COVID-19: Vise-free travel program resumed, pre-pandemic immigration policies reinstated

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Vietnamese government has resumed its visa-free travel program and reinstated many of its pre-pandemic immigration policies.

Key Points:

• As of March 15, individuals from Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. can travel to Vietnam without obtaining a visa.
  • Foreign nationals from these countries can stay in Vietnam for up to 15 days without a visa for any travel purpose, including short-term business trips.
• Foreign nationals are no longer required to obtain special entry demand approval from the Vietnamese government in order to apply for an entry visa.
• Foreign nationals are no longer required to quarantine upon arrival.
• Travelers are still required to have proof of a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before departure or a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours before departure. More information regarding COVID-19 entry requirements is available here.

Additional Information: Application processing delays are expected as many immigration department offices continue to work at a reduced capacity.

BAL Analysis: Individuals who are applying for entry visas should expect delays in application processing due to the resumption of pre-pandemic immigration policies and an increase in application volume. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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