Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin: National Day 2021 greetings for the Swiss abroad
Due to the dynamic Covid-19 situation in Vietnam and the necessary protective measures, the Consulate General currently only receives clients with urgent matters at the counter and only by appointment. For all service requests and appointments, please contact the Consulate General by phone or email. In case of an emergency outside opening hours, you can contact the FDFA Helpline around the clock.
Please note that you will need two identification documents when visiting the Consulate General. One document (identity card, driver's license or other identification with photo and identity details of the owner) must be deposited in the lobby of the Bitexco Financial Tower to gain access to the office tower. The other document (passport) is to be presented at the Consulate General.
Vaccination in Vietnam
The Vietnamese authorities defined the vaccination priorities for different groups with Decree 3355/DQ-BYT (dated 08.07.2021; only available in Vietnamese). According to the received information, everybody who wishes to be inoculated can register online or with the Covid app of the Ministry of Health (available in the Apple Store and on Google Play). If no other priority category fits the situation, choice "(6) People who live in pandemic-hit areas" might be the most appropriate.
For the time being, the online registration and the apps are only available in Vietnamese language (English version is said to be in development) and it is recommendable to ask Vietnamese speakers to assist in case of language barriers. Please note that the Consulate General of Switzerland in Ho Chi Minh City is conveying this information without liability and is not involved in the registration, attributing appointments, online tools or any other aspect of the Vietnamese vaccination strategy. Only the competent Vietnamese authorities are able to help with difficulties or to answer questions.
Authorities in Vietnam have confirmed that there will be no discrimination between Vietnamese nationals and foreigners during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. In order to push back the pandemic, the highest possible proportion of the total population, regardless of nationality, should receive the opportunity to be vaccinated.
People with compulsory health insurance (basic insurance) in Switzerland can be vaccinated there. It is in the competence of the cantons to decide whether Swiss citizens abroad without mandatory health insurance can also be vaccinated in Switzerland. Swiss nationals abroad could therefore contact their home canton.
Further information on COVID-19 vaccination can be found on the webpages of the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH: Coronavirus: Vaccination & Protect yourself and others: Vaccination and on the website of the Organization of the Swiss Abroad.
General information
All Swiss citizens in Vietnam are called up to follow the instructions and recommendations of the Vietnamese authorities.
All persons in Vietnam are encouraged to submit an online health declaration and update it as needed: tokhaiyte.vn, tab "For foreign guests" or via smartphone app NCOVI. Print out this confirmation at the end of filling it out or save it on your mobile phone.
For general information related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) kindly consult the information and directives of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board, local authorities (in Vietnamese only), their recommendations (in Vietnamese only), the online newspaper of the Vietnamese Government and the recommendations of the World Health Organisation WHO.
In Switzerland, the Federal Office of Public Health FHPO informs the public regarding COVID-19.
The Government of Liechtenstein informs regarding the COVID-19 situation in Liechtenstein.
The Travel Advice FDFA (in German, French and Italian) offers travellers basic information for travel preparation by informing on possible risks and certain precautions. They are to be considered as a complementary source of information.
Contact with the Consulate General
The Consulate General of Switzerland in Ho Chi Minh City can be contacted by phone during opening hours.
Outside the opening hours you can reach us for non-emergency inquiries by email and we will get in touch with you in due time.
In an emergency outside our opening hours, Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens can contact the Helpline FDFA around the clock.
Swiss non-resident travellers in Vietnam
In view of the extraordinary circumstances, we urge non-resident Swiss citizens in Vietnam to register on Travel Admin and keep the information updated at all times. This will allow the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to contact them when needed.
On June 4, 2021 the Immigration Department announced a new policy that provides an automatic extension of temporary stay for foreigners in certain qualifying groups with plans to depart Vietnam.
Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens who need certification according to the new policy can contact the Consulate General of Switzerland in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Federal Council has called on Swiss travellers to return to their permanent place of residence in Switzerland or abroad.
Return to Switzerland or Liechtenstein
Swiss and Liechtenstein nationals and foreigners with a valid residence permit for Switzerland, who have registered on Travel Admin, will be informed by the Swiss Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City by email, if special travel possibilities to Switzerland become known at short notice.
At the moment, the following airlines are still offering possible flight connections out of Vietnam to Europe. This information is not exhaustive and may change at any time. Accordingly the Swiss Consulate General cannot assume any liability in relation to this information and advises travellers always to check with the respective airlines or travel agencies:
Swiss International Air Lines / Lufthansa is offering flight connections via Hong Kong to Europe in cooperation with Cathay Pacific. The Group's office in Vietnam can be contacted at lufthansa.vn@dlh.de
Important information on the entry requirements of Switzerland for all travelers of Swiss or foreign nationality can be found below in the rubric "COVID-19 Pandemic - Entry Regulations Switzerland".
What does the FDFA advise?
Many Swiss nationals travelling abroad ask the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA for recommendations and advice on their return journey: questions and answers.
Information on the Covid vaccination for Swiss citizens living abroad can be found on the website of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad OSA at www.swisscommunity.org.
- Switzerland suspends the entry of foreigners from non-EU/EFTA countries and the United Kingdom for short stays of up to 90 days (with few exceptions) until further notice. Airport transfer is permitted without restrictions. For details please refer to the webpage of the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration SEM.
- Information on visas to Switzerland in Vietnam you can find on our visa page.
- The test and release strategy (starting 26 June 2021) also applies to persons arriving in Switzerland from a country or region with a high risk of infection. Vaccinated and recovered persons from such an area can enter without the testing and quarantine requirement as long as it is certain that the vaccination provides good protection. Those who are neither vaccinated nor recovered must present a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test and enter quarantine after entry. All persons arriving by air even from a country that is not considered high risk (like Vietnam) must be able to show a negative PCR test result, a rapid antigen test or a vaccine certificate before boarding the plane.. You can find more detailed information on the FOPH Site
- On the official website of CDC Vietnam you can find a list of all testing options.
- To see what rules apply to your own particular situation when entering Switzerland, consult the online Travelcheck.
Entry regulations Switzerland
Entry regulations Vietnam
Vietnam has suspended entry for foreigners until further notice.
Airlines are requested not to transport any passengers without a special permission of the Vietnamese authorities into Vietnam for the time being.
Persons authorized to enter Vietnam with a special permission will be subjected to a strict health check and and in most cases a compulsory 21 day quarantine. The cost for food and lodging will have to be borne by the person concerned.
Investors, experts, skilled workers and managers are allowed to enter Vietnam under certain conditions. These conditions and regulations vary from province to province. Therefore, the employer/sponsor has to contact the People's Committee of the relevant province or city for detailed instructions about the necessary procedures.
