SIM Cards and eSIMs in Vietnam: Which Network, What It Costs and the Passport Rules

Get a local plan. For a few dollars, one of Vietnam's three big networks will give you more data than most trips need and a Vietnamese number, with no roaming bill waiting at home. Buy a physical SIM or an eSIM at the airport kiosk or a city store, or set up MobiFone's app eSIM on your phone. Either way, carry your physical passport, because every line is registered to your identity with a live face check.

How we built this guide: on 2 October 2026 we read the tourist package pages published by Viettel, MobiFone and VinaPhone, a Vietnamese government legal portal and press reports on the 2024 decree and the 2026 circular on SIM registration, Opensignal's network report, and Apple's and Google's help pages. We did not buy SIMs for this guide. Prices convert at about 26,000 VND to US$1, between Vietcombank's buying and selling rates for US dollars that day (25,760 and 26,170 VND).

Physical SIM or eSIM: which should I get?

Get whichever your phone supports, as long as the phone is unlocked. A physical SIM works in any unlocked phone. An eSIM saves a tray swap and lets you keep your home SIM in place for bank texts. Apple's guidance is that an iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier if you want another carrier's eSIM abroad, and you can check under Settings, General, About for "No SIM Restrictions" (Apple Support).

A local number has practical value. Hotels, tour operators and drivers can call or text you, and some local apps send codes by SMS. Data-only travel eSIMs give you internet but normally no Vietnamese number, so you rely on messaging apps instead.

Which network is best: Viettel, VinaPhone or MobiFone?

Viettel for coverage, while VinaPhone and MobiFone won on speed. The most recent full independent comparison we found is Opensignal's March 2023 report, based on data from November 2022 to January 2023. It gave Viettel the 4G Availability award, with users connected to 4G 91.9% of the time, and the 4G Coverage Experience award, 1.7 points ahead of VinaPhone. VinaPhone had the fastest average downloads at 35.1 Mbps and MobiFone the fastest uploads at 11.3 Mbps. A fourth, smaller network, Vietnamobile, scored lowest on video.

Speeds have moved on since then. Vietnam ranked 10th in the world for mobile internet in Ookla's July 2026 index, with a median download speed of 205.58 Mbps, as Tuoi Tre News reported. A national median says little about one street, but for most trips coverage outside the cities matters more than top speed.

What do tourist packages cost?

Between about US$3 and US$9, for anything from three days to a month of data, on the operators' own pages. Viettel's two 30-day tourist packages come with 5 GB of data a day, and the price does not include the SIM itself (Viettel, November 2025). MobiFone's Hi Vietnam app gives a free 24-hour starter eSIM, package HVN0, with 8 GB of 5G data and 10 minutes of domestic calls, then sells longer plans paid by Visa or Mastercard (MobiFone, March 2026).

VinaPhone's tourist page on vnpt.vn is dated June 2019, and we found no newer price list, so ask at the counter what it sells today.

Should I buy at the airport or in town?

Buy at the airport if you want to leave the terminal online, and in town if you would rather not queue after a long flight. Viettel lists tourist SIM counters in the international arrival halls at Noi Bai Terminal 2 in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Cam Ranh for Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc, and says the same packages and passport rules apply at its city stores and authorized sellers (Viettel). It accepts cash in dong, Visa, Mastercard and local QR wallets. Viettel also runs an online form at tourist.viettel.vn that starts with a photo of your passport and a portrait.

Tip: Ask which package code you are buying, check it against the operator's own page, and buy from a counter with the operator's branding rather than a reseller. Having data on the curb makes the first ride far easier; our guides to Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter and Tan Son Nhat Airport to the city center cover the transfer itself.

What do I need to register a SIM as a foreigner?

Your original passport, your face and a few minutes. Decree 163/2024/ND-CP sets the documents: a foreigner registers with a passport valid for use in Vietnam under their visa, or with a Vietnamese electronic identity account, and the operator may only activate the line once the subscriber details are complete and verified (Bao Phap Luat, December 2024).

The face check became formal in 2026. Circular 08/2026/TT-BKHCN, in force since 15 April 2026, makes operators verify every subscriber's facial image. For foreigners on a passport valid for their visa or visa-free stay, operators must apply the decree's extra verification steps, which include a video call, to each number registered (Can Tho City legal education portal, April 2026). In practice this is what the operators' own flows show: Viettel's has you photograph your passport and take a live selfie, then sign on screen, and MobiFone's app asks for a passport photo, a video call and an electronic signature.

One rule catches travelers who switch phones. Since 15 June 2026, moving a SIM to a different handset triggers a fresh face check; Bao Phap Luat reports that outgoing calls and texts stop until you verify again, and the contract ends if you miss the deadlines. Set the SIM up in the phone you will carry for the whole trip. Our packing list covers the rest of the documents to bring.

How do eSIM apps work?

Travel eSIM apps sell data plans that you install by scanning a QR code or tapping a link, usually before you leave home. Apple describes them as data-only plans from worldwide providers, and in Vietnam they run over one of the local networks, so check which network a plan uses and whether it allows hotspot use. Apple notes that you can keep your home line active alongside a travel eSIM, so iMessage and FaceTime keep working on your home number, and choose which line carries data under Cellular Data (Apple Support).

The trade-off is convenience against a local number. You land online without visiting a counter, but you normally get no Vietnamese number, and you should compare the price per day with the local tourist plans in the table above. We have not tested or ranked individual apps, so check the network used, the validity and the refund policy before you buy.

Will I have signal in the mountains?

Mostly, but plan for gaps. Official figures say a 2021 to 2025 program brought mobile broadband to 99.56% of villages, yet a 2026 review still found 435 villages without proper signal in 13 provinces, with 273 left to fix and 82 of those without grid power (VietnamPlus, September 2026). The list includes Lao Cai, home of Sapa, and Tuyen Quang, which absorbed Ha Giang province in 2025 (Wikipedia), along with Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Son La. 5G now reaches nearly 92% of the population, according to VOV in July 2026, but population coverage is not the same as coverage on a remote pass.

For trekking around Sapa or riding the Ha Giang loop, pick the network with the widest coverage, which on Opensignal's data is Viettel, and download offline maps before you set off.

How much data do I need for Grab and maps?

Less than any of the plans above includes. Ride-hailing apps such as Grab need a live connection to book and track a car, and maps need one for live directions, but both are light next to video calls, streaming or a laptop on hotspot. Viettel pitches its 5 GB a day plan at travelers who stream video, make frequent video calls or use their phone as a hotspot, so a lighter user has plenty of room.

Offline maps are the backup, not the plan. Google says that offline you get driving directions only when the whole route is inside your downloaded area, while transit, cycling and walking directions do not work offline, and downloaded areas expire unless they update over Wi-Fi (Google Maps Help). Download Hanoi, Hoi An or the mountain region you are heading to before a long bus ride. For buses, trains and flights between cities, see getting around Vietnam, and for paying for rides and meals, money in Vietnam.

Key facts at a glance

• Viettel's tourist plan 5G150T gives 5 GB of data a day for 30 days for 150,000 VND, SIM extra (Viettel).
• MobiFone's Hi Vietnam app eSIM is free for the first 24 hours, then from 80,000 VND for 3 days (MobiFone).
• Foreigners register a line with a passport valid for their stay under Decree 163/2024/ND-CP (Bao Phap Luat).
• Face verification has been required since 15 April 2026 under Circular 08/2026/TT-BKHCN (Can Tho City legal education portal).
• Viettel had 91.9% 4G availability, the highest in Opensignal's March 2023 report (Opensignal).
• 273 villages in 13 provinces still lacked proper mobile signal in September 2026 (VietnamPlus).

Limitations

Operators change packages and prices often, and the codes in our table may be renamed. Viettel's page is from November 2025, MobiFone's from March 2026, and the only VinaPhone tourist page we found dates from 2019, so confirm the package at the counter. We read the 2026 registration circular through a government legal summary and press reports, not the full text, and we could not confirm exactly how operators apply the June 2026 device-change rule to tourist SIMs. Opensignal's network comparison uses data from late 2022, when 5G was still at the trial stage. Coverage on mountain roads can drop out at any time, so tell someone your route, carry offline maps, and do not rely on your phone in an emergency in the hills.