Vietnam to Require Health Declarations for All International Travellers From July 1

Starting July 1, 2026, Vietnam will expand its health & travel declaration system to cover travellers entering, departing, or transiting through the country. The declaration must be completed within seven days before travel, although authorities have yet to reveal how the form will be submitted.

For international travellers using Vietnam as a stopover on routes to destinations across East Asia, Australia, or the Pacific, this adds an extra pre-travel requirement.

Vietnam’s New Health Declaration Rules Explained

Under the new rules, all travellers to Vietnam must submit a health declaration before:

• Entering Vietnam
• Departing Vietnam
• Transiting through Vietnam

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health will decide when the requirement applies and for which infectious diseases, depending on global health risks and disease outbreaks.

Vietnam’s government has not yet announced whether travellers will submit the health declaration through a website, mobile app, airline portal, or airport system. Authorities are expected to release further guidance before the new requirement takes effect.

Pilot Program Already Underway

The wider expansion follows a pilot launched at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport in April 2026.

Since April 2020, foreign nationals arriving at the airport have been required to complete an online declaration within three days before arrival. Vietnamese authorities warned that immigration processing times would be longer during the early weeks of implementation.

The latest announcement suggests the pilot will now become a nationwide requirement across Vietnam’s international gateways.

What Indian Travellers Should Expect

Vietnam has become a popular destination for Indian tourists, with direct flights from cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.

Travellers planning trips to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, or those using Vietnam as a transit hub should prepare for:

• An additional pre-departure formality
• Possible delays during the first weeks of implementation
• New health-related document checks at airports

What this really signals is that governments are increasingly bringing back digital health screening tools, even after many pandemic-era travel requirements disappeared.

Travelobiz Take:

We see this as a manageable but important new travel requirement. Indian travellers should watch for official instructions and complete the declaration early to avoid airport delays and missed connections.