E-visa system for 80 countries back online, the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday, as the country will be fully reopened to international tourists from March 15, 2022.
The online visa application/approval process by Vietnam’s immigration service was halted in early March 2020 when the country sealed the border to most foreign arrivals in response to the COVID pandemic, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
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The list of countries where citizens are eligible to apply for an e-visa (30 days valid stay):
- Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
- Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria,
- Canada, Chile, China (including Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR passport holders, not applicable to Chinese e-passport holders), Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
- Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France,
- Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan,
- Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
- Macedonia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar,
- Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
- Palau, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia,
- Solomon Islands, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
- East Timor, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America,
- Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Western Samoa.
“The government of Vietnam has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reintroduce pre-pandemic immigration policy for foreigners and Vietnamese residing abroad, effective March 15,” said Lê Thị Thu Hằng, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during a press conference. †
Accordingly, Vietnam shall resume the application of visa and visa waiver procedures in accordance with the Law of 2014 on Entry, Departure, Transit and Stay in Vietnam (amended in 2019) and other relevant documents, including the granting of electronic visas,” said Hằng.
Visa waiver policies for citizens from 13 countries were reinstated as before the pandemic, especially for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus. Nationals of these countries can stay in Vietnam for 15 days from the date of entry, regardless of the type of visa or purpose of entry.
The country has also resumed visa waiver for foreigners in accordance with international treaties of which Vietnam is a member, and visa waiver on a reciprocal basis with countries such as Singapore and Thailand, and other visa waiver agreements with Southeast Asian countries, the spokesman noted.
In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other ministries have also issued regulations based on their function regarding the reopening for foreign visitors from 15 March.
According to the Ministry of Health’s new COVID-19 Guidelines for Foreign Submissions (Dispatch No. 1265), travelers entering Vietnam by air must provide proof of negative COVID-19 test results (within 72 hours of departure when using RT -PCR/RT-LAMP diagnostics, or within 24 hours when using rapid antigen diagnostics).
Travelers entering by road, rail or sea may undergo a pre-entry COVID-19 test, similar to those arriving by air, if their length of stay in Vietnam is short. If the stay is longer, they must be tested at the border gates.
If the test results are negative, participants will be allowed to travel freely subject to public health measures.
Before immigration, participants must complete a health declaration, self-monitor their health, and install and use the Vietnam COVID-19 (PC-COVID) app.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released guidelines on March 15 for welcoming international tourists into the new normal, in which tourists need medical insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment with a minimum liability of US$10,000, according to Vietnam News Agency†
