The Ministry of Health officially issued guidelines for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control after inbound tourism reopening in which lifting the quarantine restriction for tourists with a negative COVID-19 test certificate and children under two years old on arrival. On the same day, Vietnam resumed 15-day visa exemption for 13 countries after nearly two years of closure.
Hoi An before the pandemic – Photo: @hoiantown
On March 15, Vietnam finally resumed inbound tourism with relaxed entry rules and announced official visa policies. According to the Ministry of Health, international tourists to Vietnam can travel freely without quarantine if they have a negative COVID-19 test certificate. The test must have been done within 72 hours using the RT-PCR method and 24 hours using the rapid antigen methods before departure. Travelers who cannot take the test before arrival need to keep their distance from others and have to be tested within 24 hours right after entering Vietnam. With a negative result, they can leave their accommodations.
Tourists are required to self-monitor their health in the next 10 days and call medical staff if having any COVID-19 symptoms.
Children under 2 years old are not required to conduct COVID-19 testing.
In addition, the Vietnam government also resumed its unilateral 15-day visa exemption policy for 13 countries including Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
These new guidelines lifting most of the travel restrictions and offering a visa waiver program are positive signals from Vietnam after two years of closing inbound tourism and halting granting visas for international tourists.
