Hướng dẫn 4122/HD-BVHTTDL năm 2021 về thí điểm đón khách du lịch quốc tế đến Việt Nam do Bộ Văn hóa, Thể thao và Du lịch ban hành

PROVISIONAL GUIDANCE

PILOTED
REOPENING TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS VISITING VIETNAM

In a bid to carry out the Prime Minister’s
instructions given in the Official Dispatch No. 8044/VPCP-KGVX dated November
2, 2021 of the Government Office, regarding the provisional guidance on piloted
reopening to international tourists visiting Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism herein provides the detailed instructions about the piloted
reception of international tourists travelling to Vietnam, including the
followings:  

I. ROADMAP FOR PILOTED RECEPTION
OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS

1. 1^st phase (started in November
2021):

Piloting the reception of international tourists
going on full-package tours, international charter and commercial flights to
the authorized tourism service establishments in Phu Quoc city (Kien Giang
province), Khanh Hoa province, Quang Nam province, Da Nang city and Quang Ninh
province (Lists of tourist sites and tourism service providers authorized to
receive international tourists should be compiled, decided and publicly
announced by local authorities of these provinces and cities).    

2. 2^nd phase (started in January
2022):

Extending the scope of reception of international
tourists and connecting tourist destinations through international charter and
regularly-scheduled commercial flights. Tourists can have access to tours to
visit a mix of destinations in the 5 local jurisdictions mentioned in the 1^st
phase (maybe other local jurisdictions that meet regulatory requirements and
submit their proposals for reception of international tourists) after they
finish the first tourist destination within 7 days.  

…

…

…

Fully reopening to the international tourist
market. After having regard to the actual developments of the epidemic
situation and the evaluation of results of reception of international tourists
in the 2^nd phase, the commencement of the 3^rd phase is
scheduled.    

II. INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS

International tourists visiting Vietnam are
foreigners or Vietnamese residing in foreign countries who arrive in Vietnam from
Vietnam’s key or potential tourism markets, meet entry and exit requirements
and the following medical requirements:

1. They must present their certificates of full
COVID-19 vaccination endorsed by Vietnam’s competent authorities (except
children under 2 years of age who travel with their parents or guardians).
 The second dose or the first dose (single-dose vaccines) must be received
14 days before they arrive in Vietnam, and within 12 months before they leave
Vietnam.   If not, they must hold certificates of recovery from
COVID-19 or equivalent proofs of their recovery issued by competent authorities
in the treating countries and recognized by Vietnam. The period from the date
of their hospital discharge to the date of their departure must not be more
than 6 months.

2. They have received negative SARS-CoV-2
RT-PCR/RT-LAMP test results within 72 hours before their departure and obtained
certificates of such test results from competent authorities of the testing
countries. This 72-hour period starts from the sampling date.

3. They must have health insurance or travel
insurance policies that cover COVID-19 treatment costs at the minimum liability
rate of USD 50,000.

4. They must take part in full package tours
offered by travel companies.

III. PROCEDURES FOR RECEPTION OF
INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS

1. Booking tours

…

…

…

– Each tour is designed to operate within areas and
tour service establishments permitted by local authorities and lasts for the
maximum period of 90 days.  

– After finishing a tour (lasting for at least 7
days), in case of wishing to stay in Vietnam to visit family
members/relatives/friends, tourists must register with travel companies in
advance in order for them to assist in completing prescribed procedures for
referral of foreign visitors to local jurisdictions where they make their
visits and comply with medical supervision regulations currently in force.

2. Considering permission for
foreign visitors to travel to Vietnam and granting them visas

– Before embarking on completing procedures for
foreign visitor’s entry into Vietnam, international travel companies must
notify the Vietnam Immigration Department under the control of the Ministry of
Public Security of their legal status according to regulations of clause 2 of
Article 16 in the Law No. 47/2014/QH13 and the regulatory document of the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding selection of participants in
the pilot program.

– Travel companies directly submit applications to
request permission for foreign visitors to Vietnam (using the application form
NA2 enclosed in the Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BCA dated January 5, 2015 of the
Minister of Public Security) and receive replies from the Vietnam Immigration
Department; can send their applications and receive replies online at the Web
Portal of Immigration (further instructions given at the website
http://immigration.gov.vn).  

– Within 02 business days of receipt of
applications, Vietnam Immigration Department notifies results of processing of
applications for permission for foreign visitors to enter Vietnam; in case of
approval, they must send written replies bearing QR codes with the embedded
link used for downloading the IGOVN app developed by the Ministry of Public
Security.   In case of refusal, reasons should be clearly stated.

– Tourists receive visas at Vietnamese overseas
representative missions or international border gates upon the request of
travel companies.

– Entry visa validity must correspond to the tour
length. If tourists continue to book tours to visit tourist sites located at
local jurisdictions authorized to admit international tourists, the duration of
their temporary stay may be extended under travel companies’ guarantee.

– After end of the minimum 7-day period of his/her
tour, if any tourist wishes to visit his/her family members/friends/relatives,
the responsible immigration authority can allow a change to another entry
purpose in accordance with regulations in force.

…

…

…

3. Preparing for departure
flights to Vietnam

– Before departure for Vietnam, travel companies
should advise their tourists to monitor their health, cancel or delay their
trips if they develop suspected symptoms of infection with COVID-19 or are
identified as close contact with confirmed/suspected COVID-19 cases at the time
of making their trips.

– Tourists undergo RT-PCR tests within 72 hours
before departure (starting from the sampling date).

– Tourists should note appropriate epidemic safety
measures to be taken onboard the means of transport before entry.

– Tourists (including children under 12 years of
age who travel with their parents or legal guardians) need to prepare legally
required documents, except for those of which electronic copies are approved by
Vietnamese authorities, and negative RT-PCR test reports issued no more than 72
hours before departure for presentation to airlines and immigration authorities
upon request.

4. Carrying out entry
procedures at the airport to enter Vietnam

– Tourists undergo health screenings conducted by
international airports of entry, including temperature checks and installation
of IGOVN and PC-COVID apps. Tourists are required to use the above-mentioned
apps when going on tours in Vietnam.

– Tourists complete legally-required entry
procedures at international airports.  Health authorities at the airports
check against medical requirements; border police takes control of entry,
grants temporary stay certificates and visas (if any) to foreign visitors to
Vietnam through international airports after they complete health procedures.

– Travel companies support and guide tourists in
preparing entry documents, and making necessary arrangement for reception of
foreign visitors after entry in accordance with regulations.

…

…

…

– In case tourists show any abnormal signs, such as
fever, cough, sore throat, breathing trouble, body and muscle pains, fatigue,
chills, taste or smell dysfunction or loss, airport health authorities must be
notified promptly to monitor and adopt epidemic management procedures according
to regulations.

5. Going on tours in Vietnam

a) Days 0-1

– Travel companies pick up arriving tourists,
assign staff to guide and accompany them to the means of transport, and drop
them off at accommodation establishments.

– At accommodation establishments, tourists do
COVID-19 self-tests under the guidance and supervision of their medical staff
or staff who have graduated from COVID-19 safety and test training courses or
been tested for COVID-19 by local health authorities.

+ If the COVID-19 test result is negative, they can
continue their tours.

+ If the COVID-19 test result is positive, they
will be taken to the medical facilities that meet legally-required medical
treatment conditions. All medical treatment costs are covered by insurance or
travel companies.

– Accommodation establishments shall keep tourist’s
test results in accordance with regulations.

b) Days 1-7

…

…

…

– Tourists must conduct self-monitoring of their
health, and must immediately contact medical staff to have access to screening
tests and timely response actions if they have symptoms of the disease, such as
fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, body aches, fatigue, chills,
dysfunction or loss of taste or smell, or test positive for COVID- 19 after conducting
self-tests.

– Ensuring that tourists who participating in tour
activities and tourism businesses that provide tourists with tourism services
comply with “5K Message” and infection prevention and control measures.

– Accommodation establishments should make rapid
test kits available for use at hotel rooms or provide them at their disposal,
recommend tourists to self-test every 2-3 days and report their test results
for monitoring purposes in accordance with regulations.

– Local regulatory authorities shall undertake
inspection and supervision tasks to ensure compliance of travel companies,
tourism service providers and tourists with predetermined tour schedules and
disease safety regulations.

– Tourists booking tours lasting for less than 7
days to visit localities must return to their home countries according to the
domestic guidelines and procedures of their respective home countries.

c) Days 7+

– Tourists booking tours lasting more than 7 days
shall have access to RT-PCR tests conducted by local medical staff or health
authorities on the 7^th day in the tour schedule.

– After receiving negative test results, tourists
can travel to other localities permitted to receive international tourists
going on full-package tours (the list of regions and local areas authorized to
receive international tourists are updated and released over specific phases of
the roadmap for reopening to international tourists). If tourists wish to visit
their family members/friends/relatives at locations other than those authorized
to receive international tourists, they must register in writing with tour
operators to request them to notify local authorities in charge of their
destinations to cooperate on health monitoring and management tasks according
to regulations in force. Tourists can choose to fly back home on either
existing commercial flights or licensed charter flights.

– Tourists should fully comply with epidemic safety
and management measures specified in section III.5.b and according to specific
local regulations.

…

…

…

1. Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism  

a) Preside over and cooperate with local
authorities in selecting international travel companies to participate in the
pilot program and notify the list to the Vietnam Immigration Department, the
Ministry of Public Security.

b) Preside over and cooperate with local
authorities in running tourism communication and promotion events and programs
during the period of piloted reopening to international tourists.

c) Assist local authorities in selecting tourism
service providers and developing pilot plans for reception of international
tourists.

d) Lead and cooperate with concerned ministries,
central and local authorities in inspection and evaluation of effectiveness of
the pilot program; preliminary and final review of achievements of the pilot
program; and submission of the final report to the Prime Minister within its
competence.

2. Ministry of Health

a) Dispense vaccines according to regulations to
key tourist localities participating in the pilot program.

b) Update medical guidelines on monitoring,
investigation and handling of emerging outbreaks to cope with new situations
with the aim of ensuring the safe and effective execution of the pilot program.

c) Publish the list of COVID-19 vaccines approved
for use by Vietnam’s competent authorities.

…

…

…

a) Update and publish samples of vaccination
certificates or “vaccine passports” of countries and territories recognized by
Vietnam.

b) Cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism and local authorities in organizing tourism communication and
promotion programs aimed at attracting international visitors to Vietnam.

c) Instruct overseas Vietnamese representative
missions to facilitate the issuance of visas for foreigners entering Vietnam
according to regulations upon receipt of notification of permission for
international visitors to Vietnam from the Immigration Department, the Ministry
of Public Security.

4. Ministry of Public
Security shall enable international tourists and travel
companies to complete legally required visa, entry and exit procedures; ensure
safety, security and order for tourists when they are going on tours in the
pilot program in Vietnam.

5. Ministry of Information
and Communications shall provide international tourists
with instructions for use of digital disease safety applications during entry,
exit and travel in Vietnam for their convenience.

6. Ministry of Transport

a) License international flights to serve
international tourists.

b) Ensure disease safety regulations and flight
procedures are consistent before announcing them to passengers onboard
aircraft.

c) Arrange entry and exit points and locations and
carry out epidemiological control procedures; screen and channel passengers at
international airports where international tourists enter or exit to ensure
conformance to epidemic safety regulations.

…

…

…

a) Cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism in deciding on tourist sites and tourism service providers meeting
particular eligibility requirements for reception of international tourists or
arranging zones intended for international tourists separate from zones
intended for domestic tourists. Publicly announce the list of tourism service
providers that international travel companies can contract to design tours for
sale to tourists.

b) Take charge of vaccinating their locals and
workers in the tourism industry to meet epidemic prevention and control
requirements.

c) Issue detailed instructions about reception of
international tourists for local use, including specific regulations on
epidemic management and safety plans to protect tourists and respond to medical
emergencies likely to happen.

d) Set up hotlines and officers in charge of
receiving information and dealing with suspected COVID-19 cases at tourist
destinations when necessary. Ensure corresponding medical capacity, get human
and material resources ready for use, inspect and supervise reception of
international tourists according to regulations.

dd) Provide workers at tourism service providers
participating in the pilot program with training and coaching sessions on
epidemic safety conditions, sampling and assistance in rapid COVID-19 tests for
international tourists.

e) Submit periodic reports on results of reception
of international tourists to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and
relevant ministries and central authorities to seek their prompt actions
against any issues that may arise.

8. People’s Committees of other
local jurisdictions

a) Take charge of vaccinating their locals and
workers in the tourism industry to meet epidemic prevention and control
requirements.

b) If they wish to receive international tourists
and meet eligibility requirements for reception of international tourists, they
can submit their proposals clarifying schedules and plans of reception of
international tourists to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to seek
the Prime Minister’s consent to put them on the list of localities qualified
for reception of international tourists.

…

…

…

9. Tourism businesses
participating in the pilot program 

a) International travel companies

– Formulate tourist reception plans (including
tourist markets, proposed number of tourists, destination, plan execution
schedule and length of stay, airlines, tour details), plans to ensure safety
against the epidemic and emergency response plans; make commitments to fully
complying with regulations when participating in the pilot program, for
submission to the National Administration of Tourism, a subordinate unit of the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Departments of tourism at
localities joining the pilot program for the purpose of reporting to competent
authorities.

– Enter into direct contracts with tourism service
providers (on the list proposed by local authorities), clearly apportioning
responsibilities for providing safe services for tourists between contracting
parties, and clarifying plans for cooperation in response to emergencies that
may arise.

– Comply with epidemiological safety regulations;
ensure all people directly involved in the process of receiving and serving
tourists are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and all employees complete
training and coaching courses on COVID-19 safety.

– Render assistance for tourists (in procedures,
cancellation or postponement of services, etc.) in case their customers are F0
or F1 cases, or cannot return home for other reasons. In case their customers
cannot pay expenses incurred from such emergencies by themselves, travel
companies shall be responsible for paying relevant units.

– Set up hotlines and assign their officers and
staff members in charge of handling tourist support information. 

– International travel companies can register and
conduct self-assessment of COVID-19 safety daily at http://safe.tourism.com.vn
to connect to the national COVID safety system.

b) Local companies providing tourism services
and participating in reception of international tourists

…

…

…

– Comply with epidemiological safety regulations; ensure
all people directly involved in the process of receiving and serving tourists
are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and all employees complete training and
coaching courses on COVID-19 safety, especially assistance in rapid tests for
tourists and custody of test results.

– Register their location QR codes on the app or
website www.qr.tokhaiyte.vn, and require tourists entering and leaving
locations to fully scan QR codes issued to tourists.

– Accommodation establishments shall use
"buffer" rooms to temporarily isolate suspected COVID-19 cases.

– Assign their trained medical staff to monitor
tourists’ health, guide them how to collect COVID-19 test samples, collect test
results and cooperate in organizing epidemic prevention and control activities
when necessary. Medical staff shall implement the “5K message” when on duty at
all times; use personal protective equipment only when rendering medical
procedures to suspected COVID-19 cases.

– Plan and actively conduct random and periodic
screening tests for their employees and people at high risk of COVID-19
infection.

– Advise tourists of COVID-19 prevention and
control regulations and provide them with instructions about these regulations
before and during their travel in Vietnam.

– Set up hotlines and assign their officers and
staff members in charge of handling tourist support information. 

– International travel companies can register and
conduct self-assessment of COVID-19 safety daily at http://safe.tourism.com.vn
to connect to the national COVID safety system.

– Enter into full contracts with travel companies
sending their tourists, clearly apportioning responsibilities between
contracting parties for ensuring disease safety for tourists and clearly
describing emergency response plans.

…

…

…

PP. MINISTER
DEPUTY MINISTER

Doan Van Viet