Vietnam introduces mandatory health declaration for international travelers starting July 2026

All travelers to and from Vietnam to complete health screenings to prevent communicable diseases

The Vietnamese government will officially tighten its border health screening procedures by introducing a mandatory health declaration requirement for all international travelers. According to an official update published on the Vietnamese government portal, the regulation stems from the newly enacted Decree No. 165/2026/ND-CP, which implements stricter border quarantine procedures under the national Law on Disease Prevention.

The mandate targets all inbound, outbound, and transit passengers passing through Vietnamese border checkpoints. The primary objective is to elevate national disease surveillance and prevent the introduction or transmission of communicable health risks within the country.

Required health forms to be submitted within 7 days before entering Vietnam

The new protocol offers flexibility in how travelers submit their medical data, allowing filings to be executed either electronically or via physical paper forms. The Vietnamese government portal notes that the required forms must be processed within seven days before entering, exiting, or transiting through a Vietnamese checkpoint.

The official forms will be provided in both Vietnamese and English, though border authorities reserve the right to introduce additional languages depending on global epidemiological shifts or localized language needs at specific entry gates.

While a dedicated application link for the health declaration has not yet been isolated by the Ministry of Health, immigration experts anticipate that the requirement will soon be integrated into the country’s existing digital framework.

The automated questionnaire could potentially merge into the recently established Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) portal, which travelers already use for entry procedures, such as the Vietnam digital arrival card nationwide rollout, as reported in May 2026 by iVisa.

Enhanced monitoring and medical checks at border gates

Beyond paperwork, travelers will experience enhanced visual and technological screening upon arrival. Health quarantine officers stationed at border checkpoints will actively monitor passengers using electronic thermal screening equipment and direct observation to identify symptoms associated with infectious diseases.

If an individual displays irregular body temperatures or abnormal physical symptoms, quarantine officers are legally authorized to pull them aside for a secondary, detailed on-site health inspection. This expanded evaluation entails:

• Reviewing personal travel history and checking immigration documents.
• Conducting detailed epidemiological interviews.
• Assessing any previous medical preventive measures undertaken by the traveler.
• Performing localized medical examinations.

The decree specifies a strict maximum time limit of two hours per person for these detailed secondary checks to ensure border flows remain efficient. Additionally, depending on the current global health climate, the Ministry of Health may require travelers to show physical proof of vaccination or other preventative medical records upon request.

What this means for travelers to Vietnam

Beginning July 1, 2026, the health declaration will stand alongside standard entry necessities like the electronic visa (e-Visa), visa exemptions, and pre-arrival cards as a standard step in the itinerary planning process. Because the mandate explicitly encompasses transit passengers, individuals who are merely connecting through major hubs like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City without exiting the airport terminals must still comply.

To prevent unnecessary processing delays or boarding denials by airlines, travelers are advised to monitor official channels for the release of the digital form link, prepare their flight itineraries in advance, and keep relevant vaccination documents easily accessible during their journey.