Công văn 967/BNG-LS

Implementing order of the Government under Official Dispatch No. 1606/VPCP-QHQT dated March 15, 2022 of the Office of the Government regarding negotiation over mutual vaccine passport recognition with countries and territories, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hereby informs:

1. Officially recognize COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate/COVID-19 Recovery Certificate (hereinafter referred to as “Vaccine Passport”) on a principle of reciprocity with: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of India, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Maldives, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Turkey, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Republic of Saint Lucia, and South Korea. Specific guidelines regarding requirements and recognized vaccine form are specified in the Appendix attached hereto.

When a holder of Vaccine Passport issued by any of the aforementioned countries enters Vietnam or enters any of those countries from Vietnam, he/she is required to adopt medical measures similar to a person in the host country. This mutual recognition includes the exemption of consular authentication/consular legalization procedures when a holder of the Vaccine Passport uses the Vaccine Passport at the host country.

2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall upload the list of countries and territories sharing the same requirements and recognized Vaccine Passport form on their website (https://mofa.gov.vn/vi/) and website for consular affairs (https://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn).

3. Regarding Vaccine Passports issued by countries and territories which have provided the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affair with their official Vaccine Passport forms, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hereby requests that temporary solutions notified by the Consular Department of the Ministry[1] shall be applied in order to allow vaccinated individuals to carry such documents into Vietnam at which point Vietnamese authorities will cross-check against official available forms[2]. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall notify any change to the temporary solutions mentioned above (if any).

For your acknowledgement and implementation./.

GUIDELINES

ON RECOGNITION AND USE OF FOREIGN VACCINE PASSPORTS ENTERRING VIETNAM
(Attached to Official Dispatch No. 967/BNG-LS dated March 17, 2022)

1. Vaccine Passport shall be understood as COVID-19 Vaccination certificate and/or COVID-19 Recovery certificate. Vaccine Passport shall serve to prove vaccination and recovery history of the holder and does not replace other travel documents (Passport, visas, laissez-passers, temporary residence card, permanent residence card, visa-free entry document, etc.).

2. A foreign Vaccine Passport shall be considered legitimate and used in Vietnamese territory if it is officially or temporarily recognized under the list below:

2.1. List of officially recognized Vaccine Passports:

The list of officially recognized Vaccine Passports is uploaded on https://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn " System of legislative documents " Vietnamese legislative documents " Official recognized Vaccine Passport form.

2.2. The list of temporarily recognized Vaccine Passports (the List of COVID-19 Vaccination certificate/COVID-19 recovery certificate provided for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is uploaded on https://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn " System of legislative documents " Vietnamese legislative documents " COVID-19 Vaccination certificate, COVID-19 Recovery certificate of foreign countries.

3. When a holder of a Vaccine Passport issued by a country or territory that is not mentioned in either List of officially recognized Vaccine Passports or List of temporarily recognized Vaccine Passports under Point 2 above enters Vietnam, he/she must adopt procedures for consular legalization/authentication at the overseas Vietnam representative missions./.

[1] Under Official Dispatch No. 2974/LS-PL dated August 6, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 3100/LS-PL dated August 13, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 3112/LS-PL dated August 14, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 3157/LS-PL dated August 17, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 3207/LS-PL dated August 19, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 3285/LS-PL dated August 24, 2021, and Official Dispatch No. 3342/LS-PL dated August 27, 2021 of the Consular Department on https://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn

[2] The list of COVID-19 Vaccination certificate/COVID-19 Recovery certificate forms, as of December 20, 2021, consists of forms of 79 countries and territories; specific forms are uploaded on https://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn " System of legislative documents " Vietnamese legislative documents " COVID-19 Vaccination certificate, COVID-19 Recovery certificate of foreign countries.