Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• The typhoon season in Vietnam normally runs from June to December.  Flooding and landslides can occur during this time.  Please see Natural disasters section for more details .
  
  
• Increased surveillance and control measures are in place in Vietnam to control the spread of swine influenza (H1N1). Please see the Health Section for further details.
  
  
• Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Vietnam have led to over 50 reported human fatalities. The last fatality was in April 2009.  See the Health (Avian Influenza) section of this advice and Avian and Pandemic Influenza for more details.
  
  
• Dengue Fever is endemic to Vietnam and can occur throughout the year. See the Health section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism in Vietnam.  But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Around 100,000 British tourists visit Vietnam every year (source: Vietnamese Tourist Authority). Most visits are trouble-free and serious or violent crimes against foreigners are rare. 37 British nationals required consular assistance in Vietnam in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident: deaths (11 cases); hospitalisations (9 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (0 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (64 cases).
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.