Ministry proposes inoculation certificate not required for Vietnam entry

The Ministry of Health is proposing people entering Vietnam do not need to have a recognized certificate showing they are vaccinated against Covid-19 or already recover from the disease.

Under a draft document on Covid-19 prevention and control for immigrants, the Ministry of Health proposes that people entering via air do not need to have negative PCR test results for Coronavirus within 72 hours or negative ART test (antigen rapid test) results within 24 hours before entering Vietnam, except for children under 2 years old. The test certificate is issued by the competent authority of the host country.

These people do not need to be tested after entry, but need to take the same preventive measures as people who have stayed in Vietnam.

People entering via other routes need to have a negative test result. Those who do not have need to have PCR or ART tests within 24 hours from the time of entry. All arrivals must make a medical declaration and use the PC-Covid application during their stay in Vietnam.

At the border gate, people with Covid-19 symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, body pain, fatigue, chills, difficulty breathing and respiratory infection should report it immediately to medical authorities.

Upon entry, people must strictly comply with the 5-measure recommendation (face masks, disinfection, distancing, no gatherings and health declarations) during the process of moving from the border gate to the place of residence, and limit stopping and parking along the road.

Children under 2 years old are not required to be tested for Covid-19. Children who have not been vaccinated or have never recovered from Covid-19 can participate in activities outside their accommodation with their parents and relatives.

The Ministry of Health stated that the basis for the proposal is that Vietnam has shifted from the “zero-Covid” strategy to safe adaptation. The country’s vaccination coverage is large and has plans to inoculate children from 5 years old.

The above proposal has been more open than current regulations. Under the existing ministerial regulations, from December 2021, people entering the country who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from the disease must self-monitor their health for three days at their accommodation including houses, hotels, motels, resorts, representative offices, dormitories, and guest houses of businesses. These people had a PCR test on day 3. If the result is negative, they must self-monitor health until the end of 14 days.

Persons entering the country who have not been vaccinated or fully vaccinated shall be isolated at their residence for seven days and have a PCR test twice on day 3 and 7.