Vietnam has gone through a disastrous time in 2020 and 2021. Up to this point, according to Covid19.gov.vn, Vietnam has over 10 million Covid cases, with more than 8 million cured patients.
At the beginning of the outbreak, Vietnam aimed to reach the “0 cases” scenario. Such a strategy put Vietnam in a more difficult spot when its economy could not keep up much longer. That was when the major change in the mindset of the government happened to reverse the situation.
And right now, it’s April 2022. Almost everything is officially back to business. If you are planning to travel to Vietnam, there are a couple of things that you should be aware of before booking your ticket:
Health declaration procedure and insurance
Since the situation has eased since the last lockdown, the entry process is pretty simple.
On March 15, 2022, The Health Ministry of Vietnam released the official COVID-19 entry procedures, according to the Official Letter No 1265/BYT-DP. Foreign arrivals, when entering the country, are required to follow the steps below:
- You must have a negative Covid-19 test result by using the RT-PCR method 72 hours before the departure of your flight, or you must have a rapid Antigen test result 24 hours before departure. (children that are under 2-year-old are not obliged to follow any of the steps).
- An online health declaration must be done before you enter the country. (tokhaiyte.vn as the official health declaration website).
- If the visitor did not take the test before the departure, a Covid-19 test is taken within 24 hours after visitors enter Vietnam. If the test result is negative, visitors can go everywhere without quarantine. However, if the test result is positive, the visitor must strictly follow the instructions of the health ministry.
- You have to install an application called “PC-Covid” on your smartphone as per the requirements of the Vietnamese embassy.
It is also mandatory to purchase the Covid insurance package that covers a Covid treatment with a minimum liability of US$10,000. The price of the insurance is between 50 and 100$ for a month of travel.
Visa requirements for tourism or business purposes
Vietnam had a visa crackdown in 2021. It was unfortunate for many foreigners living in Vietnam. The country was having a rough time surviving the most catastrophic Covid wave. That is why the government decided to strictly ban the people that had the wrong visa for their stay and the people with expired visas.
If you plan to visit Vietnam, you must understand the visa requirements. There are only two things to keep in mind when you visit Vietnam: You must have the right visa for your stay. Moreover, you must extend your visa if you want to continue to stay in Vietnam.
Visa exemption
On March 15, 2022, Vietnam officially reactivated the visa exemption policy for the people in the 13 countries: Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Visitors from these countries can enter Vietnam without a visa regardless of their purpose. However, since the visa exemption policy only lets visitors stay for 15 days, make sure to check the last day a few days in advance before expiration.
E-visa
If you are not on the 15-country visa exemption list, you can register for an E-visa if you want to travel to Vietnam. To get an E-visa, you can visit the website visa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. By filling out the form and submitting it, you are qualified to enter Vietnam without any further complicated procedures.
To be qualified for an E-visa, you have to be a citizen in one of the 80 countries in the list below:
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, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Salomons Islands, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor Leste, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Western Samoa.
The process for an E-visa is simple and could take about three days until an invitation letter arrives in your mailbox. (The working day of The Immigration Department is from Monday to Friday).
There are a few other things that you also have to double-check before applying for an E-visa:
- You are a foreigner that lives outside of Vietnam
- Your passport is still valid for at least six months
- If you belong to any case of entry suspension set out in Article 21, you cannot apply for an E-visa
- You fully agree to follow the Vietnamese law
In case of a disqualified profile, you will receive a full refund. The payment is processed during the online registration.
Visiting Vietnam in 2022 for business-men or tourists: Wrap up
Overall, everything in Vietnam is now back to normal. If you miss the food, the bustling movement of the streets in Vietnam, or the friendly local neighbor that you used to see a lot when you were in Vietnam, this is the perfect time to return to this beautiful country and enjoy the beautiful experience that you once fell in love with.
As for entrepreneurs, you already know that Vietnam is a country for opportunities. Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing countries in Southeast Asia. Because Vietnam is still a developing country, it is a fertile land for new business ideas. If you want to create something of your own at an affordable cost, Vietnam is the right destination.
