With many anticipating the reopening of Vietnamese borders, whether it be for tourism, visiting family or to come and work, Vietnam Insider has received many questions and queries regarding various aspects of the procedures taking place.
This article is an attempt to cover a few of these questions to the best of our knowledge, though readers must be reminded that the most accurate source of information is found via verified government websites or from the nearest Vietnamese embassy to your location.
When will Vietnamese borders reopen for tourists?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question doesn’t fill many seeking tourism in Vietnam with hope. As of yet there is no verified date put in place to reopen the country’s borders for tourism. Despite many assuming June 1st to be the answer to this question, as of yet this is not the date and is most likely not going to be. At the moment the Vietnamese authorities are fully placing priority on repatriating its own citizens, and whilst the government has proposed flight resumption from June 1st, this will not be for tourism and will instead be for specific cases. Despite the willingness of some tourists to quarantine for a 14 day period on arrival, the government is yet to officially announce anything.
I have Vietnamese family that I would like to visit, when will I be able to do so?
As with the answer to the previous question, there is no date set in sight. In extreme cases, the best advice as always is to talk to your local Vietnamese embassy if the circumstances are extenuating. This is not to say that speaking to the embassy will gain you access to Vietnam, but it will likely give more clarity than online research.
My Vietnamese visa is due to expire, can it be extended for free as is the case in many other nations?
As of last week, the Vietnamese authorities announced an automatic visa extension until the 30th of June for those who entered Vietnam in or after March. There is no need to apply for this extension, it is automatic. Though, if you are worried about this then it is worth speaking to your local immigration office for peace of mind.
Related: Vietnam grants automatic visa extension for foreigners until June 30 without any fee
What will be the process of reopening borders when it does eventually happen?
Due to the lack of official governmental advice on such a subject, it is at this point impossible to give a legitimate answer to this question, and any attempt to do so would be entirely based on speculation. Some have suggested that a ‘travel bubble’ may be introduced, meaning that only ASEAN nations as well as New Zealand and Australia will be allowed to travel to Vietnam for tourism, though as previously stated, this assumption is entirely based on rumour and speculation, so should not be retained as factual.
Also read: Travel to Vietnam from Taiwan remains difficult under current restrictions
- Immigration office in Hanoi: 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Immigration office in Da Nang: 78 Lê Lợi, Thạch Thang, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng 550000
- Immigration office in Ho Chi Minh city: 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh city
- Working hours: Monday-Friday (Morning: 7am – 11h30am; Afternoon: 1h30pm – 5pm) and Saturday (Morning time only)
This article may not provide much clarity for those seeking answers, but this is because it is simply not possible to give answers regarding borders without either assuming speculation as fact, or telling the reader things which are not true. We at Vietnam Insider would love to be able to give answers with certainty, though again, this would likely lead to confusion and misinformation. As previously mentioned, the best place to seek answers is with your most local Vietnamese embassy, either in person or via phone or email.
As a reader of Vietnam Insider, you should be assured that as soon as verified information is available, it will be published and readers will be made aware. Until then, we ask readers to maintain patience and understand that the fight against COVID-19 will likely last longer than epidemic within Vietnam’s borders, especially given that Vietnam is leading the fight. It would be a risk for Vietnam to resume tourism too soon, hence the stringent policy in place.
Elliott Chapman – The author