From 15 Sep, Vietnam Opens Commercial Routes to Welcome 5,000 Visitors Each Week

• From 15 Sep 2020, Visitors Entering Vietnam Must Pay the Testing and Isolation Fees Themselves
• Foreign Experts Must Download Bluezone while in Vietnam

Vietnam will be reopening its commercial routes on Sept. 15. This is part of the government’s efforts to revive its economy. On that day, flights coming from China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea will commence. Two more routes will be added on Sept. 22nd, coming from Laos and Cambodia.

In an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and protect the country from another wave of transmission, Vietnam will require all visitors to quarantine. Furthermore, the government will only limit the number of foreign visitors to 5,000 per week.

Good Covid-19 Epidemic Control

Vietnam considered several factors when deciding to open routes to the countries mentioned, but the biggest factor has to do with the fact that these countries have good Covid-19 epidemic control. Furthermore, there have been negotiations between Vietnam and these countries for reciprocity, mutuality, and commercial exchange.

The visitors that will be given priority for these flights are foreign investors, experts, and high-tech employees who will be coming to Vietnam to help revive its economy. But in order not to trigger a Covid-19 spike, the authorities will limit the number of passengers to only 5,000 per week.

At the start, the authorities are expecting that fewer visitors will arrive since the investors and experts will not necessarily visit altogether. However, the number of people coming from third countries, such as the United States and Europe is expected to increase. But the authorities have specified that passengers coming from third countries will also be required to self-isolate for 14 days like everyone else.

Vietnam Opens Commercial Routes

Foreign Tourists Not Yet Allowed

The Government of Vietnam has not yet considered the idea of opening its doors to foreign tourists. For now, they will only prioritize foreign experts, investors, and Vietnamese citizens who wanted to go home. This is a great opportunity for Vietnamese people who were stranded in other countries to come home safely to their families. But in order to minimize mass entry, the Ministry of Transport has decided to only allow two flights each week.

Aside from the resumption of commercial routes, the government is also planning to shorten the quarantine period for foreign experts, investors, and those who came from countries that are considered safe from Covid-19.

The standard isolation period is 14 days and both the flight attendant and pilot of the flight will be required to isolate for 14 days. However, for foreign experts and investors, such an isolation requirement is not convenient. Therefore, they have decided to shorten the period of quarantine for them to only 5 to 7 days. The government has recommended a 5-day quarantine for these essential visitors. They will also be tested twice for Covid-19 and will only be released from quarantine if both tests turn out negative.

Visitors Must Pay the Cost of Quarantine

As for the cost of quarantine, all visitors to Vietnam who are required to quarantine should shoulder the fees themselves. They also need to pay for the cost of Covid-19 tests.

The cost will depend on the type of accommodation that the visitor has chosen. If they would prefer to stay in 5-star hotels, then they have to pay the premium price. However, some hotels in Vietnam are offering promotional offers and discounts for visitors to isolation. There are currently 18 hotels in Hanoi that have offered their facilities for guests who need to quarantine.

The government further added that there should be an early opening of the fee quarantine service for Vietnamese locals who will request it. This will serve the needs of the people while also facilitating hotel operations.

Tests Included in Accommodation Package

As for the test, their fees are included in the accommodation package. Also, they plan on conducting the tests at the accommodation facilities because doing them at the airport can be difficult. To conduct the test, local health authorities will be visiting the accommodation facilities to conduct testing and the cost of both tests will be included in the accommodation package.

Regarding the cost of PCR testing, the head of the government office has stated that the Ministry of Health along with the Ministry of Finance, has calculated the fees in accordance with the province that will be responsible for such testing. The local provinces have also set up their respective quarantine plans. They have required the hotels that accommodate visitors on quarantine to register in advance so they can plan accordingly.

As for the Vietnamese citizens who are returning home from other countries, the government will shoulder the cost of their quarantine, but it will be in a military isolation area. They will only pay for food and other living expenses. But if they can afford to stay in a hotel, they can choose to do so.

According to the government, their aim is to be cautious but not too strict and to implement solutions that could prevent virus transmissions.