Informational only, not legal advice. Verify with official sources before relying on this.

Know Abroad

VietnamVietnam

Local Laws & Customs

Last verified August 21, 2026

Written for U.S. passport holders

Public Conduct

  • Dress modestly at temples and pagodas (shoulders and knees covered); public criticism of the government or Communist Party, including online posts, can carry real legal risk, more so than casual political commentary would in the U.S.

Medicines You Can't Bring

  • Bring medications in original packaging with the prescription; stimulant and opioid-based medications can draw serious scrutiny given Vietnam's strict overall drug enforcement, verify status before traveling with a controlled medication.

Photography & Drones

  • Avoid photographing military installations and government buildings. Drone flights require approval from the Ministry of Defense's Operations Bureau, submitted at least 14 days in advance, on top of Civil Aviation Authority registration; this is a genuinely heavier process than in most other countries on this page, and casual, permit-free drone tourism doesn't really exist here.

Drugs & Alcohol

  • The legal drinking age is 18. A 2019 law imposes an absolute zero-tolerance rule on drink-driving, including motorbikes, any detectable blood or breath alcohol while driving is an offense.
  • Vietnam imposes the death penalty for drug trafficking above threshold quantities (roughly 100g or more of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA under the 2015 Penal Code). Cannabis is fully illegal with no medical or recreational exception, and larger amounts fall under the same trafficking laws.

Carrying ID

  • Carry your passport or a copy of your visa; you may be taken in for questioning if you can't produce proper ID when asked.

The Gotcha

The military-approval requirement for drones is a genuine outlier on this page, most countries just require aviation-authority registration, but Vietnam layers a separate Ministry of Defense approval process on top, submitted weeks in advance. If a drone is central to your trip plans, this isn't something you can sort out after you land; plan for it well before you travel or leave the drone at home.

Sources

This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change, so check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.