First Week in Ho Chi Minh City: Day-by-Day Checklist

On day one, register a SIM with a passport still valid for your stay, make sure your accommodation declares your stay, and note when your visa-free stay or e-visa ends. Spend days two to seven on cash, emergency numbers, transport, an area, the lease and the motorbike licence rule.

By Vincent Nguyen

Between the baggage hall and the taxi rank, one stop matters most. It is the Viettel counter in the international terminal arrival hall, after baggage claim and the customs exit. A SIM registered under your own passport is the first of three jobs for day one.

The other two jobs are a stay declared by your accommodation and a visa end date that you have written down.

The week at a glance

What the first week costs

• A Viettel tourist eSIM costs 60,000 VND for 7 days or 150,000 VND for 30 days, and the package fee does not include the SIM price.
• City buses are free on 134 routes from 1 July to 31 December 2026.
• Metro Line 1 single trips cost VND 7,000 to VND 20,000 in cash, and a day pass costs VND 40,000.
• A Saigon Waterbus ride costs VND 15,000.
• A Xanh SM car opens at VND 30,500, and a GrabCar 4-seater opens at VND 28,473.
• An ATM withdrawal on a Vietcombank debit card costs VND 1,000 at a Vietcombank ATM and VND 3,000 at another bank’s ATM.
• A rental deposit is usually 1-2 months.

Keep these on you

• Your passport or international travel document and your residence papers: a foreigner must carry them and show them when an authority asks.
• A fine of VND 500,000 to 2,000,000 applies to a foreigner who does not show them when asked.
• Your phone with a registered SIM, so that one-time codes for banking, Grab and delivery apps reach you.

If something goes wrong in week one

• Call 112 for any emergency: the call is free and the line runs 24 hours on all days.
• For medical emergencies, 115 is the dedicated number. The hospital list is under day 3.
• If you stay past your permitted period, even by one day, it is an administrative violation. Read overstay fines first.

Before you land: know your visa end date

Your end date depends on your passport. Resolution 44/NQ-CP gives citizens of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland a 45-day stay from the date of entry. The exemption applies to entries from 15 March 2025 through 14 March 2028.

Resolution 229/NQ-CP gives citizens of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland 45 days for tourism. It applies to entries from 15 August 2025 through 14 August 2028.

For citizens of a country that Vietnam exempts unilaterally, the border stamp gives 45 days. The visa exemption guide lists who qualifies.

A Vietnam e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days. The fee is US$25 for a single entry and US$50 for multiple entries. See the e-visa guide and the list of visa types.

To extend, the inviting or sponsoring organisation or individual files the request with the immigration authority. The fee is US$10, and processing takes no more than 5 working days from a complete dossier. Details are in extend your visa and the immigration fee table.

Day 1: Tan Son Nhat airport to your room

Tan Son Nhat has three passenger terminals: T1 and T3 for domestic flights and T2 for international services. An international flight lands at T2.

Bus 152 runs from the airport to Ben Thanh Market. The first trip leaves at 5:15 and the last at 22:00, a trip takes 50 to 55 minutes, and buses run every 12 to 30 minutes. Bus 152 is free until 31 December 2026; the exclusion for airport shuttle services does not apply to it.

GrabCar picks up at T3 as well as T1 and T2 since 19 June 2025. At T3 the Grab pickup is on level 1 at the PNA parking building. At the taxi stands, columns 04 to 08 have taxis such as Mai Linh and Vinasun, and columns 09 to 15-16 have Xanh SM taxis.

Fares for Grab, Xanh SM and Be are under day 3. The full airport guide is Tan Son Nhat Airport to the city.

Day 1: a SIM or eSIM

A foreign national registers a SIM with a passport still valid for the stay in Vietnam, or with an electronic identity account. The decree names no Vietnamese address for this. Registration is in person at a carrier point or an authorised point, or online in the carrier’s own app. Service starts only once registration and the carrier’s checks are complete.

Viettel needs the valid physical passport; digital copies or pictures cannot be accepted. Its airport counter is in the international terminal arrival hall, after baggage claim and the customs exit. Setup usually takes less than 10 minutes.

Unofficial SIM sellers in airport terminals may sell SIMs already activated under someone else’s name, and such SIMs can be deactivated within days.

Viettel tourist eSIM plans, from its page of 1 November 2025:

• 7 days: 60,000 VND, 5GB a day.
• 30 days: 150,000 VND, 5GB a day.
• The package fee does not include the SIM price.

A data-only eSIM gives mobile internet without a phone number. An eSIM with a Vietnamese number supports one-time codes for banking, Grab and delivery apps. Choose the second if you plan to open a bank account or use delivery apps.

A phone swap triggers a check. Within at most 2 hours of a number appearing on a different device, the carrier must suspend outgoing calls and SMS. That rule took effect on 15 June 2026.

Two stores in the centre: the MobiFone store at 101 Tran Hung Dao and the VNPT-VinaPhone point at 80 Nguyen Du. The full registration steps are in the SIM card guide.

Day 1: get your stay declared

A foreigner staying in Vietnam declares the stay through the person who runs the accommodation, to the ward police. The accommodation asks you to show your passport or an international travel document. You do not file it yourself: the filer is the owner, the legal representative or an authorised person.

Under Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, in force from 24 July 2026, the electronic declaration is made the moment you arrive at the accommodation. The police receive electronic declarations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The online procedure has no fee and is fully online.

Hand over your passport at check-in and ask the front desk to confirm the declaration is done. The step-by-step guide is register temporary residence; the address format guide explains the new ward names you will see on forms.

Day 2: cash, ATMs and a bank account

The account file for a foreign individual needs a passport; a foreigner residing in Vietnam also needs a visa or a document showing visa exemption. A foreigner permitted to reside in Vietnam for 12 months or longer is a resident.

Card withdrawals carry fees. On Vietcombank’s domestic debit card schedule, a withdrawal at a Vietcombank ATM costs VND 1,000 and at an ATM outside its system VND 3,000. A counter withdrawal outside the Vietcombank system costs 3.64% of the amount on the international debit card schedule.

Open the bank account guide before you visit a branch.

Day 3: emergency numbers and a hospital

The national 112 emergency system has operated since 23 August 2025. Calls to 112 from fixed-line and mobile phones are free. The system runs 24 hours on all days. 113 covers security and order. 114 covers fire, explosion and rescue, and 115 covers medical emergencies.

Save one hospital in your phone before you need it:

• Family Medical Practice, Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan Street, Saigon Ward: open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Its emergency line is *9999 or +84 28 3744 9000, for phone calls only.
• FV Hospital, 6 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Tan My Ward: its accident and emergency service operates 24/7.
• Vinmec Central Park, 720A Dien Bien Phu Street, Thanh My Tay Ward: its intensive care and emergency department works 24 hours every day.
• Raffles Medical: dial *1155 for 24/7 emergencies in Ho Chi Minh City.

The full number list is in emergency numbers in Ho Chi Minh City, and scam warnings are in safety and scams. The hospital comparison, the health insurance guide and the pharmacy guide cover the rest.

Day 3: getting around town

Bus. All passengers on 134 routes travel free from 1 July to 31 December 2026. The programme excludes interprovincial routes, open-top sightseeing buses and airport shuttle services.

From 1 October to 31 December the free fare is linked to verification by a citizen ID card, VNeID, a bank card, an e-wallet or the MultiGo app. On route 04, foreign passengers were seen tapping a phone holding a Visa card on the validation device.

From 10 October 2026, 13 bus routes change path for Metro Line 2 construction. The change applies until a new notice.

Metro. Line 1 is 19.7 km long with 14 stations, from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien. Single trips cost VND 7,000 to VND 20,000 in cash and VND 6,000 to VND 19,000 non-cash. A day pass costs VND 40,000 and a three-day pass VND 90,000.

You can buy tickets at the station, in the HCMC Metro app, in MoMo and ZaloPay, or pay contactless with a bank card. From 15 October 2026 tickets are also sold in VNeID.

Waterbus. Route 1 links Bach Dang pier and Linh Dong, about 11 km. It runs 7:00 to 21:00 Monday to Friday and 7:00 to 23:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. A ride costs VND 15,000 and a return ticket VND 30,000.

Taxis and apps. A Xanh SM car costs VND 30,500 for the first 2 km, then VND 15,200 per km to km 12. A GrabCar 4-seater costs VND 28,473 to open and VND 9,818 per km after that. Moca charges a 4% foreign-card processing fee on the final amount in the Grab app, excluding tips, when you pay with a card issued abroad.

Compare the three apps in Grab vs Xanh SM vs Be, and read the Getting Around guide and the Metro Line 1 guide for the detail.

Day 4: choose an area before you choose a flat

First-hand rents per month for five areas come from official statistics compiled in January 2026.

Second-hand (sublet) one-bedrooms cost more: VND 9,000,000 to 27,000,000 a month city-wide, on the same January 2026 statistics.

Rents differ by area, so compare two or three before you sign anything. The table uses the former district names. The address format guide explains the new ward names. The where to live guide compares the areas.

For schools, read international schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 5: the lease and the deposit

A deposit is usually 1-2 months, with a typical deposit of 2 months’ rent, and furnished serviced apartments are common for expats.

Under the Civil Code, the deposit is returned if the contract is concluded and performed, or deducted to pay what you owe. If you refuse to conclude or perform the contract, the landlord keeps it. If the landlord refuses, the landlord returns it plus an equal sum, unless you agreed otherwise.

Everyday monthly spending in the city is groceries VND 4,000,000, transport VND 1,500,000, utilities VND 1,950,000 and dining out VND 3,000,000. FPT’s price page lists Internet GIGA at VND 195,000 a month with 300 Mbps.

The apartment search guide covers rent, deposit and scams. The cost of living guide lists typical bills.

Day 6: a motorbike and the licence rule

A fine of VND 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 applies to a person riding a two-wheeled motorbike up to 125 cm3 without a driving licence.

The driving licence guide covers the international permit and a Vietnamese licence. Until you have the right licence, use the bus, the metro or a ride-hailing app from day 3.

Day 7: review your visa and your week

Check your permitted end date against your passport stamp or e-visa. A border stamp for a unilateral exemption gives 45 days. An e-visa lasts at most 90 days.

An extension costs US$10, and the sponsor files the request. Staying past your permitted period, even by one day, is an administrative violation. Under 16 days is fined VND 500,000 to 2,000,000 for individuals.

Week two

• A longer stay: check the temporary residence card guide and the visa changes for 2026.
• Sightseeing: start with things to do and the 3-day itinerary.
• Close to the centre: Ben Thanh Market, the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace.
• A day trip: Cu Chi Tunnels.

Your week-one checklist

• SIM registered with your passport, and the number saved for one-time codes.
• Accommodation has declared your stay, electronically and without a fee.
• Visa end date written down: 45 days for the 24 named countries, up to 90 days for an e-visa.
• Bank file documents ready: a passport and, for a resident, a visa or a visa-exemption document.
• 112 saved, and one hospital saved.
• A way to ride the free city bus after verification.
• An area chosen, with a deposit of 1-2 months in mind.
• No motorbike ride without a licence.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Vietcombank Tower on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Family Medical Practice on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), FV Hospital on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Thuy Nguyen Huu, Hoang Van, Sati, Benh vien FV.

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Not confirmed: The free city bus programme runs through 31 December 2026; no extension has been announced. Rents come from one agent portal with January 2026 data, not from listings checked on the day.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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