📩 How to Receive OTP in Vietnam (2025 Guide for Tourists)

Receiving OTPs (One-Time Passwords) is a crucial part of using apps and services while traveling in Vietnam. From WhatsApp and Grab to banking apps and food delivery, these codes are necessary for logging in and confirming transactions. In this guide, we’ll explain all the ways tourists can receive OTP in Vietnam, compare SIM vs eSIM options, and share real-world case studies with updated 2025 prices.

🔑 Why Tourists Need OTP Access

Tourists often rely on OTPs for daily essentials:

• Messaging apps: WhatsApp, LINE, WeChat, Telegram
• Ride-hailing: Grab, Be
• Food delivery: ShopeeFood, Baemin, Gojek
• Banking apps and card verifications
• Government services: e-visa updates and confirmations

Without a valid local number, these apps may fail to send OTPs, causing unnecessary delays and stress during your trip.

📱 Options to Receive OTP in Vietnam

1. Airport SIM Cards

Buying a SIM at Noi Bai (Hanoi) or Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City) airport ensures instant OTP access. Prices, however, are higher than online.

• 30-day SIM (VNPT/MobiFone): $23–25, ~3–4GB/day, includes local phone number

✅ Pros: Immediate use, reliable OTP.
❌ Cons: Costs ~30% more than eSIM, requires passport registration, and waiting in line.

2. City Shop SIM Cards

Shops in Hanoi Old Quarter or District 1, HCMC sell SIMs slightly cheaper than airports, but still higher than eSIM options.

• 30-day SIM (MobiFone/VinaPhone): $21–23, ~3–5GB/day, includes local number

✅ Pros: Works well for OTP and calls.
❌ Cons: Prices still 20–25% above eSIM, takes time to find shops, may need ID verification.

3. eSIM with Phone Number

Best choice for tourists who need OTP. Example: GoVnSIM 30-day eSIM, 6GB/day at $18.50, with Vietnamese number and auto-activation on chosen date.

✅ Pros: Delivered instantly by email, ready before you land, supports OTPs.
❌ Cons: Requires an eSIM-compatible phone.

4. Data-Only eSIM

Viettel eSIM offers strong nationwide coverage (15–30 days, $14.90–19.90, 5GB/day). However, these are data-only, meaning no OTP support.

5. Roaming on Your Home SIM

Keeping your home SIM active lets you receive OTPs, but SMS may be delayed or fail entirely in Vietnam. Costs also add up: $1–2 per OTP message is common.

⚠️ Common OTP Problems & Fixes

• OTP not arriving: Set your Vietnam SIM as default SMS line.
• Dual SIM conflict: Temporarily disable your home SIM to prioritize the local line.
• App mismatch: Some apps (e.g., WeChat) require the registered number to match your current SIM.
• Bank OTPs: International banks may still send OTPs to your home SIM; use roaming only as backup.

📊 2025 Price Comparison for OTP Access

🧳 Case Study: Grab OTP in Ho Chi Minh City

In June 2025, a Singaporean traveler landed at Tan Son Nhat Airport around 9 PM and tried booking a Grab ride to District 1. Using their home SIM on roaming, the OTP message didn’t arrive after three attempts. Switching to a local MobiFone eSIM with phone number (activated earlier the same day for $18.50), the OTP came through within seconds and the ride was booked. At the airport, the closest comparable 30-day SIM was quoted at $24 for 4GB/day — about 30% more expensive and with less daily data.

💡 Best Practices for Tourists

• Install your eSIM before departure for smoother activation.
• Set Vietnam number as SMS default if using dual SIM.
• Test OTP reception before relying on ride-hailing or food delivery apps.
• Use roaming only as a temporary backup, not your main OTP solution.

📣 Plan Your Connectivity

Need OTP access for Grab, WhatsApp, or banking apps? Read the full guide here: Vietnam SIM & eSIM for OTP 2025.

✅ For a reliable solution, order your Vietnam eSIM today. Get instant QR delivery by email and start receiving OTPs the moment you arrive.

Part of Heera Travel Group – Explore more Vietnam tours at HeeraTravel.com