Ministry eyes resumption of international flights in January

On Monday it submitted a three-phase plan for approval as the country shifts from a strategy of zero Covid to responding safely to the disease.

In the first phase from next January, flights will resume to Australia, Cambodia, mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the U.K.

Fully vaccinated passengers and those who have recovered from the disease will be quarantined for seven days at paid facilities on arrival in Vietnam while unvaccinated people must undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Around 12,000 foreigners are expected to visit Vietnam weekly.

In the second phase starting in the second quarter of 2022, passengers with vaccine passports approved by Vietnam will be exempt from quarantine.

Unvaccinated travelers still have to undergo 14-day quarantine.

Vietnam currently accepts Covid-19 vaccine passports issued by 72 countries and territories, and is discussing the issue with 80 others, and the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and Belarus have accepted Vietnam's vaccine passport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

In the third phase from the third quarter flight schedules will return to normal.

In addition, the ministry also proposed launching flights to carry foreign tourists to Phu Quoc, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, Quang Nam, and Da Nang, which have all been allowed to reopen to international tourists from this month.

Vietnam closed its doors to foreign tourists and grounded international flights in March last year allowing only Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts and highly-skilled workers entry.