HANOI: The Vietnam Government has issued Decree No. 165/2026/ND-CP detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of provisions of the Law on Disease Prevention, including regulations on health quarantine for people entering, leaving and transiting through Vietnam.
Under the decree, inbound, outbound and transit travellers are required to submit health declarations in accordance with regulations.
The Minister of Health will determine those subject to the rule and the duration of health declaration requirements at border gates for each infectious disease, based on the global disease situation and the risk of transmission into Vietnam at specific points in time.
Health declarations may be submitted electronically or in paper form, following the template provided in Appendix V of the decree.
Travellers may also be required to provide proof of vaccination or evidence of preventive measures upon request from the Ministry of Health.
Health declaration forms will be available in both Vietnamese and English. Depending on the global disease situation, additional languages may also be used at border gates.
Health declarations must be completed within seven days prior to entry, exit or transit through Vietnamese border gates.
Regarding health monitoring and inspection, quarantine officers will conduct direct and indirect observation and monitor body temperature using medical surveillance equipment to detect suspected infectious disease cases among inbound, outbound and transit travellers.
If suspected cases are identified, quarantine officers will carry out on-site inspections, including document checks and epidemiological interviews to gather information on travel history, preventive measures taken and symptoms of infectious diseases.
Individuals subject to medical handling under the Law on Disease Prevention will be dealt with accordingly by quarantine officers.
The decree stipulates that on-site inspections for each individual must be completed within no more than two hours.
The decree will take effect on July 1.
The Law on Disease Prevention, which also takes effect on July 1, 2026, stipulates that health quarantine measures will be conducted at border gates.
Those subject to health quarantine include people entering, leaving or transiting through Vietnam; means of transport entering, leaving or transiting through Vietnam; imported, exported or transiting goods; and corpses, remains, ashes, biological specimens, tissues and human body parts transported across Vietnam’s borders. — Vietnam News/ANN
