As of June 7, 2022, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 10,726,045 cases of COVID-19. However, 9,513,981 of the affected patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Vietnam has also recorded 43,081 deaths due to the pandemic. The latest community transmission cases have been reported from Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Yen Bai, Hai Duong, and Vinh Phuc among others
.May 15
Vietnam dropped all COVID-19 testing requirements for international arrivals from May 15 after a drop in cases and in moving in line with the country’s strategy of opening up.
May 13
27 EU member states agreed to accept Vietnam’s vaccine passport as per Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry on May 12.
Vietnam’s health ministry has proposed suspending COVID-19 testing for international arrivals by air.
May 6
Vietnam suspended health declarations for COVID-19 throughout the country from April 30 including for domestic travel. Earlier medical declarations for international arrivals from April 27 were also suspended as pandemic cases dropped drastically.
April 29
To ease congestion at airports, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has asked localities to temporarily suspend health declarations at airports from April 27, in light of the upcoming holiday.
April 8
Hanoi authorities have allowed the reopening of bars, nightclubs, spas, and karaoke parlors on April 8 after about a year of closures due to the pandemic.
April 6
Vietnam plans to roll out vaccine passports from April 15 as per the health ministry. To register, users can access https://chungnhanvacxin.vn/ to fill in their personal information.
March 17
Vietnam reopened for international tourism with the health ministry releasing entry procedures for foreign arrivals. As per the ministry, foreign arrivals need to test negative for the virus prior to arrival in Vietnam and can then travel quarantine free within the country.
The Deputy PM also asked the relevant ministries to resume entry, exit, and visa procedures as before the pandemic. The e-visa government website is open for visa submissions.
March 16
Hanoi authorities lifted a 9:00 pm ban on dine-in restaurants and beverage venues, allowing them to operate as normal. In addition, pedestrian streets around Sword Lake and other areas would reopen from March 18.
March 10
Vietnam’s health ministry has proposed quarantine free entry for tourists, provided they have proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to departure as the country plans to open to international tourism on March 15.
March 4
Bars and karaoke parlors have been ordered to close in 13 communes and wards in Districts 5, District 10, District 11, Binh Chanh District, Hoc Mon Districts, and Thu Duc City in Ho Chi Minh City due to increased pandemic risk levels.
As per Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang, Vietnam is expected to resume visa policies and visa exemption policies from March 15.
February 24
Vietnam’s Prime Minister has urged localities to complete booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of Q1 due to a surge in cases recently. Hanoi leads the country’s surge with some schools moving to online learning.
February 17
The government has agreed to reopen Vietnam for international tourism from March 15. A detailed reopening plan is expected to be released soon by the relevant government agencies including visa requirements.
February 14
Vietnam will lift restrictions on the frequency of regular international flights from February 15 as per the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.
February 9
Hanoi authorities allowed the resumption of motorbike ride-hailing services from February 8, while movie theaters will be allowed to reopen from February 10, after more than six months due to pandemic prevention measures.
The government wants to open tourism nationwide between March 30 and April 30, 2022, in line with Vietnam’s strategy of opening up and living with the virus.
February 8
As the government looks to further reopen the country, the Ministry of Education and Training stated that all schools are expected to reopen and have physical classes this month.
January 31
Vietnam scrapped the rapid/quick COVID-19 test for international arrivals before boarding flights and after landing in Vietnam. The requirement had been imposed earlier for international arrivals from countries that had detected the Omicron variant. However, the RT-PCR COVID-19 negative test requirement, 72 hours prior to boarding, remains.
January 26
Vietnam received 6.27 million COVID-19 vaccines from Europe including Germany, the UK, Portugal, and Luxembourg in coordination with UNICEF from December 2021 to January 24, 2022.
January 20
The government on January 18 issued a Directive allowing foreign employees and overseas Vietnamese with valid TRCs, PRCs, and visa exemption certificates to enter Vietnam without the approval permit from the immigration department and the local people committee. Further details are likely to emerge on guidance and implementation.
January 19
Vietnam recorded its first known cases of the Omicron variant in the community in Ho Chi Minh City. The three cases of the variant were confirmed on January 18, from Binh Chanh, District 11, and Go Vap districts.
January 10
Vietnam’s Immigration Department has announced that it will discontinue the automatic stay extension for foreigners stranded in Vietnam from January 15. The stay extension measure had earlier been applied to foreign tourists who had entered the country since March 1, 2020, due to border restrictions caused by the pandemic.
January 4, 2022
Travelers coming from countries that have detected the Omicron variant will have to undergo a quick test for COVID-19 before boarding and when they arrive in Vietnam at their own cost. In addition, the self-quarantine locations such as residences and hotels must be as per standards as per the Ministry of Health, otherwise, they will have to undergo quarantine in centralized facilities.