Deputy PM urges accelerating process for vaccine passport recognition

Hanoi, (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has assigned the Foreign Ministry to work with partners to speed up the recognition of “vaccine passports.”  

The Government Office has just issued a document detailing the Deputy PM’s direction on “vaccine passports” and measures to facilitate the entry of foreign experts to serve economic development.  

The Ministry of Public Health is assigned to take charge of issuing paper and electronic forms of Vietnam’s vaccine passport, to be completed before November 5.

The Ministries of Information and Communication, Public Security, and Public Health are tasked with developing an application and QR codes for vaccine passports in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instruction in Notice 242/TB-VPCP dated September 13, 2021.

Deputy PM Minh approved the policy on facilitating entry procedures for foreigners belonging to groups that are specified in the conclusions of meetings of permanent Government members on COVID-19 prevention and control; foreigners who travel to Vietnam to study the market, attend conferences and workshops or visit family members; and overseas Vietnamese and their family members. All those people should have certificates of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from COVID-19.

For overseas Vietnamese, the regulations under Decree 82/2015/ND-CP on visa exemption continue to be applied.

The Health Ministry is tasked to take charge and cooperate with relevant agencies and localities to issue medical quarantine regulations for arrivals with “vaccine passports.”

Deputy PM Minh also approved in principle the resumption of regular commercial flights to and from countries/territories with high COVID-19 safety levels, with appropriate pandemic prevention measures to be taken.

The Ministry of Transport is to submit to the Prime Minister a plan on resuming regular international flights before November 5./.