Your pre-departure checklist for a Vietnam trip gains one more item starting in July. Under Decree 165\/2026\/ND-CP, effective July 1, 2026, all travelers entering, leaving, or transiting through Vietnam are required to submit a health declaration. Japanese travelers who enter under the 45-day visa exemption are no exception. The process itself is a light one that can be completed online in advance, and various providers\u2019 guidance describes it as free of charge (check official sources for the latest handling). Here\u2019s how the system works and \u201cwhen, where, and what to submit,\u201d organized from a traveler\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n
The Vietnamese government has issued Decree 165\/2026\/ND-CP, based on its infectious-disease prevention law, making health declarations mandatory again from July 1, 2026. It applies to everyone passing through Vietnam\u2019s border gates (airports, seaports, and land entry\/exit points), regardless of nationality, visa type, or airline. Many will remember the \u201cmedical declaration app\u201d widely used during the pandemic; it helps to think of this as that same idea reorganized into a formal system.<\/p>\n
A declaration is required for every departure, covering not only entry but also exit and transit. There is no age-based exemption. The process is to fill out and submit a unified form provided by Vietnam\u2019s Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n
The key points of the decree, as reported by Vietnamese government media (the Vietnamese edition of the Government Newspaper and the state broadcaster VOV), are simple.<\/p>\n
On arrival, quarantine officers carry out health observation such as temperature checks, and anyone showing signs of feeling unwell may face questioning or additional checks. The decree caps this detailed screening at \u201cup to two hours per person.\u201d Depending on the state of any disease outbreak, travelers may also be asked to present proof of vaccination or similar documents.<\/p>\n
Finer details such as the exact fields to fill in and the URL of the electronic form are still being updated by various providers, as the operational specifics are not yet final. Before departure, the surest approach is to check the latest with the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs\u2019 overseas safety website, and official announcements from Vietnam\u2019s Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n
Travel to Vietnam has gotten easy to confuse lately, with more procedures bearing similar names. Here is a table that separates out the ones most easily mixed up with the health declaration.<\/p>\n