Starting from 09/20, people entering Vietnam will be charged for quarantine fee

From September 1, 2020, all entries into Vietnam, whether they are in any quarantine zones then, will be required to submit quarantine fee. Meanwhile, medical examination and treatment expenses for infected patients continue to be paid by the government budget, according to Clause 2, Article 48 in the Law on Prevention and Control of infectious diseases.

Vietnam to collect fees for immigration isolation from September 2020 (Photo: Tien Phong)

On August 28 2020, the Government Office issued Notice No. 313/TB-VPCP on the final announcement of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc after the government regular meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control

In the meeting, the Prime Minister agreed to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s proposal, which urges to progress the procedures for high-ranking executives who work at Korean enterprises (according to the list provided by the Korean Embassy) to enter Vietnam for short business trips. Requests from other investors will also be put on the table to be discussed.

The Prime Minister also requires other ministries to collaborate and deploy assigned duties as below:

1. The Ministry of Transport will be in charge as well as coordinate with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Health, Ministries of Labor – Invalids, and Social Affairs to reopen commercial flights between Vietnam and Japan, South Korea, and other countries where have high levels of COVID-19 safety. The report on these topics must be turned in to the Prime Minister before August 31, 2020. First, flights that bring Vietnamese workers back to work in Japan and South Korea also have to be implemented.
2. Localities will arrange quarantine facilities to meet the requirements of immigrants. There must be no discrimination in the way foreigners and Vietnamese being treated. For those who request to be quarantined at other accommodation instead of centralized quarantine centers, an external fee for this request will be applied. The Ministry of Public Security and the local authorities, especially the field of health care, were assigned to closely supervise these cases at the accommodations to meet the epidemic prevention and control requirements.
3. The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, was assigned to promptly instruct the implementation of fee collecting from all entries into Vietnam at all quarantine zones from September 1, 2020. Medical examination and treatment expenses continue to be paid by the state budget according to Clause 2, Article 48 of the Law on prevention and control of infectious diseases.
4. In the field of social security support, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance, was assigned to research and propose a on-budget second social security package that is convenient for local people. Local authorities must initiate supportive measures for businesses, the poor, and those who have been affected by the COVID-19.