Photo: Vivu Vietnam / Unsplash
Practical info for Vietnam
Emergencies, embassy, entry requirements, money: the essentials before you go, with the official source and the date each piece of information was checked.
Embassy and entry requirements shown for travellers from: United Kingdom.
Emergency numbers
Source: France Diplomatie, GOV.UK, French embassy, Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas, Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP · verified on 26/10/2026
Embassy and consulates
- British Embassy HanoiEmbassy
- Address
- Central Building, 4th floor 31 Hai Ba Trung, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Consular emergency line
- To call us in an emergency or send us an online enquiry use our contact form: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/vietnam/british-embassy-hanoi
- British Consulate General Ho Chi Minh CityConsulate
- Address
- 25 Le Duan Street, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Consular emergency line
- To call us in an emergency or send us an online enquiry use our contact form: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/vietnam/british-consulate-general-ho-chi-minh-city
Consular emergency numbers (emergencies only): FCDO, London (24 hours): +44 20 7008 5000.
Entry requirements
The rules depend on your passport: check them here before you book, for every traveller, children included.
Official page: GOV.UK (FCDO), updated 21/09/2026 ›
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Safety and travel advice
The FCDO does not currently advise against travel to any part of this country.
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Currency and payments
Currency: Dong (VND).
The ECB does not publish a reference rate for VND.
Source: SIX Group (ISO 4217), European Central Bank, EU Publications Office · verified on 26/10/2026
Time difference
Local time: UTC+07:00, +7 h compared with London (calculated on 26/10/2026).
The clocks change in London on 28/03/2027: the difference may change that day.
Source: IANA (time zones) · verified on 26/10/2026
Driving
Traffic drives on the right.
Driving licence, according to GOV.UK (FCDO): “You’ll need to have both the 1968 version of the international driving permit and your UK driving licence with you whilst driving a car or motorbike in Vietnam.”
Source: GOV.UK, Viaggiare Sicuri · verified on 26/10/2026
Mobile networks
Networks listed by the eSIMs we checked: MobiFone (Sirocco); Vietnamobile (Sirocco); Viettel Mobile (Sirocco); Vinaphone (Sirocco); VNPT (Airalo).
eSIM prices for Vietnam
7 days, 5 GB · prices checked on 26/10/2026
3 brands compared, not an exhaustive listWhy this ranking?
Ranked by price: for each brand, the cheapest plan that covers 7 days and 5 GB.
Not an exhaustive comparison: 3 brands out of the dozens that sell eSIMs. The list of brands compared is in our Methodology.
eSIMeter is published by Mocom SAS, which sells Sirocco: the site is funded by those sales. No other brand pays us.
Frequently asked questions
What are the emergency numbers in Vietnam?
Single emergency number: 112 ; Police: 113 ; Medical emergencies: 115 ; Fire brigade: 114
How do I contact the embassy or consulate in Vietnam?
British Embassy Hanoi, Central Building, 4th floor 31 Hai Ba Trung, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi, Vietnam ; British Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City, 25 Le Duan Street, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Consular emergency numbers (emergencies only): FCDO, London (24 hours): +44 20 7008 5000.
What are the entry requirements for Vietnam?
The rules depend on your passport: check them here before you book, for every traveller, children included. Official page: GOV.UK (FCDO), updated 21/09/2026.
What is the travel advice for Vietnam?
The FCDO does not currently advise against travel to any part of this country.
What currency is used in Vietnam?
Currency: Dong (VND). The ECB does not publish a reference rate for VND.
What is the time difference in Vietnam?
Local time: UTC+07:00, +7 h compared with London (calculated on 26/10/2026). The clocks change in London on 28/03/2027: the difference may change that day.
What should I know about driving in Vietnam?
Traffic drives on the right. Driving licence, according to GOV.UK (FCDO): “You’ll need to have both the 1968 version of the international driving permit and your UK driving licence with you whilst driving a car or motorbike in Vietnam.”
Which mobile networks operate in Vietnam?
Networks listed by the eSIMs we checked: MobiFone (Sirocco); Vietnamobile (Sirocco); Viettel Mobile (Sirocco); Vinaphone (Sirocco); VNPT (Airalo).
Photo: Daniel Klein / Unsplash
Vietnam with the family
From Sirocco, the publisher of eSIMeter
- Documents, money, transport, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Saigon and the Mekong, and our unusual places: everything you need to plan the trip and enjoy it with the children.
- Yellow merchants' houses, a Japanese covered bridge, silk lanterns at nightfall and bikes speeding off to the rice fields.
- This guide takes you from departure to coming home: the formalities, Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon stage by stage, our unusual places, two day trips and three itineraries.