Staying online in Vietnam — SIM, eSIM and Wi-Fi
Viettel SIM from 100K ₫, eSIM (Airalo, Holafly), WiFi and VPN. Three carriers, plans and roaming. Updated 2026.
eSIM before you fly, or a SIM on arrival
The whole section comes down to this one choice, and it is not about money: the difference is about four dollars. It is about whether you end up with a Vietnamese phone number.
| What we compare | eSIM in advance | SIM on arrival |
|---|---|---|
| Online the moment you land | Yes — activated before you fly | After 15–40 minutes in the queue |
| Passport needed | No | Yes, always |
| A Vietnamese number | No | Yes |
| Grab, delivery, a local bank | Cannot sign up — they need a local number | Works |
| Cost for 30 days | $11–19 | 100–200k ₫ — that is $4–8 |
| Phone requirements | iPhone XS and newer, Samsung S20+, Pixel 3+ | Any phone |
- Online the moment you landYes — activated before you fly
- Passport neededNo
- A Vietnamese numberNo
- Grab, delivery, a local bankCannot sign up — they need a local number
- Cost for 30 days$11–19
- Phone requirementsiPhone XS and newer, Samsung S20+, Pixel 3+
- Online the moment you landAfter 15–40 minutes in the queue
- Passport neededYes, always
- A Vietnamese numberYes
- Grab, delivery, a local bankWorks
- Cost for 30 days100–200k ₫ — that is $4–8
- Phone requirementsAny phone
The short answer. Two weeks or less, a phone made after 2018 and no local services — take an eSIM: you are online while the plane is still taxiing. Staying longer, ordering Grab and food, or opening a local account — you need a physical SIM: every one of those asks for a Vietnamese number, and there is no other way to get one. The arrangement that works most often is both: an eSIM for day one, a local SIM the day after.
A SIM on arrival
Carrier desks run around the clock in the arrivals hall; the same plan in a city store costs 10–20% less. Your passport is required: since 2018 every number is registered to a document, and an unregistered SIM gets cut off. Buying one step by step is in the SIM card guide.
Three carriers
- Viettel · ~54% of the market · hotline 198111 MbpsBest in the country: mountains, islands, villages. Travelling the whole country
- Vinaphone · ~23% of the market · hotline 1800109173 MbpsExcellent in cities and resorts. Resorts, 10–15% cheaper
- Mobifone · ~19% of the market · hotline 909055 MbpsGood in cities and along the coast. Budget, 10–20% cheaper
The bar is average mobile speed. It is not what to choose on: any of the three is enough for maps, messengers and video — coverage is what separates them
The plans they will offer at the desk
- Viettel ST30K10,000 ₫ a day3 GB a day · 15 days · 150k ₫ for the pack
- Viettel ST90K6,667 ₫ a day6 GB a day · 30 days · 200k ₫ for the pack
- Vinaphone D60G6,000 ₫ a day4 GB a day · 30 days · 180k ₫ for the pack
- Mobifone F200N5,333 ₫ a day4 GB a day · 30 days · 160k ₫ for the pack
Nearly twice between the extremes, though three of the four carry the same daily data. At the desk you name the plan code: «ST90K», «D60G»
Topping up
- A scratch card from Circle K or FamilyMart — the code goes in via *100*code#
- The carrier’s own app: My Viettel, My VNPT, My MobiFone
- Check the balance with *101#, remaining data with *102#
eSIM providers
The profile installs in five minutes at home, so you have data the moment you land. It costs two to three times a physical SIM for less data — what you are buying is the absence of a queue and a passport check.
- Airalo×2$16 · 10 GB / 30 days · runs on Viettel
- Holafly×2.4$19 · Unlimited / 7 days · runs on Vinaphone
- Yesim×1.5$12 · 5 GB / 14 days · runs on Viettel
- Saily×1.6~$13 · 5 GB / 30 days · runs on Viettel
- A local SIM×1200k ₫ for 30 days — the reference everything is measured against
Wi-Fi, and whether you need a VPN
Free Wi-Fi is nearly everywhere: hotels, cafés, restaurants, airports. Between six and ten in the evening it sags everywhere except coworking spaces. Speeds city by city are in internet in Vietnam.
- Coworking spacesDedicated line, $3–5 a day50–150 Mbps
- 4–5★ hotelsSteady in the evening too30–100 Mbps
- Chain cafésHighlands, Coffee House20–50 Mbps
- 2–3★ hotelsSags after six10–30 Mbps
On VPNs — no scare stories, no promises. Telegram has never been officially unblocked. Providers were ordered to cut access in May 2025; in July it came back for most people — with no announcement and unevenly, sooner on some networks than others, and some users stayed blocked. There is no guarantee it will open on your carrier. Instagram works, Facebook works most of the time but gets throttled during sensitive periods. The practical conclusion is one line: install a VPN before you fly. Inside the country several of those apps are already missing from the local stores, and you will have nothing to download them with. Using a VPN as an ordinary traveller is not enforced against anyone — millions of Vietnamese live that way.
- ExpressVPN — ~$8 a month. Steadiest on Vietnamese networks
- NordVPN — ~$4 a month. The Saily eSIM comes with the plan
- Surfshark — ~$3 a month. Cheapest, unlimited devices
An open network does not encrypt anything. Use mobile data or that VPN for banking, not the café Wi-Fi. And budget the data: maps, navigation and messaging together burn 2–3 GB a day.
Roaming on your home plan
Leaving roaming on is the most expensive mistake of the first hour: background updates can burn a day pass before you clear the terminal. Turn mobile data off on the home SIM before you board and keep it only for bank codes.
| Carrier | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| US — T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon0.5–5 GB · 30–40× a local SIM | ~$10–12 | ~$300–360 |
| UK and EU carriersvaries · 20–30× a local SIM | ~$6–10 | ~$180–300 |
| Australia — Telstra, Optusvaries · 15–30× a local SIM | ~$5–10 | ~$150–300 |
- US — T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon0.5–5 GB · 30–40× a local SIMPer day~$10–12Per month~$300–360
- UK and EU carriersvaries · 20–30× a local SIMPer day~$6–10Per month~$180–300
- Australia — Telstra, Optusvaries · 15–30× a local SIMPer day~$5–10Per month~$150–300
If you need more depth
The carriers themselves, a speed check for when you are there, and the reads that go deeper.