HANOI, 24 June 2021: The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) announced earlier this week a new requirement for foreigners travelling on domestic flights.
The latest update from CAAV requires all foreigners travelling on domestic flights to provide a valid passport that has been approved for entry and travel within the country when boarding flights.
Alternatively, United Nations laissez-passer; emergency travel documents issued by foreign representative offices in Vietnam; or foreign countries’ documents issued to Vietnamese residing abroad (US green card, long-term residence card) are also accepted.
For holders of temporary residence cards that include a photo and passport details, no further documentation is needed for domestic flights.
Holders of temporary residence cards or certificates of foreign passengers without a photo will require further documents to take domestic flights.
If they do not have a photo, relevant authorities only accept temporary residence cards or certificates of foreign nationals for domestic flights in specific cases. They are: Temporary residence cards or certificates issued in a passport or in passport form; temporary residence cards, certificates or temporary residence extensions issued on the back of the separate visa with the photo and passport number of the passenger.
In case a foreign national has lost their passport and is issued an emergency travel document by a foreign representative office in Vietnam, the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security will grant an extension of temporary residence to the document or attach a separate visa.
The CAAV also noted that foreigners with border travel documents are only allowed to travel within the border area (for the Chinese border route), border province (Laos and Cambodia), and border-gate economic zones (border provinces).
If a foreign passenger is using a travel document with an entry stamp at the land border gate to take domestic flights, the ground service units will cooperate with the aviation security control force to notify and coordinate with the border gate police to check and determine the travel range of passengers.
Meanwhile, Vietnam Insider reports the latest update from Vietnam’s Immigration Department on foreigners who entered Vietnam on visa waivers, e-visas or tourist visas from 1 March 2020 with reference to the automatic stay extension due to end 30 June 2021.
Travellers who are under that waiver provision can leave Vietnam without having to apply for a stay extension. For those who entered Vietnam before 1 March 2020, the same automatic stay extension applies until 30 June 2021 but subject to the provision of proof that the person was stranded in Vietnam due to Covid-19.
The travellers must provide a diplomatic note (with Vietnamese translation) from the relevant diplomatic mission, or a written document from relevant Vietnamese authority confirming that the person was required to undergo mandatory quarantine or treatment for Covid-19, or advice of other force majeure. The person is required to present the diplomatic Note or written document on departure from Vietnam.
(Source: Vietnam News Agency)
