Tan Son Nhat's Terminal 3: What Travellers Need to Know in 2026

If you flew into Ho Chi Minh City before 2025, the airport you remember has changed. Tan Son Nhat, Vietnam's busiest airport, opened a large new domestic terminal, Terminal 3, in 2025, and it has quietly reshuffled where domestic flights arrive and depart. For most travellers this is good news — a modern, less congested terminal — but it also introduces a real risk: turning up at the wrong terminal and missing a flight. Here is what you need to know to use the new Tan Son Nhat with confidence.

What Changed at Tan Son Nhat

For years, Tan Son Nhat squeezed both domestic and international traffic through two ageing terminals, and the domestic side in particular was notoriously overcrowded. Terminal 3 was built to fix that. It opened around 30 April 2025 as a dedicated domestic terminal with capacity for roughly twenty million passengers a year, and it now handles the bulk of domestic flying for the city.

The result is a cleaner split: Terminal 3 for most domestic flights, Terminal 2 for international arrivals and departures, and Terminal 1 retained for a subset of domestic services. That division is simple in principle, but the exceptions and the distances between terminals are exactly where travellers come unstuck.

Which Flights Use Terminal 3

The two largest domestic carriers, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, moved the majority of their domestic operations to Terminal 3 during 2025. In practice, this means that if you are flying domestically within Vietnam on one of the major airlines — say Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Da Nang, or Phu Quoc — you should now expect to use Terminal 3 rather than the old Terminal 1. Always confirm on your boarding pass and booking, but Terminal 3 is now the default assumption for domestic departures from the city.

The Exceptions You Need to Know

This is where care pays off. Not every domestic flight moved to Terminal 3. Some services — historically including certain regional and turboprop routes, such as flights to Con Dao — have continued to operate from the older terminal rather than T3. Airlines have adjusted these arrangements over time, so the single most important habit is to check which terminal your specific flight uses every time you fly, using your airline's confirmation rather than assuming. A flight to a small island or regional airport is the most likely to depart from somewhere other than Terminal 3.

Why This Matters for Your Connection

The stakes are highest when you are connecting between an international and a domestic flight. If you land internationally at Terminal 2 and need to catch a domestic flight from Terminal 3, you must change terminals — and the terminals are not next door to each other. Add the time for immigration, baggage reclaim, moving between terminals and re-checking in, and a connection that looks comfortable on paper can become tight. For any same-day connection through Tan Son Nhat, give yourself a generous buffer, and never book the last domestic flight of the day as your only option.

Getting Between T3 and the International Terminal

Terminal 3 sits a short distance from the international terminal, and moving between them takes more than a two-minute walk. Depending on the arrangement in place, you may use a shuttle, a taxi or a walk of some length with luggage. Factor this into your timing and your energy, especially if you are arriving off a long-haul flight with heavy bags.

If your itinerary involves a self-transfer — where your international and domestic tickets are booked separately rather than as one through-ticket — the responsibility for making the connection is entirely yours, and the terminal change makes a realistic buffer essential.

Inside Terminal 3

The new terminal is a marked upgrade on the old domestic experience. It is spacious and modern, with more check-in counters, automated and self-service options, a wider range of food and shops, and far more room to wait than the cramped old domestic hall. For travellers, the practical benefit is a smoother, calmer departure, with less of the crush that made domestic flying from Tan Son Nhat a chore. Allow a little time to enjoy it rather than rushing straight to the gate.

Getting to and from the City

Tan Son Nhat is unusually close to central Ho Chi Minh City, only a few kilometres from District 1, which is one of its great advantages. From Terminal 3, taxis, ride-hailing apps such as Grab, and airport buses all serve the city centre. As with any busy airport, use the official taxi ranks or a ride-hailing app rather than accepting offers from touts inside the terminal, and be prepared for slow going in the city's frequent traffic. Our guide to choosing between Vietnam's trains, flights, sleeper buses and cars puts domestic flying in the context of the wider ways to move around the country.

Long Thanh: The Bigger Picture

Terminal 3 is only part of a larger transformation of air travel around Ho Chi Minh City. The much bigger Long Thanh International Airport, being built in neighbouring Dong Nai province, is designed to take over the lion's share of international traffic in the coming years and relieve Tan Son Nhat for good. Our arrival guide to Long Thanh International Airport explains what that will mean for travellers. For now, though, Tan Son Nhat remains the main gateway, and Terminal 3 is the domestic face of it. For a fuller picture of what has changed for visitors, our overview of what is different about travelling to Vietnam in 2026 is a useful companion.

Practical Tips for Using T3

A few habits make Terminal 3 painless. Check your terminal on every booking, especially for regional and island routes. Allow extra time for any international-to-domestic connection, and treat separately booked tickets with particular caution. Arrive early enough to enjoy the new facilities rather than sprinting to the gate. And keep your onward transport plan in mind before you land, so you are not negotiating a taxi while jet-lagged.

A Quick History of Tan Son Nhat's Growing Pains

It helps to understand why Terminal 3 was needed at all. Tan Son Nhat was designed decades ago for a fraction of the traffic it now carries, and for years it ran far beyond its intended capacity. Domestic passengers in particular endured long queues, packed gate areas and frequent delays, and the airport became a byword for congestion at peak times such as Tet, when millions of Vietnamese fly home. Expanding within the airport's tight urban footprint was difficult, which is why the new terminal, and in the longer term the entirely new Long Thanh airport, became national priorities. Terminal 3 is the near-term relief valve, and for the domestic traveller it represents the single biggest improvement to the Ho Chi Minh City flying experience in years.

Who Benefits Most From the Change

Not every traveller experiences Terminal 3 the same way. Domestic-only travellers gain the most: a modern, uncongested terminal with none of the old crush. Travellers connecting from an international flight gain a better domestic terminal but inherit the complication of a terminal change. And travellers on the handful of routes still using the older terminal see little change at all. Knowing which category you fall into is the key to a smooth trip. If you are flying purely within Vietnam on a major carrier, expect a noticeably better experience; if you are connecting internationally or flying a regional route, plan carefully around the terminal split and the time it takes to move between buildings. In the busiest periods, and especially around Tet and the summer holiday peak, allow even more margin than usual, as queues at check-in and security lengthen and the shuttle between terminals runs less predictably when passenger numbers surge. Booking a morning flight also helps, since delays and queues tend to compound as the day wears on.

What to Do Next

1. Confirm which terminal your specific domestic flight uses, checking your airline's booking rather than assuming Terminal 3.
2. For any connection between international and domestic flights, build in a generous buffer for the terminal change.
3. Treat separately booked international and domestic tickets with extra care, as the connection is your responsibility.
4. Use official taxi ranks or a ride-hailing app for the short trip into central Ho Chi Minh City.
5. Plan your wider Vietnam route and internal flights with our plan-your-journey resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which terminal do domestic flights use at Tan Son Nhat now?

Most domestic flights on the major carriers, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, now use the new Terminal 3, which opened in 2025. Terminal 2 handles international flights, and Terminal 1 retains some domestic services. Always confirm on your boarding pass, as a minority of routes still depart from the older terminal. When in doubt, the airline's app or a quick message to the airport information line will confirm your terminal before you travel.

Do all domestic flights leave from Terminal 3?

No. While the bulk of domestic flying moved to Terminal 3, certain routes — historically including some regional and turboprop services such as flights to Con Dao — have continued from the older terminal. Check the terminal for your specific flight every time, particularly for small-island and regional destinations.

How much time do I need between an international and a domestic flight?

More than you might think. Landing internationally at Terminal 2 and departing domestically from Terminal 3 requires immigration, baggage reclaim, a terminal change and re-check-in. Give yourself a generous buffer, and avoid making the last domestic flight of the day your only connecting option, especially with separately booked tickets.

How do I get from Terminal 3 to central Ho Chi Minh City?

Tan Son Nhat is only a few kilometres from District 1. From Terminal 3 you can take a taxi, a ride-hailing service such as Grab, or an airport bus. Use official taxi ranks or an app rather than touts, and allow for the city's heavy traffic, which can make a short distance take a while.

Is Terminal 3 better than the old domestic terminal?

Yes, considerably. Terminal 3 is spacious and modern, with more check-in counters, self-service options, better dining and shopping, and far more waiting space than the cramped old domestic hall. It has made domestic departures from Tan Son Nhat much calmer, provided you arrive at the correct terminal.

What is the difference between Terminal 3 and Long Thanh Airport?

Terminal 3 is a new domestic terminal at the existing Tan Son Nhat Airport, inside Ho Chi Minh City. Long Thanh is an entirely separate, much larger international airport under construction in nearby Dong Nai province, intended to take over most international traffic in the coming years. For now, Tan Son Nhat remains the city's main airport.