10 things to note about Vietnam's SGN health declaration for April 15

How the SGN health declaration works

Vietnam's Immigration Department requires foreign arrivals at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) to submit a pre-arrival health declaration through the government's online portal, effective April 15, 2026. Travelers complete the form up to 72 hours before their scheduled arrival and receive a QR code to present at immigration.

The declaration captures passport, visa, flight, accommodation and health details. Reports describe the form as free and officials frame it as a tool to speed immigration processing rather than a replacement for visa requirements. The rule currently applies only to SGN, not to Hanoi, Da Nang or other entry points, though consular notices suggest the system may feed into a broader immigration digitization effort.

The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam has flagged the requirement in traveler advisories and directs passengers to complete the form before departure to avoid delays at the border.

Who has to file it

The declaration covers all foreign passport holders landing at Tan Son Nhat, including tourists, visa-exempt visitors, e-visa holders, visa-on-arrival travelers and overseas Vietnamese entering on a foreign passport.

Digital nomads and long-stay expats aren't exempt. Holders of temporary residence cards, long-stay visas and work permits still need to file before each entry through SGN. Vietnamese citizens and transit passengers who remain airside don't have to submit the form.

Filing before the flight

Travelers landing at SGN should plan around the three-day submission window:

• Open the official Vietnam pre-arrival portal within 72 hours of the scheduled arrival time.
• Enter passport, visa, flight number, accommodation address and health declaration fields.
• Save the QR code confirmation to a phone or print a paper copy for the immigration counter.
• Carry the standard visa or visa-exemption documents separately, because the declaration doesn't grant entry on its own.

There's no published fee in the official notices reviewed. Passengers connecting onward without clearing immigration aren't required to submit. Anyone arriving at a different Vietnamese airport should check current visa updates before flying, since the rule hasn't been confirmed nationwide.

Read our full Vietnam guide for the complete picture.