Travel Requirements to Vietnam (from Philippines)
Philippine passport holders can easily fly to Vietnam. Through this blog I share my experience with the travel restrictions through Philippines and Vietnam borders.
Visa-free country
According tor Vietnam Travel Advisory page, Filipinos can travel to Vietnam, visa-free for up to 21 days, with few restrictions – no quarantine required, and COVID-19 testing is temporarily suspended.
It is also stated in the article that to enter Vietnam, you must have travel medical insurance (should cover COVID-19 treatment) with minimum coverage of US$ 10,000.
Though recently, travel insurance is no longer being checked in VN immigration, in my opinion, for travels within South East Asia, it is still worth it to get coverage, even the lowest plan available.
Travel documents I prepared
Weeks before my trip, I prepared the needed travel documents mentioned in in our article about non-essential travel requirements.
Flying out from Manila
Upon passing through the immigration counter at NAIA, I was surprised the immigration officer only checked by passport and boarding pass. He also asked how long I will be staying in Vietnam. I simply answered politely then he let me passed through.
Entering Vietnam through HCMC
When I entered the Vietnam border through Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City last January 2023, the only required document checked by the Immigration were only my passport and boarding pass.
I had my Vaccination Certificate, Proof of Accommodation, Travel Insurance Policy ready, but interestingly, the immigration officer did not ask for these documents.
During my transit from Manila to HCMC, both the Philippine Immigration and the Vietnamese Immigration only checked my passport and boarding pass.
Travel Requirements - Flying out from HCMC
At the end of my Vietnam travel, about to fly home to the Philippines, all my travel documents were still compiled and can easy be accessed from my hand carry bag.
The eTravel pass can be done within 10 minutes
When I arrived at the airline counter in Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, in addition for my passport, the airline ground staff asked for my Vaccination Certificate (I used VaxCert, which I prepared months earlier), and eTravel pass. These are documents required by the Philippines.
When registering for etravel, be ready with your passport and VaxCert. I created my etravel pass when I was waiting for the airline counter to open. It can be done within minutes by using a mobile phone or computer with internet connection. Nevetheless it is also a good idea to create your e-travel pass within 3 few days before your arrival to the Philippines to avoid hassles at the airport.
Since I prepared these earlier, the process was smooth and I was able to proceed to the immigration counter immediately. I only showed them a digital copies of with QR code of both VaxCert and E-Travel through my mobile phone and the airline staff gladly accepted it.
Less Travel Restrictions this 2023
When WHO declared the COVID-19 as pandemic last 2020, all travels had been put into full stop.
More than a year after, when tourism was once again allowed sometime more than 2 years ago, there were so much guidelines and travelers had to prepare a lot of requirements. This included the need to have tested for COVID-19. Travelers needed to undergo quarantine upon arrival at their destinations, as well as upon return back in the Philippines.
At present, COVID-19 tests and quarantine are no longer required. For the case of Vietnam, it is stated Vietnam Briefing website, the need for a negative COVID-19 test result is currently suspended. No need for a COVID-19 test.
Travel to Vietnam from the Philippines
Travel is back. Destinations now have more lenient restrictions to promote tourism into their countries. Since more than 2 years ago, during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns outbound travel has been allowed by the Philippine government. During this time, most Filipino travelers fly to western countries, majority to the US.
Since 2022, more Filipinos have been traveling again within the South East Asian region. This is possibly due to these main factors: proximity, no visa, budget-friendly (except of course Singapore, which is a developed country).
Basing on the destinations of travelinsurance.com.ph‘s clients that traveled within South East Asia last year, the top 3 destinations are Singapore, Thailand and Bali (Indonesia). The fourth destination on the list of most visited SEAsian countries is Vietnam.
Since May last year, Vietnam has opened its borders to tourists.
Upon Arrival at Ho Chi Minh City
Being a first-timer in Vietnam and haven't been traveling for quite some time due to the pandemic, when I arrived in Saigon, it didn’t immediately sink-in that I am overseas until I overheard people talking and could not understand what they were saying. There are people in Vietnam who speak english, but their official language is still their primary language.
My first impression of HCMC is that it looks like a mixture of the old Manila and Makati City. Traffic has the potential to be really bad. There are so many motorcycles hovering around, even at sidestreets. After a few days you will get used to it.
Drivers, just like in any country in South East Asia, are aggressive although I find the traffic flow around Saigon a little bit more chaotic than Manila. Because of the close proximity, Vietnam and the Philippines have a lot of similarities.
Overall, Vietnam is a nice place to visit because of their rich culture. Speaking of Vietnamese culture, during my visit to Ho Chi Minh City, I witnessed their Tet Holiday, which is their Lunar New Year tradition.
Vietnam ia nice alternative to the more-visited South East Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia. But locals say Vietnam has more to offer other than HCMC, especially in the countryside. Some towns they recommend are Danang, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Hanoi. I would love to see these places when I fly back to Vietnam in the future.
Travel insurance for Vietnam
Do you need travel insurance for your Philippines to Vietnam trip?
A travel insurance policy with Php 1,000,000 medical expense coverage (including COVID-19) costs around Php 800 for 1 week travel.
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