From stepping off the plane to immigration → baggage → customs → SIM/Grab, the arrival flow at a Vietnamese airport is simple. Here's the sequence for a traveller carrying golf bags.
The arrival flow at a glance
After landing on an international flight, follow the signage (in English too) to Immigration. Hold your passport and Digital Arrival Card QR (where the airport requires it) and queue. Once cleared, collect your suitcase and golf bag at Baggage Claim, pass through Customs, and exit to the arrivals hall. There, finish buying a SIM and hailing a Grab.
- 1) Immigration
Present your passport and (if completed) the Digital Arrival Card QR, and the officer stamps the 30-day exemption. If asked where/how long you'll stay, answer with your hotel and dates; have your onward ticket ready on your phone. Lines at HCMC (SGN) can be very long at evening peaks (sometimes 1–2 hours), so having the QR and documents open in advance speeds you through.
- 2) Baggage Claim
Check the board for your flight's belt. Oversize items like golf bags often come out at a separate Oversize area rather than the standard belt, so check there too. Report any damage or loss to the airline counter on the spot.
- 3) Customs
With nothing to declare, walk the green 'Nothing to Declare' lane. Personal golf clubs are fine. Alcohol/tobacco over the duty-free allowance, or cash over USD 5,000 (or equivalent), must be declared (red lane).
- 4) Activate SIM/eSIM
Buy and activate a tourist SIM at a carrier booth (Viettel etc.) in arrivals. If you bought an eSIM in advance, just switch on data and confirm the connection. Getting online here makes the next step easy.
- 5) Grab/transfer
If we've arranged a pickup, look for the driver holding your name board in arrivals. Otherwise hail a Grab, but walk to the airport's designated Grab pickup zone to board. Beware of touts shouting 'taxi?' and people posing as your Grab driver (they just show the app logo, cancel your booking, then charge cash at 10× the fare) — always match the plate and driver name in the app before getting in.
Customs duty-free allowances
The following are typical per-adult personal allowances. Golf clubs, clothing and personal electronics are fine within normal limits. Allowances can change, so verify before departure if bringing larger quantities.
| Cigarettes | 200 cigarettes (or equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | 1.5L spirits (≥20%) / 2L (<20%) |
| Personal golf clubs | Personal use — no declaration |
| Cash declaration | Declare over USD 5,000 / VND 15,000,000 |
| Prohibited | Drugs, weapons, political/obscene material |
If your cash (all foreign currency combined) exceeds USD 5,000 or VND 15,000,000, declaration is mandatory. Failing to declare can lead to administrative or criminal penalties. If you carry a large amount for golf expenses, fill in the declaration form in advance.
Golf bags are not rarely delayed or lost in transit. Keep your baggage tag receipt, and put a card with your name, contact and hotel inside the bag. It helps to confirm at the hotel that it arrived before your first round.
Airport-specific notes
The procedure varies slightly by airport. Ho Chi Minh's Tan Son Nhat (SGN) sees the heaviest foreign arrivals, so evening queues are long and the Digital Arrival Card QR is mandatory. Da Nang (DAD) and Nha Trang's Cam Ranh (CXR) are smaller and tend to clear faster; since the Digital Arrival Card is rolling out nationwide, completing it before departure keeps you safe at any airport.
"As soon as you exit, people follow you shouting 'taxi!' — just ignore them and follow the Grab pickup signs. I had an eSIM already on, which saved the whole time of queuing to exchange money and buy a SIM." — get online right after arrival and the rest goes smoothly.
In one line: passport + arrival-card QR at immigration → also check the Oversize area for your golf bag → green lane through customs → SIM and Grab in the hall. If queues are short, arrival usually takes 10–20 minutes (longer at HCMC evening peaks).