Vietnam will again welcome international tourists from all countries from 15 February 2022. Although the COVID-19 travel ban will be lifted, visa applications will remain mandatory.

Vietnam suspends travel ban

For a long time, Vietnam was considered one of the countries with the best control of the coronavirus. While other countries experienced thousands of COVID-19 infections and deaths in 2020, Vietnam‘s death toll was less than 50 for a long time. The outbreak of the delta variant changed this. Vietnam was hit particularly hard by the new virus variant, causing a huge increase in the number of infections and deaths in the summer of 2021. Due to the low vaccination rate in the country, the government struggled to control the various outbreaks. As a result, Vietnam kept its borders closed longer than most other countries.

Today, more than 90% of the population is fully vaccinated. The government of Vietnam believes that the time has come to fully reopen the country. The Vietnamese economy is heavily dependent on tourism; it accounts for about 10% of GDP. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the tourism sector in Vietnam to collapse. The Vietnamese government therefore wants to get tourism back to its old level as soon as possible.

International flights back to the old level

Vietnam was already welcoming international flights in stages. Since 15 December 2021, flights from specific countries, such as America and Thailand, were allowed to land in Vietnam again. In January 2022, this was extended to another six countries, including Germany and France.

From 15 February 2022, tourists and business travellers from all countries will again be welcome in Vietnam. There are no longer any restrictions on the number of international flights allowed into Vietnam. The government hopes to get the number of international flights to Vietnam back to its old level soon. All countries operating flights to Vietnam have been informed. According to Dinh Viet Son, deputy director of Vietnam‘s civil aviation service, only China has not yet indicated whether it will resume international flights to Vietnam. This is problematic for Vietnam, as China has traditionally been an important market for tourism to Vietnam.

Vaccinations and quarantine

Travellers who want to travel to Vietnam from 15 February onwards must be fully vaccinated. Those who are not (fully) vaccinated will not be admitted. A compulsory quarantine of three days applies on arrival. This quarantine may also be served at home. According to the current COVID-19 rules, passengers must be able to provide a negative PCR test result that is not older than 72 hours upon arrival. A health form must also be completed before departure.

Visa remains mandatory

Applying for a Vietnam visa remains mandatory. Travellers who need a visa for their trip, such as British citizens, must apply for one online before departure. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Vietnam has temporarily suspended the system for visa-free travel. As a result, travellers who would normally be able to travel to Vietnam without a visa have to apply for a visa. It is still unclear if and when the government of Vietnam will make visa-free travel possible again.

The Vietnam visa is valid for a 30-day stay. The visa is a so-called "single-entry" visa: this means that travellers who leave Vietnam and wish to return at a later date must apply for a new visa, even if the visa has not yet expired.

Please note: this news article about the visa for Vietnam is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Vietnam.