The new conditions for entering France from Vietnam

Faced with an unabated fourth wave, Vietnam is preparing to pass the milestone of 10,000 cases of Covid-19 recorded since the start of the pandemic. At the same time, France is partially reopening its borders as summer approaches.

This Friday, June 11, at noon, 9,917 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the country, including 6,717 during this last wave which appeared on April 27. Of these recent cases, 3,764 are located in Bac Giang, 1,240 in Bac Ninh, 590 in Ho Chi Minh City, 289 in Hanoi and 158 in Da Nang. Thus, the spread of the epidemic in major cities continues its momentum, despite strict social distancing measures.

The conditions for returning to France from Vietnam

Since Wednesday, June 9, the conditions for entering France have changed. The health measures applying to arrivals from abroad differ according to a classification of countries into three groups established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam is one of the countries in the "orange" zone, which includes territories presenting a moderate risk.

Non-vaccinated people will have to show a compelling reason (French nationality is one of them), present a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old and self-isolate for 7 days upon arrival in France. Find the list of compelling reasons here.

For people vaccinated with one of the four recognized vaccines*, a negative PCR test within 72 hours is sufficient.

It is possible to come to France with your spouse, if you are officially married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, on presentation of proof of cohabitation.

Air France flights between France and Vietnam

Each month, Air France operates one or two direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Paris.

The next HCMV-Paris flights will take place on Sundays June 13, July 4, July 25, August 8, August 15, September 12 and October 10.

In the opposite direction, the next Paris-HCMV flights are scheduled for Saturdays June 12, July 3, July 24, August 7, August 14, September 11, October 9. To date, only foreign experts, foreign diplomats and Vietnamese citizens are allowed to enter Vietnam.

In addition, several indirect flights from HCMC and Hanoi to Paris (and Amsterdam) are organized each week. They transit through Singapore via Singapore Airlines.

For most French expatriates with long-term plans in Vietnam, a summer return to the motherland remains unthinkable. Because, even vaccinated, an arrival from abroad can only return to Vietnam under a special status and by paying a high price: 504 hours of solitude and several thousand euros during the 21 days of quarantine.

A proposal announced by the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister at the beginning of the month is nevertheless being studied: the quarantine of vaccinated international arrivals could be reduced to one or two weeks in the near future.

*A period of two weeks is required after the second injection for the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines and four weeks after the single injection for the Johnson & Johnson.