Japan exempts Vietnamese tourists from quarantine, Covid tests

Those having got a third dose of one of the vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, Bharat Biotech and Nonavax do not need to be tested for Covid before and after entry, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) said.

If travelers have been inoculated with vaccines of other types or have not had three doses of the Covid vaccines, they must take a Covid test upon arrival.

If tested positive, tourists will be sent to hospitals for treatment. In case of negative result, they will have to self-quarantine at a hotel where they previously booked and be tested again after three days. If they show negative result again, they can travel freely.

In addition, visitors will have to sign a form promising they will comply with local coronavirus protocol. They will also need to complete an online questionnaire and download a health monitoring app.

Tourists can visit Japan on solo or package tours.

Individual tourists still need to book their flights and accommodation via a travel agency. The reason for this is so the agency can share information on Japan's social distancing rules while acting as a contact point in case the tourist gets infected with Covid-19 while in Japan.

"Welcoming tourists back after two years of pandemic is a major turning point post reopening. And now, we are happy to welcome you back," said Yamada Takio, Japanese ambassador to Vietnam.

In 2019, the year before the onset of the pandemic, there were 495,000 Vietnamese tourists to Japan, up 27 percent year-on-year, according to JNTO.

Japan began a phased reopening to tourists in June but only allowed in visitors from 98 countries and territories, not including Vietnam.