnamese embassy in your home or other country. This is the most flexible – you can enter and exit at any border open to foreigners – but it’s also usually the least convenient to get, requiring a longer wait and parting with your passport for at least a few days.
访问您所在国家或其他国家的越南大使馆。这是最灵活的——您可以在任何对外国人开放的边境进出——但它通常也是最不方便的，需要更长的等待时间，并且至少需要几天的时间与护照分开。 - Pre-arranging a visa on arrival (VOA) which you will pay for and pick up at one of the international airports. This is usually done online through one of many Vietnamese companies, for a small additional fee, and is easy and quick. You can exit at any crossing open to foreigners, but you can only enter at the allowed airports.
预先安排落地签证 (VOA)，您将支付费用并在其中一个国际机场领取。这通常是通过许多越南公司之一在线完成的，只需支付少量额外费用，而且简单快捷。您可以在任何对外国人开放的过境点出境，但只能在允许的机场进入。 - E-visa: a visa applied for on an official government website which allows entry and exit through only the ports listed here.
电子签证：申请的签证政府官方网站只允许通过此处列出的端口。
As of 2024, all three visa types allow you to exit Vietnam at Tay Trang / Dien Bien. (Previously, as recently as 2018, type #3 could not exit at this crossing.)
自 2024 年起，所有三种签证类型都允许您从西庄/奠边出境越南。 （此前，就在 2018 年，#3 号车无法从该路口驶出。）
Crossing the Border Into Laos
越过边境进入老挝
在边境哨所与一名来自河内的越南男子聊天
Dien Bien Phu is a large Vietnamese town about 35km from the border crossing itself. Tay Trang refers to the small area immediately around the border crossing; there is no town there.
奠边府是越南的一个大城镇，距边境口岸约 35 公里。西庄 (Tay Trang) 是指紧邻边境口岸的小片区域；那里没有城镇。
The crossing was pretty straightforward with the correct visa. Lao visas are available on arrival for most nationalities and the rates were clearly posted. There were a few additional small fees, including an overtime fee for weekends, which were also clearly posted so no arguing was allowed.
只要有正确的签证，过境就非常简单。老挝签证可在抵达时办理对于大多数国家来说，费率都已明确公布。还有一些额外的小额费用，包括周末的加班费，这些费用也清楚地标明，因此不允许争论。
UPDATE: As of January 2020, this border crossing and several others no longer grant Lao visas on arrival. I’ve received one report of a traveler being turned away already. Supposedly several more borders will have their VOA phased out by June of 2020. Travelers crossing into Laos at these borders should get their Laos visa ahead of time from an embassy in a neighboring country, or their home country.
更新：截至 2020 年 1 月，该过境点和其他几个过境点不再发放老挝落地签证。我已收到一份关于一名旅客被拒之门外的报告。据称，到 2020 年 6 月，还有几个边境将逐步取消 VOA。从这些边境进入老挝的旅行者应提前从邻国或其祖国的大使馆获得老挝签证。
Note that crossing in the other direction, Vietnam visas are NOT available on arrival. You’ll need to arrange a visa in advance through an embassy or an e-visa.
请注意，从另一个方向过境，越南落地签证不可用。您需要通过大使馆或电子签证提前安排签证。
I crossed to Laos on a bicycle with no issues, except for the fact that the border is at the top of a huge hill and the road on the Vietnamese side is very bad. Lots of dust/mud and potholes and washed out sections, with plenty of lumbering trucks until past the rock quarry about halfway.
我骑自行车穿越到老挝，没有遇到任何问题，只是边界位于一座大山顶上，越南一侧的路况非常糟糕。大量灰尘/泥土和坑洼以及被冲毁的部分，还有大量笨重的卡车，直到经过采石场大约一半的地方。
There are a few kilometers of no man’s land in between the Vietnam and Laos border posts, which you’ll probably need to walk or hitchhike unless you came with your own wheels or a bus booked all the way through.
On the Vietnamese side there is a small restaurant and shop that can also change money. I’m not sure about the Laos side.
I arrived at 11:30am and the border officials were already on lunch break, which ended at 1pm. During this break your only option is to wait. I hung out at the restaurant and chatted with some other folks waiting to cross.
On the Laos side the road was new and beautiful and nearly empty, making for a blissful downhill coast.
Transportation into Laos
Most tourists cross this border on buses booked from Dien Bien Phu or farther away in Vietnam. If you’re crossing independently, note that it’s hard to find transportation on the Laos side. There were no taxis waiting when I was there and traffic was sparse (granted it was a Sunday).
I did meet a hitchhiker who managed to find a ride to Muang Khua without too much trouble. But on the Vietnam side he said it took 7 different rides and a lot of walking to get up the hill from Dien Bien Phu to the border crossing.
Changing Money When Crossing into Laos
I would recommend changing enough money at the border for a couple days in Laos, either at one of the small shops or the immigration window itself. The rates were not great but I had trouble finding a working ATM in Laos and as it was the weekend, the banks were closed and local shops did not seem to be in the currency exchange business. Fortunately some other tourists helped me out, but I should have just bought more Lao kip at the border.
Once In Laos
When crossing into Laos your first town with a guesthouse is Muang Mai, about 30km from the border. I stopped there as it was getting late. Most tourists who aren’t pedal-powered continue to Muang Khua instead, 65km from the border, which is more charming and tourist-friendly.
From Muang Khua I recommend taking a “slow boat” on the river to either the backpacker village of Muang Ngoi or the larger town of Nong Khiaw (or both, one after the other). From Nong Khiaw most travelers continue to Luang Prabang.
It’s a beautiful area on both sides of the border. I highly recommend it. Just double check your visa situation and enjoy.
SE Asia Cycling Resources
If you happen to be crossing this border by bicycle as I did, here are some other related posts to help you plan your trip:
- Why cycle tour in Southeast Asia (or not)
- Guide to Independent Bicycle Touring in Laos
- Guide to Independent Bicycle Touring in Northern Vietnam
- Bicycling Safety Tips for Southeast Asia
- Ideas for how to dress as a woman while cycling in Southeast Asia
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Alissa, founder of Exploring Wild. I’ve had the pleasure of traveling independently and solo on six continents, including some unusual destinations like Liberia and Sudan, and it has forever changed the way I see the world and myself. Learn more about me here.
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In July 2022 still cant get visa on arrival from Vietnam to Laos? Just seeing if there is an update since this article was published:)
Hi, you say that is possible to leave vietnam to laos with an e-visa at this checkpoint. Are you sure ?
Thanks
Hi, I have not done it personally, but you can see that Tay Trang is on the list of exit ports linked from the official e-visa application here: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/trang-chu-ttdt
Based on that, I believe it’s possible!