Vietnam SIM card for Indian travellers: roaming, local SIM or eSIM

Vietnam eSIM or SIM card: what Indian travellers need

You need mobile data in Vietnam, not a Vietnamese number. A data-only Vietnam eSIM installed in India gives you data on landing and starts at ≈ ₹289 (9 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 7 days, charged US$2.99 by card. It includes no calls and no SMS. Keep your Indian SIM in the phone for OTPs.

Pack prices as listed by Jio, Airtel and Vi on 12 Oct 2026; ₹ per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are an estimate at the day’s rate; your card is charged in US$.

Indian departures to Vietnam rose 56%, from 398,673 in 2024 to 622,237 in 2025 (Ministry of Tourism data; the percentage is our calculation). Separately, Vietnam’s tourism authority (VNAT) counts about 746,000 arrivals from India in 2025; the two counts use different methods. Other top routes from India have their own SIM guides for other countries.

Our Vietnam plans run on the VNPT network: 2 GB for 15 days costs ≈ ₹628 (9 Oct rate), and 5 days of unlimited data costs ≈ ₹1,789 (9 Oct rate), with speed dropping to 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day. The best eSIM for Vietnam is the plan that matches your trip length first and your GB second. Video calls and a hotspot (tethering) use data much faster than maps and chat. The data guide shows typical use.

Your Jio, Airtel or Vi pack in Vietnam vs this eSIM

Jio, Airtel and Vi all sell roaming packs that list Vietnam. The five packs below cost ₹599 to ₹1,298 as listed on 12 Oct 2026. Jio’s ₹951 pack and both Airtel packs bundle calls on your Indian number, which our data-only eSIM does not. The ≈ ₹ per GB column is our derivation (price ÷ GB).

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

Source: operator documents (Jio IR plans · Airtel T&C · Vi prepaid T&C), checked on 12 Oct 2026. Airtel’s T&C are dated 24 Sep 2026. Vi lists Vietnam in its Budget Set 1 countries; its country page is an image, so confirm Vietnam in the Vi app. Jio’s 75-country and 132-country packs also list Vietnam. More on Airtel’s roaming packs.

For comparison, 5 GB for 30 days on our Vietnam eSIM costs ≈ ₹966 (9 Oct rate), about ₹193 (US$2.00) per GB, charged US$9.99; a bank forex charge may apply on top. Pick the operator pack when calls on your Indian number matter. Airtel’s ₹998 pack includes 150 minutes and Jio’s ₹951 pack 100 outgoing minutes, while our Vietnam plan has none.

Data plan validity starts at different moments. Jio states: “Your plan validity begins only with your first usage—call, text, or data.” Airtel prepaid validity starts when your phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage, and a pack expires without reimbursement if you do not travel within 30 days of booking. Our eSIM counts its days from the first connection to a Vietnamese network, so installing it at home uses up no days.

Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City airport SIM vs an eSIM bought in India

Counters at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City airports sell the Vietnam tourist SIM. This page quotes no Vietnam SIM card price in dong or rupees because we have not verified current ones. An eSIM bought in India is installed before you fly, so you skip the counter queue and land with data already set up.

A physical Vietnamese SIM needs a slot. On a phone with one physical slot, you would remove your Indian SIM and lose OTPs on that number. An eSIM leaves the slot untouched.

A local SIM makes sense if you need a Vietnamese number, for example so a hotel can call you back. On a short holiday, data matters more.

Install the Vietnam eSIM in India, start its days on landing

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. A Vietnam plan counts its days from the first connection to a Vietnamese network, so a QR code install on home Wi-Fi uses none of them. Check that your phone supports eSIM before you pay: look for an “Add eSIM” option in its SIM settings.

On a 7-day plan, all seven days are left for Vietnam itself, not for the flight. When you land, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line only, and it runs on VNPT. The install guide covers iPhone and Android, and the phone list shows supported models.

Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn’t work and it isn’t your phone’s fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

Bank OTPs on a Vietnam trip: Indian SIM for SMS, eSIM for data

On a Vietnam trip, your bank OTPs still come by SMS to your Indian number, while maps and WhatsApp run on the eSIM’s VNPT data. Our Vietnam plans carry data only, so they cannot receive those OTPs. Keep the Indian SIM switched on as a second line with its mobile data off.

Ask Jio, Airtel or Vi before you fly whether SMS reaches you in Vietnam on your plan; Jio users can check the MyJio app. Without a roaming pack, Airtel bars prepaid data abroad and Vi keeps mobile data off, so on those two the Indian line is left to SMS. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you. The guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs explains the dual-SIM settings.

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. How card payments work.

What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in Vietnam?

Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.

The first is the line for mobile data. On iPhone it is Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data; on Android, the SIM manager. Pick the travel line there; your Indian line stays on for calls and SMS, with its mobile data off.

The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats Vietnam as roaming for it.

The third is the APN. On this plan it sets itself, so leave it alone; you don’t need to type one.

The fourth is a restart. Restart the phone or switch airplane mode on and off, and let it find VNPT; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.

Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimgo.in with your order number, or go through the no-signal checklist. Do not delete the eSIM to “try again”: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed twice from the same code. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

What I’d choose (and when NOT to buy the eSIM)

For a week of maps, rides and messaging I’d take 1 GB for 7 days, ≈ ₹289 (US$2.99). For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, ≈ ₹966 (US$9.99). If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, ≈ ₹2,611 (US$26.99), with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.

I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If you need calls or SMS on your Indian number every day, a Jio, Airtel or Vi roaming pack carries them (compare the packs). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to one operator, it cannot take the plan: check your model first. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.

FAQ

Get an eSIM for Vietnam, from ≈ ₹289 Pay by card in US$. Your bank converts the US$ charge at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by e-mail after payment. See plans