December 8, 2022

Every article we found online only gives the address and information about how to get the necessary Ha Giang Restricted Border Area Travel Permit in Ha Giang. But we didn’t start in Ha Giang. We went in the opposite (counter-clockwise) direction around the Ha Giang Loop, from Hanoi to Meo Vac to Dong Van and then to Ha Giang. Nowhere online could we find information about where to get the Permit in Dong Van.

Well, here it is:

The office is located behind rhe main police building, on the side street called Sùng Dúng Lù. Here are the gps coordinates for the permit office:

23.2776970, 105.3622103

This is the main police building on the main street through Dong Van. You want to go down the street on the side of this building to the building behind this one.

This is the building you want. It should be the 3rd door down from the right end of the building.

Standing in the street facing the building, I think it’s the third door from the right end on the street level. Inside the door is a desk to your right and a counter straight ahead. The officer will take your passport(s), transfer some information to the permit, and charge you US$10 or about VND245,000 per permit. The entire process takes about ten minutes.

Here’s what the top of the permit looks like. If you look like a foreigner, they’ll know why you’re there when you walk in, but if you can’t find the correct door, just show them this and they’ll take you there.

One permit is required for each person. The permit is good for ten days. Many hotels and homestays in the Ha Giang area will require you to have the permit to stay there, and if you are stopped by the police they will ask to see it. You might get away without it, but the $10 is way less than the fine or having your rented scooter confiscated.