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Ha Giang Loop Permit
Planning on visiting Ha Giang, the northernmost region of Vietnam and doing all the cool stuff on a motorbike? Great! There is just this tiny thing you need to prepare in order to be able to do any of the things you have in mind, and that is getting the Ha Giang Loop Permit. What is it, you may ask?
Well, it's pretty self-explanatory, it is a pass that lets you enter certain districts of Ha Giang (Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac), since Ha Giang borders with China. So by law, tourists are required to have the Restricted/Border Area Permit, or the Ha Giang Loop Perrmit in order to access these parts of this mountainous region.
Now this might seem complicated but trust us, it's not! Let us walk you through everything you need to know about the Ha Giang Loop Permit so that your Ha Giang Loop tour can go as smoothly as possible.
What happens if you don't have an Entry Permit to Ha Giang’s northern districts?
If you're lucky, you might be able to get away with not having a Ha Giang Loop Permit, because the police might let that slide and not pull you over to check. However, hotel and guesthouse owners might ask you for your permit in order to allow you to stay, because they still need to declare some informations to the local authorites.
If you're *not* lucky though, and you do get checked by the police in the middle of the Ha Giang Loop, you won't get to continue your journey to the northern districts and plus, they may charge you with fines. So to save the hastle, you need to have the Ha Giang Loop Permit ready.
How to get the Entry Permit in Ha Giang?
It’s very simple to get the Ha Giang Entry Permit, you can simply ask your hotels or guesthouses to help. Just show them your passport ID and pay for it (it will cost extra) and they will take care of the rest. To apply for the permit, you may need to provide: a copy of your passport and visa, the duration of your stay and your itinerary.
Or you can go to the office and do everything yourself. This can be done at any Immigration Office in Ha Giang or in the four districts. There is an office located at 415A Tran Phu Street, Tran Phu Ward, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang. To apply for the permit, you may need to provide: a copy of your passport and visa, the duration of your stay and your itinerary. You pay $10 - 20 USD (250.000 - 500.000 VND), they will fill out the form then voilà, you receive the permit. If you are traveling with a motorcycle, they could ask for the registration number.
You can also get the permit through a local travel agency, some of them already included the Ha Giang Loop Permit in their tour packages.
Ha Giang Immigration Office opening hours:
The Ha Giang Immigration Office opens from Monday tó Saturday and closes on public holidays.
Morning: 8:00 - 11:30
Afternoon: 13:30 - 16:30
Contact number: 02193875210
Address: 415A Tran Phu Street, Tran Phu Ward, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
Final thoughts
The Ha Giang Loop Permit is a necessary procedure that helps the local authorities keep track of tourists and support the community and its infrastructure. Although tourists, both local and foreign, need the Ha Giang Entry Permit, those who only wish to enter some districts and the Ha Giang city center might not need to obtain the permit. The procedure to get the Ha Giang Loop Permit if fairly simple, straightforward and doesn't take that long. So once you have everything ready, the only thing left to do is embark on the amazing journey!
