Issue 020122 – Official Dispatch 10943/BYT-MT on medical guidelines for people entering Vietnam to work for less than 14 days

Applicable subjects

1. Short-term visitors (visitors enter Vietnam within 14 days) include:

• • Visitors who enter Vietnam for diplomatic or official purposes.
  • Visitors who enter Vietnam not for diplomatic or official purposes (investors, experts, skilled workers, managers of enterprises, business, commerce, market research, their families, and other persons under agreement with each specific country).

2. People being in contact with the short-term visitors during their time in Vietnam.

Applicable principles

The prominent principles outlined in the Dispatch include:

1. Quarantine is not mandatory but the visitors must strictly adhere to regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control, approved schemes and plans.

2. Prevent community contact, ensure the safety of the short-term visitors and their contacts, prevent cross-infection at their workplaces and community transmission. If a short-term visitor is expected to work at many administrative divisions, specific working and movement plans are required and must be approved by the related local authorities.

3. Short-term visitors and their contacts shall fully comply with the 5K Rules, monitor their own health, and promptly inform the authorities and local healthcare facilities when having fever, cough, sore throat, or difficult breathing.

4. Make a list of contacts of short-term visitors during their process of working (at workplace/field).

5. The lodging (hotels, lodging place arranged by an enterprise, other lodgings) of short-term visitors shall comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control and shall be approved by the People’s Committees of the province. A separate lodging area shall be arranged for the short-term visitors in order to effectively prevent cross-infection at their lodging and community transmission.

6. Short-term visitors shall have an international health insurance or a commitment of the inviting organization for payment for the COVID-19 treatment cost in case of infection.

7. The inviting organizations shall pay all of the cost for lodging, transport, and COVID-19 test as per regulations. With regard to short-term visitors entering for diplomatic or official purposes, all of the costs shall be waived (except for the lodging cost if one wishes to stay in a hotel).

Cases where the visitor wishes to stay in Vietnam to work after his/her short-term work visit

The Dispatch states several medical requirements for the following specific cases:

1. If the visitor has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or has recovered from COVID-19: he/she shall self-monitor his/her health at the lodging until the end of the 3rd day and receive RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test on the 3rd day from the date of entry. If the result is negative, he/she shall continue doing health self-monitoring and comply with the 5K Rules. In case of fever, sore throat, cough, difficult breathing, he/she shall promptly inform the local healthcare facility.

2. If the visitor has not been vaccinated or fully vaccinated against COVID-19: he/she shall self-monitor his/her health at the lodging until the end of the 7th day and receive RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test on the 3rd and 7th day from the date of entry. If the result is negative, he/she shall continue doing health self-monitoring and comply with the 5K Rules. In case of fever, sore throat, cough, difficult breathing, he/she shall promptly inform the local healthcare facility.

3. If the visitor tests positive for Covid-19: Handled as per regulations.

COVID-19 prevention and control measures

The Dispatch stipulates requirements for the visitors who enter in Vietnam either for non-public purposes or for official purposes, including the following contents:

1. Before entry.

2. At the place of entry and exit.

3. At the place of residence.

4. At the place of the meeting and signature.

5. At the workplace and field trip.

Implementation duties

The short-term visitors which are subject to the scope of this Dispatch must implement the following tasks:

1. Make an electronic health declaration upon entry via the PC-COVID application throughout the stay in Vietnam (excluding visitors who enter Vietnam for diplomatic or official purposes).

2. Strictly comply with the regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control in the Dispatch and other regulations of the Government of Vietnam.

3. Do daily health self-monitoring; immediately inform the inviting agency or organization and health agency whenever having either fever, cough, sore throat, or difficult breathing.

4. Fully implement personal hygiene and comply with the 5K Rules while participating in activities.

5. Perform the schedule of meetings, work/field trips in accordance with the approved plans.

The full version of this Legal Article can be found here.