Guide · 4 min read
Visa Run or Visa Extension? How to Choose in Da Nang
When an in-country extension works, when it doesn't, and why many tourists in Da Nang and Hoi An end up doing a visa run to Lao Bao instead.
When your stay in Vietnam is running out, there are two ways to keep going: extend it without leaving, or leave and come back in on a new visa. Which one works depends mostly on the visa you hold now.
When an extension can work
Some visa types can be extended in Vietnam through the immigration authorities, usually with an organisation acting as sponsor. If that applies to you, it saves a long day on the road.
When it usually can’t
- Many tourist e-visas cannot be extended in-country.
- Visa-free (exemption) stays generally cannot be turned into a longer stay without leaving.
- Rules change, and what was possible for a friend last year may not be possible for you now.
Then a visa run is the practical option
From Da Nang or Hoi An that means the Lao Bao visa run: exit to Laos, come back in on a new e-visa, all in one day.
Not sure which applies?
Send us your nationality, visa type and the end date of your stay. We’ll tell you which option is open to you before you spend anything. See e-visa and extension.