Vietnam allowing international flights starting September 1st, 2020?

Unless it came from an official site I would be dubious of how true it is.

If it's true it can only be good news

Post I saw from VNEpress dated 6 days ago says authority cannot agree when to resume flights

It's commercial flights for repatriation for Vietnamese citizens. Nothing mention about tourist.

I appreciate this message! I have signed up to volunteer in HCMC starting October 5th. I just checked the Vietnamese embassy website and do not see any announcement about reopening on Sept 1st.
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/

If you would be so kind to keep me apprised of any further info you come across, my email address is ***. I will do the same by posting here.

Thank you,

Bob Johnson
Taos, NM

More and more people think we will have to wait 2021, the vaccine, even maybe mid-2021, in order Vietnam to reopen the border to foreigners.

"Experts, skilled workers" can theorically come if sponsored by a company, but in reality the procedure is very difficult.
We can just hope foreign spouses will be allowed to enter this year.

I am in Thailand waiting to enter Vietnam and have been since March this year. Life is dreadful right now with not knowing.
I saw a report that said from 15th Sep 4 countries were allowed to enter VN. Those countries are China, Japan, SK and I think Taiwan. I also heard a day or 2 ago that they had also opened to Cambodia and Laos but after chatting to a friend in Vietnam those claims have now been dismissed.
I really hope they open to Thailand soon as I am waiting to go to work and cannot work in Thailand

The Norths Ace wrote:

I am in Thailand waiting to enter Vietnam and have been since March this year. Life is dreadful right now with not knowing.
I saw a report that said from 15th Sep 4 countries were allowed to enter VN. Those countries are China, Japan, SK and I think Taiwan. I also heard a day or 2 ago that they had also opened to Cambodia and Laos but after chatting to a friend in Vietnam those claims have now been dismissed.
I really hope they open to Thailand soon as I am waiting to go to work and cannot work in Thailand

You might find even when the borders open returning to VN won't solve your work situation, many companies are still wary or hiring due to the uncertainty over covid.

zeubie wrote:

Does anyone here know anything about this?  Or are these flights only for repatriating Vietnamese citizens?

On Sept 15, Vietnam will reopen regular international commercial routes from/to China, Japan, and Korea. The flights to Taiwan, Cambodia, and Laos will be restarted on or after Sept 22. 

They're not for tourists, however. 

The flights are for diplomats, business travelers, overseas Vietnamese citizens wishing to return home, Vietnamese citizens going to work in those countries, experts, skilled foreign workers, investors, and employees of key projects.

Quarantine is still applied at all destination countries.

There was a post on this info earlier. But I lost the link. Anyways, yes, it seems that VN is structuring the entrances more, allowing a quota of foreigners and Vietnamese to enter. But we are not talking tourists. You probably need a company inviting you in and they will probably have to show how desperately they need you. If immigration agrees that you should come in, then you are put on a waiting list. Things seem to go in the correct direction. But I hardly believe they will let ppl in on social visit pass/tourist visa.
It seems my company managed to get me an slot into the country end of this month. Will post a bit on my experience, if it helps. Cheers

5000 business people per week from 6 countries will be allowed if government accepts the recommendations with full 14 days quarantine...... It does not clarify if people from Canada USA or Europe tRansiting thru those countries will be allowed

SergGugu wrote:

5000 business people per week from 6 countries will be allowed if government accepts the recommendations with full 14 days quarantine...... It does not clarify if people from Canada USA or Europe tRansiting thru those countries will be allowed

Need to stay 30 days in one of these 6 countries to be able to go:

According to the CAAV proposal, passengers arriving in Vietnam must have been in these Asian destinations for at least 30 days prior to boarding the flight. Transit passengers will not be allowed in.

Just a little problem... these 6 countries doesn't allow neither people from Canada, USA and Europe...

Here some news on the requirements once an expert/specialist/diplomat and so on is allowed to enter. It's a big document hurdle, but as Immigration allows more ppl in, I guess the process will become a bit easier.
I hope this helps.

Required documents:

1.            Approval letter from City (or province) 's People Committee for foreigners who are Investors, Specialists, High-skilled Labours, Business Managers, etc.



2.            Approval letter from Immigration Dept (including visa if applicable).



3.            Booking confirmation from hotels which were appointed as quarantined facilities (including the transportation).



4.            Approval from Ho Chi Minh City CDC (Trung kiem soat Y te quoc te HCM) (even if passengers to be under quarantine at provinces).



5.            Quarantine plan with approval of local authority of Health/CDC/Quarantine with specific date and transportation arrangement.

Required by the airline: SACO's car booking or Tan Binh District Medical Center from the airport to the hotel.



6.            International-coverage insurance on all-expense if the passenger is found COVID-19-positive during the quarantine.



7.            Business Guarantee Letter for covering passenger's Covid-19 treatment expenses



8.            Copy of passport (validity is at least 6 months prior to departure), Visa and Permanent Resident if any.



9.            Covid-19 test (Realtime - PCR, to be done 5-7 days (for Qatar Airways) / 3-7 days (For Singapore Airlines) prior to arrival at a WHO/government-certified lab/clinic).

No there's NO notification from any Govt agencies or from any airlines, however request can be made to your respective embassies asking them to get yourselves put on the next available flight, these flights are being handled at official schedules ONLY

Thank you for the clear information!
Do you know if northern provinces would still work with the HCMC CDC?

Who are you asking, sorry? If its me, I dont know

Vietnam will open flight only 6 countries on September 15th " China, Taiwan, Japan, Combodia, Korea. Lao

ctta2020 wrote:

Thank you for the clear information!
Do you know if northern provinces would still work with the HCMC CDC?

You need to use the Quote function underneath the specific comment of whomever you would like to converse.  Without that, your question would never receive an answer.

The Key word is May resume flights

http://news.chinhphu.vn/Home/First-intl … /41391.vgp

Ciambella wrote:

ctta2020 wrote:

Thank you for the clear information!
Do you know if northern provinces would still work with the HCMC CDC?

You need to use the Quote function underneath the specific comment of whomever you would like to converse.  Without that, your question would never receive an answer.

Thank you for the clarification, Ciambella.

For those that are interested, here is article from today posted by the official government news agency:

http://news.chinhphu.vn/Home/Govt-appro … /41548.vgp

It states that Vietnam will resume 6 international air routes starting on September 15th. It also says, 

"Passengers on such flights shall include holders of diplomatic and official passports and their family members; experts, investors, business managers, high-tech workers and their family members; and Vietnamese wishing to return home."

There are other restrictions, you can read about it in the article.

Im flying in on the 26th. International flight from SEA. Will post my experience fyi.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietn … 62323.html

The door opens a little wider for another group of people.

Rick

zeubie wrote:

It states that Vietnam will resume 6 international air routes starting on September 15th. It also says, 

"Passengers on such flights shall include holders of diplomatic and official passports and their family members; experts, investors, business managers, high-tech workers and their family members; and Vietnamese wishing to return home."

There are other restrictions, you can read about it in the article.

Anyway, it's impossible to go to one of these 6 countries, for an European or American for example. None of them issue tourist visa anymore, even Cambodia.

BigTraveler wrote:

Anyway, it's impossible to go to one of these 6 countries, for an European or American for example. None of them issue tourist visa anymore, even Cambodia.

Tourist visa is not required for American and EU citizens to enter Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, once their airports are open again that is.

Ciambella wrote:

BigTraveler wrote:

Anyway, it's impossible to go to one of these 6 countries, for an European or American for example. None of them issue tourist visa anymore, even Cambodia.

Tourist visa is not required for American and EU citizens to enter Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, once their airports are open again that is.

That changes nothing, they closed their borders with Europe and America.
And they won't open before the vaccine to be available, I can assure you.

Hi
Curious how you received VN visa.

Hooked wrote:

Hi
Curious how you received VN visa.

Please use the Quote function underneath the post of whomever you would like to ask the question, otherwise it will be unanswered.

If the question is not aimed at anyone in particular, then the answer is no one did.  Visa is not issued to travellers, only to diplomats, experts, skilled foreign workers, investors, and employees of key projects.

No, you're wrong BigTraveler, some passeports have still covid19 ban, some doesn't.
And transit are still allowed at least in Seoul.
They're no restriction on the nationality of the foreigners, as long as you're coming from one of these 6 routes AND you're a family members of a VN, high skill workers, diplomats ....

The big difference is obviously the possibility to do a family reunion.

But the real issue might be the visa (TT, ...) and if the embassies of these non-6 countries will issue them or not.


https://luatvietnam.vn/giao-thong/thong … 83-d6.html

WOW,family members of Vietnamese citizen is included. is that means those with VEC are now can go back? Thats great news.

Hooked wrote:

Hi
Curious how you received VN visa.

Hi, my company applied for me and had to demonstrate that I have skills that cannot be hired in the country and blabla. First, it took them 2 months. Then, shortly before the DaNang outbreak I was supposed to get in. Due to DaNang, they cancelled again. And finally the government gave permission. I wasnt directly involved, but I understand it was a big pain and headache for the agent running.
Not sure if that helps....

danrodri wrote:

Hooked wrote:

Hi
Curious how you received VN visa.

Hi, my company applied for me and had to demonstrate that I have skills that cannot be hired in the country and blabla. First, it took them 2 months. Then, shortly before the DaNang outbreak I was supposed to get in. Due to DaNang, they cancelled again. And finally the government gave permission. I wasnt directly involved, but I understand it was a big pain and headache for the agent running.
Not sure if that helps....

In another thread we had a guy posting that he had a valid work permit so he knew he should be able to fly back into the country.

What you just described is basically what some of us told him he would have to go through in order to re-enter the country

AlexFromBelgium wrote:

They're no restriction on the nationality of the foreigners, as long as you're coming from one of these 6 routes AND you're a family members of a VN, high skill workers, diplomats ....

So I don't see what is new about these 6 routes, except it concerns Vietnam Airlines, because high skill workers, experts, etc., from any country in the world (at least Europe) were already allowed to go to Vietnam. There are for example Qatar Airways flights from Europe each week. I have the procedure, the company must obtain the agreement of the Committee's People, ministers, etc, to hire a worker. So a worker from France, Germany, etc., was already able to go to Vietnam. Of course the problem is the procedure, very complicated for the company, but it's probably the same for the workers from these 6 countries. So really, nothing new. Just a news about Vietnam Airlines. Borders are not more open than before.

If you could read the next line after what you've quoted from my previous post...

The big difference is that alien can now join their partners or children in Vietnam.

BigTraveler wrote:

AlexFromBelgium wrote:

They're no restriction on the nationality of the foreigners, as long as you're coming from one of these 6 routes AND you're a family members of a VN, high skill workers, diplomats ....

So I don't see what is new about these 6 routes, except it concerns Vietnam Airlines, because high skill workers, experts, etc., from any country in the world (at least Europe) were already allowed to go to Vietnam. There are for example Qatar Airways flights from Europe each week. I have the procedure, the company must obtain the agreement of the Committee's People, ministers, etc, to hire a worker. So a worker from France, Germany, etc., was already able to go to Vietnam. Of course the problem is the procedure, very complicated for the company, but it's probably the same for the workers from these 6 countries. So really, nothing new. Just a news about Vietnam Airlines. Borders are not more open than before.

I might be wrong, but I think the difference is also that VN government is trying to find ways to channel much more people into VN. It seems they were very reluctant to allow experts/workers in previously, although it was legally allowed, but they just wouldn't issue the permits. But now it seems they are trying to create the logistics to channel hundreds in every week as they possibly have realized that it would disadvantage the economy severely if they continue to be so restrictive in allow experts/workers in. It might be one of the early steps towards opening up the country again.

International flights resuming can't come soon enough

So true!  I have been waiting to get on the flight since mid Aug.

danrodri wrote:

But now it seems they are trying to create the logistics to channel hundreds in every week as they possibly have realized that it would disadvantage the economy severely if they continue to be so restrictive in allow experts/workers in. It might be one of the early steps towards opening up the country again.

I hope so. For information, here the current procedure for a skilled worker/expert wanted to go to Vietnam (I guess it's impossible for small company):

(i) Authorization of the People's Committee
(ii) Authorization from the Immigration Department
(iii) Authorization from the Ho Chi Minh City CDC (even if people must be under quarantine in the provinces)
(iv) Hotel reservation (for the quarantine period)
(v) Copy of passport (validity is at least 6 months before departure)
(vi) Covid-19 test (real time - PCR, to be carried out 3 to 7 days before departure in a laboratory / clinic certified by the WHO / government).
(vi) Insurance with international coverage

(vii) Flight Qatar Airways: Europe - HCMC:

Each passenger contacts QA to book their ticket (approx. USD 1,200 one way with onboard service). All QA branches are now closed, contact only via the Customer Contact Center Vietnam / Cambodia (tel: +84 28 38 273 888, email: [email protected]) or the customer contact center based in Doha (24/7 ): +974 40 23 00 00)

• The passenger sends QA all the documents and authorizations required to enter Vietnamese territory (People's Committee, Department of Health, etc.) at least 7 days before the date of departure;

• QA submits the passenger list to the CAAV for each flight, the list is validated 1 to 2 days before the departure date;

• QA requests a negative Covid-19 test carried out at least 72 hours before departure. This point can be blocking as the delays in obtaining Covid test results remain very long, QA asks that they be sent the contact details of testing centers that could be recommended to their passengers.

Hello BigTraveler, thank you for sharing such a details requirement procedure.  My company just went through this procedure since Jun this year to get the visa for me.  Once I get in the country (after 14 days of quarantine) and working with local govt. to obtain work permit is another process.... well, for $1000 US dollars (so I been told by my company) I can get the permit without any required docs.

BTW, I forgot to mention, my last booking from US to VN via QA (I hope is not cancel again) round trip economy seat was $1074.