Before you fly
- eVisa on the government site · US$25 typical
- Entry airport must match
Southeast Asia
Vietnam
Hanoi and Hoi An sit in a decent shoulder window; street food still cheap.
Apply online · 90 daysVietnamese dongMid US$75Good time to go
Your trip
You are in
London
United Kingdom · LHR
13 hours, one stop
You land in
Vietnam
Hanoi · HAN
Needed
Entry Apply onlineStay 90 daysVisa fee US$25
Cost
Mid day US$75Rate 1 GBP ≈ 34,293 VND
Pay in VND. A bank or airport desk usually keeps more of the rate. Compare it on FX
Visa fee US$25Checked Sep 2026
Print a copy. Match the exact entry airport you filed.
Status
Apply online
Stay
90 days
Fee guide
US$25
Verify on IATA before you pay or fly. A stay or a fee on this card is only a note. If IATA and the government site disagree with it, follow those.
1 · Day 0
Apply on the official site
Only the government portal. Third-party “agents” with a screenshot of a form are a common scam.
2 · 1–7 days typical
Decision
Some are 24 hours; some take a week. Do not buy non-refundable until it is issued.
3 · Before you fly
Save the PDF
Offline copy plus a print. Airlines check it at the gate.
Confirm on the official site
Indicative only, last reviewed Sep 2026. Zay Future Ltd is not an immigration adviser. We do not scrape government systems or store passport numbers. Confirm fees and wait times on the official site before you pay anyone else.
Cost
What one day costs, and what the trip costs
| One day | Mid | Comfort | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | US$32 | US$75 | US$10 |
| Food | US$18 | US$38 | US$10 |
| Getting around | US$10 | US$16 | US$5 |
| Extras | US$5 | US$11 | US$3 |
| Day | US$75 | US$161 | US$32 |
Budget is a dorm or guesthouse. Mid and Comfort charge the whole room to one person. Two people split the bed only. Not included: the flight, the visa, insurance, the airport ride, a scooter, tours, or shopping.
Visa
US$25
eSIM
US$8
Airport ride
US$15
First meal
US$5
Cover
US$41
Arrival day, not counting the hotel
US$53
Hotel is not included. The ride is one car for every three people. Cash still matters. ATMs everywhere. Notes are large — 50,000 VND is a coffee, 500,000 is a decent dinner.
1
On US$525 of spending in the country, a normal bank card can cost about US$15 extra in fees. A travel card is usually cheaper. Open the money desk
1 person · 7 nights · Mid · cover
US$614
Getting there
13 hours, one stop
From London. A typical time, not a live timetable.
- Vietnam Airlines
- Vietjet
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
Airport
From the airport into the city
A guide, not a live map. Fares move. Check the app before you sit down.
Noi Bai · HAN
45–70 min to the Old Quarter
- Inside
- One international arrivals hall. Use the official taxi desk or open Grab inside, on the airport Wi-Fi.
- Into town
- Grab, an official taxi, or the public bus. The Old Quarter is a long road, not a walk.
- Typical cost
- A car is often about 250,000–450,000 dong.
Tan Son Nhat · SGN
25–55 min to District 1
- Inside
- One terminal building. The Grab point is marked. A person waving a sign is not the app.
- Into town
- Grab or a taxi. District 1 is close but the traffic is not.
- Typical cost
- Often about 150,000–300,000 dong.
Da Nang · DAD
30–45 min to Hoi An
- Inside
- One terminal. Official taxi and Grab outside.
- Into town
- Da Nang beach is a short ride. Hoi An is further, along the coast.
- Typical cost
- Da Nang is often under 200,000 dong. Hoi An is more.
Ride app, once:Grab
Find a lounge
- Business class or airline status: follow that airline’s lounge signs.
- A card lounge: open Priority Pass, LoungeKey, or DragonPass and search the airport code.
- Pay at the door: the price is on the desk, not on this page.
When to leave
This does not see your ticket. It only writes a reminder on your phone.
Install buttons open the official app. Grab’s public referral pays drivers who recruit drivers. It does not pay this site when a traveller installs the ride app. A button will say “referral” only after a deal is signed.
Road
Right-hand traffic
Licence
United Kingdom licence: Do not assume your home licence or an IDP lets you ride. Check before you hire a bike.
Getting around
Grab for a car or a bike. Trains between cities. Traffic is the hazard, not the distance.
Weather
North cool and wet Nov–Mar. South wet May–Nov. Snow only on the highest peaks, and rare.
Central is calmer than mid-summer
- Languages
Vietnamese · English in tourist cities
- Plug220V
- Emergency
113 police · 115 ambulance
- Airports
HAN · SGN · DAD
- Kit
Card, cover, and FX
Before you fly
What to buy before the trip
Adapter, eSIM, and the small things that are harder to find on arrival.
Open the shopWhat people eat
Pho
Street shopAbout 50,000 dong
Banh mi
StreetAbout 30,000 dong
Com tam
ShopAbout 50,000 dong
A typical price, not a menu.
Pay in the local currency
- Ask to pay in Vietnamese dong, not your home currency.
- If the card machine offers to convert the amount, press no.
- Compare a transfer before you send cash home.
Buying or leasing
LeaseLease means you can use it for a term. You do not own the land.
Foreigners do not own the land. An apartment in an approved project is a long lease, often 50 years.
Oct 2026. Not legal advice.
1 · Before you fly
eVisa on the government site
US$25 typical
2 · When you land
eVisa counter / immigration
3 · While you are there
Traffic
4 · When you leave
Airport buffer
The steps
Before you fly, when you land, while you are there, when you leave
When you land
- eVisa counter / immigration
- Grab, not the lobby tout · HAN → Old Quarter ~200–350k VND
While you are there
- Traffic
- Cash
When you leave
- Airport buffer
Where to do what
eVisa processing
Signed eVisa counters if your approval needs a sticker. Many now go straight to immigration.
Grab pickup
Follow the app pin. Do not hop in an unsigned car at the terminal door.
SIM
Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone after baggage. Passport for the SIM law.
To book
eSIM, hotel, and a car
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