Vietnam SIM Card: Best Guide For Foreigners In 2024

If you intend to visit Vietnam in upcoming times, this comprehensive latest guide about Vietnam SIM card is for you. Vietnam is one of the easiest countries to provide Sim cards and speed data for tourists. Travelers from other countries would find a SIM card with an affordable price anywhere in Vietnam. As far as we know, Viettel Data SIM is the best choice for tourists when visiting Vietnam. 

In this article, we will provide you with the most updated information about Vietnam SIM card, including places to buy, prices, and how to install them, and some useful tips to make sure you will not come into any difficulties during your Vietnam trip. Let’s get started!

Why Is A SIM Card Necessary When Traveling To Vietnam?

It is feasible to utilize the free Wi-Fi offered by the hotel, restaurants, and cafes where you are having meals and spending time while visiting Vietnam. However, it can be difficult to connect to free WiFi when you are in public areas such as parks or tourist attractions.

Additionally, if you are on a tour, travel companies may frequently give you a call to confirm any modifications to your itinerary or arrangements. Hence, getting SIM cards in Vietnam is necessary for a smooth travel experience.

Where To Buy A SIM Card In Vietnam?

The airport

Buying Vietnam SIM card at the airport has several advantages: The sellers will help you select the most suitable ones, quickly and effectively set everything up for you. Additionally, you could save money and hassle by grabbing a ride from the airport right away with Grab (or any other ride-hailing service that is accessible in Vietnam).

Your tour guide

If you visit Vietnam with a travel agency, you should ask your guide first because he/she often keeps activated SIM cards to provide for tourists when needed. In addition, you can buy SIM card from the receptionist in your hotel. Some international hotels would provide Vietnam SIM card for tourists but the range of choices would be smaller.

Branches of network operators

The price in the airport will be much higher so you can consider choosing other branches of network operators. In Vietnam, there are 3 known mobile carriers, which are Viettel, Mobifone and Vinaphone, in which Viettel is favored most. Additionally, in some cases, you just need to obtain a Vietnam Data SIM Card and do not need to buy a local SIM card.

• Viettel offices: https://vietteltelecom.vn/cua-hang
• Vinaphone offices: https://vinaphone.com.vn/ho-tro/diem-giao-dich
• MobiFone offices: https://www.mobifone.vn/ho-tro-khach-hang/vi-tri-cua-hang

Online

You can also acquire your Vietnam sim cards online. Check out the international sim cards for Vietnam if you want a physical sim card. The worldwide coverage travel sim cards will be delivered to your residential address. As soon as the plane lands, you may plug it in and start using the internet.

You can consider some of the providers such as:

• Airalo: https://www.airalo.com/
• Holafly: https://esim.holafly.com/
• Nomad: https://www.getnomad.app/en
• SimOptions: https://ais.simoptions.com/

How Much Does SIM Card in Vietnam Cost?

Depending on how long you will stay in Vietnam and how much data you want, a Vietnam SIM card and prepaid data package would cost you between 150,000-350,000 VND ($6–$15 USD).

• A local call: VND 1,000/minute
• A local SMS: VND 250.
• An international 1-minute: approximately VND 5,000
• An international SMS: VND 2,500 ($1: ~23,000 VND; 1 INR: ~293 VND)

Viettel

In Vietnam, Viettel is owned by the Ministry of Defense which holds a dominant market share of approximately 40% of all consumers on its network. Also, Viettel is advised by Vietnamtour.in and many other travel agencies to choose for the best journey in Vietnam.

• Outstanding ability of maintaining your connection wherever you go within Vietnam’s borders, including the most remote area
• Up to 60 days from the date of SIM activation
• Pay for SIM card in advance to avoid incurring any additional fees.

Here are the popular Viettel prepaid SIM cards in Vietnam with data packages for tourists:

Vinaphone

With 30% of the market, Vinaphone is the second operator in Vietnam.

• Fastest 4G speed in Vietnam
• Many attractive incentives, affordable rates
• Allows use of 5G network with 4G SIM

Here are the popular Vinaphone prepaid sim card data packages for tourists to Vietnam:

Mobifone

Mobifone holds a 20% market share and is the third provider in the nation. It is currently undergoing privatization. In the cities and along the shore, speeds and coverage might be good, but in the mountainous areas, they might be spotty.

• Change to Mobifone 4G sim card for free
• Providing optimal quality of 4G in big cities
• Offer exclusive services such as discounts, loyalty programs, or partnerships

Way2go, a subsidiary of Consortio and a Mobifone company, currently provides a Tourist SIM card called “Way2go Vietnam”. 6 GB of internet, 60 local minutes, 100 local SMS, and 30 minutes of international calls to specific countries are all included for 250,000 VND, and they are all good for 30 days.

How To Install

You should ask the salesperson at the airport to install your Vietnam SIM card and assist you in selecting the 4G package. There are four standards for SIM card sizes: mini, micro, and nano. After cutting the card to the appropriate size, place it into your phone. Your SIM card is instantly functional; neither an activation code nor a number are required.

To use a SIM card, you have to charge credit. You can purchase a top-up scratch card at places that you buy SIM cards, normal stores or supermarkets. The top-up cards can be bought in values from VND 20,000 (~$0.8 USD)

• Charge credit into SIM card: Dial “*100*[numbers on recharge cards]#” and then press “call “button. Or you can make use of an online service named Recharge.com. All you need to do is enter your phone number then choose how much money you want then pay through PayPal and credit card. There will be a surcharge but it is reasonable for its convenience.
• Check your balance: Dial “*101#” then press “call “button.
• Subscribe to the Internet: Ask the sellers for proper packages or take a look at those Viettel packages listed above.

Tips For Buying Vietnam SIM card

• Choose suitable Vietnam SIM card and data package depending on your length of stay and personal usage.
• ID/ passport is needed when buying SIM cards
• Ask the seller to insert SIM card and charge credit for you
• eSIM is recommended if your device supports them. Almost every carrier in Vietnam provides customers with eSIM, you can easily have it installed in official stores or register online.
• Mobifone or Vinaphone is highly recommended in big cities because of their easy procedures and cheaper costs. Whereas, Viettel is best when you also travel to remote areas so we always recommend our customers to choose this carrier for comprehensive function.
• Go with a local guide to ask him/her anything you want to know

Those are Vietnamtour.in’s detailed guidelines for acquiring Vietnam SIM card. We hope this article brings you convenience and allows you to fully explore our beautiful country.

While Vietnamtour.in does not sell Vietnam SIM card, we are here to assist with any inquiries or issues related to SIM cards. Drawing from over 5 years of experience in supporting Indian tourists exploring Vietnam, we are excited to accompany you to discover the enchanting charm of Vietnam through our Vietnam tour packages. Feel free to reach out to us for any assistance you may need!