Best SIM cards for taking your phone to Vietnam

If you’re travelling to Vietnam from Australia, the chances are good you’ll want to use your mobile phone. And you’ve got plenty of options. You can buy a travel SIM. Alternatively, plenty of Australian mobile providers offer international roaming. We break down the best picks for travelling to Vietnam with a SIM card you already have for SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans.

Before we dive into the full breakdown, here are today’s popular mobile plans from our comparison engine.

Of the 30 mobile providers we track in our comparison engine, six of them offer both SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans. All of those six also offer international roaming that covers Vietnam, but some choices are better than others for travel.

Below is a breakdown of the most popular mobile plans (a mix of SIM-only and prepaid) from Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Kogan Mobile, Everyday Mobile and Coles Mobile.

Vodafone takes out the top spot for an Aussie SIM that you can use in Vietnam because of its straightforward SIM-only international roaming. Pay $5 per day while travelling to 100 eligible countries (including Vietnam) and you can use your phone like you’re back home, including texts, calls and your monthly data allowance. There are two disclaimers, though: it’s capped to 90 international roaming days collectively per year and excess data costs $5 per gigabyte.

Here are the most popular SIM-only Vodafone plans from our database.

If you’re a Vodafone prepaid customer, the roaming isn’t as straightforward as SIM-only users but you still have a few options. There are 80 international destinations covered, which includes Vietnam:

• Vodafone Roaming Prepaid Add-on #1 ($5 per day): 200MB of data, 25 call minutes and 30 texts.
• Vodafone Roaming Prepaid Add-on #2 ($15 per day): 750MB of data, 90 call minutes and 120 texts.
• Vodafone Roaming Prepaid Add-on #3 ($35 per day): 2GB of data, 200 call minutes and 300 texts.

And here are the most popular prepaid Vodafone plans today.

Optus international roaming choices and prices vary based on the type of plan you have. Vietnam is listed as one of the 103 Zone 1 countries for Optus. If you’re on an Optus Choice Plus SIM-only plan, it costs $5 per day for 5GB of data as well as unlimited calls and texts. Optus SIM-only customers not on an Optus Choice Plus plan pay $10 per day and get 1GB of data, unlimited calls and unlimited texts.

Check out the most popular Optus SIM-only plans below.

Optus prepaid customers have two choices for international roaming in 101 destinations, including Vietnam. The cheapest option is a $5 daily roaming plan, which includes 1GB of data, 100 call minutes and 100 texts. Alternatively, pay $35 per day for 7GB of data, 700 call minutes and 700 texts.

Below is a snapshot of today’s popular Optus prepaid plans.

Unlike the other mobile providers in this category, Kogan Mobile simplifies its international roaming by offering the same options for its SIM-only and prepaid customers. Vietnam is one of Kogan’s 30 eligible destinations and offers these international roaming add-ons:

• $10 for 1 Day Roaming: 1GB data, plus 50 call minutes and 50 texts.
• $25 for 3 Day Roaming: 2GB data, plus 100 call minutes and 100 texts.
• $45 for 7 Day Roaming: 5GB data, 150 call minutes and 150 texts.

Kogan Mobile’s popular SIM-only plans are listed below.

And you can see Kogan Mobile’s popular prepaid picks here.

Everyday (Woolworths) Mobile takes a leaf out of Kogan Mobile’s book and offers unified (albeit slightly pricier) international roaming add-ons for its SIM-only and prepaid customers. Vietnam is one of 68 eligible roaming destinations for Everyday Mobile customers. There are three roaming packs to choose from:

• $12 for 1 Day International Roaming: 1GB of data, plus 20 call minutes and 20 SMS.
• $45 for 7 Day International Roaming: 5GB of data, plus 30 call minutes and 30 SMS.
• $70 for 14 Day International Roaming: 10GB of data, plus 60 call minutes and 60 SMS.

Below are the popular Everyday Mobile SIM-only plans from our comparison engine.

And here’s a snapshot of today’s popular Everyday Mobile prepaid plans from our database.

In Telstra SIM-only terms, only New Zealand is classified as a Zone 1 country. Vietnam is one of 74 eligible Telstra Zone 2 international roaming destinations. Telstra SIM-only customers can pay $10 per day for an International Day Pass that has 1GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text.

Check out Telstra’s popular SIM-only plans.

Unfortunately for Telstra prepaid customers, Vietnam isn’t one of the 38 eligible destinations. That said, if you’re in the market for a Telstra prepaid plan, here are the popular picks.

Coles Mobile breaks the mould in this group by not offering international roaming add-ons for Vietnam or any other country. Instead, Coles Mobile SIM-only and prepaid customers use international credit for data, calls and texts. While Coles Mobile users can roll over up to $500 of international credit by recharging before expiry, it does expire 30 days after purchase. Below are the Coles Mobile international roaming rates for Vietnam:

• Data: $0.50 per megabyte.
• Calls and voicemail: $1 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS: $0.50 per SMS sent, $0 to receive.
• MMS to Australian number: $0.49 per standard MMS (sending and receiving).
• MMS to non-Australian number: $0.75 per standard MMS (sending and receiving).

Today is a look at the popular Coles Mobile SIM-only plans.

And here are today’s popular Coles Mobile prepaid plans.

This next group of mobile providers from our database offer SIM-only plans, ranked from best to worst in terms of international roaming for Vietnam. Before checking out the ranking, have a gander at the most popular SIM-only plans in our comparison engine today.

Belong SIM-only customers can use international roaming in 48 destinations, including Vietnam. The Belong international roaming add-on is $30 for 15 days and includes 3GB of data, 150 minutes of calls and unlimited SMS.

You’ll find Belong’s popular SIM-only plans below.

Tangerine Telecom SIM-only customers have access to a trio of international roaming add-ons for 68 destinations, including Vietnam. Here’s a breakdown of Tangerine’s three international roaming packs for Vietnam:

• $35 for 7 Day Pack: 5GB of data, 30 call minutes and 30 SMS.
• $55 for 14 Day Pack: 10GB of data, 60 call minutes and 60 SMS
• $60 for 3 Day Pack: 3GB of data, 300 call minutes and 300 SMS.

Below is a daily updating snapshot of Tangerine’s popular SIM-only plans.

More sells SIM-only mobile plans in Australia and offers a couple of international roaming add-ons for its customers. There are 67 destinations covered, including Vietnam. It’s $36 for a seven-day pack, which includes 5GB of data, 30 call minutes and 30 SMS. Alternatively, pay $55 for a 14-day pack, which comes with 10GB of data, 60 call minutes and 60 SMS.

Check out More’s SIM-only plans below.

If you’re a Moose Mobile SIM-only customer, there are 104 Zone 1 destinations covered by international roaming, including Vietnam. There’s a $200 pay-as-you-go (PAYG) prepayment required but, effectively, it cost $15 per day for 1GB of data as well as unlimited talk and text.

Here’s a look at Moose Mobile’s popular SIM-only plans today.

Unlike the other SIM-only mobile providers above, iiNet doesn’t offer international roaming add-ons. Instead, iiNet customers use PAYG international roaming rates for data, calls and texts, with eligible destinations divided into different zones. Vietnam is classified as a Zone 3 country by iiNet, which means you’ll pay the highest roaming rates (it’s cost-prohibitive to the point that we don’t recommend it):

• Data: $15.50 per megabyte.
• Calls: $4 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS: $1 to send, free to receive
• MMS: standard domestic or international MMS rate + $15.50 per megabyte (sending and receiving).

Here are iiNet’s popular SIM-only plans from our comparison engine.

Of the other SIM-only mobile providers we track in our database, only Spintel and Circles.Life offer international roaming. But neither of those telcos listed Vietnam as an eligible roaming destination. Meanwhile, AGL, Aussie Broadband, Dodo Mobile, Mate, Numobile and Southern Phone don’t offer international roaming at all. If you’re with one of these mobile providers and want to travel to Vietnam, we advise purchasing an eSIM from Airalo or Jetpac.

If you don’t want to travel to Vietnam but are still curious about a SIM-only plan from one of those mobile providers, here’s a list of popular picks.

This last section of mobile providers covers prepaid plans, ranked from top to bottom for our picks of the best options to travel to Vietnam. Before you scroll on, here’s a look at the popular prepaid mobile plans in our comparison engine today.

Felix Mobile prepaid customers have access to a single international roaming add-on, which covers 45 destinations, including Vietnam. Users pay $20 and get 4GB of data, 100 call minutes and 100 SMS. We like that the Felix international roaming add-on is valid for 365 days.

Below is a list of Felix Mobile’s popular prepaid plans today.

Boost Mobile prepaid customers can choose from three international roaming add-ons. All three add-ons work in 42 destinations, which includes Vietnam. Here are the Boost Mobile international roaming add-ons:

• $20 International Roaming Small: 1GB of data for three days, 15 call minutes and 15 SMS.
• $30 International Roaming Medium: 3GB of data for seven days, 30 call minutes and 30 SMS.
• $40 International Roaming Large: 5GB of data for 14 days, 60 call minutes and 60 SMS.

Here’s a look at Boost Mobile’s popular prepaid plans.

Amaysim is a prepaid mobile provider with some solid international roaming versatility. There are four roaming add-ons to choose from, which are for 100+ destinations, including Vietnam. All Boost Mobile roaming add-ons are valid for 365 days, and here’s what you get with each:

• $20 for Small Talk: 100 call minutes and 100 SMS (no data).
• $25 for The Works: 2GB of data, 50 call minutes and 30 SMS.
• $50 for Just Gigs: 6GB of data (no calls or texts).
• $70 for The Epic: 9GB of data, 100 call minutes and 60 SMS.

Check out Amaysim’s popular prepaid plans below.

Catch Connect customers use a $25 international credit add-on (with 30-day expiry) to start using PAYG roaming rates. Here’s what you can expect to pay when travelling to Vietnam:

• Data: $0.50 per megabyte.
• Calls and voicemail: $1 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS: $0.50 to send per text, free to receive.
• MMS to Australian number: $0.49 sending and receiving (per MMS).
• MMS to non-Australian number: $0.75 sending and receiving (per MMS).

If you’re in the market for a Catch Connect plan, check out the popular prepaid picks below.

Yomojo is another mobile provider that separates its international roaming destinations into zones. And Vietnam is categorised as a Zone 2 country. Here are the PAYG international roaming rates you’ll pay in Vietnam as a Yomojo prepaid customer:

• Data: $0.01 per 10 kilobytes.
• Calls and voicemail: $2 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS and MMS: $1 to send, free to receive.

Check out Yomojo’s popular prepaid plans below.

Exetel follows the country-zoning theme, categorising Vietnam as a Zone 3 country. Effectively, that means you’ll pay the second-highest available roaming rates for eligible international destinations. Here are the Zone 3 Exetel international roaming rates for Vietnam:

• Data: $2.50 per megabyte.
• Calls and voicemail: $5 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS: $1.20 per text to send, free to receive.
• Standard MMS: $2.50 per megabyte, plus 75-cent flag fall (if sending outside roaming country).
• Video MMS: $2.50 per megabyte, plus 75-cent flag fall.

Exetel’s popular prepaid plans are listed below.

Superloop is another prepaid mobile provider that utilises PAYG international roaming, with destinations separated into four zones. Vietnam is categorised as a Zone 3 destination, which translates to the following rates:

• Data: $2.50 per megabyte.
• Calls and voicemail: $5 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS: $1.20 per sent text (free to receive).
• Standard MMS: $2.50 per megabyte used.
• Video MMS: $2.50 per megabyte used, plus 60-cent (inside roaming country) or 75-cent flag fall (outside roaming country).

Superloop’s popular prepaid plans are ranked below.

While Lycamobile doesn’t list data for its PAYG international roaming rates, you can pay to make and receive calls, and send texts while in Vietnam. It costs $3.53 per minute to make calls, $3.60 per minute to receive calls and 25 cents per sent SMS. Receiving SMS is free.

Below is a daily updating list of popular Lycamobile prepaid plans.

TPG is another mobile provider that separates international roaming destinations into zones, while also charging PAYG rates. In TPG terms, Vietnam is a Zone 3 country, which means roaming users will pay higher rates than Zone 1 or Zone 2 destinations. Also note that TPG may charge up to a $500 prepayment once you activate international roaming. Here are the hefty TPG costs for PAYG roaming in Vietnam:

• Data: $15.50 per megabyte.
• Calls and voicemail: $4 per minute (making and receiving).
• SMS (Zone1 countries): 50 cents to send, free to receive.
• MMS (Zone 1 countries): 50 cents per megabyte to send and 50 cents to receive.

While not competitively priced for roaming to Vietnam, TPG plans are worth considering for use in Australia. Check out the popular TPG prepaid plans below.

Of the prepaid mobile providers we track in our comparison engine, only Lebara Mobile and Aldi Mobile didn’t offer international roaming for Vietnam. Lebara offers two international roaming add-ons for 53 other eligible destinations, while Aldi Mobile has PAYG rates for 62 locations. Below is a list of the popular prepaid plans from Lebara and Aldi Mobile.