Vietnam no longer requires Covid-19 tests for foreign arrivals
Foreign travellers entering the country no longer need to be tested for Covid-19 prior to entry.
Vietnam.- Vietnam’s Health Ministry announced that the country is no longer demanding that foreign arrivals be tested for Covid-19 prior to entry. The announcement comes amid a decline in the number of Covid-19 deaths and hospitalisations in recent weeks.
Prior to the new rules announced by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on Saturday, those entering Vietnam needed to present a negative PCR test for Covid-19 taken within 72 hours prior to departure or a rapid test taken within 24 hours.
“The proposal to suspend the Covid-19 testing requirement before entry for flight arrivals will fall in line with the rest of the world and ensure consistency between technical units on disease prevention measures for arrivals,” the Health Ministry said.
Vietnam economists had urged the government to lift the Covid-19 test requirements for foreigners and expand the visa exemption list for travellers from countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, India, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States, in order to help the tourism industry.
Vietnam received 91,000 international visitors in Q1, an increase of 89.1 per cent year-on-year. According to General Statistics Office figures cited by Vietnamnet, arrivals in March were 41 per cent month-on-month and up 220 per cent year-on-year
Vietnam fully reopened its borders on March 15, an announcement that was welcomed by Vietnamese casinos as the government has tight restrictions on locals entering casinos.
In March, the Ministry of Finance proposed expanding the scheme that allows qualifying Vietnamese citizens to gamble to cover two future casinos. Currently, locals may only gamble at two existing casinos in the country under a scheme that was last year extended by the Ministry of Finance until 2024,
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance had previously said these two projects could potentially foster tourism growth.
