Guide section · updated August 2026

What to do if something goes wrong in Vietnam

Emergency numbers, embassies, English-speaking hospitals, and step-by-step playbooks for when things go wrong in Vietnam.

Call now

Five numbers that work nationwide and are free from any phone, even with no credit on it. Tap to dial.

Round the clock

115AmbulanceCan take 30–60 minutes. With a serious injury a taxi to an international clinic is usually faster113PoliceEnglish is rare on this line — foreigners are better served by the tourist police114FireThey also attend floods and collapses112Single SOSWorks like 911: the operator routes you to the right service1039Tourist policeUsed to dealing with foreigners and far more likely to speak English
If they cannot understand you in English, call 1039 — the tourist police deal with foreigners all day. Some cities also run their own round-the-clock lines: Hanoi — +84 941 336 677, Da Nang — +84 236 3550 111, Nha Trang — +84 947 528 000.

What to do if…

Eight situations where the order of your actions matters more than your speed. Open yours — the playbook is inside, step by step.

  1. Don’t leave the scene. Put on your hazard lights and set out any warning marker.
  2. Call an ambulance (115) if anyone is hurt. With serious injuries, don’t move the casualty.
  3. Call the police (113). Photograph and film everything: damage, plates, the location.
  4. Take the other party’s details: name, phone, vehicle plate, insurance.
  5. Call your insurer (the number on your assistance card). Don’t sign anything in Vietnamese without a translation.
  6. Don’t agree to settle large sums “on the spot.” Wait for the police.
  1. File a report with the police (113) — get the written report (Biên bản). You need it to get a new document.
  2. Call your embassy or consulate and book an appointment.
  3. Prepare the documents: a copy or photo of your passport, 2 passport photos, and the police report.
  4. Get an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) from your embassy — enough to fly home or to a third country.
  5. For a full replacement passport, apply through the embassy (this takes longer).
  6. Tell your airline about the document change and update your booking details.
  1. Call an ambulance (115) or take a taxi to the nearest international clinic.
  2. Call your insurer straight away — they arrange a guarantee of payment.
  3. Bring your passport, insurance policy and a bank card. Without a guarantee letter you pay on the spot.
  4. Ask for all documents in English. Photograph every document.
  5. Keep ALL receipts, prescriptions and test results — you’ll need them for the claim.
  6. If you need evacuation, your insurer arranges it through assistance. Don’t book flights yourself.
  1. Freeze your bank cards through the app or your bank’s hotline.
  2. File a police report (113). Insist on the written report — you need it for the insurance claim.
  3. Contact the tourist hotline (numbers above) — they’re more used to dealing with foreigners.
  4. Screenshot any chats and save all evidence (photos, video, transactions).
  5. Notify your insurer within 24 hours.
  6. If your phone was stolen: block the SIM and enable remote lock (Find My / Google Find).
  1. Don’t panic. The fine depends on how long you’ve overstayed: from 1,000,000 to 30,000,000 VND (Decree 282/2025). Pay at the immigration office or the airport.
  2. Overstaying more than 30 days means deportation and a re-entry ban. Talk to an immigration consultant.
  3. Have cash in dong ready — fines are often cash-only.
  4. Go to the immigration office early if you know you can’t leave in time.
  5. Alternative: do a visa run to a nearby country (Cambodia, Thailand) before your stay expires.
  6. Keep the payment receipt — without it you may have problems on your next entry.
  1. Drink plenty of water. Buy Oresol (rehydration salts) at any pharmacy — 3,000–5,000 VND a sachet.
  2. For the first day: rice, bananas, crackers. Avoid dairy and greasy food.
  3. If symptoms last 2+ days, your temperature is above 38.5°C, or there’s blood — go to a clinic.
  4. At a pharmacy (nhà thuốc) you can buy Smecta, activated charcoal and Imodium without a prescription.
  5. Prevention: drink bottled water, skip ice at street stalls, wash fruit.
  6. Keep a photo of the last thing you ate — it helps the doctor with the diagnosis.
  1. Lock the phone immediately via Find My iPhone (iCloud) or Google Find My Device.
  2. Block the SIM: Viettel — 198, Mobifone — 9090, Vinaphone — 18001091.
  3. Freeze your banking apps through your bank’s hotline.
  4. You can buy a cheap replacement at Thế Giới Di Động stores — from 1,500,000 VND (~$60).
  5. To restore your SIM, visit a carrier shop with your passport.
  6. File a police report — you need it for the insurance claim.
  1. Typhoon season is September–November, especially central Vietnam (Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue).
  2. Install the Windy app — it forecasts typhoons 5–7 days out.
  3. When a storm warning is issued: stock up on water (5 L per person), food and a charged power bank.
  4. Stay indoors during the typhoon. Keep away from windows and glass doors.
  5. After a typhoon: don’t walk through flooded streets (live wires, sewage). Check your building is safe.
  6. Follow updates from your hotel or landlord — they know the local evacuation routes.

Show this on your screen

English is rare on the street, and rarer still in an ambulance or a police station. Tap the line you need — it fills the whole screen, and the phone is ready to hold up.

Embassies and consulates

You need them for a lost passport, an arrest, or anything requiring a replacement document. Register your trip with your own government first — US citizens through STEP, UK citizens through the FCDO — and the mission can reach you if something happens nationwide.

US Embassy, Hanoi

Mon–Fri (consular services by appointment)7 Láng Hạ, Ba Đình, Hà Nội+84 24 3850 5000On the map

US Consulate General, Ho Chi Minh City

Mon–Fri (by appointment)4 Lê Duẩn, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City+84 28 3520 4200On the map

British Embassy, Hanoi

Mon–FriCentral Building, 31 Hai Bà Trưng, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội+84 24 3936 0500On the map
Vietnam tourist information line — 1900 6469. Worth trying when a mission is closed and the question cannot wait until morning.

Where to go

International clinics with English-speaking staff, all open around the clock. An ambulance takes 30–60 minutes — with a serious injury a taxi to the emergency department is usually faster. For Da Nang there is a twenty-clinic breakdown with prices and a filter by specialty.

  • Family Medical Practice96-98 Nguyễn Văn Linh, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng+84 236 3582 699
  • Vinmec International HospitalĐường 30 Tháng 4, Hòa Cường Bắc, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng+84 236 3711 111

Sort this out beforehand

Five jobs, twenty minutes, and hours saved when something goes wrong. Do them at home while you still have internet and a clear head.

  • Photograph your passport and visa and save them to the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud)
  • Save your travel insurer’s assistance number to your phone contacts
  • Write your home address in Vietnamese — you’ll show it to a taxi driver
  • Know your blood type and any allergies in English
  • Install Grab (taxis) and Google Translate (offline Vietnamese pack)
Insurance is the sixth item on that list. You want at least $50,000 of cover and an explicit motorbike option if you will ride. Without it a day in an international clinic runs 500k–1.5M ₫ and a medical evacuation home runs $15,000–30,000. How to choose is in the insurance breakdown and in the safety section.

If you need more depth

Missions and services directly, the health PDF, and the reads that go deeper.

ConsulateUS Embassy in Vietnamvn.usembassy.govConsulateBritish Embassy in Vietnamgov.ukWeatherWindy — storm warningswindy.comTranslationGoogle Translate — offline Vietnamese packtranslate.google.com
15 pages · PDF · RUHealth and emergency careAmbulance 115, ten round-the-clock clinics and 2,381 pharmacies with addresses5 citiesWhat treatment costsVaccinationsDownload PDF11 pages · PDF · RUFirst-trip checklistWhat to sort out before you fly and how to get through the first 24 hoursPassport valid 6 monthsCustomsScams aimed at newcomersDownload PDF
Preparation · 10 min readTravel Insurance for Vietnam: What to Cover & WhereInsurance: $30,000 of cover and the motorbike optionReadPreparation · 9 min readHospitals & Pharmacies in Vietnam 2026: A Traveller's GuideHospitals and pharmacies — and what sells without a scriptReadGuide · 18 min readIs Vietnam Safe? Scams, Traffic & Safety Tips 2026What is actually dangerous here and what only seems soReadPreparation · 11 min readVietnam First-Trip Checklist: Everything Before You GoWhat to settle before you flyRead
All preparation guides

In-depth reads

What do I sort out before flying?Visa, insurance, money, SIM and health — the list that is cheaper to close at homeFirst trip to Vietnam: a checklist11 min readWhat is daily life actually like?Cost of living, banking, healthcare and internet — how the everyday side worksLiving in Vietnam