Vietnam has three carriers worth considering and two to avoid. The single biggest difference between them is rural coverage.
| Carrier | Coverage | Market Share | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viettel | Best, including rural and mountains | ~40-54% (largest) | The default choice |
| Vinaphone | Good in cities, weaker in remote areas | Second largest | Solid backup |
| Mobifone | Good in cities, patchy rural | Third | Fine for city-only |
| Vietnamobile | Poor outside major cities | Small | Avoid |
| Gmobile | Very limited | Tiny | Avoid |
Viettel is owned and operated by Vietnam's Ministry of Defense and has the largest network in the country. In remote areas, even on older 3G, it consistently has the edge. If you plan to do the Ha Giang Loop, travel to Sapa, or spend time anywhere outside the big cities, Viettel is the clear pick. Vinaphone is a close second for coverage and speed and a good fallback if you cannot find a Viettel store. Mobifone is fine if you are staying in HCMC, Hanoi, or Da Nang and not venturing into the countryside.
A physical tourist SIM is the cheapest way to get connected and gives you a local +84 phone number, which matters if you want to register for apps like Grab, MoMo, or a Vietnamese bank account. Exchange rate reference: roughly 26,350 VND per USD.
The plastic SIM card itself costs around 10,000-50,000 VND ($0.40-2). You then buy a data package on top. Typical Viettel tourist plans:
| Plan Type | Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short trip (city) | 5GB/day | 3-7 days | ~60,000 VND ($2.30) |
| Two weeks | 5GB/day | 15 days | ~80,000 VND ($3) |
| One month (nomad) | Large daily allowance + local minutes | 30 days | ~150,000-200,000 VND ($6-8) |
To put that in perspective, around $6 for a month of effectively unlimited daily data is one of the best mobile deals on earth. The 5GB/day plans are more than enough for Google Maps, Instagram, video calls, and everything a nomad does day to day.
If your phone supports eSIM (iPhone XR/XS or newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer), you can buy a Vietnam eSIM online and have it ready before you even land. No queue at the airport, no passport photocopy, no hunting for a store.
The key thing: choose an eSIM that runs on the Viettel network for the best coverage. Prices vary by provider and duration:
Viettel, Vinaphone, and Mobifone all have kiosks in the arrivals halls at the major international airports: Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (HCMC), Da Nang, Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), and Phu Quoc. Look for the red-and-white Viettel branding with bilingual price boards. Staff speak English and set everything up on the spot. The downside: prices run 20-30% higher than in the city.
If you can wait until you reach your accommodation, official carrier stores in the city offer the full range of plans at the lowest prices with proper registration. This is the best-value route.
Mobifone launched Hi Vietnam, a dedicated app for international tourists. Download it, register with your passport via the eKYC process, and get a free eSIM plus 8GB data and 10 minutes of local calls for the first 24 hours. After that, buy a paid plan (roughly 80,000-240,000 VND / $3-9 for 3-30 days), payable by Visa or Mastercard in-app with no local bank account or cash needed. The app also bundles taxi booking, hotel search, and 24/7 multilingual support. A genuinely convenient option if you want everything in one place.
All Vietnamese SIM cards must be registered to a passport. When you buy from an official store or airport kiosk, the staff scan your passport and register the SIM for you on the spot. This is normal and required by law.
If you buy a physical SIM from an unofficial seller without proper registration, it can be deactivated automatically after a set period (Vinaphone tourist SIMs, for example, deactivate after 15 days if not properly registered). This is the main reason to buy from official channels.
For eSIMs bought online, the provider usually handles registration on their end, which is part of why eSIMs skip the passport-scan step at purchase.
Viettel, by a clear margin, thanks to the best nationwide coverage including rural and mountain areas. Vinaphone is the best alternative if you cannot find a Viettel store. Avoid Vietnamobile and Gmobile.
The physical card is around 10,000-50,000 VND ($0.40-2), and a 30-day plan with generous daily data runs about 150,000-200,000 VND ($6-8) from an official store. Airport kiosks charge 20-30% more. eSIMs run roughly $7-11 for similar durations.
Yes, and it is the smoothest way to land connected. Buy a Viettel-network eSIM online, install it before you fly, and it activates on arrival. Just note most eSIMs are data-only with no local phone number.
Yes. All Vietnamese SIMs must be registered to a passport. Official stores and airport kiosks scan it and register the SIM for you. eSIM providers handle registration on their end.
Usually not. Most travel eSIMs are data-only. If you need a +84 number to receive SMS codes for Grab, MoMo, or banking, get a physical SIM instead, or carry both.
Yes. Viettel 4G and 5G easily handle video calls, and the 5GB/day plans are far more data than most people use. For heavy remote work, pair it with your apartment fiber.
Viettel, without question. It has the best coverage in the northern mountains where other carriers drop out. Get a 15-day or 30-day Viettel plan before heading up. See our Ha Giang Loop guide for the full trip breakdown.
Wise gives you the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden markup. Hold VND, pay rent, and withdraw cash without the bank fees. Set it up before you arrive.
Get Wise Free →🔒 Working from Vietnam cafes and coworking WiFi?
Protect your data on shared networks. A VPN secures every login and transaction from public WiFi snoops.
Get NordVPN - Up to 68% Off →We use and recommend NordVPN. Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Join the newsletter and get our free Southeast Asia Nomad Starter Kit: costs, visas, money, and the tools that actually matter. Plus on-the-ground updates as things change.
From $56/month. Covers Vietnam and 180+ countries. Can be purchased after you have already left home. Medical evacuation included.
Get SafetyWing →