Vietnam will allow foreign arrivals with valid visas to enter the country without having to obtain prior permission from the Immigration Department and local authorities. - AFP Pic
Vietnam will allow foreign arrivals with valid visas to enter the country without having to obtain prior permission from the Immigration Department and local authorities. - AFP Pic

VIETNAM will allow foreign arrivals with valid visas to enter the country without having to obtain prior permission from the Immigration Department and local authorities.

However, the government said those who want to visit Vietnam for tourism purposes will still have to continue following all regulations applied to international tourists.

The Government Office said Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has agreed in principle to simplify administrative procedures for those entering Vietnam.

Accordingly, foreigners who are not tourists can enter Vietnam without having to apply for approval from the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local authorities.

Currently, before being allowed to enter, anyone wanting to enter Vietnam must prepare a list of papers including approvals from the People's Committee and the Immigration, proof of vaccination, PCR test results and a health insurance certificate for quarantine.

According to a Vn Express report, it could take weeks to prepare all the necessary papers.

For foreigners who still need to obtain a visa, authorities said the People's Committee in cities and provinces should create favorable conditions in case they need to enter Vietnam to work, study, or do charity work.

Vietnam partially resumed regular commercial flights on nine international routes on Jan 1 to China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, and the United States.

After arriving in Vietnam, fully vaccinated people and those who have recovered from Covid-19 will have to self-isolate, either at home, hotels or other facilities, for three days.

They will be tested on the third day and if the results are negative, they will be required to monitor their health for the next 11 days.

They will be free to travel in the allowed provinces or cities, but required to avoid large gatherings or crowded places.

Arrivals who are not fully vaccinated will be self-isolated for seven days and tested on the third and seventh days.

They will also need to pay for their PCR tests.

Meanwhile, the Vn Express reports that calls have been made for the country to fully reopen to foreign tourists from April 30 since Vietnam has one of the world's highest Covid-19 vaccination rates.

National Tourism Advisory Board chairman Tran Trong Kien and Private Economic Development Research Board head Truong Gia Binh said this would be a "great opportunity" to help the tourism industry bounce back from a two-year slump.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung has backed the proposal, saying Vietnam has successfully welcomed back foreign tourists in the last two months under the vaccine passport programme and is among the top six countries in terms of vaccination.

He said the ministry would recommend that the government fully reopen the country's borders on April 30.

In November, the government started allowing foreign tourists under the vaccine passport programme and nearly 8,000 have arrived so far.

Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, and Binh Dinh provinces and Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City have been allowed to receive them.