Sapa – SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plan (3G/4G)
How to Buy a SIM Card in Vietnam
A Vietnamese SIM card can be found almost anywhere from street vendors, phone shops, credit kiosks, at the airport on arrival , and at travel agencies. Most other vendors cannot register the SIM card for you, so it’s best to buy from the official carrier stores. The most common networks are Viettel Mobile, MobiFone, Vinaphone, and Vinamobile.
TIP: Before getting a SIM, make sure your phone is UNLOCKED and that it can be used abroad. If you can’t get your phone unlocked to use with a SIM card abroad, you could still get connected to WiFi at the hotels and cafes locally.
In Vietnam, there are 4 major network providers. You can search for their official carrier store’s closest location from their websites on where to buy a SIM card in Vietnam.
No contract is required. Bring your passport to register. The SIM is valid until your visa’s length of stay.
Four Major Networks in Vietnam
1. Viettel
viettel sim Viettel sim 4G
Tourist SIM:
$5 – $10 for the Sim, then buy credit to top up.
Recommended prepaid card to top up credit: Viettel
Note: Tourist SIM does not include SMS texting, so you need to add a phone credit voucher to your account to pay for SMS messages. You can add credits by buying prepaid scratch cards with the amount like VND 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 etc.
To check account balance, dial *101#
To check remaining data capacity, dial *102#
Data packages: Monthly packages on 4G and 3G Network (Read more)
To activate 4G, change the setting of Mobile Networks Mode or Cellular Data to 4G or LTE.
2. Vinaphone
Vinaphone sim
Tourist SIM:
Prepaid VinaCard: VND 199,000 valid for 15 days
Recommended prepaid card to top up credit: VinaCard
Data Packages:
Big Data (Monthly package on 3G/4G Network): Read more
SPEED (Monthly package on only 4G Network): Read more
To activate 4G service, send “4G ON” to 888.
3. MobiFone
mobifone sim
Tourist SIM:
Happy Tourist: VND 200,000 valid for 60 days
Recommended prepaid card to top up credit: MobiCard
top up card mobifone
Monthly packages on 3G Network: Read more
Data package on 4G Network: Read more
To activate data, send “CAIDAT DATA” to 999. After receiving their message, send “DATA ON” to 999.
4. Vietnamobile
vinamobile sim
Tourist SIM: Two Read more
Tourist 100: VND 125,000 valid for 30 days
Tourist 200: VND 225,000 valid for 30 days with twice minutes of call
3G Network and mobile data: Read more
Vietnamobile 4G is currenly available in 10 provinces in North Vietnam and on Android devices only (October 2018). To activate 4G service, change the setting of your Mobile Network Mode on your phone to LTE.
How to Use Top Up Card
At the back of the card, you should find a box like the one marked by the red rectangle in the above picture. That is the part contents a series of numbers you need to input to top up your account. It should be properly covered with no sign of damage or scratch. You should also look for the expiry date of the top up card (underline part in the picture).
After scratching the opaque covering to review the numbers, open the dial pad on your phone, input the following code *100*[Series of numbers beneath the covering]#, then hit the call button. You will usually receive a notification through SMS that states the top up is successful and information of your account (the balance, expiry date, and balance of promotion accounts, etc.). You can also check the balance of your account by input the code *101#. A pop-up notification will appear on screen with all information of your account.
Conclusion on SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plan (3G/4G) in Vietnam
With the convenience of mobile phones and being connected to the internet and telecommunication services, traveling has become much easier than ever before. Just a call or a few online searches, everything is at the tips of your fingers. We hope that the above information about the SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plan in Vietnam would be useful for travelers.