Vietnam will likely reopen to tourists from March 15, exempting visas and removing Covid-19 restriction measures on travel, thanks to the encouraging results from the immunization campaign across the country.

Local visitors to Ngoc Son Temple, one of the popular tourist destinations in Hanoi. Photo: Ngoc Tu

The proposals were given by representatives from ministries and branches at a meeting on February 15, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, on the plan to revive tourism activities in the context of flexible, safe adaptation and effective control of Covid-19 associated with the country’s socio-economic recovery.

The ministries of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Health, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Public Security, and National Defence have together submitted to the Government a plan on full reopening to international travels.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the ministries and branches to urgently take measures to resume tourism activities and assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to continue developing detailed instructions and promptly submit them to the Government.

According to the proposals, domestic and inbound travels by air, land and sea to Vietnam will be fully restored from March 15. Travel control measures since the outbreak will be lifted. The observance of the 5K rule (in Vietnamese) Khau trang (facemask), Khu khuan (disinfection), Khoang cach (distance), Khong tu tap (no gathering), Khai bao y te (health declaration), at every stage, and every time is encouraged.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said the reopening to inbound travel under new normal conditions must be based on the country’s disease situation and experiences of some countries in the region and the world. 

He said that after four months of the pilot plan on welcoming international tourists, roughly 9,000 foreign visitors have arrived in nine provinces and cities.  

Visa procedures, including the issuance of electronic visas, unilateral and bilateral visa waivers, will be handled normally as before the pandemic and restrictive measures will be removed.

Domestic visitors are eager to travel this year. Photo: Hoang Quan

International visitors to Vietnam will not be required to come on tour packages under the pilot program, but will only need to fully comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Health on vaccination against Covid-19.

Travelers must also have a negative test result prior to boarding (within 24 hours for rapid testing and 72 hours for RT-PCR), install at least one health management application and switch it on all the time as prescribed by Vietnamese authorities during their stay in Vietnam.

Director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine Phan Trong Lan further noted that international visitors aged 12 and over must receive at least two doses of the vaccine, the second dose should not exceed six months prior to their departure to Vietnam or have a certificate of recovery from Covid-19 within six months.

Children under the age of 11 are not required to be vaccinated because Vietnam has not yet administered vaccines for children in this age group, Lan further clarified.

For international visitors entering by air, those with suspected symptoms must undergo rapid testing at the airport, the rest must return to their pre-registered accommodation, self-isolate within 24 hours, and perform rapid testing or RT-PCR.

They would continue to be under medical monitoring in the next 14 days under the guidance of the Ministry of Health, as well as strictly abide by the 5K rule.