Traveling to Vietnam in 2023

With the onset of COVID, Vietnam shut their boarders to all foreigners to help prevent the illness from over taking the country. I even knew a couple of people who had gone home to visit family for the holiday season in February and were stuck, unable to fly home. Now that Vietnam has opened back up there are a couple of requirements you will have to meet. The following information was updated 31-Aug-2022, please make sure to check the most recent requirements before you travel. Vietnam's Tourism Site has been very good at sharing up to date information.

At of midnight on May 15, 2022, all Vietnam destinations are open, no self-isolation is required, and all regulations for SARS-CoV-2 testing required before entering will be temporarily suspended. However you are supposed to self-monitor for the first 10 days from the date of your arrival into the country. If you are traveling within the country and have symptoms or have been exposed then call the health hotline at 1900 3228 while in country. There are currently 94 authorized testing facilities and the list can be found here. More updates from the Ministry of Health can be found on their website.

The following countries can visit Vietnam Visa-free unless they wish to stay longer than allowed.

1. Brunei & Myanmar - 14 days
2. Belarus, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the UK - 15 days
3. Philippines - 21 days
4. Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand - 30 days

If your country is not listed then you will have to apply for a Tourist Evisa which you can do directly online with Vietnam Immigrations Online Portal. If you have any questions or are unsure of what to do, check out my "Easily Apply for a Vietnam Visa" article.

Items Needed to Apply for an eVisa

If you do require an Evisa and will be applying online make sure to have the following items ready before you start the form:

1. One 4x6 passport photo in .jpg format with a white background, without glasses.
   
2. One photo in .jpg format of your passport data page.
   
3. A passport is valid for at least six months.
   
4. Your temporary address in Vietnam
   
5. The names of the points of entry & exit as well as the dates you arrive and leave the country
   
6. Debit or credit card for payment.

Besides your eVisa and passport, you will also need to purchase medical travel insurance with 1. a minimum coverage of U$ 10,000 and 2. covers COVID treatment.

If you are travelling domestically then besides the self-monitoring of your health you have to use face masks, hand sanitizer, social distancing, and no gatherings.