Passenger Information

Laos & Thailand - Upper Mekong Cruises

E-Visa: Travelers from most countries can apply for a Laos e-Visa (https://laoevisa.gov.la), which is valid for land and river border crossings between Thailand and Laos. Please obtain your e-Visa prior to your cruise departure.

Visa Waiver:
• 15-day exemption: Japan, Switzerland, Luxembourg
• 30-day exemption: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei.

Visa-on-Arrival (VoA): Available only at international airports (Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannakhet). VoA is limited to select nationalities and subject to certain requirements. Heritage Line does not accept passengers planning to obtain a VoA at the Thai-Lao Border when checking in for downstream sailings. Only e-Visas or pre-issued visas (obtained from the Lao embassy or consulate in your home country) are accepted.

Thailand: please find more information here https://thaievisa.go.th

Vietnam (Lower Mekong Cruises & Bai Tu Long Bay / Lan Ha Bay Cruises)

Visa Waiver (effective from August 15, 2025 to August 14, 2028): Citizens from the following countries can stay in Vietnam for up to 45 days without a visa: Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K. Check here for eligibility https://www.vietnam-visa.com/vietnam-visa-exemption/. Any other citizen has to apply for a visa.

E-Visa: Available for citizens of 80 countries. Valid for single or multiple entries, for stays up to 90 days. To check eligibility, ports of entry, and apply: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/trang-chu-ttdt. NOTE: We strongly recommend arranging your visa ahead of time. For immigration via river border, no explicit immigration location / port is required anymore to state with the application.

Online Entry Declaration: Passengers arriving in Vietnam must provide a declaration prior to arrival. An official portal of the Immigration Department has to be used: https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn/ (the process is also available on the ground at the airport, but may take much longer; we recommend preparing the declaration before leaving your home country). All foreign nationals entering Vietnam with a valid visa or entry permit must comply with this process starting from April 15, 2026. Once personal details are completed via the website form, a personal QR code will be created, which can be downloaded or sent to the personal email address. The Code must be presented to the immigration officer upon arrival.

You may apply at a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in your home country. Processing may take several weeks. Please check with your embassy or consulate for more information.

Cambodia - Lower Mekong Cruises

Visa Exemption: Travelers of ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) do not require a visa for short stays.

E-Visa: Most nationalities (exceptions include Afghanistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Sudan) may apply for a Cambodia visa online: https://go-cambodia-online.com/. Valid for 30 days and are only eligible for individuals arriving at Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville International airports and select land crossings. E-Visas are NOT accepted on the river border crossing between Vietnam to Cambodia (upstream).

For guests cruising from Vietnam to Cambodia, Heritage Line can arrange a 30-day, single-entry Cambodian visa onboard (please check current fee with Heritage Line reservation team).

You may also apply for a visa directly from the Cambodian Embassy or Consulate in your home country (your local travel agent may also assist you with this). This method may take weeks to process. Please check with your embassy or consulate for more information.

From 1st Jul 2024, all travelers must submit the Cambodia e-Arrival Card within 7 days before arrival, replacing traditional forms. It is available for free via the official website or mobile application.

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Heritage Line does not guarantee that all information is up to date or fully accurate. Please check with your national embassy or consulate for details. Please arrange your visa ahead of time.

Heritage Line will support to arrange a visa for guests (subject to the nationality) cruising aboard our ships for the destinations we operate (when possible). Please contact our reservations team with your individual request.

In case of an emergency situation on the way to the cruise destination or in the country of your cruise destination you can call our emergency number for support which is available 24/7 - please find the Emergency Number here: https://heritage-line.com/contact/

Please only call this number when you are in an emergency situation (for example late arrival to the cruise, any accident prior to your cruise departure, missing documents to board the ship, VISA issues when in the destination, etc). Please have important booking details ready (Heritage Line booking code, full name (Last name, first name), country of residence/passport, cruise booking details like departure date, itinerary, ship).

Please do not call this number for operational, logistic or questions to your booking! For such, please contact our reservation department via Email or via our dedicated reservation phone numbers also available here: https://heritage-line.com/contact/

We operate in four different countries, all of which have different currencies.

In Vietnam, the official currency is the “Vietnam Dong (VND)” and it is the only official note accepted country-wide. We recommend changing money from USD or Euro into VND upon arrival (exchange rates are better once in Vietnam than in your home country). Please do so at official exchange bureaus or banks rather than on the street. You can also easily withdraw money from most ATMs – best to do so directly at the airport. Please note that importing foreign currency needs to be declared if over the limit (currently 5,000 USD or the foreign equivalent). Tip: be careful not to mix up the 20,000 VND and 500,000 VND bills – they look very similar.

In Cambodia, the official currency is the “Cambodian Riel (KHR)”. You can pay with this currency, however the US Dollar is widespread and also accepted for cash payments. We recommend bringing some small USD notes (1 to 10 USD bills) with you to make small payments (local shops, tuk-tuk, taxi, etc.), or keep sufficient local Riel on you.

In Myanmar,the official currency is the “Burmese Kyat (K)”. It is often abbreviated as "K" (singular or plural) or "Ks" (plural), which is placed before or after the numerical value. In many places you may find prices advertised in US Dollars in addition to Kyat. Cash payments are often made in the local currency, though higher amounts might be payable in USD.

In Laos, the official currency is the “Lao Kip (LAK or ₭)”. Other widely accepted currencies are the Thai Baht and the US Dollar. But because many places charge a small markup fee for paying in anything other than Kip, it is best to exchange into Kip upon arrival in Laos. Also, if you still have a considerable amount of Kip when leaving the country, it is advisable to change it back into your home currency as the Kip has very little value outside of Laos.

Notice: please carefully check the latest information about currencies and exchange rates before arriving in the destination.

Yes, we accept Visa, American Express and Mastercard on board.