Moc Bai border crossing opens at 6:00 AM and closes at 10:00 PM. Every day, including weekends, Tet, and every public holiday on the Vietnamese calendar. There is no lunch break, and the counters run straight through the day, which is exactly why a same-day visa run from Saigon is possible at all.
Those hours matter more than most travelers think. Show up at 9:00 AM and you will still get through, but you will be behind the tour buses. Show up at 8:00 PM and you are racing the clock on the way back. Show up at 10:30 PM and the gate is shut, which is how people end up sleeping in Bavet with a passport that still needs a stamp.
This page gives you the exact hours, what the clock means for a border run, when the queues build, and what happens if you miss the window. It is written for 2026, and the numbers match what we see on the ground every week on our runs from Ho Chi Minh City.
The short version: Moc Bai is open 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, seven days a week, no lunch break. For a smooth visa run, be at the counter before 8:00 AM.
Official Opening Hours
Moc Bai is the biggest land crossing between Vietnam and Cambodia, about 80 kilometers northwest of Saigon on Highway QL22. It is run as a single complex: you exit Vietnam on one side, walk through the border zone, and enter Cambodia on the other. The two sides keep slightly different hours, and the difference matters if you actually plan to step into Cambodia rather than just turn around.
| Side | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam, Moc Bai exit | 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM | Immigration counters run continuously, no lunch break |
| Vietnam, Moc Bai entry | 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM | Re-entry counters, same continuous schedule |
| Cambodia, Bavet entry | roughly 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM | Visa on arrival window; later crossings get thin staffing |
| Duty-free and shops | usually 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM | Retail hours differ from immigration hours |
The practical detail for a visa run: you only need the Vietnamese side twice, once to exit and once to re-enter. Most same-day runs cross into Cambodia just far enough to get an exit and entry stamp, often without even clearing Cambodian immigration, and that loop works any time from 6:00 AM until the counters wind down around 9:00 PM.
What the Hours Mean for a Same-Day Run
A same-day visa run is a race against the 10:00 PM closing, and the early start is not a preference, it is the whole plan. Here is the standard timeline on our runs:
- 5:30 AM: pickup in central Saigon, District 1 through 7, Binh Thanh, Tan Binh.
- 7:30 AM: arrival at Moc Bai after the roughly two hour drive on QL22. The border has been open for an hour and a half, and the counters are still quiet.
- 8:00 AM: exit stamp on the Vietnamese side. Ten minutes at this hour, against thirty or more at midday.
- 8:15 AM: cross into Bavet. If you need a Cambodia visa on arrival for a longer stay, this is where it happens.
- 8:30 AM: re-enter Vietnam with your new e-visa or renewed stamp. You are back in the country before most tour buses have even arrived.
- Around noon: back in Saigon, with the whole afternoon free.
Start the same loop at 9:00 AM and you hit the border during the worst of the morning queues, which pushes every step later. Start at 2:00 PM and you can still make it, but there is no buffer if anything goes wrong. That is why we never book afternoon runs for same-day returns: the math only works with the early window.
Busiest and Quietest Times
The border runs on a rhythm you can set your watch to. Learn it and you can cross in ten minutes instead of an hour.
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM is the golden window. The border has just opened, freight traffic is light, and the tour buses have not left Saigon yet. This is the window every serious visa runner aims for.
8:30 AM to 11:00 AM is the rush. The HCMC to Phnom Penh buses and the day-trip tours all converge here. Queues of thirty to sixty minutes are normal, and the Cambodia visa on arrival desk backs up worst in this stretch.
11:00 AM to 2:00 PM settles down. Most tour groups are through or eating lunch on the Cambodian side. The counters move at a relaxed pace and the lines shrink.
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM is the second quiet window. Not as empty as first thing in the morning, but close. This is when we send clients who need a later start for whatever reason.
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM picks up again. Day-trippers returning from Bavet, truckers, and people who crossed for shopping head back. Expect short waits on the re-entry side.
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM is sparse but slow. Fewer people, but also fewer counters staffed. The crossing still works, it just moves at a different pace, and anything after 9:00 PM risks the closing cut.
Days matter as much as hours. Tuesday through Thursday are the quietest days of the week. Friday afternoons and all of Saturday are the busiest, because Vietnamese weekenders cross to shop and gamble in Bavet. Sunday is somewhere in between. The rainy season, roughly May through October, brings afternoon storms that slow the drive but do not close the border.
Weekends and Public Holidays
Moc Bai does not close for holidays. The gate opens at 6:00 AM on January 1st, on Reunification Day, on National Day, and on Tet itself. What changes is the crowd and the staffing.
On normal weekends, the crowds are heavier and the Cambodia visa desk is the bottleneck. On the big holidays, especially Tet, three things happen at once: more people cross, fewer counters stay open, and the officers who remain are working long shifts. A crossing that takes ten minutes on a Tuesday can take an hour and a half on the third day of Tet.
The visa side has its own calendar. Vietnamese government offices close for about a week around Tet, and e-visa approvals pause with them. The border itself is open, but you cannot re-enter on a new e-visa that has not been approved yet. If your run falls in the Tet window, the e-visa application has to go in before the closure, which usually means two to three weeks ahead.
Same-day runs do still happen on holidays. We just build in more buffer: earlier pickup, a heads-up on queue times, and a backup plan if the counters slow to a crawl. If you are planning a run around Tet 2027, the late January window, message us early and we will tell you exactly which days to avoid.
If You Miss the Window
Arriving after 10:00 PM means the border is closed until 6:00 AM, and there is no trick around it. No side gate, no special lane for late arrivals. The crossing shuts completely overnight.
Your options are simple. Sleep in Bavet and cross back in the morning: the Cambodian side has hotels and guesthouses within walking distance of the border, and the casinos run all night if you are not trying to sleep. Or go back to Saigon and start again the next day, which is the cheaper option and the one we recommend for most people. The two hour drive back on QL22 is fine at night.
One thing to avoid at all costs: crossing at 9:45 PM and assuming you can clear both sides before closing. The counters wind down before the gate does, and a traveler stuck between the two borders at 10:05 PM is a problem nobody wants. If you are cutting it close, wait for morning.
For visa runs specifically, the clock is only half the story. You still need a valid e-visa approval before you re-enter, and those are not issued at the border. If your visa situation is urgent, contact us before you drive out, and we will tell you honestly whether a run can fix it in time or whether you need the embassy route instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the Moc Bai border crossing open?
6:00 AM, every day of the year. The Vietnamese immigration counters start processing immediately, so the first arrivals get through in minutes.
What time does Moc Bai border close?
10:00 PM daily. The counters start winding down around 9:00 PM, so treat that as the practical cutoff for a relaxed crossing.
Is Moc Bai border open on weekends?
Yes, seven days a week. Expect longer queues on Saturday, and remember that e-visa approvals take longer on weekends because the offices that process them are closed.
Is Moc Bai border open during Tet and Vietnamese public holidays?
The gate stays open, but staffing is thinner and queues are longer. E-visa processing pauses for about a week around Tet, so apply well ahead if your run lands in that window.
What is the best time to cross Moc Bai to avoid queues?
Before 8:00 AM. The border is calm from opening until the tour buses arrive, and Tuesday through Thursday are the quietest days. Mid-afternoon, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, is the backup window.
Can I cross Moc Bai at night?
Only until 10:00 PM. After that the gate is shut until 6:00 AM. For a visa run, a night crossing makes little sense anyway, because you still need a new e-visa approved before you can re-enter Vietnam.
Planning a Same-Day Run?
Book a private car visa run from Saigon to Moc Bai and we handle the timing for you. Early pickup, border-savvy drivers, and a new e-visa if you need one, so you are back in the city with a fresh stamp before the queues even build. Runs leave daily from District 1.
Book Your Visa Run TodayRelated Guides
Hours are one piece of the Moc Bai picture. These pages fill in the rest:
- Complete Moc Bai border crossing guide
- Bavet border crossing from Saigon
- Best time for a visa run from Saigon
- Bus from Saigon to Moc Bai: timings and costs
- Visa run to Moc Bai step by step
- How to do a visa run from Saigon
- Moc Bai border crossing on Visarun.vn
- NamVisa: full Vietnam immigration services
- HCMC Visa Run: sister service