During the first phase of the pilot programme, fromJanuary to March, foreigners and Vietnamese abroad will be able to enter Vietnam when they present vaccine passports or certificates of full vaccination againstthe COVID-19 pandemic, recognised by Vietnamese competent agencies, with thelast shot given at least 14 days and no more than 12 months before departure.
Those who have a certificate proving that they have recovered from COVID-19 within six months before departure will also be eligible to enter the country.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children lessthan 18 years old can come with their parents, guardians and caregivers who arefully vaccinated or have recovered from the coronavirus disease.
Other conditions include having negative results forSARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method within 72 hours before entry andcertified by the authority of the country conducting the test, having medicalor travel insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment with a minimum liability of50,000 USD, and joining package tours offered by travel firms.
In the second phase, which will begin in April, the door will be open for those aged from 18 to 65 who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated apart from individuals that satisfy requirements setin the first phase.
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the municipal TourismDepartment, said the sector has made preparations for the implementation of thepilot programme in terms of registration, visa grant and temporary residence certification,while offering necessary advice to tourists before their boarding or entry.
Notably, the sector has set up a hotline to deal with medicalincidents emerging during the implementation, she added./.