Vietnam suspends visas for Chinese amid coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) outbreak, doesn’t it? The entry and exit of a Chinese trader/investor/worker who has been granted a visa will be prohibited or restricted, won’t it?

The respiratory disease outbreak caused by a novel strain – 2019-nCoV is complicated in China. Up to now, the disease has spread not only to 31 over31 provinces and cities of China and but also to many other countries and territories in the world. This is a new and dangerous disease because the virus spreads very rapidly and there is currently no vaccine to prevent it.

In order to proactively prevent the disease, on January 31, 2020, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 06/CT-TTg on strengthening prevention and control measures against the 2019-nCoV. The Directive stipulates that one of the prevention measures is “suspending the issuance of tourist visas to foreign tourists (including Chinese tourists) who are or have been in China in the past two weeks, except for official visas in special cases, barring the entry and exit with laissez-passers for tourism purposes, and prohibiting travel through trails along China-Vietnam border area”. Therefore, in the current disease situation, Vietnam’s immigration agency will stop carrying out procedures for granting tourist visas for Chinese tourists

In the official document No. 01/CĐ-LĐTBXH dated February 2, 2020, the Minister of Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs requests that “Enterprises and organizations employing foreign workers must temporarily stop receiving Chinese workers returning to Vietnam after their Lunar New Year holiday and other foreign workers moving to disease areas during the time of announcement of the 2019-nCoV. In case of having received these workers, the enterprises shall list the workers who have just returned to Vietnam from China with the necessary information as required and report to competent agencies, shall implement measures to isolate these workers from other people at their residence and workplace according to instructions of health agencies and shall keep track of, check their health within 14 days from the date of entry into Vietnam”. Therefore, according to the content of this document, Chinese citizens who have been granted visas to enter Vietnam with the purpose of labor are not allowed to enter Vietnam. In case of entry, it is necessary that the workers should implement isolation measures at their residence and workplace, and carry out regular health check and monitoring measures under the instructions of  the health agencies

Under the actual situation, Chinese citizens who intend to enter Vietnam for other purposes such as investment and study can be considered and allowed to enter Vietnam. These citizens will be subject to rigorous/strict medical control at the border.