| This is a message for British nationals whose visit to Vietnam has been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, with quarantine or self-isolation at the request of the local authorities. We are in contact with many of you already and know that some of you have missed your flights back to the UK because of the disruption, or have had your flights cancelled. But there may be some of you who have not contacted us yet. Please do so by emailing: [email protected]. Please identify yourself in the title by including ’Affected by quarantine’ in the title. Following the Vietnamese Government’s announcement to halt entry of foreigners into Vietnam from this morning (22 March), the number of international flights will be severely restricted. This means that nearly all routes from Vietnam to the UK are or will shortly be suspended. The flight picture is changing by the hour so we advise those British visitors who have missed your flights, or had them cancelled, to do the following: ➡️ Go either to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (whichever is easier to get to) and find a hotel to base yourself. You can e-mail us at: [email protected] for a set of Q&A’s which covers hotel options. You should prepare for the fact that you may not be able to leave quickly so choose a place that you can afford for an extended period of time. ➡️ Get in touch with a travel agent. There may still be some indirect routes to the UK through other Asian cities that can get you home. Check the transit requirements. ➡️ Please send us an e-mail at: [email protected] to register your interest in information about future commercial flights. We need to know how many of you are having difficulties finding a flight so that we can help you better. Please do not come to the Embassy (Hanoi) or Consulate (Ho Chi Minh City) in-person to talk about flight problems. We cannot book you on commercial flights. You can communicate with us more efficiently and safely online by e-mail. We want to prioritise our face to face meetings at the Embassy and the Consulate for those people who need services in person, such as getting emergency travel documents. I know this is an unsettling time for British visitors to Vietnam. My advice is - look for commercial flights immediately. At the same time, prepare a fall back plan for a significant delay by finding an affordable hotel, and tell us about your situation by email to [email protected]. Yours, Gareth Ward
Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Vietnam --
For more information, please refer to our Travel Advice at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam. | 