European countries place Vietnam in travel restrictions list

Belgium, the Czech Republic and Malta have put Vietnam in their travel red list, which requires arrivals to undergo mandatory quarantine.

Belgium requires unvaccinated travelers from red-listed countries to submit a negative PCR test done no more than 72 hours before arrival and undergo 10-day mandatory quarantine, while those who have received two doses of a vaccine must get tested on day one or two and remain in quarantine until they test negative.

People arriving in the Czech Republic from red zones are quarantined while the island of Malta allows in only vaccinated travelers from red countries who have to self-quarantine.

Some other European countries have not yet placed Vietnam in their restricted travel list but have strict entry requirements.

Denmark has Vietnam in its orange list, requiring arrivals to have a « worthy » reason for travel and self-isolate on arrival.

Vietnam is classified as orange by France, which means vaccinated visitors no longer need to quarantine. They however need to furnish a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours or a negative antigen test no older than 48 hours.

For non-vaccinated people from orange zones, only essential trips such as for medical or family emergencies will be allowed with seven days of self-quarantine.

Poland requires everyone arriving from outside the EU/Schengen area to quarantine for 10 days.

All arrivals in Slovakia have to undergo 14-day quarantine.

Slovenia requires a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours, a negative antigen test no older than 48 hours, or proof of having had Covid-19 in the past six months.

Anyone without any of these documents must self-isolate for 10 days.

Sweden requires all arrivals from non-EU countries to quarantine for seven days and take a Covid test on days one and five.

Vietnam is currently facing its most challenging outbreak so far, triggered by the Delta variant, prompting several countries to ban or impose stricter quarantine measures for travelers from the country.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added Vietnam to a list of countries with ‘moderate’ Covid travel risks, warning unvaccinated travelers against traveling to Vietnam.

In the three months since the new wave started, Vietnam has recorded 220,906 infections.

Nearly 10 million people have been vaccinated, but only over one million have been fully vaccinated.

But Vietnam is speeding up its inoculation campaign to immunize 70 percent of its 96 million population and achieve herd immunity.

By Nguyen Quy – VnExpress.net – August 10, 2021