British passport holders enjoy one of the simpler entries in Southeast Asia — 45 days visa-free in Vietnam — and it stays that way. A border health declaration was expected to become routine on 1 July 2026, but the Ministry of Health clarified the day before that Decree 165/2026/ND-CP is a contingency framework: the form only becomes mandatory if authorities judge that circulating infectious diseases could reach Vietnam through cross-border travel.
Until that call is made, nothing new joins your entry paperwork — and where the Vietnam Arrival Card operates, that separate immigration formality continues as before. Steer clear of the unofficial declaration website doing the rounds: the ministry warns it is not the official platform, and the real system will be announced only if the declaration is ever activated. Should that happen, the bilingual form can be completed online or on paper within seven days of travel.