Key facts
- COVERAGE
- Vietnam
- NETWORKS
- Viettel
- PLAN TYPE
- Data only
- IP ADDRESS LOCATION
- Hong Kong, Asia
- DELIVERY
- QR code by email
How it works
- 1Choose a plan and pay.
- 2Scan the QR code we email you. You can install it before you fly.
- 3When you land in Vietnam, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line.
Questions about the Vietnam eSIM
Which networks does it use?
Do I get a local phone number?
Can I use it outside Vietnam?
How do I install it?
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Will I have signal on the Ha Giang loop?
Can I use Grab with a data-only eSIM?
Is there signal on a Ha Long Bay overnight cruise?
Can I keep eSIMs for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos on one phone?
How do I avoid roaming charges from my home operator?
Can I top up during a long backpacking trip?
Vietnam eSIM guide: mobile data for travellers
Vietnam stretches a long, narrow S-shape from the mountains on the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta, and most trips travel its length. In the north, Hanoi's Old Quarter buzzes with scooters and street food, Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay are filled with limestone islands, and the rice terraces of Sapa and the mountain roads of Ha Giang draw hikers and riders. The centre has the imperial city of Hue, the beaches of Da Nang and the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An, with the caves of Phong Nha further north. In the south, Ho Chi Minh City is fast and modern, the Mekong Delta is a maze of waterways, and Phu Quoc and Con Dao are island escapes.
A Spidot eSIM gives you mobile data in Vietnam from the moment you land, without queuing at an airport SIM counter. You install it at home, switch it on when you arrive and keep your usual SIM for calls and texts. This guide covers how an eSIM compares with roaming and a local SIM, how much data to plan for, and what to expect from coverage on sleeper trains, boats and mountain roads.
eSIM, roaming or a local SIM in Vietnam
Vietnam is a country where your phone does a lot of work: ride-hailing, maps through tangled streets, translation and messaging with hosts. Here are the honest trade-offs.
Roaming with your home SIM
Roaming in Vietnam is set by your home operator. The EU's "Roam like at Home" rules do not apply, and South-East Asia is often an expensive roaming zone for European, North American and Australian operators. Check your operator's terms for Vietnam before you go.
A Vietnamese prepaid SIM
Local SIMs are sold at airport counters and in operator shops, and buying one requires your passport for registration. A local SIM gives you a Vietnamese number, which can be useful on long stays. It does mean queuing after a long flight and swapping SIMs unless your phone has a spare slot.
A Spidot eSIM for Vietnam
A Spidot eSIM adds a data line next to your home SIM. You buy a Vietnam plan online, receive the QR code by email straight after payment and install it before your trip. Plans start from $3.90. Most plans are data-only and do not include a Vietnamese phone number, so your messaging apps stay on your usual number. If you need to call local numbers, for example a homestay in Ha Giang or a tailor in Hoi An, see our Data + calls plans.
How much data to plan for
Vietnam trips tend to involve constant moving: overnight trains and buses, motorbike tours, boat trips and city exploring. These figures are rough and approximate:
- Maps and navigation: a few megabytes per hour; essential in Hanoi's Old Quarter and Ho Chi Minh City's alleys.
- Ride-hailing: light per booking, but you may use it several times a day.
- Translation: light for text, more with camera translation of menus and signs.
- Messaging: light; hosts, tour operators and drivers often use messaging apps.
- Social media and photo sharing: moderate to heavy, especially with video.
- Video calls and streaming: several hundred megabytes per hour for calls, and often more than a gigabyte per hour for HD streaming.
Typical choices
A week in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, or in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, can work with a mid-sized fixed data plan. A two- to four-week trip from north to south, with daily maps, ride-hailing and photo sharing, is more comfortable with a larger plan.
Digital nomads in Da Nang, Hoi An or Ho Chi Minh City often prefer an unlimited plan, although speed may slow after heavy use. A no-expiry plan suits people who visit South-East Asia regularly. You can check how much data is left and add more data at any time.
Before you go
Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi. First check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked, then follow the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel.
Label the line "Vietnam", keep your home SIM as the default for calls and texts, and set the Spidot line for mobile data.
- Install the eSIM a day or two before you fly.
- Keep the QR code email somewhere you can open it offline.
- Install a ride-hailing app such as Grab and sign in at home, since registration may send a code to your usual number.
- Download offline maps for Vietnam, especially the northern mountains and the Mekong Delta.
- Download Vietnamese for offline use in your translation app.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM before you land.
Arriving in Vietnam
Most international visitors land at Noi Bai in Hanoi or Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City. Da Nang also has a busy international airport for the central coast, and Phu Quoc and Cam Ranh (for Nha Trang) receive international flights. Some travellers arrive overland from Cambodia or Laos.
When you land, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line; our data roaming guide shows where to find it. It can take a minute or two to connect. If not, switch flight mode on and off once.
From the airport
Ride-hailing pick-up points are signposted at the main airports, and taxis and airport buses are also available. Booking through an app gives you an upfront price and avoids touts in the arrivals hall. With data you can share your hotel's location with the driver and message your host.
Crossing from Cambodia or Laos
Overland crossings, such as the bus or boat routes from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City or the Mekong Delta, are popular. Switch mobile data to the Spidot Vietnam line after crossing. Keep your previous eSIM installed but turn off data on it.
Coverage in cities, mountains, islands and the delta
In Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Nha Trang, Can Tho and other cities and towns, mobile data generally works well for maps, ride-hailing and video. The main highway and railway corridor along the coast is also usually well covered. You may connect through Viettel; your phone selects the strongest network automatically.
Vietnam's landscape is varied, and coverage changes with it:
- The northern mountains: on the Ha Giang loop, around Sapa's trekking trails, Mu Cang Chai and Ban Gioc waterfall, signal can drop in deep valleys and on remote passes.
- Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay: signal is often available on cruises, but it can be patchy among the limestone islands and inside caves.
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang: signal is generally available in the village, but not inside the caves or deep in the national park.
- The Mekong Delta: towns are usually covered, while smaller waterways and remote villages can be patchier.
- Islands: Phu Quoc is generally well covered in the main areas; smaller islands and boat trips may have gaps.
- The Central Highlands: around Da Lat, Buon Ma Thuot and Kon Tum, coverage is usually good in towns, with gaps on rural roads.
Planning around gaps
Download offline maps before mountain trips, save your homestay's details, and carry a power bank. On motorbike tours, ride within your experience and do not rely on your phone for safety. Your eSIM reconnects automatically when you return to coverage.
Data on trains, sleeper buses, boats and motorbikes
The Reunification Express railway runs the length of the country between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with stops including Hue, Da Nang and Nha Trang. The section over the Hai Van Pass near Da Nang is famously scenic. Overnight sleeper trains and sleeper buses are popular for covering long distances. Signal generally works near towns and comes and goes in rural and mountain stretches.
Domestic flights connect Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and many regional airports, and are a common way to save time on a north-to-south trip.
Grab and scooters in the cities
Grab is widely used for cars and motorbike taxis in Vietnamese cities, with fares shown upfront. Having data means you can book, track your driver and avoid language confusion over addresses. If you ride a motorbike taxi, wear the helmet you are offered.
Riding a motorbike
Many travellers rent motorbikes for the Ha Giang loop or the coastal roads. Download offline maps, set your route before leaving town and use a phone mount. Check that your travel insurance covers motorbike riding, and only ride if you are licensed and experienced.
Boat trips
Overnight cruises in Ha Long Bay, river trips on the Perfume River in Hue and boat tours in the Mekong Delta are highlights. Save tickets and meeting points offline before you board.
Sharing data with a hotspot
Wi-Fi is widely available in Vietnamese hotels, hostels and cafés, but it can be slow at busy times or on boats and sleeper buses. Your phone's personal hotspot can connect a laptop or a travel companion's phone. It uses whichever line is selected for mobile data, so make sure that is the Spidot line.
Pause automatic updates and cloud backups on connected devices, and keep an eye on your balance. For remote work, a larger or unlimited plan saves you from topping up.
Using public Wi-Fi safely
Free Wi-Fi is common in Vietnamese cafés and restaurants, often with the password printed on the menu or the wall. It is convenient, but shared networks can be insecure.
- Use your eSIM data for banking, card payments and logins.
- Check the exact network name with staff before connecting.
- Turn off automatic joining of open networks.
- Update your phone and apps before you travel.
Practical tips for Vietnam
A few details that make a working data connection more useful:
- Currency: Vietnam uses the dong (VND). The notes have many zeros, so a currency converter app helps avoid mistakes. Cash is still common at street food stalls, markets and small shops; cards are accepted in many hotels, restaurants and larger shops.
- QR payments: many local businesses accept bank transfer QR codes, but these usually need a Vietnamese bank account, so visitors mostly use cash or cards.
- Messaging apps: Zalo is very widely used in Vietnam, and some hosts and tour operators use it alongside WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
- Language: Vietnamese is the official language. English is common in tourist areas and among younger people, less so in the countryside. Camera translation helps with menus.
- Crossing the road: in busy cities, walk at a steady, predictable pace so scooters can steer around you. Do not stare at your phone while crossing.
- Weather: the north has a cool winter, the centre has a typhoon and heavy rain season in autumn, and the south is warm all year with a wet season. Keep a weather app handy, especially for boat trips and mountain roads.
Vietnam on a multi-country trip
Vietnam is often combined with Cambodia and Laos, and many South-East Asia trips continue to Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore. Some travellers also visit Hong Kong or mainland China.
Spidot does not sell a South-East Asia regional plan, so the simplest approach is one eSIM per country. Most eSIM phones can store several; install them all before you travel and switch mobile data to the right line when you cross a border or land.