With Covid19 Travel in Asia/world visa procedures are changing daily
With vaccinations and the much needed re-opening for business, Asian countries are greeting back visitors for tourism and expats to restart international Import Export relationships. The new normal is prepare your trip for Entering / staying / Leaving back to your home country. Below are the resources to check the latest information; on top of this you should know the updates may be weekly without notice:
- Covid19 requirements by country by WTO-IATA including mandatory Covid19 travel health insurance
- Some rogue insurers have decided NOT TO INSURE COVID RELATED CLAIMS; check their brochure! or ask confirmation in writing.
- Main country risks checklist and travel advice by you own foreign affairs
- Excluded countries by the Insurer or your government for whatever risk reasons
What is the Entry procedure to your Destination country
So you have decided to travel! Vietnam has started re-open to tourism since the 15-march-2022 after 2 looooong years of lockdown
Then for most countries it will look like:
1- Health declaration befor you arrive https://tokhaiyte.vn/ <VN Cancelled 16-may-2022>
2- Recommended/required Covid Travel/Health insurance (ex. Vietnam tourism board Covid19 medical costs $10,000 minimum)
3- Mandatory Visa or Not by country. See below 13 countries exemptions and 80 countries e-visa, all others via embassy or agency
4- Passport valid 6-month after return
5- Vaccination 2 or 3 doses registered in the downloaded app PC-Covid https://pccovid.gov.vn/ <VN Cancelled 16-may-2022>
6- PCR test 72-hr = Where to get the test near you? click PCR Lab test Locator
<VN Cancelled 16-may-2022> still to be checked for your transit countries.
From 15-march-2022 Vietnam re-opened in 2 ways:
VISA FREE 15-day for 13 countries (business people):
Citizens from Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the UK will be allowed to visit Vietnam for up to 15 days without visa regardless of passport type and entry purpose.
E-Visa 30-day trip for 80 countries:
An electronic visa (E-visa) is one of visa types issued to foreigners by Vietnamese Immigration Department via electronic system. Vietnam E-visa is valid for maximum of 30 days, single entry. It will be processed in 3 working days. Details on 80 countries and the Procedure for Vietnam e-Visa and fee
For extensions: go to the nearest immigration office and ask to fill a NA5-form for visa extension
Is a Covid19 travel and health insurance mandatory? Get the approved ones
Travel Visitors for work Expatriation or Tourism, will need a travel insurance to cover the costs of Covid with a mimum limit of $25K, 50, 80 or $100,000. In effect, it is a medical insurance that is requested because a Covid ICU hospitalization is a minimum of 20 days including the recovery time and the 2 PCR negative tests
- Vietnam Travel pass by Luma Health Thailand
- Thailand Travel pass by Luma Health Vietnam
- ASEAN Travel pass -for serious travelers in multiple ASEAN countries-
- Rest-of-the-World travel pass -for any duration, anywhere- by ACS Globe partners
- For Expatriates visiting their home countries your worldwide heath insurance may cover you or this travel plan -is a bit special as they are the rare one to cover a Country citizen travelin in its own country- ACS globe traveller will do the job. NB. the rationale behind being a British is not supposed to buy a travel insurance to visit the UK-.
For longer than 30-day insurance, business or resident, working visa the immigration may want you to show your health insurance valid for the duration of your visa application. In such case, it is a private medical insurance they want to see. he main difference between the travel and health insurance when you purchase the latter, the insurer will pay the treatment costs to keep you healthy where you reside. In the case of a travel insurer, the contract stipulates they can interrupt your trip and fly you back if your health is not suitable to continue your holiday or business trip… a far lesser liability.
Are you an Expatriate relocating to Vietnam / ASEAN to work?
Your company is applying for a work permit and a business work visa or a TRC temporary resident card for 1-year to 3-years usually. Then your international health insurance is enough. Get a Covid certificate of insurance mentioning the minimum limit required by the Authority of your new host country.
If your expatriate medical insurance is only valid locally and you need a Covid19 compliant travel/health insurance certificate to show the immigration ACS globe traveller will do the job.
The insurance may need to match the duration of your visa, check with the visa agent.
- It is probably time to purchase the private medical insurance that will be suitable for your family and your lifestyle
- whether it is part of your work package to enrol you in the company group plan or purchase by yourself, your chosen insurer will have to provide you with a certificate covering any Covid treatment costs to the set governmental limit check the section Air Travel of the UN-WTO-IATA Covid update tracker
- If you need to find a health insurance in your new country of residency, whether by yourself or with the help of a professional insurance advisor here are some guidelines to choose the best suitable insurance for your personal needs
- All is new: healthcare system, doctors availability, medical local practices, varying costs between local and expats, evcauation to better hospitals, lack of whatever exists as a standard in western country…
- Covid19 2-year period has revealed a lot of those must-have were missed-have
Gathering knowledge from established colleagues, friends or even visiting some clinics will give you valuable information to decide. You can also consult an established Independent insurance advisor (generally free) to enquire for a comparative quote for a reliable and client oriented Covid Health insurance for Foreign residents
Enjoy your post Covid new freedom to travel.
