Grab, Green SM and cash make Vietnam easier, while local QR still needs planning
Use only evisa.gov.vn for an official Vietnamese e-visa and save the approved PDF offline.
Vietnam now also asks foreign air passengers arriving through major international airports to submit the separate, free Pre-arrival Information form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn and retain its QR code. Cash in Vietnamese đồng remains essential for small restaurants, markets and transport, while foreign cards work more reliably at larger businesses. Ordinary VietQR codes usually require a compatible bank or wallet, so MoMo is not a practical short-stay tourist recommendation. Book airport rides inside Grab or Green SM, verify the plate and ignore people claiming to be app representatives in the arrivals hall.
Administrative boundaries changed in 2025, so older and newer versions of an address can coexist. Save the Vietnamese venue name and map pin. Weather and flood risk vary sharply by region; follow official warnings before road, rail, boat or hiking plans. Call 112 for national rescue, 113 for police, 114 for fire and 115 for an ambulance.
Emergency operators may speak only Vietnamese.
The easiest visitor default for cars, motorbikes and licensed taxis across Vietnam's main cities and tourism hubs.
The electric ride-hailing service formerly called Xanh SM, with cars, motorbikes and dedicated airport options.
A Vietnamese multi-service app for cars, motorbikes, taxis and other transport in many cities.
The official booking app for a long-established metered taxi network with broad provincial coverage.
The official app for a major licensed taxi fleet concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam.
A dominant local delivery service with extensive restaurant coverage and different prices and promotions from GrabFood.
The simplest visitor delivery option inside Grab, with broad coverage and comparatively easy foreign-card use.
Food delivery inside the Be app, useful as a smaller local comparison in supported cities.
The Green SM app's Food service, a newer delivery alternative with more limited coverage than the two market leaders.
An optional international wallet that can fund and scan supported Vietnamese merchant QR codes without a local bank account.
Vietnam's dominant local messenger for businesses, drivers, guides, accommodation and personal contacts.
The best all-purpose map for Vietnamese places, walking, roads and basic public-transport planning.
A privacy-focused offline map for walking, saved places and roads when live data is unavailable.
Vietnam's most useful visitor super app for rides, food, groceries and deliveries through one account.
Ho Chi Minh City's official public-transport app for buses, Metro Line 1, waterbus links, routes and live arrivals.
Transerco's official Hanoi bus app with English, route planning, live arrivals and offline route information.
The official app for Hanoi's two operating metro corridors, with digital tickets and foreign-passport registration.
The official free immigration form for foreign air arrivals at Vietnam's participating major international airports.
The Immigration Department's official portal for eligible travelers applying for a Vietnamese electronic visa.
The flag carrier's official app for bookings, flight updates, check-in, boarding passes and added services.
Vietjet's official app for managing flights, check-in, baggage, seats, meals and schedule notifications.
The most practical Vietnamese tool for downloaded text, camera translation and basic conversations.
An optional travel card and currency account for eligible customers, useful for card spending and exchange rather than VietQR.
Vietnam's leading English-capable marketplace for intercity buses, limousine vans, trains and flights.
The official railway booking website for checking and buying Vietnamese train tickets without a mobile app.
Vietnam's official weather app with forecasts and location alerts for storms, lightning, floods and landslides.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Avoid pre-activated SIMs sold without an ID check; they can be blocked without warning.
Best choice for broad coverage, including rural areas.
Tourist-friendly choice with a straightforward purchase process.
A solid alternative; compare current prepaid offers before buying.
The essential apps for Vietnam are Grab, Green SM, ShopeeFood, GrabFood, Google Maps.
We've curated 26 apps across 12 categories for traveling in Vietnam, including 12 essential apps.
Grab is the top-rated ride hailing app in Vietnam. The easiest visitor default for cars, motorbikes and licensed taxis across Vietnam's main cities and tourism hubs.
Use official entry portals, keep cash, and match each island with the right app
Use local ride apps, official entry portals, and current border advice
Compare rides by city, keep Lao kip, and expect the official railway app to be fallible
Check official warnings, plan every route, and keep cash and offline backups
Use Grab widely, treat Touch 'n Go card and eWallet as separate tools, and verify every terminal
Register eTravel, keep pesos, and download maps before moving between islands
