Correction (September 15, 2026): When this article was first published, it stated that the pre-arrival declaration would "become mandatory nationwide from July 1, 2026." That was incorrect. It confused the declaration with the health declaration rules that took effect on July 1 (Decree 165/2026). The title and the body have been corrected.
At Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, a pilot of the pre-arrival declaration for foreign visitors, "Pre-Arrival Information (PAI)," began on April 15, 2026, and in June it spread to the airports in Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Nha Trang (Cam Ranh). Register in advance on your phone and receive a QR code, and you can show it at immigration to move through the process.
What is the online declaration before entering Ho Chi Minh City
PAI is a system in which foreign visitors entering Vietnam register their passport details, flight and where they will stay in Vietnam online in advance. Registration is possible from three days before the scheduled date of entry. The official site (prearrival.immigration.gov.vn) also has guidance in Japanese, and there is no fee. Once registration is finished a QR code is issued, so show it at immigration as a screenshot on your phone or as a printout. The steps are covered in detail inHow to register for the digital arrival card.
Did it become mandatory in July? — A separate system from the health declaration, and the notices differ on whether it is mandatory
The claim that "everyone entering the country must file a declaration from July 1" appears to be a mix-up with the health declaration under Decree 165/2026, which took effect on July 1. Just before it took effect, the Ministry of Health explained that the health declaration is not something required of everyone at all times. For details, seeThe "health declaration for everyone" was a misunderstanding.
The notices differ on whether PAI itself is mandatory. In its May announcement the Ministry of Public Security described the rollout at Tan Son Nhat as "voluntary, not mandatory," and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam (June 1 and June 10) and the Consulate-General of Japan in Da Nang (June 17) also say it is "not mandatory," covering Hanoi and Da Nang. On the other hand, the U.S. Embassy said in its June 17 notice that Vietnam was extending a "mandatory pre-arrival declaration" to all airports, and for Phu Quoc there is a report (DTiNews) and a notice from the Polish Embassy describing it as "mandatory." That said, the Vietnamese-language edition of the same Dân trí report says the local head of immigration called it "strongly encouraged," so the accounts differ even among news outlets.
In the materials published by the Vietnamese government and the Ministry of Public Security that we were able to check up to September 15, we have not found any announcement of a nationwide requirement. Registration is free, though, so registering whichever airport you arrive at means you do not have to worry about the differences between the notices.
An overview of the target airports and cities
| Airports with confirmed rollout |
Start date (2026) and status |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat) |
From April 15 Pilot |
| Phu Quoc | From June 1 Pilot (local reports and notices from foreign embassies) |
| Hanoi (Noi Bai) |
From the second week of June Pilot |
| Da Nang | From June 15 Pilot |
| Nha Trang (Cam Ranh) |
As of June 25, a notice of the rollout (Embassy of Singapore) |
The U.S. Embassy says Vietnam is extending this declaration to all airports. The table above lists the airports whose start dates we could confirm individually.
What travelers should prepare — registering and saving the QR code
File the declaration on the official site from three days before your scheduled date of entry, and keep the QR code you receive as a screenshot or a printout. The declaration uses your passport, flight number, the address where you are staying and an email address. Printing the QR code on paper as well saves you from panicking if your phone runs out of battery or you have connection trouble. Even if you could not file in advance, the U.S. Embassy says you can declare after arrival using the QR codes at the airport or a paper form.
Using the official site is free, and it does not ask you to enter credit card details. Be wary of agency sites that charge a fee, and of sites made to look like the official one.
Summary
The pre-arrival declaration (PAI) did not become mandatory nationwide from July 1. The pilot that began at Tan Son Nhat Airport on April 15 spread in June to Noi Bai, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Cam Ranh. Because the notices from different countries differ on whether it is mandatory, register from three days before your scheduled date of entry, and check the official site and embassy notices for the latest situation before you leave.
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- Vietnam grants a 45-day visa exemption to 12 European countries
- Vietnam's international tourists reach 10.6 million in five months
Sources
- Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam — Immigration Department launches Pre-arrival Information System (May 13, 2026)
- Consulate-General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City — Start of the pre-arrival registration system for foreign nationals entering at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (April 16, 2026)
- Embassy of Japan in Vietnam — On the start of the pilot of the advance registration system for foreign nationals entering Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport (June 10, 2026)
- Consulate-General of Japan in Da Nang — Start of the pilot of the Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) system at Da Nang International Airport (June 17, 2026)
- U.S. Embassy — Notice: Implementation of pre-arrival declaration for international visitors arriving at airports in Vietnam (June 17, 2026)
- Embassy of Singapore in Vietnam — Pre-Arrival Declaration for Foreign Travellers Entering Vietnam (June 25, 2026)
- DTiNews — Phu Quoc requires inbound travellers to complete airport declaration (June 2, 2026)
- Dân trí (Vietnamese edition) — Khách nhập cảnh Phú Quốc được khuyến khích khai báo thông tin tại sân bay (June 2, 2026)
- Embassy of Poland in Vietnam — Nowy wymóg wjazdowy dla pasażerów przylatujących do Phu Quoc (June 1, 2026)
