Vietnam has started taking baby steps in reopening its borders for international travel. From November, the government will allow vaccinated travellers from selected low-risk countries to visit the resort island of Phu Quoc. December onwards, it is expected that UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay, the well preserved ancient town of Hoi An, highlands town of Dalat and beach destination Nha Trang will also be opened up.<\/p>\n
From November to year-end, The Vietnamese government is looking to first open up to visitors from countries where the pandemic has been contained and have high vaccination rates. This would include China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, France<\/a> and Germany. Australia, USA and Canada are also being considered for the phased opening however a definitive list has not been finalised yet.<\/p>\n As per the government, safety is a prerequisite to restarting tourism in the context of the new normal. This is when the country plans to open up its borders fully, possibly from June 2022 onwards.<\/p>\n The steps and protocols being laid out by the Vietnamese government are similar to the plans and procedures implemented by the Thai government under the \u2018Phuket Sandbox<\/a>\u2019 model of leisure travel. 90% of the local population of Phu Quoc would need to be fully vaccinated. Travellers will need to demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated by furnishing digital vaccination certificates. The second dose of vaccine would need to have been administered at least 14 days prior to arrival in Vietnam. A negative Covid test certificate would be required at entry. Travellers will need to install the Vietnam Safe Travel application (Vietnam Safe Travel – VST) on smartphones for health declarations.
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