COVID-19 - Latest Travel Advice
News
29 April 2020
Travel advisory for citizens in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR
16 November 2020 (Country Specific information below)
The Government of Ireland is advising against all non-essential travel overseas at this time.
General
On the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team, the Government of Ireland is advising against all non-essential travel overseas at this time. This advice includes travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR. This decision has been taken to combat COVID-19 in Ireland, and in view of the imposition of new restrictions on entry by many countries and the reduction in international flight services. It also includes travel to Great Britain but does not apply to Northern Ireland.
In light of the basic level of healthcare facilities available in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR, and the added complexities of COVID-19, visitors, and particularly those with underlying health conditions, should consider carefully the potential risk and consequences of contracting COVID-19 during their time in the region. Citizens on short stay visas should be making arrangements to return to their ordinary place of residence.
Irish citizens who are currently travelling or residing in Vietnam, Cambodia or Lao PDR are asked to:
- Ensure you are registered with the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam
- Follow our social media channels for the latest updates:
https://www.facebook.com/irishembassyinvietnam
https://twitter.com/irlembvietnam
Public Health
Some advice from the Health Service Executive to protect yourself from contracting COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is below.
Do:
- • wash your hands properly and regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
- • cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze
- • put used tissues into a bin and wash your hands
- wear a face covering in crowded spaces and on public transport
Don’t:
- touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
Additional Information
See links below for additional information:
European Centre for Disease Control
Health Protection Surveillance Centre
Transit Options
For the latest information on airport restrictions, please see https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm
Vietnam
For the latest updates on Vietnam, please follow this link: https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/vietnam/news-and-events/news-archive/covid-19-information-for-irish-citizens.html
Cambodia
Travel Restrictions
From 20 May, the Government of Cambodia announced that all foreigner visitors who wish to enter Cambodia must:
a) Get a visa before arrival — the visa exemption policy, visa on arrival and e-visa arrangements are suspended indefinitely
b) Obtain a medical certificate, no longer than 72 hours prior to the date of travel, from a competent health authority stating you do not have COVID-19
c) Have proof of insurance that includes a minimum of US$50,000 for medical cover.
All foreigners arriving in Cambodia will now be subject to a COVID-19 test at a facility near the airport (as well as requiring a negative COVID-19 test before flying). You will be required to remain at this facility until the results are known, which may include an overnight stay. If you test positive, you will be required to quarantine for 14 days and admitted to a hospital or a Government facility for monitoring and treatment. The conditions at government facilities are basic and we cannot guarantee that families will be kept together. If all passengers test negative, you will be required to self isolate for 14 days at your own accommodation. You will be expected to comply with these requirements regardless of any existing medical needs you may have. If you are not able to submit to these requirements, you should think carefully about whether to travel to Cambodia at this time.
The Cambodia-Laos, Cambodia-Thailand and the Cambodia-Vietnam land borders are all closed and will remain closed until further notice.
Visa Extension
On 3 April 2020 the Cambodian Ministry of Interior announced that all foreign nationals in Cambodia on a tourist visa valid from 1 January 2020 onwards, would have them automatically extended and any overstay charges would be waived until they can leave Cambodia.
Registration of Foreigners in Cambodia
All foreigners in Cambodia are required to be registered on the Foreigners Present in Cambodia System (FPCS) by 1 July 2020, or the General Department of Immigration could deny any visa extensions. Registration applies to all foreigners present in Cambodia, including tourists, residents and diplomats.
Registration is the responsibility of the host (landlord/hotel owner), not of the foreign resident/tourist. Foreigners will not face any fine if they are not registered, but will not receive their visa extension until the landlord/hotelier has inputted their details into the system. You should check with your host if they have already registered you, and if not, then to ask them to do so.
If you have no landlord/own your own home, you will need to register yourself. The FPCS Cambodia App can be downloaded using the link below:
IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fpcs-gdi/id1484912224
Flight Options
The Embassy is aware of the challenges that Irish citizens who are trying to get back to Ireland are facing. The most reliable flight option currently is with Korean Air who are flying from Phnom Penh to London Heathrow via Seoul each Sunday. From London there are lots of options for your onward travel to Ireland.
Due to COVID19 flights are still prone to changes with little notice. Please check with your airline or travel agent for the most up to date information on flights, travel, transit and visa requirements. The Embassy cannot take any responsibility for changes made to airline schedules.
Irish citizens who are currently travelling or residing in Cambodia and those who are trying to find flights back to Ireland at this time, please:
a) Register with the Embassy @ https://citizensregistration.dfa.ie/
b) Check our latest travel advice @ https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/cambodia/
c) Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
https://www.facebook.com/irishembassyinvietnam/
https://twitter.com/irlembvietnam
Lao PDR
Travel Restrictions
From 20 March 2020, the Government of Lao PDR has suspended all types of visas, including visa on arrival.
The Laos-Cambodia, Laos-Thailand and the Laos-Vietnam land borders are all closed and will remain closed until further notice.
Internal travel restrictions have now been lifted and public transport have resumed services.
Visa Extension
Visa services in Lao PDR resumed from 4 May 2020. For anyone applying for a visa extension from 4 May 2020, the commencement date of your visa extension will follow the expiry date of your current visa. Fees for visa extensions will be applied as normal.
Flight Options
The Embassy is aware of the challenges that Irish citizens who are trying to get back to Ireland are facing. There are no regular flights departing from Lao PDR at this time. Special flights are being put on every couple of weeks, demand for which is high.
The authorities in Lao PDR have requested that the Embassy notify them of the departure of any citizens at this time. If you have arranged your departure from Lao PDR you must inform us by emailing us at irishembassyhanoi@dfanet.ie. It is now a requirement for the Embassy to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lao in advance of your departure.
Irish citizens who are currently travelling or residing in Lao PDR and those who are trying to find flights back to Ireland at this time, please:
a) Register with the Embassy @ https://citizensregistration.dfa.ie/
b) Check our latest travel advice @ https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/cambodia/
c) Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
https://www.facebook.com/irishembassyinvietnam/
https://twitter.com/irlembvietnam
Returning to Ireland
If you are returning to Ireland from any country, you will need to restrict your movements for 14 days. This includes Irish citizens returning home. Restricting movements means staying indoors and completely avoiding contact with other people.
You will need to complete a ‘Public Health Passenger Locator Form’ before you arrive in Ireland and hand it to Border Management Staff on arrival. You may be contacted during the 14 days after you arrive in Ireland to check that you are self-isolating. You can download the form: https://www2.hse.ie/file-library/coronavirus/covid-19-public-health-passenger-locator-form.pdf
Further advice for people who have recently returned from abroad from the Health Service Executive: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html
Regarding the exemption that comes into force from midnight 29 November, travellers from non-EU/EEA regions will be treated the same as travellers from red regions in the EU/EEA, in that if you receive a negative PCR test result for a test taken after a minimum of 5 days after arrival into the state, you will not be subject to the advice to restrict their movement for the remaining time of the 14 days, after you get your negative test result (note that the test result can take a few days to receive so this could mean continuing to restrict movements beyond 5 days).
Please note that while there are a number of COVID-19 testing technologies currently available or emerging on the commercial market, a negative result from a COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is currently the only test type considered acceptable by public health authorities in Ireland in relation to international travel. This will be kept under review. Testing provision under Ireland’s framework for international travel will not be provided through the public health system, but will be met by the private commercial sector testing supply and paid for by passengers.