Cat Bi Airport Fast Track (HPH): Arriving in Hai Phong from Abroad

Cat Bi International Airport serves Hai Phong, Vietnam’s main northern port city, and is a convenient entry point for Cat Ba island, Ha Long Bay and the industrial zones around Hai Phong. Compared with Noi Bai, Cat Bi is small and calm, with a handful of international routes, mostly to China. Most of the time the immigration queue is short. Still, when an international flight arrives full, a small hall can make the wait longer than you expect, and some travellers want a guided, stress-free arrival. Our Cat Bi airport fast track service meets you before the counters and takes you through the priority lane.

This guide explains the airport, its international routes, how busy immigration is, and whether you need HPH airport fast track at all.

We are a private travel service, not the Vietnamese government. Vietnam Immigration still checks your passport and visa and decides on your entry.

Cat Bi airport at a glance

International flights at Cat Bi

Cat Bi has a small but growing international network, mainly to China. Routes that have operated include:

• Lijiang with Lucky Air;
• Chengdu and Nanning with Qingdao Airlines;
• Kunming with Ruili Airlines;
• Shenzhen with Shenzhen Airlines;
• Seoul (Incheon), which Vietjet has operated in the past.

Airline schedules change by season, so check your own booking for the current timetable. Many international visitors to Hai Phong still fly into Noi Bai (about 2 hours away by road) because it offers more flights.

How busy is immigration at Cat Bi?

With only a few international arrivals a day, you rarely see the long queues of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City at Cat Bi. In most cases, passport control is quick. The exceptions are when an international flight lands full, especially in Chinese holiday periods, or when two international flights arrive close together. Because the hall is small, the queue then builds quickly. If you need a visa on arrival, the landing visa counter adds a stop, and staff there handle one flight at a time.

Do you need Cat Bi airport fast track?

Honestly, many travellers at Cat Bi do not need fast track. You may still want HPH airport fast track if:

• you need a visa on arrival or a loose-leaf visa (for Chinese e-passports) and want help at the visa counter;
• you travel during Chinese holidays, when flights are full;
• you are a business traveller visiting the industrial zones and want a smooth, guided arrival;
• you travel with older relatives or young children, or you simply want the VIP experience.

If you hold an e-visa or enter visa-free, travel light and land at a quiet time, you can probably manage without it.

How fast track works at Cat Bi

1. Meet our staff. First, our staff wait with your name board at the entrance to the arrival immigration area.
2. Visa counter, if needed. Then we help you at the landing visa counter. You pay the USD 25 stamping fee in cash.
3. Priority lane. After that, we take you through the priority lane at passport control.
4. Baggage and customs (VIP). Finally, we help you at the baggage belt and through customs to the exit.

Fast track speeds up immigration, but the arrival steps and the customs rules stay the same for every traveller. For every step from the aircraft to the arrivals hall, see our Vietnam entry procedure guide. For duty-free limits, cash declaration and the e-cigarette ban, see our Vietnam customs rules guide.

Packages and prices for Cat Bi airport fast track

Cat Bi has one terminal, so most travellers choose Standard or VIP. However, no package includes the visa itself, the USD 25 government stamping fee for a visa on arrival, photo fees or transport.

Therefore, please book at least 24 hours before your flight, so we can arrange staff at Cat Bi. In addition, bookings made 2 days, 1 day or less than 24 hours before arrival carry an urgent surcharge of USD 20, USD 30 or USD 50. The booking form shows it before you pay.

Also, remember that fast track is not a visa. If you still need one, apply on the official portal evisa.gov.vn or through our e-visa service before you fly.

How to book Cat Bi airport fast track

1. First, open our fast track booking form and choose Arrival Fast Track Service.
2. Next, select Cat Bi (HPH) as your airport, choose your package and enter your flight number and arrival time in Vietnam time.
3. Then upload each traveller’s passport and visa, or send them later by email.
4. Finally, pay by PayPal (cards accepted) or Alipay.

We work 24/7, and our staff follow your flight if it is delayed. For example, if your flight lands two hours late, you do not need to rebook. If your flight is cancelled and you do not arrive, or our staff cannot find you at the meeting point, we refund the amount we received. See our refund policy.

Getting from Cat Bi airport to Hai Phong and beyond

• Central Hai Phong: about 10 to 15 minutes by taxi or Grab, because the airport is only about 5 km from the centre.
• Cat Ba island: by road and ferry, usually 1.5 to 2 hours in total.
• Ha Long: about 1 hour by car on the expressway.

Cat Bi airport fast track FAQ

Does Cat Bi airport have international flights?

Yes, mainly to China (for example Lijiang, Chengdu, Nanning, Kunming and Shenzhen). Schedules change by season.

Is the immigration queue long at Cat Bi?

Usually not. It gets longer when a full international flight arrives, or two arrive close together.

Is fast track worth it at Cat Bi?

It is most useful if you need a visa on arrival or a loose-leaf visa, travel in a holiday period, or want a guided VIP arrival. Many travellers manage without it.

I hold a Chinese e-passport. Will you help me at Cat Bi?

Yes. You collect a loose-leaf visa at the landing visa counter, even with an e-visa. Our staff help you there and then take you through the priority lane.

Do you work for late flights?

Yes. We work 24/7 and follow your flight if it is delayed.

For every package detail, customs rules and what to bring, see our main guide to Vietnam airport fast track.

Airport information checked on 7 November 2026. Sources: Cat Bi airport information and airline route announcements; Wikipedia (2023 passenger figures).