Viet Nam will re-open for international commercial air travel in stages from December 15 for travellers from a number of approved countries, the country’s Ministry of Transport announced.

A statement on December 8 said the plan for the resumption of international services had been sent to Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính for approval. None of the country’s airlines made any immediate announcements, although Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi) on social media reported it had carried out the first direct flight by a Vietnamese carrier from San Francisco, CA (USA) to Ho Chi Minh City on December 1.

The re-opening of international services comes in response to travel demand from Vietnamese citizens over the upcoming year-end and Lunar New Year, and from foreigners wanting to enter Vietnam for work, investment, and tourism reasons, the Ministry said.

During the second phase, the Transport Ministry will review and re-assess the complete normalisation of international operations. The resumption of flights with other countries will only be considered on a reciprocal basis.

The Ministry also advised the lifting of quarantine regulations for fully-vaccinated passengers or those who have recovered from COVID-19, have tested negative by rapid antigen testing or PCR testing within 72 hours before departure.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently negotiating for the mutual recognition of so-called vaccine passports, with priority to be given to countries included in the two-phase reopening, the statement said.