Vietnam has adopted a new legal framework for health declarations at its border gates. Contrary to some early reports, it is not a blanket rule requiring every traveler to file a health form before each trip. It is a standby system the government can switch on when there is a disease risk.
Under Decree No. 165/2026/ND-CP, which takes effect on July 1, 2026, the Ministry of Health can require inbound, outbound, and transit passengers to complete a health declaration — but only for specific infectious diseases, for specific groups of travelers, and for a limited time. When no such measure is in force, travelers do not need to submit a declaration.
- Decree 165/2026/ND-CP creates a standby health-declaration system at Vietnam’s borders, effective July 1, 2026 — not a permanent requirement for all travelers.
- The Ministry of Health decides when a declaration is required, for which disease, for which travelers, and for how long, based on the global disease situation and the risk of transmission into Vietnam.
- When a declaration is active, it can be filed electronically or on paper, within seven days before entering, leaving, or transiting Vietnam.
- Routine symptom screening at border gates continues regardless; a detailed secondary check is capped at two hours per person.
How the health declaration works
The decree implements the Law on Disease Prevention and sets out health-quarantine procedures at border checkpoints. Its central feature is discretion, not a universal mandate: 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.”
In practice, that means the requirement behaves like the health declarations used during past outbreaks — active while a specific threat warrants it, and dormant otherwise. As of now, the Ministry of Health has not activated a declaration requirement for any disease, so no routine health form is needed to enter, leave, or transit Vietnam.
Submission framework, timelines, and digital integration
When a declaration is in force, the decree offers flexibility in how travelers submit it: electronically or on paper, using the template in Appendix V of the decree. The form must be completed within seven days before entering, exiting, or transiting through a Vietnamese checkpoint. Forms are provided in Vietnamese and English, with additional languages possible depending on conditions at specific gates.
A dedicated link for the health declaration has not yet been published by the Ministry of Health. Officials expect that, when needed, the form will be integrated into the country’s existing digital entry framework, such as the Vietnam digital arrival card nationwide rollout.
Monitoring and medical checks at border gates
Separate from the declaration, health-quarantine officers monitor travelers’ health at border checkpoints on an ongoing basis. Using thermal-screening equipment and direct observation, they watch for symptoms associated with communicable diseases.
If a traveler shows an irregular body temperature or other abnormal symptoms, officers may direct them to a secondary, on-site health check. That check can involve:
- Reviewing travel history and immigration documents.
- A detailed epidemiological interview.
- Assessing any preventive medical measures already taken.
- A localized medical examination.
The decree caps these detailed secondary checks at two hours per person to keep border flows moving. Depending on the global health situation, the Ministry of Health may also ask travelers to show proof of vaccination or other preventive records.
What this means for travelers
For now, there is nothing extra to file: no health declaration is currently required to enter, leave, or transit Vietnam. The decree simply gives the authorities a ready-made tool to reinstate declarations quickly if an outbreak makes it necessary.
The practical takeaway is to check before you fly. If the Ministry of Health activates a declaration for your travel dates, you will typically have a seven-day window to submit it online or on paper, and transit passengers may be included. Watching official channels — the Ministry of Health and Vietnam’s e-Visa and arrival-card portals — is the reliable way to know whether a declaration applies to your trip.
Sources: Decree No. 165/2026/ND-CP (Government of Vietnam); “Guidelines issued for health quarantine procedures for inbound, outbound travellers,” VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency; “Mandatory health declarations to be required for all travelers from July 1,” VOV.
