How to Install Your Vietnam eSIM Before Landing (Step by Step)

Here's a small secret that separates smooth arrivals from stressful ones: your eSIM should be installed before you fly — at home, on good Wi-Fi, with a cup of coffee. Installing does not start your plan. With BellRoam, validity begins only when the eSIM first connects to a Vietnamese network, so you can set everything up a week early at zero cost.

Do it right and your arrival looks like this: plane lands → airplane mode off → phone finds Viettel → Grab booked before you reach the baggage belt.

Before you start (1 minute)

Three quick checks:

1. eSIM support: dial *#06# — if an EID number appears, your phone supports eSIM. (Details per model in our compatibility guide.)
2. Unlocked: your phone must not be locked to your home carrier. If unsure, ask them — a locked phone is the #1 cause of eSIM problems, and no eSIM from any company will work on it.
3. Wi-Fi: installation downloads the eSIM profile, so you need internet during setup.

After purchase, your QR code arrives by email within minutes. You'll scan it with the same phone the eSIM will live on — so either open the email on a laptop/tablet and scan that screen, or use the manual code (included in the same email) to type it in directly.

iPhone (iOS 16 or newer)

1. Open Settings → Mobile Service (or Cellular) → Add eSIM.
2. Choose Use QR Code and scan the code from your email (on another screen), or tap Enter Details Manually and paste the SM-DP+ address and activation code from the email.
3. iPhone adds the plan — label it something like "Vietnam" so it's easy to find.
4. Two settings, both important:
   • Mobile Data → select your Vietnam eSIM (so data flows through it, not your home SIM).
   • Tap the Vietnam eSIM line → turn ON Data Roaming. This is normal for travel eSIMs and does not cost extra — the plan is prepaid.
5. Keep your primary line ON if you want to receive OTP texts from your bank, but make sure Mobile Data stays on the Vietnam eSIM — otherwise your home carrier will bill you roaming.

Done. The line will show "No Service" until you're in Vietnam — that's expected.

Android (Samsung, Pixel, and most others)

1. Open Settings → Connections → SIM Manager (Samsung) or Network & Internet → SIMs (Pixel) → Add eSIM.
2. Scan the QR code, or choose "Enter code manually" and paste the activation code.
3. Enable the new eSIM line, and set it as your Mobile Data SIM.
4. Turn ON Data Roaming for the eSIM line (Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks on Samsung; tap the SIM under Settings → Network on Pixel).

Menu names vary slightly between brands, but the pattern is always: add eSIM → scan → set as data SIM → enable roaming. Full screenshots for every brand are in our install guide.

When you land in Vietnam

1. Turn off airplane mode.
2. Wait 30–60 seconds. Your phone registers on the local network automatically.
3. You're online. Validity starts now — not when you installed.

If nothing happens after two minutes: toggle airplane mode on and off once, then check that the eSIM line is enabled and data roaming is on. Those two toggles fix nearly every case. Still stuck? Message us on WhatsApp — the link is in your order email, and real humans answer.

Three mistakes to avoid

Deleting the eSIM to "reinstall" it. An eSIM profile can typically only be installed once. If something looks wrong, don't delete — contact support first. We can fix settings; we can't un-delete a profile.

Setting up at the airport. Airport Wi-Fi + jet lag + a queue behind you is the worst possible setup environment. Ten minutes at home saves all of it.

Leaving Mobile Data on your home SIM. The eSIM works, but every megabyte goes through your home carrier at roaming rates. Double-check which SIM is selected for data.

Ready for your trip?

Pick a plan on Vietnam eSIM plans — QR delivered by email in minutes, installation takes two, and support is a WhatsApp message away if you need a hand.

Written by the BellRoam team in Vietnam. Last updated August 2026.