{"id":4764,"date":"2026-08-17T21:51:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T12:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&p=4764"},"modified":"2026-08-17T21:51:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T12:51:53","slug":"expressway-toll-etc","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/expressway-toll-etc\/","title":{"rendered":"13 sections of the North\u2013South Expressway go tolled from August 15, making an ETC balance mandatory"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Vietnam's main artery, the North-South Expressway (eastern route), 13 sections that had been free all become tolled at once from August 15, 2026. The Ministry of Construction has instructed operators to begin tolling across the entire route and complete rest-stop facilities (tram dung nghi) by that date, with all payment handled electronically (ETC). For travelers driving long distances in a rental car and residents commuting by car to the provinces, checking your account balance before setting out is now a required new step.<\/p>\n

This article is aimed at residents who drive themselves to Da Nang, Nha Trang, or the Mekong Delta, and travelers planning a long rental-car trip, laying out which sections are changing, the fees, and how to pay.<\/p>\n

13 sections, including Hoa Lien\u2013Tuy Loan, newly become subject to tolls<\/h2>\n

The 13 sections becoming tolled were built with state funds. From north to south: Bai Vot\u2013Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi\u2013Vung Ang, Vung Ang\u2013Bung, Bung\u2013Van Ninh, Van Ninh\u2013Cam Lo, then in the central region Quang Ngai\u2013Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon\u2013Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon\u2013Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh\u2013Van Phong, Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang, plus Hoa Lien\u2013Tuy Loan near Da Nang, and in the south Can Tho\u2013Hau Giang and Hau Giang\u2013Ca Mau. These 13 sections join the 5 sections \u2014 including Mai Son\u2013National Highway 45 \u2014 that had already started tolling from March 1, meaning free stretches on the north-south route have almost disappeared.<\/p>\n

Cars pay about 900 dong per kilometer, settled by the actual distance driven in each section<\/h2>\n

Fees are calculated based on distance driven. For cars seating under 12 (Group 1), the rate ranges from 900 to 1,300 dong per kilometer depending on the section. The Ministry of Construction has approved an upper rate of 5,200 dong\/km for the heaviest vehicle category. Looking at actual amounts by section, Hoa Lien\u2013Tuy Loan costs a car 9,750 dong (about \u00a556), while Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang costs 32,625 dong (about \u00a5186). For the same sections, container-class Group 5 vehicles pay four times as much, reaching 130,500 dong (about \u00a5746) on Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Section<\/th>\nCars (Group 1)<\/th>\nLarge vehicles (Group 5)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Hoa Lien\u2013Tuy Loan<\/td>\n9,750 dong (about \u00a556)<\/td>\n39,000 dong (about \u00a5223)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang<\/td>\n32,625 dong (about \u00a5186)<\/td>\n130,500 dong (about \u00a5746)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Approximate rate<\/td>\nAbout 900\u20131,300 dong\/km<\/td>\nUp to 5,200 dong\/km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Approximate figures based on \u00a51 \u2248 175 dong. Figures are based on the fee schedule approved by the Ministry of Construction and the published rates for the 13 sections concerned.<\/small><\/p>\n

There are no cash lanes \u2014 running out of balance on VETC or ePass stops you at the entrance<\/h2>\n

Tolling on these sections is ETC-only, with no cash payment option at toll booths. Vietnam's ETC system runs through two providers, VETC and ePass (VDTC), with fees automatically deducted from the account linked to the tag stuck on your windshield. If the balance is insufficient, the gate won't open, holding up the cars behind you. Anyone driving themselves should check their balance in the app before setting out, and for a long north-south trip, topping up with a few hundred thousand dong is a safe bet.<\/p>\n

Driving yourself from Da Nang to Nha Trang? Think in terms of section-by-section totals<\/h2>\n

One thing travelers easily get wrong is that the expressway fee isn't a flat \u201cone price\u201d \u2014 it stacks up section by section as you pass through them. Heading south from Da Nang toward Nha Trang, you pass through a run of tolled sections in a row: Quang Ngai\u2013Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon\u2013Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon\u2013Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh\u2013Van Phong, and Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang. The last section alone, Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang, costs a car 32,625 dong, so driving the whole stretch adds up to a meaningful amount. Anyone who drove this route back when it was free should update their sense of the cost. If you're driving a rental car yourself, you'll first need to have yourlicense conversion under a 90-day visa<\/a>sorted out first as a prerequisite.<\/p>\n

Driving rules also change on August 15 \u2014 prepare for all of it together<\/h2>\n

On this same date, August 15, when the tolling begins, the rule forthe new child car seat rules<\/a>children riding in the front passenger seat also comes fully into force, so families using a rental car need to sort out car seats. At the same time, for private cars,stricter fines for paid rides<\/a>also start on the same day, raising the risk of things like giving an acquaintance a paid ride. There are three things to sort out before setting off.<\/p>\n