Vietnam Reopens for International Travelers in January 2022
The good news for all Vietnam enthusiasts is that the country reopens for international travel from the beginning of the oncoming year. Last week, the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport, submitted the proposal for the resumption of international flights to Vietnam. The Vietnamese government approved the recommence of international travel from January 1st, 2022.
The borders in Vietnam have remained closed since March 2020. The only group allowed to enter the country have been the Vietnamese nationals returning home, or international investors, diplomats, and experts traveling for business purposes.
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The gradual process of Vietnamese reopening
The first plans of the full reopening of the Vietnamese borders (by June 2022) were already announced in October. The country started to execute this stretched over time process from welcoming international tourists on the Phu Quoc island under the trial program in November 2021. Now, the Vietnamese authorities are taking the next steps to revive the tourism sector that has been hardly stricken by the prolonged coronavirus-related lockdown.
The new proposal of two-phased reopening, however, faces some challenges due to the recent advisory of the US CDC putting Vietnam on the list of high coronavirus-risk countries.
Restoring international flights in January 2022
The Vietnamese government included the following countries and cities (from which travelers will be able to board the flight to Vietnam) in resuming international flights from 1st Jan. 2022:
- Japan (Tokyo)
- Thailand (Thailand)
- China (Beijing, Guangzhou)
- Taiwan (Taipei)
- South Korea (Seoul)
- Laos (Vientiane)
- Singapore
- United States (San Francisco, Los Angeles)
- Cambodia (Phnom Penh )
These markets are the most important for Vietnam in terms of economic and political cooperation. There are many investors, labor force, and experts from different fields who wish to seek business opportunities in Vietnam.
Entry protocol
Currently, all eligible travelers who wish to enter Vietnam must:
- submit a vaccination proof accepted by a competent Vietnamese authority (the final dose of COVID-19 vaccine must have been received at least 14 days and not more than 1 year before entering Vietnam); alternatively, they may submit a coronavirus recovery certificate that must be issued within 6 months of entry to Vietnam;
- provide a negative COVID-19 test result (RT-PCR or RT-LAMP) that must be taken within 72 hours of boarding a flight to Vietnam;
- prove that minor travelers under 12 years of age travel with a guardian or parent who has taken a coronavirus test within 72 hours before flying to Vietnam and the test has a negative result;
- have travel or medical insurance covering potential coronavirus-related treatment (the minimum cover of $ 50,000);
- be participants of a package tour organized by an approved travel agency.
Quarantine
Vietnam has relaxed quarantine requirements for travelers who have been fully vaccinated. Now, they need to undergo a 7-day quarantine instead of the previous 14-day. They also need to test against coronavirus before arrival and self-monitor for 7 days after the quarantine ends. The shortened quarantine period applies also to those who have recovered from COVID-19 within the last half year.
Arrivals who have not been administered the full vaccinations are still subject to a 14-day quarantine, test requirement, and additional self-monitoring for another 2 weeks.
*Please note that the aforementioned entry rules are subject to change due to the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation in Vietnam and worldwide. The detailed entry rules applying from Jan. 1st, 2022, will be revealed soon.
e-Visa to Vietnam
Since 2017, the Vietnamese authorities have been facilitating entry to the country to many international travelers thanks to the implementation of the electronic visa system. Since then, all the visa formalities can be handled entirely online.
An eligible traveler can submit an e-Visa application form and within 5 business days, the electronic visa will be delivered via mail.
A holder of a Vietnam e-Visa can enter the country once and stay up to 1 month for business or tourism purposes, or simply make a transit stop before reaching the final destination.
