If you’re reading this, you’ve already made your decision about your next trip to Vietnam and you’re trying to save money on roaming costs; smart decision! With DTAC’s Go Inter, you’ll be buying the best eSIM for Vietnam. For around 16 usd, you’ll get 6GB of data and 10 days of excellent connectivity, even in other Southeast Asia countries.
Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries in Asia, with breathtaking natural landscapes and lively megacities. From pearl-white beaches to the nightlife of Ho-Chi-Minh city, Vietnam is a perfect destination to broaden your horizons and a country to experience with all your senses.
You must take a cruise through Halong Bay or the Mekong delta, feast on Pho or, for those of you who dare, try some snake or scorpion delicacies, experience Vietnam’s past crawling through the Cu Chi tunnels, or relax in one of the most sought–after island destinations: Phu Quoc.
Beaches, temples, caves, nature, culture…Vietnam is a gem waiting for you to discover it, but, since it also can be quite an adventure, don’t get lost in Vietnam without a travel eSIM. Buy the best eSIM for Vietnam: Go Inter by DTAC.
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What’s an eSIM?
An eSIM (or embedded SIM) is a software-based SIM card for your mobile phone. Modern phones have a chip that allows you to use a carrier profile instead of a physical SIM card.
It is basically a downloadable SIM card.
One of its greatest advantages is its immediateness. You can have a new eSIM plan working on your phone in a matter of minutes, which makes them an excellent option to stay connected while you travel.
Out top 4 eSIM plans for Vietnam
| eSIM Plan | Data | Price | Coverage | Validity | Features |
| 🏆Go Inter by DTAC | 6GB | 15.8$ (15€) | Regional | 10 days | Tethering allowed, Viettel/Vinaphone |
| Airalo Xin Chao | 20GB | 32$ | Vietnam | 30 days | Tethering allowed, MobiFone/Viettel |
| Nomad | 20GB | 34$ | Vietnam | 30 days | Tethering allowed, MobiFone |
| Holafly | Unlimited | 34$ | Vietnam | 10 days | No tethering, MobiFone/Vinaphone |
*Data collected in 2023
Go Inter by DTAC: The best eSIM for Vietnam
The best eSIM for Vietnam
Go Inter by DTAC is our top choice for the best eSIM to travel to Vietnam. With 6GB of data for an excellent price of €15 (around 15.8 usd), you’ll get 10 days to use your eSIM anywhere in Vietnam or in Southeast Asia.
Regional coverage
We consider DTAC’s eSIM card the best one of the eSIM plans for Vietnam because, while keeping its price in the range of local eSIM plans, it is in fact a regional eSIM. With this eSIM, you’ll be able to visit Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia… without worrying about roaming expenses or getting disconnected from your loved ones.
Airalo Xin Chao
Large local data package
Airalo offers 20GB of data for 32 usd for Vietnam. With such an amount of data, you’ll be limited only by its local coverage. You can only use this eSIM in Vietnam, so if your plans include visiting other countries in the region, this might not be the eSIM card for you.
Long validity
This eSIM card is valid for 30 days, making it a good option if you plan to stay in Vietnam for a month. However, if your visit is shorter, you might not use all the data and end up wasting your money. And remember that you’ll only be able to use it in Vietnam.
Nomad
20GB of data for a higher price
Nomad, our third pick, offers for Vietnam the same amount of data as Airalo, 20GB. With the same validity, its price is slightly more expensive (34 usd) than Airalo’s plan, so there’s no real reason to prefer this eSIM to travel to Vietnam.
Local coverage and only one network
Just like Airalo’s plan, it only offers service within the territory of Vietnam, and to worsen the offer, its only network partner is Mobiphone, so you’ll be limited by the areas where Mobiphone provides coverage.
Holafly
Unlimited data for 10 days
Holafly’s eSIM plan for Vietnam offers unlimited data for the same period as DTAC, but for more than twice the price. For 34 usd, you’ll get 10 days of unlimited data. For such a stay , 6GB is plenty, and if you need more data, you can still buy another card from DTAC and you’ll still save money in comparison to Holafly’s eSIM.
No tethering
Holafly’s eSIM could be very interesting for digital nomads, but the fact that you won’t be able to share your connection with your laptop or with any other device you bring with you while you travel, immediately discards this option.
In fact, Holafly’s no tethering policy is its crucial flaw, because why would you need unlimited data if you’re just using your smartphone?
How much data do I need?
An average user will consume around 10-15 GB of data monthly, and 9GB (monthly) or 230-470MB per day when travelling abroad. For 10 days, with an average usage of data, you’ll consume around 5 GB.
With the 6GB of data provided by Go Inter you’ll be able to: browse the internet for about 100 hours, or listen to music for about 41 hours, watch Netflix in SD for about 6 hours (don’t do that without Wi-Fi), interact with social media for around 40–60 hours, or FaceTime for 33 hours (according to Asda Mobile or Mint Mobile)
Remember to deactivate any heavy data consuming apps running on the background and take advantage of Wi-Fi hotspots on your surroundings and you’ll be completely covered by the 6 GB of data provided by DTAC’s eSIM.
With proper management of your data usage, you won’t have any issues at all with this card in Vietnam, but in case you need more data, you can always contact the eSIM carrier to renew your data/buy another eSIM.
Regional connectivity: Advantages
Regional eSIMs are more expensive than local eSIMs. That’s quite easy to understand since the carrier has to coordinate several network partners in order to provide service with the same eSIM.
Logic dictates that you lean towards a local eSIM to travel to Vietnam, especially because of the price. But with DTAC’s price, you might want to rethink your decision. A regional eSIM with the price of a local eSIM will allow you to move freely on your upcoming trip. You might even want to visit Cambodia or Laos and you won’t have any issues with your mobile connection in those countries.
DTAC’s Go Inter is the safest option for your travel to Southeast Asia, whether you’re just visiting Vietnam, or touring through the region.
How’s the network availability in Vietnam?
Four companies manage Vietnam’s mobile network. From these four, MobiFone and Viettel provide the best coverage experience to its customers. Vinaphone, on the other hand, provides the best download and upload experiences of the market.
About the availability of 4G networks in Vietnam, we have to warn you that, while the southern and northern parts of Vietnam have plenty of coverage, the middle region of the country lacks service, especially outside of big cities. Basically, if you decide to travel to the rural areas of Vietnam, you might have some issues with mobile network connectivity.
To explore the mobile network availability in Vietnam, you can check this interactive map.
How to buy an eSIM
The purchase process of an eSIM is one of its major advantages. All you need to do is choose the eSIM that best suits your needs and proceed to the carrier’s website. After providing your information and paying for the eSIM, you’ll receive an email with a QR code and instructions on how to activate the card on your phone.
No need to wait for the card to arrive via mail, no need to go to any store…in a matter of minutes you’ll be able to use your newly acquired eSIM on your mobile phone. You can do this from the comfort of your home or from your airport’s departure area and you won’t need to search for the pick-up location once you’ve arrived at the destination airport (like you usually do with plastic SIM cards).
Get the best eSIM for Vietnam
FAQ about Vietnam eSIM
Can I activate an eSIM from another country?
It is possible to activate an eSIM from a different country, however; we don’t recommend it. In some cases, it may lead to activation issues, and since the activation process is usually as simple as turning off your SIM data and turning on your eSIM data on your phone, we recommend that you activate it as soon as you land on your country of destination.
Which is the best eSIM card to travel to Southeast Asia?
DTAC’s Go Inter is, according to our analysis, the best eSIM you can buy to travel not only to Vietnam but also to Southeast Asia. With 6GB of data for around 16 usd, you’ll get excellent connection and several network partners in 21 countries in Asia, and if you’re visiting Thailand, you’ll have the possibility of purchasing anywhere from 15 to 50 GB of data with DTAC’s Thailand eSIMs.
How can I check if my device supports eSIMs?
Since not all devices support eSIMs, and even some devices that do support them, don’t support all kinds of eSIMs, your safest bet is to check the eSIM carrier’s list of compatible devices. As a last resort, you can also contact the carrier directly to make sure you’ll be able to install their eSIM on your phone.
Can I use WhatsApp in Vietnam?
Yes. In Vietnam, WhatsApp is a quite popular app and completely safe to use. However, the Vietnam-made app “Zalo” is the most used among Vietnamese people, but you’ll be able to use all the features of WhatsApp during your stay.