As public attractions close and outbound flights become scarce, a number of foreigners in Vietnam are stuck in limbo.
According to the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam will allow extensions to temporary residence permits of foreigners in Vietnam who can’t leave due to pandemic-related reasons, reports VietnamPlus.
Foreign nationals can apply for an extension of up to 30 days, the department says in a document released on April 1. The policy will be in effect from March 30 until April 30, applying to tourists who are stuck in the country due to travel restrictions, lack of flights, quarantine orders, etc.
Those who wish to apply can contact their respective embassy or consulate general to submit an application to the immigration department.
Tuoi Tre reports that Saigon still has 407 tourists staying at 33 hotels across the city. The municipal Department of Tourism requires accommodation facilities to note the personal particulars and travel history of their guests to aid contact tracing if needed.
From March 22, Vietnam decided to stop accepting foreign nationals into the country to cut down on imported cases of Covid-19. Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad must undergo 14 days of quarantine in state-run facilities near their arriving destination.
On March 31, Bamboo Airways organized a special one-way flight from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Saigon to Lithuania in agreement with the European Union and the Lithuanian government. The plane carried 220 Europeans, including 120 Lithuanians.
A day before, a Vietnam Airlines aircraft from Ukraine carrying 56 Vietnamese nationals also landed at Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh Province on March 30 after taking Ukrainian tourists stuck in Vietnam home. Both flights were paid for by Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong.
