In reply to reporters’ enquiry about information regarding Vietnam’s mutual recognition of vaccine passports with other countries on March 21, the spokeswoman said under the Prime Minister’s direction, the MoFA and Vietnam’s overseas representative agencies have actively conducted negotiations and fast-tracked the mutual recognition of “vaccine passports” with other countries and territories.
As of March 17, the nation had reached agreement on the mutual recognition of “vaccine passports” with 17 countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, Belarus, India, Cambodia, the Philippines, the Maldives, Palestine, Turkey, Egypt, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Singapore, Saint Lucia, and the Republic of Korea.
Holders of “vaccine passports” of these countries and Vietnam are entitled to the same medical requirements as those for local vaccinated people, she noted, adding that the recognition includes the exemption of procedures for consular authentication/legalisation when using these papers in the countries of destination.
Hang repeated that, so far, Vietnam has temporarily recognised COVID-19 vaccination certificate forms of 79 countries and territories officially introduced to the MoFA.
A “vaccine passport” is a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or/and a COVID-19 recovery certificate. The “vaccine passport” is used as proof of a person’s vaccination and recovery history and does not replace other exit and entry papers such as passports, visas, international travel documents, laissez-passers, temporary and permanent residence cards, and visa exemption certificates.
A foreign “vaccine passport” is regarded as valid and can be used directly in Vietnam’s territory if it is officially or temporarily recognized by the Vietnamese Government, Hang stated.
The list of the recognized “vaccine passports” are posted on the portal of the MoFA’s Consular Department at https://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn.
