2020 came along with an outbreak of the notorious 2019 Novel Coronavirus, and it affects every aspect of our living, from economy to our travel. Many of travelers who have planned or booked a trip to Vietnam are now in questions: what is the real situation of Vietnam at the moment, whether this country is still safe for travel and whether they should cancel/delay their trip or not. Just find out the answer here with Vietnam Visa Service

• Coronavirus situation in Vietnam
• Vietnam Travel Policies
• Vietnam’s actions
• Emergency Contacts

Coronavirus situation in Vietnam – What travelers should know

I. Current COVID-19 Cases in Vietnam

With a quick response at the early stage of the outbreak, Vietnam has successfully retained a mortality rate of 0%. You can see a snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam as of March 16, 2020, 17:23.

For updates, please refer to website of the Ministry of Heath of Vietnam,  COVID-19 section at https://ncov.moh.gov.vn/.

II. Vietnam Travel Policies

Understanding that traveling creates a high risk of spreading of Coronavirus throughout the country, the Vietnam government has applied strict policies, including:

• Suspension of Vietnam visa and entry for citizens of certain countries;
• Mandatory health check upon travelers’ arrival at any entry point of Vietnam;
• Quarantine if necessary;
• Temporary closure of certain tourist attractions.

► Click here for full updates. Remember to read it as it may be subject to change from time to time and directly affects your travel in Vietnam.

III. What Does Vietnam Do to Beat the Coronavirus?

Facing this outbreak, our government and people have taken a lot of measures to prevent its spread in our country, including:

1. Preventative measures by the Vietnamese Government

Dr. Kidong Park, the WHO representative in Vietnam, attributed the success to the Government’s “proactiveness and consistency throughout the response”. Let’s quickly review how the country coped with the sudden outbreak right from the beginning of the Lunar New Year.

Vietnam declared the COVID-19 an epidemic in Vietnam on February 1, 2020. Although the number of confirmed cases remains low within the country, a lot of strong preventive measures have been taken to avoid a further outbreak. The very first action undertaken was forming a National Steering Committee to direct efforts and communicate to the public. 

The most distinctive steps taken include:

• Closure of overland border crossings between China and Vietnam
• Suspension of flights to and from the mainland of China, South Korea
• Epidemic prevention training for flight crews and attendants
• 14-day quarantine of all travelers from affected areas in China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, etc.
• Strengthened disease screening at international points of entry
• Four hospitals designated by Ministry of Defense to handle potential cases
• Increased prevention and control measures at health care facilities
• 45 quick response medical teams set up to assist hospitals nationwide
• Cancellation of festivals and tourism activities countrywide
• Temporary closure of public schools in 63 provinces

As the situation remains well-controlled within the country borders, airports are still under strict policies to prevent unexpected risks. 

2. Aviation and entry policies at Vietnam’s airports

Since the start of February, all Vietnam’s airports have been ordered to deploy additional personnel and coordinate with local health agencies to deploy body temperature scanning equipment as well as a screening of passengers.

Facing the unexpected developments of COVID-19, China, South Korea, Iran and Italy are currently the four countries to and from which flights are most strictly governed. These are a list of areas for which tightest health control measures are applied:

• All flights to and from the mainland of China on all airlines have been indefinitely suspended.
• Flights connecting Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are allowed with reduced routes.
• Flight change and refund fees will be waived for passengers flying to or from China with Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific.
• All travelers from China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran must carry out medical declarations and 14-day medical quarantine before entering Vietnam.
• Visitors who have transited through mainland China within the past 14 days will be refused entry.
• Non-Vietnamese travelers from the two significant outbreaks, Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk in South Korea, will also be restricted from entering Vietnam. The only exceptions are for business travelers who will be subject to compulsory 14-day quarantine.

There might be changes according to further developments of the epidemic, hence you are strongly advised to double check with your travel agency or airlines for your entry possibility. Also, if you are granted entry, you must strictly adhere to Vietnamese Government’s regulations on epidemic prevention and health inspection.

Now the next question is: after being granted entry and discharged from the quarantine, are there any places open for sightseeing in Vietnam?

3. Closures and cancellations in Vietnam due to COVID-19

As quick response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Vietnam government has decided to close a number of festivals and also tourist attractions. You can see the information below.

The government and private organizers have come to a decision to postpone/cancel the following tourism and sporting events:

• Yen Tu Festival in Quang Ninh – canceled
• Tam Chuc Festival in Ha Nam – canceled
• Tran Temple Festival in Nam Dinh – canceled
• Da Nang International Fireworks Festival – canceled
• Huyen Tran Festival in Hue – canceled
• Hue Festival – postponed to August 2020
• Da Lat Sufferfest – postponed
• Quang Binh Marathon – postponed
• F1 race in Hanoi – postpone

IV. Emergency Contacts and Official Government Sites in Vietnam

In the current situation, fake news is just as dangerous as the virus itself. Please update information from these trusted sources only:

• Coronavirus app at https://coronavirus.app/
• Official Vietnamese’s government website: https://ncov.moh.gov.vn/

If any traveler experiences symptoms of the virus: fever, cough and difficulty breathing, please immediately contact this emergency hotline: +84 19003228 the following hotlines. Please be aware of the risks you are carrying and take appropriate actions to help prevent community spread.

Hotlines for Coronavirus report and consultancy in Vietnam

Generally speaking, in face of complicated development of COVID-19, we  highly recommend that all foreigners in Vietnam should temporarily limit your travel if it’s not necessary. In order to stay in a country other than your home country, it’s important to (its validity) to have prompt solutions to save unnecessary costs. In case you wish to stay in our Vietnam longer than your visa validity, just refer to our Vietnam visa extension instructions.