Deputy PM proposes accelerating recognition of vaccine passports

Chủ Nhật, 31/10/2021, 21:40

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has assigned the Foreign Ministry to work alongside partners in an effort to fast-track the recognition of vaccine passports.

 

This comes following the Government Office recently issuing a document detailing the Deputy PM’s direction regarding the implementation of vaccine passports and measures aimed at facilitating the entry of foreign experts as a way of serving further economic development.  

The Ministry of Public Health has therefore been tasked with issuing paper and electronic forms for the Vietnamese vaccine passport scheme, with this expected to be finalised before November 5.

The Ministries of Information and Communication, Public Security, and Public Health have also been requested to develop an application and QR codes for vaccine passports in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instruction in Notice 242/TB-VPCP dated September 13.

Deputy PM Minh has adopted the policy of facilitating entry procedures for foreign nationals belonging to groups that are specified in the conclusions of meetings of permanent Government members on COVID-19 prevention and control. This is in addition to foreign citizens who travel to the country to study the market, attend conferences and workshops, visit family members, and overseas Vietnamese and their family members. All those people should have certificates of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from the virus.

For overseas Vietnamese, the regulations under Decree 82/2015/ND-CP on visa exemption continue to be applied.

The Health Ministry has been asked to co-operate alongside relevant agencies and localities in order to issue medical quarantine regulations for arrivals with vaccine passports.

Deputy PM Minh has also approved in principle the resumption of regular commercial flights both to and from countries and territories with high COVID-19 safety levels, with appropriate pandemic prevention measures to be taken.

The Ministry of Transport is set to submit a plan to the Prime Minister on resuming regular international flights prior to November 5.

VNA