Vietnam eSIM for Indians (2026): prices vs Jio and Airtel roaming

Indian travellers heading to Vietnam usually weigh up three options: a Jio or Airtel roaming pack, a Vietnamese SIM bought after landing, or a travel eSIM installed at home. Here is how they compare on price and effort, and what to sort out before you fly.

Prices side by side

Other sizes: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹149 for a stopover, and 3 GB is ₹449, 20 GB is ₹2,099 and 50 GB is ₹4,899, each for 30 days. Unlimited gives 1 GB a day at full speed, then 384 Kbps, and costs ₹249 for 3 days, ₹449 for 5 days, ₹849 for 10 days, ₹1,299 for 15 days and ₹2,499 for 30 days. From 5 GB up, take the 30-day plan even for a short trip: 10 GB for 30 days is ₹1,199, while 10 GB for 7 days is ₹1,899. Every plan is on the Vietnam eSIM page.

A SIM from a Vietnamese operator is the other option. We could not confirm current tourist SIM prices at the Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi airports, so it is not in the table. If you go that way, compare the price at the counter with the figures above.

How much data you need

Unlimited suits a short, busy trip: you get a full gigabyte at full speed every day, and after that the eSIM keeps working at 384 Kbps, which is enough for maps and messages. A fixed plan suits a longer, lighter trip, because the data lasts 30 days and you only use it when you need it.

Networks and speed in Vietnam

eSIMKite's Vietnam plans connect to Viettel, VinaPhone, MobiFone and Vietnamobile, so your phone can use whichever network is strongest where you are. Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for September 2026 puts Vietnam's average mobile download speed at 365.87 Mbps, 5th in the world.

We could not find a recent independent network-by-network report for Vietnam, so we do not rank the operators here. If you are heading somewhere remote, ask your hotel or tour operator which network works best there before you go.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

A travel eSIM is data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so your number, WhatsApp account and bank SMS stay with it. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: the roaming packs include SMS (25 on the ₹951 pack, 20 on the ₹589 pack). If you skip a pack, check in the MyJio app that your plan can receive SMS in Vietnam.
• Airtel prepaid: Airtel's IR activation pack costs ₹118 for 28 days, at standard charges. If you skip the 5 or 10-day pack, check in the Airtel Thanks app whether you need it to receive SMS abroad.
• Airtel postpaid: new postpaid plans (from 8 Oct 2026) include one free 5-day roaming trip a year, with 5 GB, 60 minutes and free incoming SMS. Airtel has not listed the countries.
• Vi: check the roaming and SMS rules for your plan in the Vi app before you fly.
• WhatsApp: messages and calls run over the eSIM's data, and your account keeps your Indian number.
• Telegram: Vietnam ordered internet providers to block Telegram on 23 May 2025. Do not rely on it to reach your hotel, guide or family.
• UPI and cards: UPI merchant payments were not live in Vietnam on 31 August 2026. Vietnam's official tourism site says most hotels, tour operators, restaurants, grocery stores and spas take international Visa cards, and many businesses and taxis take Visa contactless. Street vendors need cash.

Before you land

• Visa: Indians need a visa for Vietnam, and the e-visa is issued only through the official portal, evisa.gov.vn (also thithucdientu.gov.vn), which replaced the old evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn address on 11 November 2024.
• Cash: ATMs are just outside the arrival gates at major airports. Withdrawal limits are VND 2 to 3 million at local-bank ATMs and VND 5 to 10 million at international-bank ATMs. Notes run from VND 10,000 to VND 500,000, and there are no coins.
• Messaging: since Telegram is blocked, swap WhatsApp numbers with your hotel and any tour operator before you fly.
• Apps: install your ride, map and translation apps at home on Wi-Fi, and sign in to each one while you are still in India, where sign-in codes to your Indian number arrive without roaming.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the Vietnam plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India. It takes about two minutes.
3. Leave the eSIM line off until you land. The plan starts counting when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy it.
4. After landing, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the line for mobile data.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM.

When a local SIM or roaming is the better choice

Choose a Jio or Airtel pack if you will make many normal calls on your Indian number. Jio's ₹951 pack includes 100 outgoing and 100 incoming minutes, and Airtel's ₹1,298 pack has 200 minutes. Without a pack, Jio charges ₹5 a minute in Vietnam, so a week of daily calls home adds up quickly. If you mostly call India from hotel Wi-Fi, Jio also sells Wi-Fi calling packs: ₹121 for 100 minutes over 2 days, or ₹521 for 500 minutes over 10 days, if your phone supports Wi-Fi calling.

For a long stay, or if you need a Vietnamese number for local apps and deliveries, a SIM from a Vietnamese operator makes more sense than a data-only eSIM. We could not confirm current tourist SIM prices or rules, so ask at an operator's shop and compare with the 30-day eSIM plans, which go up to 50 GB for ₹4,899.

For most trips of one to two weeks, the eSIM plus your Indian SIM for OTPs covers everything: data for maps, rides and WhatsApp on one line, and your bank and family on the other.

Questions

Get your Vietnam eSIMQR code on screen and by emailQR code by email after a document check · 4G/5G · from $1.99

See Vietnam plans

Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.