We show a saving only when roaming would genuinely cover your whole trip.
UK → Vietnam · roaming vs eSIM
Compare eSIMs for Vietnam.
Compare what your UK network charges to roam in Vietnam with travel eSIMs sized for your trip. See the hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits before opening checkout.
26 destinations26 with eSIM pricesRoaming priced, never guessedNo account needed
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Hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits beside every plan.
See where each number came from and when we checked it.
The Vietnam guide · updated 23 Sept 2026
Short answer: buy an eSIM before you fly. Vietnam is one of the few destinations O2 Travel doesn't cover at all.
Vietnam sits outside every UK network's Europe zone, and it isn't on O2 Travel's destination list, so O2 customers fall back to standard roaming rates rather than the £7 daily cap. EE sells Rest of World Zone 1 passes from £6 for 24 hours and Three's Around the World passes start at £12.50 for 3 days. Local SIMs are cheap, but every one has to be registered to your passport. An eSIM installed at home costs less than a week of passes and works the moment you land. The worked costs below price both.
- Local networks
- Viettel, Vinaphone and MobiFone cover the country. Nomad lists Vietnamobile, MobiFone and Vinaphone, and Airalo lists VNPT, which runs Vinaphone.
- O2 Travel doesn't list Vietnam
- The £7-a-day bolt-on covers a long list of destinations, and Vietnam isn't among them, so check O2's standard rate for your plan before you use data.
- SIM registration is mandatory
- Vietnamese SIMs must be registered to a passport, and unregistered numbers are cut off. Airport and shop counters do it while you wait.
- Airport SIM prices
- Tourist SIMs at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City airports typically run from about 150,000 to 350,000 dong, roughly £4.50 to £10.50.
- Coverage
- Cities, the coast and the main highways are well covered. The northern mountains around Ha Giang and Sapa are patchy, so download maps.
What your UK network charges in Vietnam
Vietnam is outside every UK network's Europe zone. Where a network publishes a charge for Vietnam, the row is priced in the calculator above and links to the network's page. Where it prices against your account, we say so rather than guess.
| Network | How Vietnam is charged | Worth knowing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | EE Rest of World Zone 1 pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days, £50 for 15 days | Uses your UK allowance, up to a 50GB fair-use ceiling. Full Works and some older plans may already cover this zone, so check the EE app first. | EE mobile price guide ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| O2 | Vietnam isn't on O2 Travel's list | O2 Travel's £7-a-day bolt-on doesn't cover Vietnam, so O2's standard roaming rates apply. Check the rate for your plan before you use data. | O2 Europe Zone roaming ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Vodafone | Priced against your plan in Vodafone's roaming checker | Vodafone's public pages don't print one rate for Vietnam. Its roaming checker shows the charge for your number, and some plans include it. | Vodafone global roaming ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Three | Go Roam Around the World passes: £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7, £60 for 14 | Or £5 a day on plans taken out between October 2021 and 17 December 2025; check My3 for the rate on newer plans. Up to 12GB of your UK data abroad, and hotspot use isn't allowed. | Three Go Roam passes ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| iD Mobile | Check iD Mobile's roaming page for Vietnam | iD sells Roam Beyond data passes for some destinations outside Europe. We couldn't confirm which applies here, so check before you rely on it. | iD Mobile roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Sky Mobile | Check Sky's destination list for Vietnam | Roaming Passport Plus costs £2 on each day you use it in the destinations Sky covers. We couldn't confirm this one. | Sky Roaming Passport Plus ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| giffgaff | Check giffgaff's roaming page for Vietnam | giffgaff sells fixed-price travel data add-ons for some destinations outside the EU. Buy one before you use any data, because standard roaming rates apply without it. | giffgaff roaming checker ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| SMARTY | Outside the EU, you need an out-of-plan add-on | SMARTY charges roaming outside the EU from an out-of-plan add-on balance, at the rates in its price guide. Plan on Wi-Fi or an eSIM for data. | SMARTY roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| VOXI | Check whether Vietnam is on VOXI's Global Roaming Extra list | VOXI sells 8- and 15-day Global Roaming Extra passes for listed destinations. Elsewhere it charges by the megabyte. | VOXI roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile | Check Tesco Mobile's roaming charges for Vietnam | Outside its Home From Home destinations, Tesco Mobile charges roaming by the megabyte. Pay-monthly charges and spend safeguards depend on your tariff. | Tesco Mobile roaming checker ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
Roaming versus an eSIM, priced for a real trip
Everyday use is about 0.8GB a day, so a week needs 6GB and a fortnight 12GB. Roaming figures come from the same published charges the calculator uses; eSIM figures are the cheapest single plan from each provider that covers the trip, live from Nomad. Klook is left out because it shows prices only on its own page.
7 days · plan for 6GB
UK roaming
- EE£30.00
- Three£30.00
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 10GB · 30 days≈ £12.75live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
14 days · plan for 12GB
UK roaming
- EE£50.00
- Three£60.00
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 20GB · 30 days≈ £19.50live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
Roaming figures assume you roam every day of the trip and the pass or daily fee covers your data need; the calculator above lets you change both. Nomad prices are converted from US dollars at a rounded rate and marked as estimates.
The eSIM providers we compare for Vietnam
Four providers appear in the comparison above. Saily and Nomad send us live prices, Airalo's are checked by hand, and Klook shows its prices only on its own page. Links we could earn a commission on are marked as sponsored in the page source.
Saily on local partner networks
Quotes real pounds, so the price you see is the price you pay. Saily says it doesn't restrict hotspot use, though your phone or the local network may.
Watch out: Check when the plan starts counting down before you install it.
Saily Vietnam plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Nomad on Vietnamobile, MobiFone and Vinaphone
Prices in US dollars, which we convert at a rounded Bank of England rate, so your card may charge a little more. Nomad lists Vietnamobile, MobiFone and Vinaphone for Vietnam and says its eSIMs support hotspot use.
Watch out: Nomad plans have to be activated within 60 days of purchase, so don't buy months ahead.
Nomad Vietnam plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Airalo on VNPT
We have no affiliate relationship with Airalo and list it anyway. Its Vietnam eSIM lists VNPT as the main network.
Watch out: If you pick an unlimited plan, check its daily full-speed limit before you buy.
Klook on the network named on Klook's page
Klook's price changes with every combination of days and data, so we don't show one. We haven't confirmed a single Klook product page for Vietnam, so the link opens Klook's own search for it.
Watch out: You get a QR code on a voucher. Install it on Wi-Fi before you travel and check when the countdown starts.
Klook Vietnam plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
What UK networks charge in Vietnam
EE puts Vietnam in Rest of World Zone 1, so you buy a pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days or £50 for 15. Three sells Go Roam Around the World passes at £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7 and £60 for 14, using up to 12GB of your UK data, with hotspot use not allowed.
O2 is the one to watch. Vietnam isn't on O2 Travel's list, so the £7-a-day cap doesn't apply and your plan's standard roaming rate does. Vodafone prices Vietnam against your own account in its checker, and iD Mobile, Sky, giffgaff, SMARTY, VOXI and Tesco Mobile publish no rate we could confirm, so those rows send you to the network rather than guess a number.
Local SIMs, passports and registration
Every Vietnamese SIM has to be registered to an identity document, and for a visitor that means your passport. Counters at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports will do it on the spot, and a tourist package with a generous data allowance costs only a few pounds.
The trade-off is the queue, the paperwork and the risk of buying an unregistered SIM from a street stall that stops working days later. An eSIM avoids all three, and you keep your UK number reachable at the same time.
Coverage from Hanoi to the Mekong
The cities, the coastal route and the main highways are well served, and data is fast and cheap on local networks. Ha Long Bay boat trips, the Ha Giang loop and the hills around Sapa all have gaps, so download offline maps and book confirmations before you leave a town.
If you're crossing into Cambodia or Laos on the same trip, check the eSIM's coverage list first: a Vietnam-only plan stops at the border, and a regional Asia plan may be the cheaper way to cover the whole route.
Setting up for Vietnam
- 01Buy and install at home
Install the eSIM on home Wi-Fi before you travel and keep the new line switched off until you land. Save the QR code or setup details in case you need to reinstall.
- 02Turn off data roaming on your UK line
Leave your UK SIM on so calls and bank texts still reach you, but switch its data roaming off so it can't run up charges.
- 03Make the eSIM your data line
Set the eSIM as the line for mobile data, turn off automatic data switching, and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- 04Check your O2 rate before you land
Because Vietnam isn't on O2 Travel's list, an O2 line uses standard roaming rates there. Check the rate in the My O2 app and keep data roaming off on that line unless you've decided to pay it.
Vietnam questions, answered
Does O2 Travel work in Vietnam?
No. Vietnam isn't on O2 Travel's destination list, so the £7-a-day bolt-on doesn't apply and your plan's standard roaming rates do. Check the rate in My O2 before you use any data.
What does EE charge for roaming in Vietnam?
Vietnam is in EE's Rest of World Zone 1, so you need a pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days or £50 for 15, using your UK allowance up to a 50GB fair-use ceiling.
Do I need my passport to buy a SIM in Vietnam?
Yes. Vietnamese SIMs must be registered to an identity document, and unregistered numbers get cut off. A travel eSIM needs no registration at all.
How much data do I need for two weeks in Vietnam?
At our everyday estimate of about 0.8GB a day, around 12GB. Light use, mostly maps and messages, needs about 6GB; heavy use with video or a hotspot, about 28GB.
Will a Vietnam eSIM work in Cambodia or Laos?
Not unless the plan says so. A Vietnam-only eSIM stops at the border, so for a multi-country trip check the coverage list or pick a regional Asia plan.
Where the numbers come from
How we work this out.
On EE we price roaming for all 26 destinations. Across the other nine networks we price 145 more network-and-destination combinations from published charges; everywhere else we send you to your network's own checker instead of guessing. Saily and Nomad send us their prices directly, covering 26 destinations. Airalo prices are checked by hand for 5 of them and carry the date we last looked. Klook never shows a price here — we send you to their own page instead of guessing one.
UK roaming rules Checked 25 Aug 2026Hand-checked prices & calls/texts labels Checked 23 Sept 2026Exchange rates (rounded) Checked 23 Sept 2026Price refresh rule Rechecked on a weekly scheduleLive prices from Saily and Nomad working · 26 destinations
Setting up before you fly
Keep your UK number. Turn off its data.
- 01Install at home
Buy before departure, install on Wi-Fi and keep the new line switched off until arrival.
- 02Choose the data line
Set the travel eSIM as Mobile Data and disable data switching so your UK SIM cannot take over.
- 03Keep texts available
Leave the UK line on for banking texts if needed, but turn off its data roaming and avoid chargeable calls.
Common questions
Things worth checking first.
Do you work out what my own network would charge?
On EE, for all 26 destinations. Across the other nine networks, for 145 more network-and-destination combinations. Everywhere else we send you to your network’s own checker rather than invent a number — usually because the network has stopped publishing a rate, or prices it against your individual account. Pick the tariff that applies to you and we work out the daily fees, the cheapest combination of passes, or the per-megabyte rate from your network’s published charges. We only claim a saving when roaming would actually cover your whole trip and everything else you asked for.
Are these prices live?
Saily’s and Nomad’s are — they come from each provider’s own feed and are marked “Live price”. Saily quotes real pounds; Nomad quotes US dollars, which we convert. Airalo prices are checked by hand and carry the date we checked them. They are already in pounds, so they need no conversion. Klook never shows a price here, because we cannot read one reliably; that link takes you to their own page.
Why does one provider show several plans?
Because more than one can fit your trip — a bigger allowance, a longer run before it expires, or unlimited data. We show each provider’s best few for your trip and tuck the rest — including any that cost more without giving you more — behind one “show more” button. Pin up to three to compare side by side.
Where do I find hotspot and speed limits?
Open “Hotspot, speed & other limits” on any plan. It covers whether you can use the phone as a hotspot, what happens when you hit a speed cap, what the fair-use rules are, when the plan starts counting down, and which local network you will be on. If it says “check plan”, the provider’s own wording was not clear enough for us to promise you either way.
Can I make normal calls on these?
Usually not. Most travel eSIMs give you data only — WhatsApp and FaceTime work, but your phone number does not. If you need real calls and texts, answer “Yes” in the form and we will only recommend a plan that we have confirmed includes them.
Will an eSIM work on my phone?
Search for your exact model and we will check it against manufacturer guidance. Two things we cannot check for you: whether your phone is locked to a UK network, and which regional version you own — some models sold in certain countries have no eSIM at all. Confirm both before buying.
How many destinations do you cover?
26 destinations — Turkey, United States, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia, Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka — and all 10 UK networks. Saily and Nomad price every destination live; 5 of them also carry hand-checked Airalo prices.