AlleyhopsGetting online in Vietnam: travel eSIMs, Viettel SIMs and the apps that work
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Most visitors should install a travel eSIM before they fly. If you need a Vietnamese number, claim MobiFone’s free eSIM from your e-visa email. Heading into the mountains, or staying a while? Buy a Viettel SIM in town: it has the widest coverage. Google, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram all work without a VPN.
Which option should you choose?
| Travel eSIM | MobiFone e-visa eSIM | Viettel SIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnamese number | No | Yes | Yes |
| Coverage score | 5.5 (most use VinaPhone) | 4.3 | 8.4 |
| Cost | 10 GB for 30 days from US$13 | Free for 24 hours, then from 150,000 VND | 100,000 VND, plus a plan from 120,000 VND a month |
| Where to get it | Online, before you fly | Online, from your e-visa email | A Viettel store, with your passport |
| Best for | Most trips | A local number without visiting a store | Mountains, rural areas, long stays |
Coverage scores are out of 10, from Opensignal’s August 2026 report (opens in a new tab).
Travel eSIMs
Prices in USD from each provider’s own site on 2026-10-31.
| Provider | 10 GB for 30 days | Unlimited | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi (opens in a new tab) | US$13 | 15 days US$33 (slows after 30 GB) | VinaPhone |
| Nomad (opens in a new tab) | US$17 | 10 days US$33 (slows after 2 GB a day) | VinaPhone; unlimited on MobiFone or Vietnamobile |
| Saily (opens in a new tab) | US$17.99 | 15 days US$48.99 | Not stated |
| Airalo (opens in a new tab) | US$18 | 7 days US$27 (slows after 3 GB a day) | VinaPhone |
| Holafly (opens in a new tab) | n/a | 7 days US$27.50, 30 days US$76.50 | VinaPhone |
- Data only. None of these plans includes a Vietnamese number.
- Install at home, on Wi-Fi, and switch the eSIM on when you land.
MobiFone’s free eSIM
A free MobiFone eSIM for international visitors, with a Vietnamese number and 10 GB of data for 24 hours. One per passport.MobiFone (opens in a new tab)mobifone.vn
- Claim it from the link in your e-visa approval email, or at mobifone.vn/travel with your passport and e-visa numbers. Major international airports also have a QR code in arrivals.
- Visa-exempt? The online form asks for an e-visa application number, so scan the QR code in the immigration area when you land at Noi Bai, Da Nang or Tan Son Nhat instead.MobiFone (opens in a new tab)mobifone.vn
- Verify with a photo of your passport and a selfie.
- Activate by calling 900 when you land. An unverified eSIM locks 24 hours after activation.
- Top up with FR10 (150,000 VND: 50 GB and 70 minutes for 10 days) or FR30 (250,000 VND: 150 GB and 200 minutes for 30 days). Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex are accepted.
A local number lets drivers, guides and hotels call or text you. Some apps need one: Shopee won’t sign you up without it.Shopee (opens in a new tab)help.shopee.vn
A Viettel SIM
- Widest coverage. Viettel scores 8.4 out of 10 for coverage, against 5.5 for VinaPhone and 4.3 for MobiFone.Opensignal (opens in a new tab)insights.opensignal.com In 2026 it was tasked with bringing signal to the last 1,856 villages and settlements without it, mostly in mountain and border areas.Báo Pháp Luật (opens in a new tab)baophapluat.vn
- Cost. 100,000 VND for a SIM with a random number. The V120K plan adds 30 days of 1.5 GB a day plus calls for 120,000 VND.Viettel (opens in a new tab)viettel.vn
- Don’t pay to choose a number. Chosen numbers cost more: from 180,000 VND at Viettel Store, Viettel’s phone-shop chain.Viettel Store (opens in a new tab)viettelstore.vn Ask for a random one.
- Bring your passport. Since 15 April 2026, a new SIM works only after your passport and face are checked, in person at the carrier’s store or an authorised agent.Circular 08/2026 (opens in a new tab)luatvietnam.vn
- At the airport, buy only at a carrier’s own counter. Fake sellers near Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport have stolen travellers’ SIM cards while “helping” install a new one: 38 cases since April 2026, according to Taiwan’s police.Taipei Times (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.com
- Keep the SIM in one phone. Move it to another and outgoing calls and texts stop within two hours, until you redo the face check (Circular 08).
Will your phone work?
- It must be unlocked for any of these options.Airalo (opens in a new tab)airalo.com
- Older phones may not make calls. Vietnam switched off 2G in September 2026.VietnamPlus (opens in a new tab)vietnamplus.vn Phones that can’t call over 4G (VoLTE) may lose calls but keep data; phones bought overseas are most at risk.Tuoi Tre (opens in a new tab)news.tuoitre.vn
- Locked phone? Roam on your home plan. AT&T’s International Day Pass is US$12 a day;AT&T (opens in a new tab)att.com Telstra is A$10 a day for 2 GB.Telstra (opens in a new tab)telstra.com.au
Which apps and sites work?
- Google, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger work normally, without a VPN.FCDO (opens in a new tab)gov.ukOONI (opens in a new tab)explorer.ooni.org
- Telegram was ordered blocked in May 2025,VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net but loaded normally in network tests through late 2026.OONI (opens in a new tab)explorer.ooni.org
- The BBC is blocked on some networks and not others.OONI (opens in a new tab)explorer.ooni.org
- VPNs: no Vietnamese law specifically covers personal use.ThuVienPhapLuat (opens in a new tab)thuvienphapluat.vn
- WhatsApp keeps your home number on a new SIM. To re-verify later without your home SIM, add an email address in its settings first.WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)faq.whatsapp.com
Grab
- Sign up with your home number. Australian, UK and US numbers get the code by WhatsApp.Grab (opens in a new tab)help.grab.com
- Add your card after you land. Grab only accepts new cards while you’re in one of its countries, and the card must support 3-D Secure.Grab (opens in a new tab)help.grab.com
- Keep your home SIM on for texts. Your bank may text a code to approve a ride.Grab (opens in a new tab)help.grab.com
- Foreign cards pay a 4% fee. Cash works too; choose it for each ride.Grab (opens in a new tab)help.grab.com
- Xanh SM is the main alternative. The UK government recommends both.FCDO (opens in a new tab)gov.uk
Before you fly
- Check your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM.
- Install a travel eSIM, or claim MobiFone’s free eSIM from your e-visa email and verify it.
- Keep your home SIM on for texts, with its data roaming off.
- Install Grab and sign up. Add your card after you land.
- Add an email address to WhatsApp.
- Heading to the mountains? Plan a stop at a Viettel store in town, with your passport.