Vietnam and Myanmar relax travel entry requirements

Vietnam and Myanmar have relaxed Covid entry requirements for international tourists from this week.

Vietnam dropped all pre-arrival testing for entry from May 15 while Myanmar began accepting e-visa applications from the same day after a two-year suspension due to the pandemic.

Vietnam no longer differentiates between vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers for entry purposes but prime minister Pham Minh Chinh reminded visitors to be cautious and follow appropriate disease prevention measures.

Visitors will still have to take a test once they arrive in Vietnam but can travel freely once they have tested negative.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) amended its travel advice to say: “From 15 May you no longer need to take a Covid-19 test before travelling to Vietnam.

“If you show symptoms of Covid-19 (fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, loss of taste, loss of smell, headache, diarrhoea, breathing difficulty, etc.) you must notify the health agency at the border gates.”

The government of Myanmar revealed it would reopen its borders while maintaining pandemic protocols including vaccine certification, PCR testing and local medical insurance through Myanmar Insurance.

Arrivals must be fully vaccinated and present proof of a second Covid dose at least 14 days prior to arrival, or proof of recovery from Covid-19. They must also provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 PCR test result from no more than 72 hours prior to departure and purchase a travel insurance policy covering Covid 19 through Myanmar Insurance.

On arrival, all visitors must take a Covid rapid antigen test. If negative, they can continue their travel but if positive they must isolate in a designated government hospital or hotel at their own cost.

Photo: Huy Thoai/Shutterstock.com

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