\"From July 1, everyone entering or leaving Vietnam must make a health declaration\" - in late June, this information spread rapidly on social media and some travel sites. The basis cited was Decree 165\/2026, which took effect on July 1. But just before it took effect, on June 30, Vietnam's Ministry of Health officially explained that it \"is not something imposed on everyone at all times.\" Since our site also reported in late June to the effect that \"health declarations for entering Vietnam are back from July,\" this article is a follow-up to that. What was the misunderstanding, and what is true? And what should people with upcoming trips or business travel do now? The conclusion first: in normal times, nothing is needed. Let's sort it out in order.<\/p>\n
It started with Decree 165\/2026 (Nghi dinh 165\/2026\/ND-CP), promulgated on May 15. It sets out procedures for medical quarantine at the border and took effect on July 1. Because it contained provisions on health declarations by people entering, exiting, or transiting, information spread on social media that 'from July 1 everyone must file a declaration' and that 'the declaration site is tokhaiyte.vn.' Some aviation media and ticket agencies also announced it as 'mandatory,' and confusion spread among travelers about to depart.<\/p>\n
In response, Deputy Director Vo Hai Son of the Health Ministry's Department of Preventive Medicine officially made two key points. First, the health declarationIt isn't required of everyone at all times<\/strong>is the key. What the decree established is merely a legal framework, and a declaration is actually required only \"when, for a specific infectious disease, the Minister of Health issues concrete guidance in light of the global outbreak situation and the risk of entry into Vietnam.\" Second, the declaration site tokhaiyte.vn that was being circulatedThe Ministry of Health does not currently use it<\/strong>The new declaration system is still being built, and it warns that entering data into the old site carries the risk of phishing scams that steal personal information.<\/p>\n The core of the misunderstanding lies in confusing \"a rule being made\" with \"a rule taking effect.\" Decree 165\/2026 is a \"vessel\" that keeps the means of a health declaration available at any time, in preparation for a situation where an infectious disease crosses the border. On the other hand, only the Minister of Health can press the \"switch\" that actually mandates a declaration, and the target disease, period, and covered persons are specified in each case's guidance. In other words, the switch didn't automatically flip on the July 1 effective date, and as of early July 2026 the Minister of Health's guidance has not been issued.<\/p>\n The practical procedure, should the switch be flipped in the future, is also written into the decree. Those affected make a health declaration within seven days before entry, exit or transit; the method can be either electronic or paper, and the forms are prepared in Vietnamese and English. Depending on the infectious-disease situation, proof of vaccination and the like may also be required.<\/p>\nHow to correctly read Decree 165\/2026 \u2014 the \"vessel\" and the \"switch\" are separate things<\/h2>\n