SIM Card in Ho Chi Minh City: eSIM and Registration
To register a mobile SIM as a foreigner, show a passport still valid for your stay in Vietnam, or an electronic identity account. Register in person at a carrier point or an authorised point, or online in the carrier's own app. Service starts only after registration is complete. Viettel takes the physical passport, never a picture of it.
On this page
What do you show at a SIM counter in Ho Chi Minh City? A foreign national registering a mobile SIM presents a passport, or an electronic identity account.
Đối với người có quốc tịch nước ngoài: Hộ chiếu còn thời hạn sử dụng ở Việt Nam theo thị thực nhập cảnh hoặc theo thời hạn lưu trú tối đa với các nước được miễn thị thực hoặc tài khoản định danh điện tử theo quy định của pháp luật.
For a foreign national: a passport still valid for use in Vietnam under the entry visa, or for the maximum stay allowed to visa-exempt countries, or an electronic identity account as provided by law.
Nghị định 163/2024/NĐ-CP, Điều 17 khoản 1 điểm b
Which document the carrier will accept
The law asks for a passport that is still valid for your stay. For a visa holder, that means valid under the entry visa. For a visa-exempt visitor, it means valid for the maximum stay your nationality allows.
Check the passport expiry date before you buy. Stay lengths are covered in visa exemption in Ho Chi Minh City and the e-visa guide.
The carrier’s duty is to serve users whose subscriber information is complete and matches the identity document shown at signing. Your duty is to give complete and accurate information when you sign. You must not use your own identity document to sign a contract on behalf of someone else, unless telecom law allows it.
Two carrier rules go beyond the decree text:
- Viettel needs your physical passport with the photo page, and it cannot accept digital copies or pictures of it.
- VNPT’s retail site, in an article dated 13 April 2024, asks a foreign buyer for a valid guarantee letter. The letter comes from an embassy, or from the agency or organisation where the buyer works. Decree 163/2024/NĐ-CP is newer than that article, and it names only the passport or the electronic account. Bring the passport; the letter is not in the decree text.
The same VNPT article calls SIMs sold without registration in the buyer’s name “junk SIMs” that go against carrier rules.
Where you can register
Mobile subscriber information may be registered in only one of three ways:
- In person at a point the carrier owns and sets up.
- In person at a fixed-address point another business has set up under an authorisation contract with the carrier.
- Online through the carrier’s own app.
Online registration applies only to the first 3 subscriber numbers on one identity document. If the app cannot authenticate the subscriber information, register in person at one of the first two kinds of point.
How many numbers one passport can hold
For the first 3 numbers, you show your documents and sign a paper or electronic subscriber-information confirmation form. From the fourth number onward, you sign a standard-form contract in person with the carrier. That signing must happen at a fixed-address point the carrier set up itself.
Buying a SIM at Tan Son Nhat airport
Truong Son, Tan Son Hoa, Ho Chi Minh 705000, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
You can buy a Viettel eSIM at the airport, at official counters and kiosks with setup and support in English. The Tan Son Nhat counters are in the international terminal arrival hall, after baggage claim and the customs exit. Setup usually takes less than 10 minutes.
Official counters carry the red and white Viettel logo. Viettel warns against unofficial SIM sellers inside terminals, whose SIMs may already be activated under someone else’s name and can be deactivated within days. A pre-registered SIM is also an offence for the seller, covered under fines below.
You can also buy a Viettel eSIM online before arrival, or in a store. Viettel’s hotline is 18008098.
The airport sits in Tan Son Hoa Ward, on Truong Son Street. For the road into town, see Tan Son Nhat Airport to the city. For visas before the SIM counter, see the e-visa guide.
Plans and prices
Viettel has six tourist plans (price list of 1 November 2025). Those prices are the package fee only and do not include the SIM price. Ask the counter for the SIM charge before you pay, because the total is the plan fee plus that charge.
A newer press report, dated 25 September 2026, describes a Viettel 5G eSIM offer for new eSIM customers. It gives 10 GB a day for 125,000 VND per 30 days.
| Plan | Validity | Package fee | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5G60T | 7 days | VND 60,000 | 5GB a day |
| 5G80T | 15 days | VND 80,000 | 5GB a day |
| 5G150T | 30 days | VND 150,000 | 5GB a day |
| 5G60H | 7 days | VND 60,000 | 15GB in total |
| 5G120H | 30 days | VND 120,000 | 1.5GB, 30 minutes on-net and 15 minutes off-net calls |
| 5G180H | 30 days | VND 180,000 | 5GB a day, 30 minutes on-net and 15 minutes off-net calls |
The same page separates two kinds of eSIM. A data-only eSIM gives internet without a phone number. An eSIM with a Vietnamese number adds calls and SMS, and receives one-time codes for banking, Grab and delivery apps. A visitor who needs a Vietnam-based code should buy the second kind.
Viettel also sells a physical SIM that comes with a Vietnamese number.
Payment depends on the sell point. Viettel takes cash in VND, Visa and Mastercard, with Alipay+ and WeChat Pay at select locations.
MobiFone Hi Vietnam app
MobiFone built the Hi Vietnam app for foreign visitors entering Vietnam. A new user can get one free combo: a MobiFone eSIM with pack HVN0, for 24 hours. The free pack gives 8 GB of 5G data and 10 domestic call minutes.
After that, a user can buy paid packs in the app. Payment is by Visa or Mastercard, with no cash or domestic e-wallet needed.
| Pack | Validity | Price | Data | Domestic calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVN3 | 3 days | VND 80,000 | 25 GB | 30 minutes |
| HVN7 | 7 days | VND 120,000 | 50 GB | 70 minutes |
| HVN15 | 15 days | VND 160,000 | 120 GB | 150 minutes |
| HVN30 | 30 days | VND 240,000 | 250 GB | 200 minutes |
Registration inside the app is online: a passport photo with electronic identification (eKYC), a video call, and an electronic signature. After installing the eSIM, call 900 to activate it. MobiFone runs a free 24/7 foreign-language support line for visitors.
MobiFone eSIM fees for a long stay
For a longer stay, MobiFone’s own eSIM page shows its fees. A new prepaid eSIM line costs 100,000 VND, including the eSIM price and the connection fee. Swapping an existing line to an eSIM costs 25,000 VND. MobiFone also helps customers switch to eSIM at authorised agent stores.
Picking a plan by trip length
For up to 7 days, Viettel’s 5G60T costs 60,000 VND for 5GB a day. For 15 days, 5G80T costs 80,000 VND. For 30 days of data, 5G150T costs 150,000 VND. MobiFone’s HVN15 is 15 days for 160,000 VND.
Two Viettel plans add calls. 5G120H gives 1.5GB of data with call minutes for 120,000 VND. 5G180H keeps 5GB a day and adds the same call minutes for 180,000 VND. Remember that Viettel’s package fee does not include the SIM price.
eSIM or physical SIM
An eSIM needs a compatible phone that is not locked to one carrier. Dial *#06# to check: a 32-digit EID number means the phone supports eSIM.
Compatible phones include iPhone XR and later and Samsung Galaxy S20 and later.
Four more points matter on a long stay:
- One eSIM QR code works for one device only.
- A QR code expires no more than 2 years after the sale date.
- A phone can hold several eSIMs, but only one eSIM of one carrier can be used at a time.
- A number left switched off for a long time may be locked under the carrier’s rules, so switch rarely used eSIMs on once or twice a month.
Keeping your home number
The eSIMs on one phone can belong to several carriers, including a foreign carrier. Only one eSIM of one carrier is in use at a time. A phone can use 1 physical SIM together with 1 eSIM. A visitor can therefore keep a home SIM in the tray and add a Vietnamese eSIM.
If the eSIM or phone is lost
A lost QR code needs a store visit, and the old code reinstalls only on the phone that used it. If a phone with an eSIM is lost, call MobiFone’s hotline to lock the number at once, then visit a store. The hotline is 18001090.
SIM stores in Ho Chi Minh City
Carrier points and authorised shops are the legal registration places. The two carrier points below are on Google Maps as of Tuesday 13 October 2026. Hours come from Maps.
| Carrier | Address | Phone | Hours on Tuesday |
|---|---|---|---|
| MobiFone | 101 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cau Ong Lanh Ward | +84 909 767 668 | 07:30–20:00 |
| VinaPhone (VNPT) | 80 Nguyen Du Street, Saigon Ward | +84 28 3827 7713 | 07:30–19:00 |
101 Tran Hung Dao, Cau Ong Lanh, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
80 Nguyen Du, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Viettel needs the physical passport. Carry it to the MobiFone and VinaPhone points too, since the law asks for a valid passport. Viettel also sells in its own stores.
What the carrier must check
A carrier may provide service only after you have completed registration and it has authenticated and stored your information in full. Give complete and accurate information when you sign the contract.
If you register with a passport valid for your stay, the carrier must fully apply its authentication measures for every number you register. Those measures include these:
- A one-time code sent to the earlier registered SIM, when you register or activate your second or later SIM.
- A recorded video call that shows both the staff member and you.
The 2026 re-check of passport-registered numbers
A ministry circular on authenticating mobile subscriber information took effect on 15 April 2026. Within 60 days of that date, each carrier had to notify and re-authenticate every number a foreign national had registered with a passport.
A number that was not re-authenticated, or was done incompletely, lost outgoing calls and SMS. After the deadline, a number still not fixed lost two-way service. The contract was then ended 5 days later if the subscriber still had not acted.
Changing phones triggers a face check
The circular’s rule on changing devices took effect on 15 June 2026. Within at most 2 hours of a number appearing on a different phone, the carrier must suspend outgoing calls and SMS and ask for a new face check.
One accepted check matches the live face photo against the national population, identity or entry-exit databases.
If your registration is flagged
When a carrier finds your information does not comply, it sends notices and then cuts the line in stages:
| Step | Timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | At least once a day for 5 days | The carrier asks you to re-sign with correct information |
| One-way cut | 15 days after the first notice | The line can only receive incoming calls |
| Two-way cut | 15 days after the one-way cut | The line can neither make nor receive calls |
| Contract ends | 5 days after the two-way cut | The carrier ends the contract and stops service |
Fines to know about
The fines apply to foreign organisations and individuals as well as Vietnamese ones. Decree 174/2026/NĐ-CP, which sets them, took effect on 1 July 2026. The amounts below are the organisation fine, and an individual who commits the same act pays half.
| Act | Fine |
|---|---|
| Signing a subscriber contract with inaccurate papers or another person’s identity document, 1 to 10 numbers | VND 200,000–500,000 per number |
| Selling, renting out or circulating a SIM with subscriber information already entered, when not a telecom enterprise or agent | VND 30,000,000–40,000,000 |
Register at a carrier point or an authorised point. Do not sign a contract with another person’s identity document.
Checklist before you go
- Check that the passport is valid for your stay.
- Take the original passport, not a picture of it.
- Go to a carrier store or an authorised point.
- Ask for a Vietnamese number if you need bank or app codes.
- For an eSIM, check the phone is unlocked and shows an EID with *#06#.
- Keep the first 3 numbers on one passport in mind.
- After a phone swap, finish the face check when asked.
For banking, see opening a bank account in Ho Chi Minh City. For the first nights, see where to live in Ho Chi Minh City.
Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), MobiFone Store, 101 Tran Hung Dao on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), VNPT-VinaPhone Service Centre, 80 Nguyen Du on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Thuy Nguyen Huu, Bo-Wen Zheng, Andy Troppenauer, Vien Nguyen, Google Maps contributor, Hanh Le, Daniel.
Step by step
- Bring your passportBring a passport still valid for your stay in Vietnam, or an electronic identity account. Viettel needs the physical passport.
- Register at an official pointRegister in person at a carrier point or an authorised point, or online in the carrier's own app.
- Complete the checksThe carrier must fully apply its authentication measures for every number you register.
- Keep the line activeRedo the face check when the carrier asks after a phone change, since outgoing calls and SMS are suspended first.
Not confirmed: No official VinaPhone or VNPT page with visitor plan prices was found. Viettel's page publishes no SIM price and no counter number or opening hours at Tan Son Nhat.
Common questions
Can I register a SIM online?
Online registration is done through the carrier's own app and applies only to the first 3 subscriber numbers on one identity document.
What if the app cannot verify me?
Where the registration app cannot authenticate the subscriber information, register in person at a carrier point or an authorised point.
Does Viettel accept a photo of my passport?
No. Viettel needs the physical passport and cannot accept digital copies or pictures of it.
Do I need an unlocked phone for an eSIM?
A phone restricted to a single carrier cannot install and use Viettel's eSIM. Dialling *#06# shows a 32-digit EID number on a compatible phone.
How much does a Viettel tourist eSIM cost?
Viettel's page lists six tourist plans from 60,000 VND for 7 days to 180,000 VND for 30 days, and the package fee does not include the SIM price.
Can I use one eSIM on two phones?
One MobiFone eSIM QR code works for one device only, and a second phone needs a new QR code.
What happens if I swap phones?
A circular in force from 15 June 2026 requires the carrier to suspend outgoing calls and SMS within 2 hours of a device change and ask for a face re-check.
Can a friend register a SIM in my name?
Using another individual's identity document to sign a subscriber contract is fined 200,000-500,000 VND per subscriber number, where 1 to 10 numbers are involved.
Is a pre-registered SIM from a street seller safe?
Selling a SIM with subscriber information already entered, by someone who is not a telecom enterprise or agent, is fined 30,000,000-40,000,000 VND. Viettel warns that such SIMs can be deactivated within days.
Does an unused eSIM expire?
A MobiFone number left switched off for a long time may be locked under the carrier's rules, so switch rarely used eSIMs on once or twice a month.
Read next
Places in this guide
- telecommunications service providertelecommunications service providerMobiFone Store, 101 Tran Hung Dao101 Tran Hung Dao, Cau Ong Lanh, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam★ 4.4 (418)
- international airportinternational airportTan Son Nhat International AirportTruong Son, Tan Son Hoa, Ho Chi Minh 705000, Vietnam★ 3.6 (30,265)
- telecommunications service providertelecommunications service providerVNPT-VinaPhone Service Centre, 80 Nguyen Du80 Nguyen Du, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam★ 3.9 (335)
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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