Vietnam: The Paperwork & Essentials

Give me a destination and I’ll happily do the research for hotels, destinations, experiences and all the other things a place has to offer. But tell me to work out the other side of the same trip: Visa, licenses, insurance, forex cards and paperwork? I’ll put my head down in the ground like an ostrich in complete denial that to travel, you need the icky bits like paperwork and essentials sorted too. Luckily, the destination this time was Vietnam, a country that’s primed for tourism with great access, services, and solutions to almost any challenge. Here are the essential ducks to get in a row before you step on that airplane, Vietnam bound. Visa As of Aug 15, 2023 all citizens can travel in Vietnam for up to 90 days with an E-visa that permits multiple entry (sea, border, and air gates). This is ideal for travelers with a longer itinerary covering neighboring countries, as well as digital nomads looking for scenic work spots. You do not need your hotel bookings completed to apply for an E-visa to Vietnam, you just need your flight bookings and visibility into where and how you plan on entering and exiting the country. While you can get the E-Visa for Vietnam done through the official site, you can also explore the experience with Atlys at an additional cost. The real advantage goes beyond the super quick and transparent E-visa process and lies in the Whatsapp community facilitated by a few Atlys admins. It’s amazing how shooting out queries on almost anything related to Vietnam (food spots, customs, shopping, medical emergencies, et all) is met with a response from fellow travelers from your own country. Knowing I was traveling solo, I opted for Atlys for the resourceful community and banked on them more than once and never felt stranded.  International Driving Permit (IDP) Lately there’s been a lot of chatter on having your IDP when traveling abroad. It is a document that translates your valid driving license in your home country into multiple languages for you to be recognized as a compliant and legal rider / driver in other countries. Make sure your passport name, driving license match to the dot when applying online for your IDP. Yes, it is illegal to rent a motorbike or car without it and if caught by the local police, you’ll have to cough up the arbitrary high fine. That said, if you’re not planning a biking route, jumping cities or renting from an aggregator site you can get a motorbike for a day’s rent anywhere between VND 150-300K. Stick to a radius of 10km, within tourist areas, wear a helmet, follow the right-hand traffic system and you won’t be stopped. Even better, in the more touristy cities, riding a motorbike under 50cc doesn't even require a home driver's permit!

Check for semi-geared vs automatic vehicles before you take the keys from your rental partner.

Travel Insurance The likelihood of using your insurance on a trip is fairly low but it is definitely a good idea to have one - especially if you foresee domestic and connecting flights, adventure activities, and extreme weather. While there are many players out there, look for claim settlement policies and access to real people that can resolve your problem. A basic plan should ideally cover loss of passport, flight delays, missing baggage, medical assistance, cash in local currency incase of theft, and a few other losses. Go with a reputed provider vs new age ones for a smooth sail. SIM & Phone Connectivity The easiest option would be to switch out your home country SIM with a local one at the airport; for good connectivity in Vietnam choose Viettel or Vinaphone networks. A one-month plan would roughly come to VND 80-300K depending on the data package chosen. You can also consider an E-sim that activities and connects with the local tower with no physical switching out of cards. This is perfect if you’re doing multiple countries and want the seamless shift for connectivity no matter where you are.  Check for phone compatibility, calculate your average data usage and choose from players like Alo or Matrix. The only downside is that most offerings are data based, meaning outgoing calls and voice features might be limited. Irrespective of what you choose, go with a lower data plan because most spots in Vietnam will offer their own WiFi - from hotels, cafes, and even shops. Forex and International Cards  I can’t talk enough about this: knowing what card to go with was the toughest part of planning. Maybe it’s because there are so many options and features out there, maybe it was the belief that I could find the lowest exchange rate - eventually I realized it's a very personal choice depending on your spending behavior and comfort levels. Here’s what I finally went with; Niyo Global & HDFC Multicurrency Card with Niyo being my priority card for all spends and HDFC in case I run into problems. If you’re new to setting up international cards for travel, do a bit of your own research and compare options considering: a) Loading and Unloading fees    b) ATM withdrawal fees    c) Forex Markup & Exchange Rates  d) TCS on spends 

e) Acceptance at POS Bank operated cards like HDFC incurred slightly higher charges on these, whereas Niyo in partnership with DCB and SBM bank was competitively positioned. So I set up a smaller backup fund on HDFC and topped up Niyo as and when I needed when traveling. Remember, there can be no absolute zero forex markup like marketing claims because exchange rates will still come into play. Only if the currency you load in and spend are the same will you avoid this. It also helped that Niyo came with an app where I could see the spends in an instant, the value of it in INR and VND, nearby ATMs, currency calculator, and more. It worked in every place (yes, even on islands) and being a Rupee-based Forex card, can be used domestically too. Hard Cash & Money Exchange The country works best with cash, both in US Dollars and Vietnamese Dong. For your regular spends, here’s what you can do: a) carry dollars and exchange them at jewelry shops in the city centers. I also noticed, higher the denomination, the better the rate. For INR to USD, I went to Ebix Cash.

b) spend in dollars for fixed price transactions like tours, cab rides, hotel charges. Sometimes it's easier to fix a deal in dollars and leave the conversion to the locals

c) withdraw in VND from ATM using your forex card, larger amounts are preferred as you’ll pay (4% or INR 400) for every withdrawal. Agribank and TP Bank are free ATMs in Vietnam, meaning you won’t pay anything above and additional to the 4%

d) for app-based spends on Grab, Klook and others, you can easily link your Forex card, saving the cash for smaller value purchases 

e) if you’re stuck without an ATM and need cash urgently, just ask the kind Vietnamese folks. You can swipe a larger amount their POS for a smaller purchase and collect the balance as cash too

Check timings as most jewelry stores close early for the day. Source: Google

If that’s taken the weight off your shoulders and made you see your Vietnam trip actually happening then stay tuned for an honest read up of what to expect when it comes to food, transport, hotels, and more!