Vietnam denied entry to 217 international visitors due to invalid documents in the first two months of this year, about 25% of last year’s figure, according to aviation authorities.
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A foreigner (left) goes through immigration procedures at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi in March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ba Do |
The visitors were found carrying fake passports or not holding valid visas, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).
Vietnam currently exempts citizens from 25 countries from visa requirements, including major tourist markets such as Japan and South Korea.
The CAAV said the increasing number of passengers refused entry has caused damage to airlines, which are mainly responsible for sending them back to the place of departure.
Furthermore, this has also created pressure on Vietnamese airports where rejected passengers have to wait for their return flight, triggering potential risks to aviation safety and security.
In 2020, 506 foreigners were refused entry to Vietnam, compared to 404 in 2022 and 886 last year, according to the CAAV.
To reduce the number of passengers being denied entry, aviation authorities have asked airlines operating scheduled international flights to Vietnam to strictly check the documents of passengers entering or transiting through Vietnam.
