Hanoi, Mar. 15, (dpa/GNA) – Vietnam has fully reopened to international tourists, yet the health rules and visa regulations remain deeply confusing to potential visitors.
After two years of being almost entirely shut to international tourist visits, Vietnam Tuesday officially began allowing foreign visitors to enter if they have a tourist visa.
But the official rules for the Covid-19 vaccine and testing requirements are yet to be finalized.
State media confirmed that visitors from 13 countries such as Russia, Japan, South Korea, and 10 European nations including Germany, will be permitted to enter the country visa-free for a period of 15 days, revising a policy in place before the pandemic.
To Thu Phuong, a Hanoi-based NGO worker told dpa the current situation with regulations is a “fiasco” and said the Ministry of Health appears to be in conflict with other ministries that are keen to see international tourism boost the economy.
As recently as Monday, Ken Rafter, an Australian tourist eager to visit relatives in Vietnam, told local newspaper VnExpress he was “extremely disappointed” that the government had failed to issue clear regulations on visa and entry requirements.
Vietnam had previously allowed a limited number of around 10,000 international tourists to visit since November 2021 on pre-booked tours amid a partial reopening.
Vietnamese state media also said on Tuesday that Covid-19 patients are allowed to leave the house if they wear a face mask, yet the Health Ministry swiftly performed a U-turn and said they must self-isolate at home.
Cases of Covid-19 are skyrocketing in Vietnam, with over 264,000 new cases recorded on Monday as Omicron becomes dominant.
GNA