Most people still think of Vietnam as a battlefield, however that history has long gone, offering place to a new era when peace and safety reside. Vietnam’s spectacular scenery, exquisite cuisine, glory history and lovely people keep it at the forefront of any travelers list of ‘must see’ places in Asia.  Apart from some useful information  you can find here  There are few things you should know about travelling to this country even if you are not new to Vietnam.  

VISA

If you are going to Vietnam for a holiday . Your passport should have 6 months validity prior to your time of arrival in Vietnam. you will need to apply for a visa in Vietnamese embassy in the country you are staying (not necessary your home country). Visa on Arrival is also available for few circumstances. Most tourists do “Visa on Arrival” and you can get visa letter within couple of days via vietnamvisapro.com for $10, and get stamps at the airport within 10 minutes. Make sure you have the extra passport photo and $45 fee ready to go.

You can find the latest information about types of visa, download a visa form on this website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam

Once in Vietnam, you need to register where you are staying within 24hrs with the local police. If you stay at a hotel, they will have this done for you.

 

ADVIVCE/ WARNING

Have a look at the Australian Government’s website called SmartTraveller for up-to-date cautions and travel advice when travelling to Vietnam.

 

ELECTRIC PLUGS/ TIME ZONE/ CURRENCY

The most common electric plug used in Vientam is the European 2-pin attachment. Although, some areas still use British 3-blade or North American/Japanese 2-blade.

Vietnam is in the Indochina time zone (UTC +7hs).

The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong. Have look at XE.com to see how your currency converts.

Note: Be careful! 500,000 Dong note is very similar to the 20,000 note, always keep separated to avoid the realisation that you just paid 550,000 for lunch instead of 70,000. Big difference.

 

CASH/ ATMS/ CREDIT CARDS

ATMs seem to be on every street corner in the cities, but you’ll pay a hefty price to the shareholders of your bank back home if you think you can just grab cash when you’ll need it Almost ATMS has transaction maximum of two million VND, which is just about US$ 100. Yes, you can hit the same machine multiple times each day if you need to, but your home bank might charge you five bucks a whack for doing so. You can find higher maximums (like five to eight million VND) from some of the ATMs at the major airports and from ATMs allied with overseas banks (like Commonwealth Bank out of Australia)

American Express credit cards are rarely accepted. Visa and MasterCard are OK, though often there is a 3% surcharge over the cash price. The European “chip and pin” types of credit cards aren’t needed, despite pre-departure warnings to the contrary.

Tipping is not customary in Vietnam except in tourist-oriented restaurants, where 10% of the bill is appreciated, but only if a service charge hasn't already been added.

 

INTERNET /PHONE

Wi-Fi is everywhere, at least in the cities and major tourist destinations. Finding hotels with free wi-fi simply isn’t a problem. Not too many “Internet cafes” where you can get access to a computer, but usually hotels have them for your use. It was absolutely no problem to buy a SIM card for cell phone but make sure you phone is unlocked before you arrive. 

 

EMBASSIES/ CONSULATES
Australian Embassy

Address: 8 Dao Tan Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

Ph: +84 4 3774 0100 

Australian Consulate-General

Address: 20th Floor, Vincom Centre, 47 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Ph:+84 8 3521 8100

British Embassy Hanoi

Address: 4th floor, Central Building, 31 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Phone: 84 4 3936 0500

United States of America Embassy

Address: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

Ph: +84 4 3850 5000

United States of America Consulate General

Address: 4 Le Duan Blvd., District 1 
Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Phone: + 84 8 3520-4200

Emergency Number: 115 (depending on the situation, where possible, it may be quicker to get a taxi to get to the hospital)