Places
Every card answers three questions: why go, what to know, and where to be careful. Show on the map →
Visa-free entry — 45 days must
Russia · Korea · UK · most of the EU
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Russia, South Korea, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Japan all get 45 days visa-free for any purpose, valid to March 2028.
Worth knowing. Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland also get 45 days, but for tourism purposes only — a real difference if you are coming to work.
Careful. The USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China and India are NOT exempt and need an e-visa. Several travel sites list them wrongly. This is information, not legal advice — verify at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn.
E-visa — up to 90 days
evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn
$25–50
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Open to every nationality since 2023, up to 90 days. Multiple entry at $50 is usually the sensible buy if you plan any regional travel.
Worth knowing. Processing takes about three working days; apply at least a week ahead. The entry port on the visa must match where you actually arrive.
Careful. The e-visa cannot be extended from inside Vietnam. The fee is non-refundable even if you are refused. There is no retirement visa in Vietnam.
Police registration (tam tru) must
Ward police · lamdong.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn
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Every foreigner's address must be declared within 12 hours of arrival. It is your landlord's or hotel's legal duty, not yours — but it is your problem if they skip it.
Worth knowing. On your first day in a new rental, ask your landlord for proof they filed it and photograph it. Undeclared residence causes problems later at extension or residence-card stage.
Careful. Since 15 Dec 2025 the fines on the accommodation provider run from 3M to 25M₫. Since May 2026 filing goes through a unified national platform. District-level police no longer exist — go to ward police.
Lam Dong immigration office heads-up
19 Tran Phu, Xuan Huong ward
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Submissions and collection happen at the Provincial One-Stop Service Centre at 19 Tran Phu, in the middle of town. This is where a normal foreigner should actually go.
Careful. The immigration department headquarters moved on 20 March 2026 to 210 Quoc Lo 20, Duc Trong — 30 km south, on the airport road. Many websites still publish the old 15 Tran Hung Dao address. Do not go there.
Viettel SIM card must
Official stores in town
150k₫
$5.70
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Viettel has the most consistent coverage in the highlands. On the passes and farm roads the other networks drop out and Viettel does not.
Worth knowing. 7 days is 60k, 15 days is 80k. Passport registration is legally required for a physical SIM — buy at an official store, not a phone stall, and skip the airport kiosks which charge 20–30% more. eSIM from resellers usually needs no passport.
ATMs and cash
Khu Hoa Binh · Tran Phu · GO!
0–66k₫
$0–2.50
approx.
VPBank and Eximbank are usually the cheapest for foreign cards — VPBank has been reported as free with a 10,000,000₫ per-transaction limit. Vietcombank is the most common and the worst value at 50–66k with a 2–3M cap.
Worth knowing. Always decline dynamic currency conversion and choose VND. Withdraw the maximum to spread the flat fee. Da Lat is a cash city: carry 500k–1.5M a day for street food, markets and small cafés.
Careful. VietQR, which everyone local pays with, needs a Vietnamese bank account. Tourists cannot use it, and there is no support for European or Russian home systems. Korean visitors can pay via GLN.