What Should Foreigners Pay Attention To Before Living In Vietnam?

The number of foreigners wishing to move to Vietnam to live, study, and work is increasing. However, before coming to live in Vietnam, foreigners need to find out some necessary information such as life in Vietnam, how to find accommodation in Vietnam, the visa requirements, etc.

1. How do foreigners live in Vietnam?

1.1. Is Vietnam safe for foreigners?

According to the ranking of the world's friendliest countries in 2021 published on the World Population Review, Vietnam is ranked 9th in the 10th most foreign-friendly countries in the world. Therefore, Vietnam will be an ideal destination for tourists. With hospitality and sociability, foreigners will easily make friends with local people and live in Vietnam for a long time.

Vietnam is in the 9th position in the 10th most foreign-friendly countries in the world

The political situation in Vietnam is also relatively stable, there is no terrorism, the security is relatively guaranteed. Tourists can feel secure when visiting, traveling, and living in Vietnam without concern for political changes and terrorism.

1.2. What languages does Vietnam use?

In Vietnam, Vietnamese is the official language. Therefore, foreign guests who do not know Vietnamese, how to integrate and communicate with local people while living in Vietnam? Don't worry, there are quite a few Vietnamese people who can communicate in English at a basic level.

1.3. Is the standard of living in Vietnam suitable for foreigners?

According to the report of the survey to evaluate and rank the best places for ex-pats to live and work published by Internations on May 18, 2021, opinions from more than 12,000 people from 59 countries and territories, Vietnam is in the 10th position on the list. In which, Vietnam ranks first in 2 indexes "Cost of living" and "The impact of the cost of living on personal financial savings". It can be said that living in Vietnam is the ideal choice for ex-pats who want to save costs but still receive full facilities.

Two big cities, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, are ranked among the most expensive places to live in Vietnam. However, many foreigners staying here still feel satisfied and want to continue working and living in Vietnam. Although the city has a higher standard of living than other areas, it offers many facilities, amenities, physical and spiritual facilities to the residents of the area.

1.4. How many foreigners live in Vietnam?

As of early 2022, the population in Vietnam is more than 98.7 million people and the number of foreigners coming to live and work in Vietnam is more than 100,000. They come from 110 countries and regions, most of which are Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, etc. The majority of foreigners working and living in Vietnam concentrate mainly in big cities, typically Hanoi, Long An, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, etc.

1.5. Things to pay special attention to when living in Vietnam for foreigners

The main means of transportation in Vietnam is motorbikes

People living in Vietnam mainly use motorbikes, taxis, and buses to move around. Foreigners can choose the above means to travel. If coming to live in Vietnam for a short time, foreign guests can use taxis or rent motorbikes at rental locations such as hotels, motels, or specialized rental units for more convenient transportation. The price of motorbike rental usually ranges from 150,000 VND to 200,000 VND for 1 day of rental.

If coming to work in Vietnam, foreigners are required to have work permits.

Foreigners need a permit for most business and work-related activities in Vietnam. Without permission, which means that the foreigner is operating illegally, he will be deported immediately.

Buying real estate in Vietnam

According to Vietnamese law, foreigners are allowed to buy property or houses in Vietnam. However, it is not allowed to buy land, because it is a property owned by the state. Simply put, foreigners living in Vietnam can buy a house, but the land to build a house cannot. Instead, foreigners can enjoy land use rights in the form of land leases for a term of 50 years.

Mandatory declaration of temporary residence to the State agency within 12 hours of arrival

According to Article 33 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam: “Foreigners who temporarily reside in Vietnam must go through a person who directly manages and operates the operation of the accommodation establishment to declare temporary residence to the police station of the commune, ward or township or the police station or station where the accommodation establishment is located”.

2. How to find accommodation in Vietnam?

2.1. Where do foreigners live in Vietnam mainly?

Areas with large numbers of foreigners working and living in Vietnam include:

• Hanoi: Foreigners mainly live in the central area of ​​the capital. The largest concentrations are in Hoan Kiem, Cau Giay, Nam Tu Liem, Tay Ho, and Dong Da districts.

• Ho Chi Minh City: Inner-city areas such as District 1, District 2, District 3, District 7, Phu Nhuan District, Tan Binh District, etc. are the places chosen by most foreigners to stay. In the suburban districts of the city, there are also foreigners, workers from Africa.

• Da Nang: Son Tra, Hai Chau, and Ngu Hanh Son districts are home to a large concentration of Koreans and Chinese.

• Khanh Hoa: Nha Trang city area has a lot of Russian, Chinese, etc. living.

• Binh Duong: Many foreign experts work in industrial zones of Binh Duong province.

• Ba Ria - Vung Tau: There are many Russians, Indians, Filipinos, Australians, Koreans, etc. in the city area.

• Hai Phong: Concentrating quite a lot of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese people in new urban areas, Cat Ba island, etc.

• Bac Ninh: Industrial parks gather a lot of foreign experts to work.

• Quang Ninh: Foreigners live mainly in Ha Long and Mong Cai city.

• Lam Dong: Da Lat is one of the cities that attracts a large number of Westerners to work and live in Vietnam.

• Long An: Many foreign experts come to industrial zones in Long An to work.

2.2. How much is the rental price of an apartment in Vietnam?

In general, the cost of living in Vietnam is at a low level, but the working conditions, urban landscape, economy, and living environment in Vietnam are developing, so it attracts a lot of foreigners to move here. Vietnam to live, study and work.

Apartment rental prices in Vietnam are not too high, usually:

• The rent for a 1-bedroom apartment without furniture will range from $600 - $650/month, with furniture from $650 - $850/month.
• The rent for a 2-bedroom apartment without furniture is from $650 - $800/month, with furniture from $1000 - $1500/month.
• The rent for a 3-bedroom apartment without furniture is from $900 to $1100/month, with furniture from $1,200 to $2,000/month.

With high-class apartments, the price may be higher. But in return, there will be many accompanying services, as well as utilities and amenities around the rental area.

3. Visa requirements for foreigners in Vietnam

To be able to enter Vietnam, foreigners are required to have a valid passport and visa, unless exempted under Vietnamese law. To find out full information about procedures, steps for visa application documents for foreigners in Vietnam, please visit the website of the Ministry of Public Security - Public Administration Service here.

Recently, due to the outbreak of the disease and complicated developments, Vietnam has decided to stop issuing e-visa, unilaterally and bilaterally for foreigners. Up to now, the epidemic situation has positively improved, on January 18, 2022, the Government issued Official Letter No. 450/VPCP-QHQT with the policy of creating favorable conditions for foreigners to enter Vietnam as follows:

• Foreigners with valid entry documents (permanent residence card, temporary residence card, visa, visa exemption certificate are still valid) will be allowed to enter Vietnam without having to apply for an entry permit.
• For foreigners who do not have a visa but wish to enter Vietnam for work or study, the Provincial People's Committee will consider creating conditions for entry.

Create favorable conditions for foreigners to enter to study, work and live in Vietnam

4. Healthcare in Vietnam

4.1. Get vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming to Vietnam

To be able to enter and live in Vietnam, foreigners (from 12 years of age or older) need to meet the following:

• Have a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 before coming to live in Vietnam, have a negative RT-PCR or RT-LAMP test result for SARS-CoV-2 within 72 hours, or a negative rapid test within 24 hours before departure ( except for children under 2 years old).
• For passengers entering by air: If there are symptoms of suspected COVID-19 infection, foreigners need to perform a quick test at the airport. If there are no suspicious symptoms, foreigners are allowed to go directly to their places of residence and need to have a negative rapid test result for SARS-CoV-2 within 24 hours of entering Vietnam. Must conduct medical monitoring within 14 days and comply with the 5K regulations of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.
• For customers entering by road: Carry out a quick test at Vietnam's border gate.

On October 21, 2021, Vietnam temporarily recognized the vaccination certificate or vaccine passport form of 72 countries and territories. Therefore, foreigners can use this type of document directly in Vietnam, and the concentrated isolation period will be reduced to 7 days (if they have had enough vaccine doses or recovered).

4.2. Health check-up service for foreigners living in Vietnam

Foreigners who want to have a medical examination in Vietnam need to clearly understand the provisions of the law examine on standards of hospitals eligible to foreigners according to Official Letter No. 143/KCB-PHCN&GD dated February 5, 2015, of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment - Ministry of Health.

Foreign visitors can look up the list of hospitals eligible for the medical examination for foreigners here.

4.3. Insurance for foreigners living in Vietnam

In the regulations on entry conditions for foreigners to work and live in Vietnam, foreigners must have health insurance or travel insurance used to treat COVID-19 with a low denomination. at least $10,000.

In addition, there are three main types of insurance that foreigners need when living in Vietnam, including:

• Health insurance: Foreigners may or may not be eligible for health insurance, depending on individual circumstances. Therefore, it is necessary to check with the local government to see if you are eligible for health insurance.
• Car insurance: Foreigners also need to participate in the compulsory civil liability insurance of motor vehicle owners if driving a vehicle in Vietnam.
• International Personal Property Insurance: To cover damage to property while moving to Vietnam.

5. Luxury apartments for rent in Hanoi

Foreign guests wishing to rent apartments and serviced apartments in Hanoi can contact Property Plus. We are a real estate company in Hanoi, specializing in renting high-class Hanoi apartments with full amenities from 01 to 04 bedrooms, with accompanying utility services of 04 to 05 star standards, ready to meet all the needs of foreign customers.

5.1. Apartment for rent in Ba Dinh

Featured apartments of Property Plus in Ba Dinh district that foreign guests can refer to are:

• Apartment for rent in Vinhomes Metropolis.
• Apartment for rent in Ba Dinh - The Five Residence.

Apartment for rent in Ba Dinh - The Five Residence

• Hanoi Lancaster apartment for rent.
• Pan Pacific Hanoi apartment for rent.
• The Grandeur Palace apartment for rent.

5.2. Apartment for rent in Tay Ho

Apartments for rent in Tay Ho area for foreigners who intend to work and live in Vietnam.

• Hanoi apartment for rent in Hanoi Lake View.
• Oakwood serviced apartment
• Pentstudio serviced apartment.

Pentstudio serviced apartment

• Hanoi Club serviced apartment.
• Somerset West Point serviced apartment.
• Somerset West Lake serviced apartment.
• Fraser Suite serviced apartment.

5.3. High-class serviced apartment in Hoan Kiem district

If foreign guests want to rent an apartment in the Hoan Kiem district, they can refer to the following high-class serviced apartments:

• Somerset Grand Hanoi serviced apartment.
• Sun Red River serviced apartment.

5.4. High-class serviced apartment in Cau Giay district

Some apartments for rent in Cau Giay district that foreigners can refer to are:

• Roygent Park serviced apartment.
• Somerset Hoa Binh serviced apartment.

Somerset Hoa Binh serviced apartment

5.5. Luxury serviced apartment in Nam Tu Liem district

Below are the apartments in the Nam Tu Liem district of Property Plus that are currently for rent for foreign guests who intend to come to work and live in Vietnam for reference.

• Vinhomes Skylake apartment for rent.
• Dolphin Plaza apartment for rent.
• Vinhomes Gardenia apartment for rent.

In addition, Property Plus also has a system of serviced apartments and high-class apartments distributed throughout 12 districts of Hanoi, ready to meet all the needs of tenants when coming to study and live in Vietnam. With a deep understanding of the indigenous cultures of many countries, Property Plus will surely bring satisfaction to customers.

Please visit the website https://propertyplus.com.vn/ to see more information about many apartments for rent in Hanoi!

Hopefully, this article of Property Plus helps foreigners to understand more about Vietnam, as well as the notes to know before deciding to work and live in Vietnam. If you need any more advice or need to book an apartment in Hanoi, don't hesitate to call the Property Plus hotline! We are always ready to serve our customers 24/7!