Using Grab in Vietnam with an eSIM and no local number

Updated

Grab is the ride and food delivery app most travelers use in Vietnam. It runs on mobile data, so a data-only eSIM is enough. The one thing to plan for is the SMS code Grab sends when you log in.

Set up Grab before you fly

  1. 1Install Grab at home and sign up with your home phone number.
  2. 2Enter the SMS code while you're still at home.
  3. 3Add a payment card in the app, or plan to pay drivers in cash (Vietnamese dong).

Once you're logged in, Grab rarely asks for a new code. If it does while you're in Vietnam, it sends the SMS to your home number, which is why it pays to leave your home line switched on for calls and texts.

In Vietnam

  • Set your mobile data to the eSIM. Booking, live tracking and chat all run on it.
  • Drivers can message and call you inside the app, which works over data. You don't need a Vietnamese number for that.
  • Turn off data roaming on your home line so the app doesn't use your home plan by mistake.

Other apps that work the same way

Xanh SM and Be, two Vietnamese ride apps, also run on data. WhatsApp, Zalo, Google Maps and banking apps work on eSIM data too; anything that texts a code goes to your home number.

Need data for your trip? Choose a plan and install it before you fly.