How to Write a Vietnamese Address Correctly

A Vietnamese address is written from the small to the large, the same direction as in English. The language of the address is Vietnamese, which uses the Latin alphabet with many diacritics, and the names of administrative levels are normally included in the written address.

The usual order

1. Recipient name
2. House or building number and street name
3. Ward or commune
4. District, where the address still includes that level
5. City or province
6. Postal code and country (for international shipments)

Administrative terms are usually written in full before the name: Phuong (ward), Xa (commune), Quan or Huyen (district), Thanh pho (city), Tinh (province). Some names are numbers, such as "Phuong 5" or "Quan 3", which is a normal part of the name and not a postal code. Because the administrative structure has been revised recently, the district level may be absent from newer addresses; follow what the form or the recipient's most recent address uses.

Alleys and house numbering

Dense city neighbourhoods are often organised along narrow lanes. An address may describe a lane (hem, ngo or ngach) branching from a street, and the number can look like 12/3/4. Read from left to right, this is usually the main-street number, then the alley, then the house within it. Keep the slashes and the sequence exactly as given; removing a segment can make the address unfindable. Some houses also carry letters, such as 12A.

Buildings and apartments

Apartment buildings are normally written with the block or tower name, the floor and the unit number, followed by the street address. The building name is often the main thing a driver looks for, so it should not be left out. Company addresses should include the building name and floor.

Diacritics and language

Vietnamese uses diacritics to distinguish words. Many systems accept addresses without them, but when you have the chance, keep the original characters because they remove ambiguity. For international shipping, check whether the carrier prefers an unaccented version.

Formatted example

The values below are placeholders:

Nguyen Van A
12/3/4 Duong Example
Phuong 5, Quan 3
Thanh pho Example
700000, Viet Nam

A UPCS code can be added in a notes field to show the exact doorway. In Vietnam the prefix is VN, written as VN-XXXX-XXXX. It supplements, and does not replace, the written address or the six-digit postal code, which is described in Vietnam postal code format explained. Learn how to look up the code for your area, or go back to the Vietnam overview.