Bhutan

Bhutan’s borders have remained closed to all foreign nationals, including British citizens, for the duration of the pandemic. And it has announced no plans to reopen them. This mysterious mountain kingdom is becoming even more of an enigma. 

There was one exception, however. A lone tourist, Fran Bak, was granted permission to visit. She told CNN Travel that the experience “involved multiple cancelled or rerouted flights, a series of airport personnel who didn’t know which paperwork she would need, and a battery of Covid tests, then spend 21 days in a hotel quarantine where she only left her suite to take more Covid tests.” We’ll stick with Greece.

China

Most people in China have been unable to travel overseas for the duration of the pandemic, international flights have been heavily restricted, and Chinese authorities are no longer issuing or renewing passports for all but essential travel. Even supreme leader Xi Jinping hasn’t left the country since January 2020. 

Given China’s determination to persist with its Zero Covid strategy, one cannot see foreigners being allowed in any time soon. And China is certainly determined, despite facing its worst outbreak in months. Witness the scenes at Shanghai Disneyland recently. The theme park was suddenly shut down after a woman who had visited tested positive. All 34,000 people inside the park at the time were prevented from leaving until they had tested negative – a process that took two days. 

Brunei

“Entry to Brunei is severely restricted,” explains the FCDO. “Anyone seeking to enter or exit must apply for a permit from the Prime Minister’s office at least eight working days before the intended date of travel.” We don’t think the PM will respond to queries from would-be holidaymakers. 

However, these border restrictions are being slowly eased now that the country has reached an 80 per cent vaccination target. The first tentative step in reintroducing non-essential travel will be quarantine-free travel corridors with Singapore and Malaysia, due to begin on November 29. 

Japan

Isolated from the outside world for centuries, Japan has also spent the pandemic keeping foreigners at arm’s length. Recent weeks have seen it ease the rules for business travellers, cutting their quarantine period from 10 days to three, but ordinary tourists remain barred.

Domestic and foreign business groups in Japan have lobbied the country’s government to ease border restrictions in line with other countries, so far to no avail.

Vietnam

Only diplomats on official business and certain high-skilled workers are permitted to enter Vietnam, but it plans to restart international commercial flights with 15 countries, including China, Japan, Singapore, France, Australia and Germany, from January 2022, and hopes to permit a full resumption of travel by July.

Vietnam’s tight restrictions have dealt a blow to its burgeoning tourism sector, which accounts for about 10 per cent of GDP.