Online registration opens for Vietnamese citizens seeking to leave Middle East

The registration process will help authorities assess citizens’ needs and coordinate appropriate support measures, spokesperson for the ministry Pham Thu Hang said at a regular press briefing on Thursday.

Hang also cited information from Vietnam’s overseas representative missions and relevant domestic authorities as saying that most Vietnamese citizens who were stranded due to airspace closures, particularly tourists and transit passengers, have either returned to Vietnam or boarded alternative flights to leave the Middle East.

Regarding Vietnamese vessels and sailors who have yet to depart the Strait of Hormuz, Vietnamese missions abroad are maintaining close coordination with local authorities and relevant agencies to monitor developments and stand ready to implement measures to ensure the safety and security of both crew members and vessels.

In Saudi Arabia, the Vietnamese Embassy has secured approval from local authorities to grant free transit visas to Vietnamese citizens, both at border checkpoints and through Saudi Arabian representative offices in the region.

For vessels with Vietnamese crew members stranded at the country’s ports, port authorities, at the embassy’s request, have contacted the vessels and crew representatives to assess the situation and provide necessary assistance.

In the UAE, the Vietnamese Embassy has worked with the host’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and airlines to facilitate the transit of more than 200 Vietnamese tourists stuck at major airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, enabling them to travel onward to third countries.

The embassy has also received Vietnamese citizens unable to leave Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and provided them with essential supplies.

The current conflict in the Middle East erupted on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

The attacks have resulted in significant casualties, including senior Iranian officials such as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and caused widespread damage to infrastructure and civilian areas.

Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drone strikes targeting locations in Israel and U.S. bases across several Gulf countries.

Since then, the situation has devolved into a cycle of daily attacks, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.

Iran has declared it would attack oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route, damaging some indeed.

Vietnamese citizens in Iran, Israel, and neighbouring countries are advised to closely follow updates from local authorities as well as notices issued by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas missions.

In case of emergency or difficulty, citizens are urged to immediately contact the 24/7 consular protection hotlines of Vietnamese representative missions in Iran, Israel, and nearby areas, or the ministry’s consular protection call center for prompt assistance.

Consular protection hotlines at Vietnamese representative missions in the Middle East include:

– Embassy of Vietnam in Iran (also covering Iraq and Syria): 989339658252 (direct) and 989334609074 (WhatsApp, Viber)

– Embassy of Vietnam in Israel: 972555025616 and 972508783373; or email: giooctv.mofa@gmail.com, and thuynb.mofa@gmail.com

– Embassy of Vietnam in the United Arab Emirates (also covering Jordan): 97150129 9789 (WhatsApp) and 97156 9983688 (WhatsApp), or email: vnemb1@emirates.net.ae

– Embassy of Vietnam in Saudi Arabia (also covering Oman, Bahrain, and Yemen): 966 595731500, 96654069 5668, 966564027319, 966564027310, and 966500395148, or email: vnemb.sa@mofa.gov.vn

– Embassy of Vietnam in Qatar: 97477088920, or email: vietnamembassy.doha@gmail.com

– Embassy of Vietnam in Kuwait: 96599758155, 96599822568, and 96597823639 (WhatsApp), or email: vnemb.kw@gmail.com

– Embassy of Vietnam in Egypt (also covering Lebanon): 201040808993, or email: consul.vnemb.eg@gmail.com

Citizens can also contact the consular department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 84981848484, 84965411118, or email: baohocongdan@gmail.com