Vietnam Travel Guide: Visa Rules by Nationality, Grab Culture, and What to Know

The UK gets a 45-day visa exemption for regular passports (not BNO passports, which still need an e-visa). Several EU countries — including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and a handful of others — get the same 45-day exemption, but this is genuinely not uniform across the EU, so don't assume 'EU citizen' means visa-free.

US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders are NOT visa-exempt and always need a visa — the practical route for most is an e-visa, available online to holders of many nationalities, typically valid 90 days with multiple entries. Confirm your specific nationality's current status directly rather than assuming, since this list genuinely varies passport by passport.

Vietnam is largely a cash-first economy outside hotels, larger restaurants and malls in Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, where cards and QR payments are growing fast. Cash is needed at street food stalls, markets and small family businesses.

Currency-exchange scams are a real, documented risk — shortchanging, substituting old or foreign notes, or palming bills during counting. Use only licensed exchange counters or banks, and count your cash on the spot and again once you're somewhere private, not just at the counter.

Grab (the regional ride-hailing and food-delivery app) is the practical way to avoid taxi meter scams — it locks in a price before the ride starts. If you do hail a taxi on the street, reputable metered companies exist, but copycat liveries with rigged meters are a known problem, so Grab is the simpler default.

The Reunification Express train line runs the length of the country between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, a genuinely long journey (well over a day) rather than a quick way to cover ground — book sleeper berths a couple of weeks ahead in peak periods since they sell out.

Remove your shoes entering homes and temples, and dress modestly at religious sites. Public displays of affection are culturally frowned upon. Many homes and shops keep a ground-level ancestor altar — don't step over it or walk directly in front of it. Ask permission before photographing people, especially outside major cities.

Tipping isn't traditional but is increasingly expected in tourism-facing roles like guides and drivers; a modest daily amount is typical, with 5-10% appropriate in restaurants with good service. It's less expected at street food stalls or local spots.

Vietnam's elongated shape means there's no single national season: the north (Hanoi, Sapa) is coolest and driest roughly October-April; the centre (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An) is best roughly February-May; the south (Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta) is best roughly December-April, avoiding the May-September southwest monsoon. Spring (March-April) is the closest thing to an all-country sweet spot, but plan around your specific region rather than the country as a whole.