Embassy of Korea in Vietnam: "Koreans Currently Facing Difficulty Entering Vietnam" (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam announced on the 21st that "at this stage, it is practically difficult for our nationals to enter Vietnam."

In an urgent notice posted on its website that day, the embassy stated, "There were cases yesterday where our nationals, despite holding valid visas and carrying negative test certificates for COVID-19, were denied ticket issuance at third-country airports or refused entry upon arrival at Vietnamese airports."

The embassy explained, "Even if one holds valid visas such as residence permits or negative COVID-19 test certificates, final entry may be denied," adding, "Confusion is expected to continue for the time being at entry points into Vietnam, including third-country airports."

The embassy reported that the Vietnamese government decided at the 'Vietnam Politburo Meeting on COVID-19 Prevention and Control' to minimize the number of entrants into Vietnam via all routes including air, sea, and land in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible.

Meanwhile, as concerns over the spread of COVID-19 increase, the Vietnamese government has strengthened quarantine measures for all entrants into Vietnam and is implementing measures such as requiring all citizens to report their health status.

According to local media including Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the 9th (local time), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Duc Dam instructed the Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Security, and IT service providers to complete the necessary technical tools to enable nationwide health status reporting by the morning of the 10th at the latest.

Local media reported that this was due to the rapid increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Vietnam recently and concerns about a swift spread.