Quarantine free entries for entrants with negative COVID-19 tests
The Ministry of Health on March 16 has officially issued the long-awaited COVID-19 protocols for foreign arrivals in Vietnam, which state that visitors with negative COVID tests can enjoy quarantine-free travel from day one.
Accordingly, the regulations require air passengers to have proof of negative SARS-CoV-2 tests using RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method within 72 hours prior to departure, or 24 hours with rapid antigen tests, with the results approved by the countries where the tests are conducted.
A similar policy also applies to people entering by land and waterways. In the event that a visitor has no a negative test result, a rapid test must be performed within the first 24 hours from their time of entry.
If the test proves to be negative, then the visitor will be permitted to leave their accommodation. If the test comes back positive, they must immediately report to local health authorities for further instructions on timely handling.
Children under the age of two are allowed to enter without any test and can participate in outdoor activities with their parents and relatives.
However, visitors would still need to comply with COVID-19 prevention and control measures that are applicable to people living in Vietnam, like wearing masks, disinfecting hands, keeping a safe distance, making health declarations, and avoiding large gatherings.
The guidelines, released the day after the country fully reopened international tourism activities and reinstated pre-pandemic entry and exit regulations, replace all other previous COVID-19 rules for foreign entries.
The health ministry asked local authorities and State agencies to quickly direct the implementation of the COVID rules to avoid spreading the virus among the travellers and the community.
It is hoped the relaxed regulations will ease concerns from international tour companies who have been desperate to welcome back foreign tourists into the country after two years of severe disruptions caused by the pandemic.
During a meeting held with foreign ambassadors and various representatives of travel businesses in Hanoi on March 15, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam affirmed that foreign visitors would be treated the same as domestic visitors upon arrival.
He also requested that relevant ministries and agencies continue to receive opinions from domestic firms and localities regarding the reopening policy, including expanding visa-free markets, removing restrictions on electronic visas, and extending visitors’ stay.
