Children play on a quiet road with a toy motorbike below a terraced green hillside in Ha Giang, Vietnam.

Travel guide

Travel insurance, and the clauses that matter here

We do not sell insurance, and it is never included in our prices. We do ask every traveller to have it, and we read enough claims stories to know which two clauses decide whether a cheap policy is any use in Vietnam.

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Why we insist on it

Last checked 22 September 2026

Reviewed twice a year, and whenever a traveller’s claim teaches us something new about how policies treat motorbikes, evacuation or pre-existing conditions in Vietnam.

Insurance is excluded from every price on this site, and we never sell it. We still ask for the policy number and the insurer’s 24-hour emergency number before you travel, because if something goes wrong those two numbers and our own 24/7 line are what get you from a roadside to a hospital that will treat you.

Hospitals in Vietnam, particularly the international ones in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang, usually want payment or a guarantee from an insurer before they treat anything more than an emergency. A policy with a working assistance line solves that; a policy that pays you back months later does not.

Evacuation

Clause one: medical evacuation

Serious injuries or illness in the mountains, on an island or in the delta may need transfer to a city hospital, and occasionally out of the country to Bangkok or Singapore, or home. Evacuation by air ambulance or with a medical escort is extremely expensive, and it is the claim that ruins people without cover.

Check that medical evacuation and repatriation are included, with a high limit, not as an optional extra.
Check that the insurer, not you, decides and arranges the evacuation, with a 24-hour assistance number.
If you are going to Ha Giang, Phu Quoc, Con Dao or the far north, the distance to a good hospital is long; the evacuation cover is what makes those places sensible.

A turquoise river winds through terraced mountains in the dramatic Ha Giang landscape of northern Vietnam. — Ha Giang: hours from a major hospital, which is why the evacuation clause matters.

Motorbikes

Clause two: motorbikes

This is the clause that catches most people. To ride a motorbike legally in Vietnam you need either a Vietnamese licence or an international driving permit issued under the 1968 convention, together with a motorcycle entitlement on your home licence. Some countries issue only the 1949 version of the permit, which Vietnam does not recognise. Riding without a valid licence usually voids cover for anything that happens on the bike, including your medical bills.

Riding pillion behind a licensed driver — the usual arrangement with the easy riders on the Ha Giang loop — is treated differently by different policies. Some cover it as a passenger, some exclude motorbikes entirely, some cap engine size. Read the wording or ask the insurer in writing, and wear the helmet every time; many policies exclude claims without one.

Situation	How policies usually treat it
Riding yourself with a valid licence and helmet	Often covered; check engine size limits
Riding yourself without a valid licence	Usually excluded
Pillion with a licensed driver, helmet worn	Varies by policy; confirm in writing
Any riding without a helmet	Often excluded

Health

Pre-existing conditions

Declare everything the policy asks about, including conditions that are stable and well managed. An undeclared condition can void a claim even when the problem is unrelated. If a condition is excluded, look for a policy that covers it for an extra premium; this matters most for heart and lung conditions in the heat of the south, and for anyone planning long drives far from hospitals.

Activities

Adventure activities

Many standard policies exclude or limit activities that feature on ordinary Vietnam trips. Check each one against the wording before you go:

Trekking, including any altitude limit, for Sapa and Ha Giang.
Caving at Phong Nha, especially the longer overnight expeditions.
Kayaking in the bays and canyoning near Da Lat.
Scuba diving around Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, often with a depth limit and a qualification requirement.
Cycling, usually covered, sometimes with a helmet condition.

A group of tourists poses on steps beside a green river at the entrance to Paradise Cave in central Vietnam.

Two women paddle a blue kayak among limestone karsts on Lan Ha Bay near Cat Ba Island.

Phong Nha: check caving is covered, not assumed. · Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay: often covered, but read the list.

Claims

Cancellation, belongings and the claim itself

Buy the policy when you pay the deposit, not the week before you fly, so that cancellation cover protects what you have already committed. Our cancellation terms itemise what suppliers have charged, which makes a claim easier. For theft, get a written report from the hotel or the local police the same day; for medical claims, keep every receipt and the doctor’s notes in English. Check the excess on belongings: on cheap policies it often exceeds the value of what is likely to go missing.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Is travel insurance compulsory for Vietnam?

Vietnam does not require it for most visitors, but we ask every traveller to have it, with medical evacuation cover, before we confirm a multi-day trip.

Will my insurance cover me on a Ha Giang easy-rider trip?

It depends on how your policy treats riding pillion. Some cover it with a licensed driver and a helmet; some exclude motorbikes entirely. Get the answer in writing before you book.

Does my credit card insurance count?

Sometimes. Check that it includes medical evacuation, the activities you plan and a 24-hour assistance line, and that it applies to the whole length of the trip.

Can you recommend an insurer?

We do not recommend or sell policies. We suggest comparing the wording on the clauses on this page rather than the price.