Vietnamese government considers the proposal of resuming a 15-day visa exemption for international visitors.

Proposal of Visa Exemption for Visitors from designated countries

* Our latest updates from our visa team (January 6, 2021): Entrants who don’t have Vietnamese Nationality can apply for visa exemption at Vietnam Embassy in their countries if their parents or spouse are Vietnamese citizens and they are currently living in Vietnam.

On December 18, 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sport, and Tourism submitted the Government to allow the resumption of visa exemption of fewer than 15 days for travelers from designated destinations.

The idea was included in a preliminary report on welcoming international visitors back to Vietnam during the first phase of a vaccination passport pilot program that the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism introduced to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for consideration.

Without the existence of the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors entering Vietnam from Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K could stay in Vietnam without a visa for no longer than 15 days under a policy.

However, the border has been closed since March 2020 to deal with the Covid 19 pandemic, therefore, the visa waiver policy has also been suspended.

The ministry also submits the government to consider admitting travel firms to welcome back international visitors via commercial flights, by land, or sea. At the moment, travel companies only have permission to bring back international visitors on charter flights.

Furthermore, Binh Dinh Province, home to the famous resort town Quy Nhon, and Ho Chi Minh City are two additional destinations that Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism wanted the government to allow to welcome back foreign tourists in the second phase of the vaccine passport program that would have begun from December 15.

Additionally, a new policy on allowing Vietnamese living abroad, overseas Vietnamese with U.S. green cards to join the vaccine passport trial program because of the high demand of returning to their homeland for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations among overseas Vietnamese.

The government last week allowed the return of commercial flights between Vietnam and nine destinations with high vaccination rates and effective pandemic control measures for the first phase, which will span 15 days beginning January 1.

Regular flights to Bangkok (Thailand), Beijing/Guangzhou (China), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), San Francisco or Los Angeles (the United States), Seoul (South Korea), Singapore, Taipei (Taiwan), Tokyo (Japan), and Vientiane(Laos) are set to restart.

Flights between Vietnam and Frankfurt (Germany), Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Moscow (Russia), Paris (France), and Sydney(Australia) would be introduced in the second phase beginning January 16.

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