Vietnam Travel Insurance: Is It Required for Tourists?

No. Vietnam does not ask for travel insurance at entry: the conditions are a passport, a visa unless you are exempt, and no refused-entry ground. On a tour, the operator must insure you for the programme unless you already hold cover for all of it.

No, Vietnam does not ask for travel insurance at the border: the entry conditions are a passport, a visa unless you are exempt, and no refused-entry ground.

The one place the law pushes insurance onto a tourist is a tour, where the operator must insure you for the programme unless you already hold cover for all of it. The other catch is the motorbike, because both insurers named below tie cover to a valid licence for the bike you ride.

Is travel insurance required to enter Vietnam? No

No: entry needs a passport and a visa unless you are exempt, plus no refused-entry ground, and insurance is not among the conditions.

Here are the two entry conditions in the law’s own words.

Có hộ chiếu hoặc giấy tờ có giá trị đi lại quốc tế và thị thực, trừ trường hợp được miễn thị thực theo quy định của Luật này.

A passport or international travel document and a visa, except where the person is visa-exempt under this Law.

Không thuộc trường hợp chưa cho nhập cảnh quy định tại Điều 21 của Luật này.

Not falling into a case where entry is not yet allowed under Article 21 of this Law.

47/2014/QH13 (consolidated), Điều 20 khoản 1

On an e-visa the same conditions apply, plus you must enter through the international border gates the Government sets. For the visa side, see Vietnam e-visa and visa exemption countries.

Do you have to buy insurance for a tour? The operator does

On a tour programme the operator must buy insurance for you, unless you already hold insurance for the whole programme.

The same duty applies to international operators serving international tourists coming to Vietnam, and a travel contract has to include a clause on insurance for tourists. In May 2026 the Ministry of Public Security described it the same way: under current rules only tourists travelling in groups must buy insurance, an obligation carried by the international operators who organise the tour. That puts a solo traveller outside the duty.

Will the rules change? A 2026 proposal was taken out of the draft

Not through that proposal so far: a National Assembly committee agreed in October 2026 to take mandatory insurance for international tourists out of the Tourism Law draft.

In May 2026 the Ministry of Public Security proposed amending the Tourism Law so that international tourists coming to Vietnam must buy travel insurance. The National Assembly Committee for Culture and Society later agreed to remove that rule from the draft because its impact had not been fully assessed, and a second report of 22 October 2026 repeats it. These are press reports of a committee decision on a draft, not a final law, so the vote on the finished Tourism Law is the step to watch.

Without insurance: what care costs in Da Nang

A public specialty visit can be cheap: a US visitor paid VND 45,000 for an eye exam and consultation at Da Nang Eye Hospital in April 2026.

That was one visit at one hospital, so treat it as a single data point, not a price list. For hospital names and English-language services, see hospitals and clinics for foreigners in Da Nang, and for a night-time minor problem, 24-hour pharmacies.

Which Da Nang hospitals bill your insurer directly?

Several appear on Pacific Cross’s direct-billing list (updated 30 Nov 2023), such as Vinmec Da Nang, Family Healthcare, Hoan My and Da Nang Hospital.

Checked Nov 2026.

Direct billing cannot be guaranteed in every claim situation, so we recommend carrying another way to pay. Insurance benefits are accepted at all hospitals in the Vinmec system for the insurers on its list, which includes Pacific Cross Vietnam, Bao Viet, Allianz Partners and International SOS.

Does travel insurance cover a motorbike crash? Often not without the right licence

Often not: SafetyWing and World Nomads both tie motorbike cover to a valid licence.

SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Essential covers medical costs from a motorbike accident only if you are properly licensed for the class of vehicle you ride (help centre, 8 June 2026). It adds that a rider or passenger on a vehicle larger than 50cc needs the Adventure Sports add-on, or no accident or injury is eligible.

World Nomads travel insurance is not valid in Vietnam without a valid IDP or Vietnamese licence, even if you hold a motorbike licence at home. It carries no third-party liability cover for any motorised vehicle either.

The licence rule itself is Vietnamese law: operating a motor vehicle in road traffic without the licence the law requires is prohibited, and class A1 covers motorbikes up to 125 cm3. An IDP holder has to carry both the IDP and a valid national licence for the vehicle class, and an IDP is not converted into a Vietnamese licence. The fine on a motorbike up to 125 cm3 is VND 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 for no licence or a licence unsuited to the vehicle.

We recommend reading the motorbike clause of any policy before you rent, because both insurers above condition cover on the licence. The full licence rules are in driving in Vietnam as a foreigner.

Buying a policy once you are in Vietnam

You may buy insurance in Vietnam only from a licensed insurer, a licensed foreign non-life branch or a licensed micro-insurance body, except cross-border insurance under a treaty Vietnam has joined. If you are staying longer than a trip, health insurance for foreigners in Vietnam covers residents’ plans.

Who to call in an emergency

Dial 115 for a medical emergency and 112 for search and rescue. In Da Nang the Tourist Support Center at 108 Bach Dang Street has the emergency-contact number 02363.550.111.

More numbers are in Da Nang emergency numbers.

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Not confirmed: The final Tourism Law vote on insurance for international tourists: only committee decisions on the draft were reported. Whether later amendments changed the 2017 tour-operator insurance duty. Private hospital price lists for foreigners in Da Nang. Medical evacuation cover and policy wording.

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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