Update the route to welcome International travelers back to Vietnam this November

Foreign tourists who are fully vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 at least 6 months, and undergone a negative COVID-19 test are allowed to visit five destinations in Vietnam, with no quarantine mandated from November 2021.

Kem Beach, Phu Quoc Island

The Government Office has just issued Document No. 8044/VPCP-KGVX conveying the direction of Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on the proposal of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on a pilot plan to welcome international visitors to Vietnam.

Accordingly, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh agreed to the policy on a pilot route to welcome international tourists to Vietnam in 3 stages as proposed.

The first stages will start in November 2021. Vietnam will reopen the door to foreign tourists who book package tours to Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Da Nang, and  Quang Ninh through charter and commercial flights.

The second stage will start in January 2021. This stage will expand the scope of international tourists and connect destinations through international charter and regular commercial flights. Visitors can join tours combining multiple destinations after completing the tour at the first destination within 7 days. First of all, it will connect Kien Giang, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh and maybe add some other localities (if conditions are met and there is a proposal to welcome international tourists).

The third stage will fully reopen to the international tourist market. The starting time of stage three will be based on the actual epidemic situation and on the evaluation of the results of the reception in the first two stages.

To be allowed entry, foreign travelers need to meet the following conditions:

Firstly, visitors must have a certificate of a full dose of COVID-19 vaccine recognized by the competent authority in Vietnam (not applicable to children under 12 years old accompanied by parents or guardians). The duration of injection of the 2nd or 1st dose (for the 1-dose vaccine) is valid for 14 days and not more than 12 months by the time of departure, or there is a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 or equivalent documents, issued by a competent authority in the country of treatment and recognized by Vietnam.

Secondly, visitors must have negative results for the SARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method within 72 hours before departure and be tested by the competent authority of the country performing the test certification (from the time of taking samples for testing).

Thirdly, visitors must have medical or travel insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment with a minimum liability of  $50,000.

Fourthly, visitors must participate in the package tour of the tour operator.

On the first day of entry, visitors must do a rapid antigen test on themselves and if the result is positive, they will be taken to a medical facility and their treatment costs will be borne by insurance agencies or the tour operators. They must install the IGOVN application on their smartphones and use it during their stay in Vietnam. No quarantine is mandated, but masking is required.

In March 2020, international flights to Vietnam were temporarily suspended due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. Since then, only repatriated Vietnamese, foreign experts, and skilled workers have been allowed to enter under strict conditions.

In the year 2020, Vietnam witnessed a significant decrease in the number of foreign travelers. According to official data, there were only 3,83 million foreign visitors welcomed to Vietnam last year. These were not positive numbers for Vietnam’s tourism industry.

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