🇻🇳 Vietnam Guide

How to Get a SIM Card in Vietnam

Vietnam has excellent 4G coverage and very cheap data. A SIM card with 10GB of data costs less than $3 USD. Buy one the moment you land.

Carrier Comparison

CarrierBest ForStarter SIMMonthly Data
ViettelBest overall50,000–100,000 VND10GB for 50,000 VND/month
MobifoneUrban data speed70,000 VND10GB for 70,000 VND/month
VinaphoneState carrier reliability50,000 VNDComparable to Viettel

Where to Buy

  • • Tan Son Nhat Airport (HCMC): Viettel and Mobifone kiosks in arrivals — open 24 hours
  • • Carrier stores: Viettel, Mobifone, and Vinaphone have shops in every district
  • • Thegioididong.com: Electronics chain that sells all carriers with setup help
  • • Convenience stores: Top-up cards sold at Co.opmart, Circle K, GS25

Registration Requirements

Vietnam requires mandatory SIM registration with biometric data. Bring your passport or Vietnamese ID. This is done at the point of sale. Unregistered SIMs are blocked after a short period.

Essential Apps to Download

  • • Grab: Taxis and food delivery — use for everything
  • • MoMo or ZaloPay: Digital wallets for payments
  • • Zalo: Vietnam's primary messaging app (not WhatsApp)
  • • Chotot: Classifieds for jobs and housing
  • • VPBank NEO or Vietcombank iB@nking: Mobile banking
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