Vietnam
VietnamWhat this score means
- Extreme75 to 100
- Severe and systematic. Device search, interception and detention over online activity are documented rather than theoretical. Reconsider what you carry and what you say.
- High50 to 74
- Substantial and consistently evidenced measures. Device inspection, monitored networks or restricted services should be expected rather than treated as unlikely.
- Caution25 to 49
- Some risk, and manageable with precautions. Measures are evidenced but are narrow, inconsistently applied, or the picture is mixed.
- Low0 to 24
- Ordinary precautions. No systematic device search, network restriction or prosecution of visitors for online speech is evidenced.
Government travel advice is written for one citizenry, so the same country carries a different assessment depending on your passport. Change it in the header.
Showing the baseline, which weights every issuer equally. No government in our corpus publishes travel advice written for you, so this is not addressed to you specifically.
For United Kingdom nationals: 62 (high). This leans on advice written for British nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Europe nationals: 62 (high). This leans on advice written for German nationals, and weights other issuers lower.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between Europe and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 43 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For United States nationals: 63 (high). This leans on advice written for US nationals, and weights other issuers lower.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between United States and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 1 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Canada nationals: 64 (high). This leans on advice written for Canadian nationals, and weights other issuers lower.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between Canada and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 1 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Latin America and the Caribbean nationals: 63 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Latin America and the Caribbean, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between Latin America and the Caribbean and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 33 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Africa nationals: 63 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Africa, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between Africa and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 54 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Middle East nationals: 63 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Middle East, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between Middle East and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 18 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For South Asia nationals: 63 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for South Asia, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between South Asia and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 14 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For East and South East Asia nationals: 62 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for East and South East Asia, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.
For Oceania nationals: 63 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Oceania, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 2 percent for the relationship between Oceania and this destination.For most passports in this region, Vietnam requires an electronic visa, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 14 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
Dimensions
Each dimension is scored independently, because the traveller who cares about legal exposure for what they have posted is often not the one carrying client data. Higher means more risk.
Speech and legal exposure
What legal risk attaches to what I have said online, or say while I am there?
good confidence10 independent sources
Why this score (26 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored VNM 1 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
Freedom House 2026 scored VNM 0 of 4 on free and independent media.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 2.11 of 4 on how routinely the government censors political content on social media, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 0.58 of 4 on how often people are arrested for political content they posted online, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
Vietnam - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-06-24 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Vietnam: no advisory against travel in force.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-09-21 · written for GBR nationals
Vietnam: Exercise a high degree of caution
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-13 · written for CAN nationals
Vietnam: No travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-08-19 · written for DEU nationals
This provision has been used repeatedly in recent years to prosecute bloggers, lawyers, journalists, and activists for online commentary, with human rights groups documenting hundreds of convictions under Article 331 since 2018.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-03-30 · extracted by language model
The People’s Court of Dak Lak Province ruled that 11 of Tuan’s live videos and 21 Facebook posts were defamatory, spread false information, and undermined trust in the ruling Communist party and state, the journalist’s daughter, Huynh Thuc Vy, told CPJ and state media reported.
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-04-02 · extracted by language model
There are also strict controls on the media, online censorship and controls on social media as well as ongoing restrictions on peaceful protests.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-03-30 · extracted by language model
There are also strict controls on the media, online censorship and controls on social media as well as ongoing restrictions on peaceful protests.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-10-29 · extracted by language model
Tuan has been charged under Article 117 of the penal code, which criminalizes “propagandizing against the state” and carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison, those sources said.
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-10-10 · extracted by language model
There are also strict controls on the media, online censorship and controls on social media as well as ongoing restrictions on peaceful protests.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-08-21 · extracted by language model
The new decree, which took effect on December 25, 2024, obliges tech companies operating in Vietnam to verify the identity of users, store data, and remove content deemed illegal by authorities.
Global Voices (Advox), via a site scoped search · observed 2025-01-07 · extracted by language model
Local officials under Decree 109 can punish Vietnamese lawyers by revoking their licences for up to nine months, and those of international lawyers for up to three months, and impose fines of up to 40 million VND (USD 1,520).
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-08-21 · extracted by language model
According to HRW, Hanoi police charged all five - Nguyen Thanh Nam, Tran Viet Anh, Nguyen Thuy Hang, Dao Ba Doan, and Nguyen Van Yen - with carrying out anti-state propaganda under the notorious national security law, penal code article 117, and published their home addresses, violating their families’ privacy rights.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-08-21 · extracted by language model
Independent reporters and bloggers are often jailed, making Vietnam one of the world's biggest prisons for journalists.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-10-29 · extracted by language model
However, a controversial clause introduces a provision empowering the chief investigators of the Ministry of Public Security and provincial police to request that news organisations or journalists disclose the identities of their information sources for use in criminal investigations, prosecutions, or trials.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-10-29 · extracted by language model
According to this report, the Vietnamese government maintains tight control over freedom of expression, religious freedom, and civil society activism.
The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-03-03 · extracted by language model
Tran Long Phi , an activist imprisoned in 2019 for his alleged participation in “Quốc nội quật khởi” (The National Uprising), an organization the government classified a “reactionary” group, has been freed 21 months ahead of his scheduled release in July 2026.
The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search · observed 2024-10-28 · extracted by language model
On August 3, the Hanoi People’s Court convicted Chau under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code, which criminalizes “producing, possessing, distributing, or disseminating information deemed to oppose the state,” according to news reports .
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-08-04 · extracted by language model
On the same day, another court in Hanoi convicted and sentenced in absentia the Berlin-based journalist Le Trung Khoa, 54, to 17 years in prison under Article 117 of the Penal Code.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-03-30 · extracted by language model
In December 2025, Vietnamese state media VTV broadcast a forced confession from Vietnamese human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap, co-founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ), in which he was coerced to falsely claim MSFJ's involvement in terrorist attacks.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-03-30 · extracted by language model
Tuan has been charged under Article 117 of the Penal Code, which criminalises “propagandising against the state” and carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-10-29 · extracted by language model
Key Events Việt Nam’s Top Leaders Win Unanimous Local Backing to Run for National Assembly; Ministry of Public Security Seeks Legal Change to Expand Its Financial Resources; Severe Smog Forces Expressway Closure as Hà Nội Air Quality Worsens; Leaked Plan Suggests Vietnamese Military Preparing for Contingencies Involving U.S. Conflict; A Village Leader Prosecuted for Criticizing the Government on Zalo Under the “Abuse of Democratic Freedoms” Law; Top Legal Draft Would Require Approval to Livestream Court Proceedings.
The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-02-09 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
4 excluded sources
- Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-03-07: aged out after 3 years.
- The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-03-04: aged out after 3 years.
- The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-09-16: aged out after 2 years.
- The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-09-12: aged out after 2 years.
Surveillance and interception
How comprehensively are communications intercepted, retained, and monitored, and is commercial spyware in use?
good confidence6 independent sources
Why this score (8 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored VNM 1 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 0.66 of 4 on how comprehensively the government monitors social media and private online communication, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 0.73 of 4 on how far privacy protection law shields communications from government access, where higher is freer. This measures what privacy law permits rather than what monitoring is practised, so it is read here as a constraint on interception rather than a measurement of it.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025 scored VNM 0.41 of 1 on whether freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy is effectively guaranteed, a measure built from expert assessments of warrantless interception of communications.
World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index, sub-factor 4.6 · observed 2025-01-01
The draft outlines a system described as a mandatory infrastructure for monitoring and filtering Internet activity.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-03-30 · extracted by language model
Local authorities may monitor your communications at any time.
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-16 · written for CAN nationals · extracted by language model
Tuan and his family have long been targeted for harassment, including home raids, surveillance, confiscation of computers and documents, and travel restrictions, according to Vy, who recently completed two years and nine months in prison for blogging that included a post in which she defaced a Vietnamese flag.
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-04-02 · extracted by language model
In addition, network devices would be required to log detailed information about every user session, including time stamps, source and destination addresses, protocols, and system responses.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-03-30 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Data jurisdiction
What happens to corporate or client data I carry into the jurisdiction?
moderate confidence1 independent source
Why this score (1 source)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 0.73 of 4 on how far privacy protection law shields communications from government access, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Encryption and VPN legality
Are VPNs and strong encryption lawful, and can I be required to install an application or hand over keys?
moderate confidence3 independent sources
Why this score (3 sources)
Widespread restrictions. The law requires anyone trading in civil encryption products (defined as encryption products, technical equipment and cryptographic skills) to meet certain requirements and to obtain a licence to do so from the government. The law also requires a license for the importation or exportation of cryptographic products. Individuals are required to provide information relating to cryptographic keys to competent state bodies upon request, as well as to cooperate with and help competent state bodies take measures to prevent crimes involving stealing information or cryptographic keys, or using civil cr
Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption Laws and Policies · observed 2019-06-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 1.23 of 4 on whether the government regulates the internet in a way consistent with international human rights standards, where higher is freer. This does not establish whether encryption or VPN use is lawful. It measures internet regulation in general, and is used as indirect evidence because the only survey that reads encryption law directly was published in 2019.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
OONI recorded no confirmed blocking across 36,125 measurements of anonymity and censorship circumvention tools in VNM over the 90 days to 2026-10-16, with 1,001 further results inconclusive.
Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data · observed 2026-10-16
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Network threat
How hostile is the network environment to a foreign visitor, from state actors and criminals alike?
good confidence4 independent sources
Why this score (4 sources)
ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, Technical pillar: 20.00 of 20.
International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index · observed 2024-12-31
Freedom House scored Vietnam 12 of 25 on obstacles to access in Freedom on the Net, a category covering state control over internet infrastructure and gateways, regulatory and ownership control over service providers, and the independence of the regulator.
Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access · observed 2025-01-01
Perpetrators may compromise public Wi-Fi networks to steal credit card or personal information.
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-16 · written for CAN nationals · extracted by language model
Reuters reports that Việt Nam is investigating one of its largest-ever data breaches after the National Credit Information Center (CIC), under the State Bank, confirmed that the cybercrime group ShinyHunters had exfiltrated roughly 160 million records of personal and credit‐related data.
The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-09-22 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Connectivity continuity
How likely am I to lose access to the internet, or to the specific tools I depend on?
good confidence9 independent sources
Why this score (20 sources)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 3.80 of 4 on how often the government shuts down domestic access to the internet, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored VNM 0.48 of 4 on how routinely the government filters internet content in practice, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
OONI recorded 3 confirmed and 8,003 anomalous results across 223,833 web connectivity measurements in VNM over the 30 days to 2026-10-16, a confirmed blocking rate of 0.00 percent.
Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data · observed 2026-10-16
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-10-16, with an aggregate disruption score of 2,828.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-10-16
Vietnam - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-06-24 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Vietnam: no advisory against travel in force.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-09-21 · written for GBR nationals
Vietnam: Exercise a high degree of caution
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-13 · written for CAN nationals
Vietnam: No travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-08-19 · written for DEU nationals
There are sometimes restrictions on internet use, which can temporarily affect access to social media websites.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-06-26
There are also strict controls on the media, online censorship and controls on social media as well as ongoing restrictions on peaceful protests.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-10-29 · extracted by language model
Within the Vietnamese territory, local authorities can block access to:
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-09-21 · written for GBR nationals · extracted by language model
There are sometimes restrictions on internet use, which can temporarily affect access to social media websites.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-09-21 · written for GBR nationals · extracted by language model
The Vietnamese government has said it has banned the messaging app Telegram because of its non-compliance with local rules, while human rights groups have warned that it could further restrict the flow of information in the country.
Global Voices (Advox), via a site scoped search · observed 2025-06-24 · extracted by language model
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-29, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-29
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-28, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-28
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-27, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-27
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-26, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-26
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-25, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-25
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-24, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-24
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Viet Nam in the 7 days to 2026-08-23, with an aggregate disruption score of 699.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-08-23
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Border device risk
How likely is my device to be searched, imaged, or seized at the border, and can I be compelled to unlock it?
good confidence5 independent sources
No reports were found of devices being searched, imaged or seized at this border, or of travellers being compelled to unlock them. The score below is drawn from general indicators for this country rather than from anything observed about this risk, so it describes an absence of reports rather than evidence that the risk is absent.
What the score rests on (5 indirect sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored VNM 1 of 4 on due process in civil and criminal matters.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
Vietnam - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-06-24 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Vietnam: no advisory against travel in force.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-09-21 · written for GBR nationals
Vietnam: Exercise a high degree of caution
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-13 · written for CAN nationals
Vietnam: No travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-08-19 · written for DEU nationals
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Trend
The overall score is up 8.1 points over 61 days, from 53.4 to 61.5. Most movement is the event overlay decaying rather than anything happening: a news signal loses half its weight every three weeks, so a score drifts back toward its structural baseline on its own. A step that holds is the one worth reading.
Check this yourself
These are not inputs to the score for Vietnam. They are where to look if you want to test what is above against something we did not use.
- OONI ExplorerMeasured tests of website and app blocking, updated continuously by volunteers running probes in country. Not used in our scores: its licence forbids commercial use.
- IODA outage recordThe full outage history behind any continuity events shown above, including the measurement methods that detected them.
- FCDO travel adviceThe UK government view, written for UK nationals.
- US State Department travel advisoriesThe US government view, written for US nationals.
Sources
This assessment draws on 16 sources: Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise; CIVICUS Monitor country updates; Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search; Freedom House, Freedom in the World; Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access; Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis; Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories; Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption Laws and Policies; Global Voices (Advox), via a site scoped search; International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index; Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data; The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice; US Department of State, Travel Advisories; V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project; World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index, sub-factor 4.6. Every contributing claim is quoted with its origin and date above. Model version 0.12.0, computed 2026-10-16.
If something here is wrong, say so. Corrections are handled in public, and we correct because the evidence is wrong, not because someone objects.