Vietnam

Government advisories

• ☐ United States: level 1/4 — Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
• ☐ United Kingdom: level 1/4
• ☐ Canada: level 2/4 — Exercise a high degree of caution

Health notices

• ☐ Global Dengue (level 1)
• ☐ Global Measles (level 1)
• ☐ Tap water: avoid — bottled/filtered only

Entry requirements

☐ Visitors to Vietnam must obtain either an e-Visa or a visa in advance, unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

Practical

• ☐ Plug type A/B/C/F, 220V — bring an adapter if yours differs
• ☐ Drives on the right
• ☐ Emergency (police): 113
• ☐ Emergency (ambulance): 115
• ☐ Emergency (fire): 114
• ☐ SIM: Mobile numbers in Vietnam must always be dialed with all 9 or 10 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "1nn" or "9nn" within Vietnam), no matter where they are being called from. The 1nn or 9nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and sometimes third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned. As is the case with most mobile numbers, they can also b
• ☐ Money: Credit/debit cards are now accepted more and more around the country, especially where there is a lot of tourists present. Credit/debit card purchases are required by law to be charged in dong.
• ☐ Tipping: Tipping is not practised by the Vietnamese themselves and generally not expected, though tips will not be refused if offered. Some establishments which are used to serving Western tourists have come to expect tips, though it is still perfectly acceptable not to tip. In any case, the price quoted to you is often many times what locals will pay, so tipping can be considered unnecessary in most circu

Before you go

General trip-prep, not specific to Vietnam — the same short list applies anywhere.

• ☐ Register with your embassy's traveler program if one exists
• ☐ Check your passport's validity and blank-page requirements on your destination's official entry-rules page
• ☐ Photograph/screenshot your passport, visa, and travel insurance documents
• ☐ Download offline maps for your destination
• ☐ Confirm your bank/card issuer knows you're traveling
• ☐ Check whether your phone plan needs a travel add-on or a local SIM