Travelers can use e-visa on rail route from Hanoi to China's Nanning

Vietnam's international rail service to China resumed late this May after a five-year hiatus. Photo: VNR

Passengers traveling on the Hanoi – Nanning rail route can now enter and exit the country using an electronic visas (e-visas) via the Dong Dang International Border Gate in Vietnam's northern province of Lang Son.

Previously, people traveling by the rail route from Hanoi to Nanning were asked to use paper visas, e-visas were not accepted. This regulation causes inconvenience to many travelers when choosing to travel by rail between Vietnam and China.

The Government of Vietnam in early December approved an additional 41 checkpoints, including Dong Dang International Border Gate, to provide electronic visas for both entry and exit, totaling the number to 83.

Passengers board a train connecting Vietnam and China. Photo: VNR

The addition of Dong Dang to the e-visa accepting border gate system is expected to help passengers “lighten the burden” of procedures, making it easier to experience cross-border journeys.Passsengers board a train connecting Vietnam and China.

An e-visa differs from a traditional visa in both its issuance format and application process. Foreign countries can submit applications and receive results online without having to visit diplomat missions or obtain an entry approval letter as previously required.

E-visa expansion is expected to facilitate tourists, promote trade and contribute to increasing Vietnam's attractiveness on the international tourism map.

Vietnam's international rail service to China resumed on May 25 after a five-year Covid-19 hiatus. The international rail service had carried nearly 8,400 passengers by September's end, mainly tourists, business travelers and families, according to the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR).

There are two trains, MR1 and MR2, departing from Hanoi's Gia Lam station to China's Nanning station and vice versa daily.

specifically, train MR1 will depart from Gia Lam station at 9:20 pm and arrive at Nanning station at 10:06 am the next day. In the opposite direction, train MR2 will depart from Nanning station at 6:05 pm and arrive at Gia Lam station at 5:30 am the next day.

A one-way ticket for the Hanoi – Nanning route is about VND1 million (US$38.5). Free tickets are available for children under 4 years old, and 50% off for those from 4 to 12 years old. Each adult is allowed to bring one child, groups of six or more people are 25% off tickets.

Currently, the VNR expanded ticket sales for the Gia Lam-Nanning route to all national stations, scrapping earlier restrictions. Passengers with valid visas and passports can buy tickets using digital images, backed by a written guarantee.

The operation of cross-border passenger trains between Vietnam and China is carried out based on the Vietnam-China Border Railway Agreement signed in 1992.

By Anh Kiet

Source: http://sodulich.hanoi.gov.vn/travelers-can-use-e-visa-on-rail-route-from-hanoi-to-chinas-nanning.html