As of 15th March, Vietnam welcomes all travelers three months earlier than scheduled initially. 

Vietnam is opened fully to all travelers on 15th March, with some restrictions, as it is ahead of the June timeline, which was the original date of reopening. 

Vietnam imposed one of the strictest borders in the world during the pandemic. Very few people have been allowed access to the country since 2020. The foreign tourists were allowed on a vaccine passport program only to a few designated spots, which started in November 2021, but this time it’s entirely open for travelers with no restrictions. 

Though entry is allowed in the country earlier, you still need to consider some things. To travel to Vietnam, you will need the following: 

Mandatory Testing

If a traveller is over two years of age, they must bring a Covid-19 test with a negative result. Options are an RT-LAMP/RT-PCR test taken in the past 72 hours OR a rapid test taken 24 hours before the intended departure date. 

• Travel Insurance 

All travellers must carry travel or medical insurance that can cover the costs of treatment associated with Covid-19 with a liability of a minimum of $10,000.

• Complete Monitor health and Health Declaration

Before entering the country, you must fill out the health declaration form. You will also need to download an app “Covid-related app,” through which you will monitor your health for ten days once you arrive. 

Travel Visa

It is not new news, but you should remember that Vietnam requires most travellers to get a visa before their trip to the country. The citizens of the following countries, however, do not need a visa if they wish to enter the country:

• Denmark
• Belarus
• Finland
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Norway
• Japan
• Russia
• Spain
• South Korea
• Sweden
• UK

If you are from the US, you can get a Vietnamese visa in a couple of ways, one being a “Visa on arrival,” which is the easiest way to obtain a visa for Vietnam. You will need to apply for an e-Visa in advance, which can be applied online. You will need

• Credit card for paying the $49 fee
• A passport 
• 2 x 2-inch Photo (JPEG)
• An email address where the visa will be mailed after approval

The validity of this type of visa is 30 days and is a single-entry visa. The processing time of this type of visa is three days. Amongst eight airports, you can enter at 28 international checkpoints with this visa. See the Embassy website if you wish to see the list of all the airports and checkpoints. 

Suppose you wish to enter the country through any other point. In that case, you will need to visit the Vietnamese embassy or consulate and will need to apply in person or need to obtain an approved letter for a visa upon arrival from the travel agency you are applying for through before you depart.