If you’re planning to visit Vietnam on a business trip or transit through Vietnam, you may soon have to complete an additional formality before boarding a flight. According to a recent update from the Government of Vietnam, health declaration will be made mandatory for passengers entering, leaving or transiting the country from July 1, 2026. This may have an impact on tourists, business travelers, students and people using Vietnam as a travel hub in Southeast Asia.
What will change?
Under the new rules, passengers will have to submit a health declaration within seven days of arriving, departing from or transiting Vietnam. Vietnam’s Health Ministry will decide when this rule will come into force and for which infectious diseases it will be necessary. This decision will be taken keeping in mind the health situation around the world and the risk of spread of the disease in the country.
Although the government has confirmed this new rule, it has not yet been told how the passengers will submit the health declaration and which digital platform will be used for this. Detailed guidelines in this regard may be issued in the coming weeks.
There may be problems in the initial stages
According to immigration consulting firm Fragomen, travelers and companies may face some delays in the initial days of implementation of the new rules, as everyone will adapt to the new process.
Pilot program already running
Vietnam has already started testing such a system. From April 2026, it has been made mandatory for foreign passengers arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to fill an online health declaration form three days before arrival.
According to Fragomen, this system has been introduced to simplify the immigration process, but it also reflects the emphasis on large-scale personal data collection for security surveillance. In future it can be extended to other entry points also.
What should Indian travelers do?
If you are planning to visit Vietnam later this year, be sure to check official guidelines before traveling. Keep an eye on the updates coming from the airline. Leave extra time for the immigration process. Keep digital copies of health declaration and other documents submitted online. If you are going to another country via Vietnam, be sure to check the transit rules as these rules may also apply to transit passengers.
At present, the government has not disclosed the entire process, but it is certain that from July 2026, travelers going to Vietnam may have to complete an additional health declaration process before starting the journey.
