Living in Vietnam
Work, daily life, family, cost of living, logistics — the expat backbone.
Adoption in Vietnam: An Overview
International adoption from Vietnam is restricted to most countries; domestic adoption has its own rules. This is an orientation, not legal advice.
Bringing Pets to Vietnam
Cats and dogs can come — with current rabies vaccination, microchip, rabies titer test, and a health certificate. No quarantine for most countries. Plan 3–6 months ahead.
Buying a Car as an Expat in Vietnam
Far harder than buying a motorbike — import taxes triple the price, registration is bureaucratic, parking is brutal. For most expats, a car-with-driver service is the better answer.
Buying a Motorbike as an Expat
Used Honda Wave or Air Blade in the $300–800 range covers most expat needs. The trick is the paperwork — the blue book, the seller's signature, and registering ownership.
Child Healthcare and Vaccines in Vietnam
Paediatric care at Vinmec, FV and Family Medical Practice, the EPI schedule and the private vaccines worth adding.
Cost of Living in Đà Nẵng
Đà Nẵng-specific costs: beach apartments, cafés, scooters and the digital-nomad sweet-spot budget.
Cost of Living in Hanoi
Hanoi-specific costs: Tây Hồ premium, food, the air-quality tax, and monthly budgets across lifestyle tiers.
Cost of Living in Ho Chi Minh City
HCMC-specific cost detail: rent by district, food, transport, healthcare and entertainment by lifestyle tier.
Cost of Living in Vietnam: A Realistic Overview
Broad-strokes monthly budgets at $1k, $2k, $3k and $5k tiers, with what each actually buys in HCMC, Hanoi and Đà Nẵng.
Custody and Child Arrangements in Vietnam
Vietnamese family law on custody, visits and child support — the defaults, the variations, and where international cases get complicated.
Dating in Vietnam as a Foreigner: Cultural Notes
How dating actually works in modern Vietnam, the apps that work, and the family and cultural dynamics nobody warns expats about.
Divorce in Vietnam: An Overview
Mutual-consent vs contested divorce in Vietnamese family court, property and custody basics. This is orientation, not advice.
Domestic Help in Vietnam: Cleaners, Nannies, Cooks
Typical wages, hiring channels, contract norms and the cultural etiquette of employing domestic help in Vietnam.
Converting Your Driving Licence to Vietnamese
Converting your foreign licence to a Vietnamese one is possible for many nationalities, opens car-rental options, and removes the long-stay legal grey zone around motorbike riding.
Finding an Apartment in Hanoi
Old Quarter vs French Quarter vs Tây Hồ vs Cầu Giấy — typical rents, deposits and what to watch for in Hanoi rentals.
Finding an Apartment in Ho Chi Minh City
Facebook groups, agents, district price ranges and the deposit conventions that confuse newcomers in HCMC.
Freelance Contracts with Vietnamese Clients: What to Write In
Drafting freelance contracts that actually hold up with Vietnamese clients: language, jurisdiction, payment terms, and dispute reality.
Freelancing from Vietnam on a DTV: Invoicing Foreign Clients
How to bill foreign clients while living in Vietnam on a DTV: Wise, Payoneer, tax residency, and when to incorporate.
Gyms and Fitness in Vietnam
California Fitness, Citigym, boutique studios, CrossFit, yoga and climbing — prices, contracts, and which to pick.
Healthcare Costs in Vietnam: Public, Mid-Private, International
Side-by-side prices for the procedures expats actually need: GP visits, blood tests, X-rays, ER, surgery.
Healthcare for Expats in Vietnam
Choosing insurance, navigating Vinmec and FV, when to use public hospitals, and the realistic threshold for medical evacuation.
Hiring Vietnamese Staff: Recruitment, Salaries, Contracts
What it actually costs to hire Vietnamese employees, where to find them, and the contract and social-insurance basics.
Importing Personal Belongings to Vietnam
Shipping a household to Vietnam — what's allowed, what's banned, customs duty thresholds, the agencies that handle the paperwork, and what's cheaper to buy locally.
International Schools in Hanoi
UNIS, BIS Hanoi, Concordia, HIS, Singapore International — locations, fees, curricula and admissions reality.
International Schools in Ho Chi Minh City
ISHCMC, BIS, SSIS, EIS, AISVN, RISS — fees, curricula, waiting lists and how to actually choose.
Invoicing Vietnamese Clients: VAT, Hóa Đơn Đỏ and Tax Codes
How to legally issue Vietnamese invoices, what hóa đơn đỏ means, and when you need to register with the tax authority.
Kindergartens and Preschools in Vietnam
Vietnamese, bilingual and international preschool options for expat families, with fees and what to actually look for.
Making Friends in Vietnam as an Expat
Expat networks, hobby groups, language exchanges and the social patterns of HCMC, Hanoi and Đà Nẵng.
Marrying a Vietnamese Citizen as a Foreigner
Marriage registration step by step: certificate of legal capacity, Department of Justice, timeline and what to expect.
Living on $1,000/Month in Vietnam
What $1,000/month actually buys in Vietnam: the backpacker-tier expat life that's possible if you live like a local.
Living on $2,000/Month in Vietnam
The sweet spot for a comfortable solo expat in HCMC or Hanoi: 1BR apartment, gym, mixed food, basic insurance, savings.
Living on $3,000/Month in Vietnam
Couple comfortable in Thảo Điền or Tây Hồ: 2BR apartment, dining out, gym, decent insurance, modest travel.
Living on $5,000/Month in Vietnam
Family with one child in international school: villa or premium apartment, full insurance, nanny, the real costs.
Opening a Bank Account in Vietnam as a Foreigner
Which banks actually accept foreigners, the documents you need, and the TRC trap that most guides miss.
MoMo, ZaloPay and VietQR: Payment Apps for Expats
Which Vietnamese payment apps actually work for foreigners, the registration workarounds, and what they're each best at.
Payroll and Social Insurance for Vietnamese Companies
How Vietnamese payroll, social insurance contributions and PIT withholding actually work, with worked numbers.
Pregnancy and Birth in Vietnam
Vinmec, FV and Hanoi French for expat births: costs, prenatal care, birth certificates and citizenship implications.
Rents Compared: HCMC, Hanoi, Đà Nẵng Neighbourhoods
Side-by-side typical rents for studios, 1BR, 2BR and villas across all the main expat neighbourhoods in Vietnam.
Rental Contracts and Deposits in Vietnam
Typical lease terms, deposit conventions, the police-registration trap, and how to actually get your deposit back.
Repatriation and Leaving Vietnam
Closing your TRC, final tax filing, terminating contracts, what to ship home, what to sell locally, deregistering your motorbike — the leaving-Vietnam checklist.
Retiring in Vietnam: Pensions, Tax, and Currency
Receiving foreign pensions in Vietnam, double-tax treaty positions for retirees, and the FX considerations that matter most.
Choosing Schools by Age: A Decision Tree for Expat Families
From kindergarten to upper secondary: how to think about school choice in Vietnam based on age, length of stay and budget.
Sending Money Home from Vietnam
Wise for speed and rate, your Vietnamese bank for larger compliance-heavy transfers, Western Union for cash pickup. The legal limits, documentation, and what actually works.
Starting a Company in Vietnam: LLC, JV, or Rep Office
Capital requirements, DPI registration, realistic timelines, and what service providers actually charge.
Teaching English in Vietnam: A Realistic 2026 Guide
TEFL salaries, schools, and the work-permit reality from someone who has watched the market for years.
Utilities and Bills in Vietnam: Electricity, Water, Internet
Real-world costs for EVN electricity, water, FPT/Viettel/VNPT internet, gas and garbage, and the cleanest ways to pay them.
Vietnam PIT for Foreigners: Worked Examples and Treaty Edges
PIT brackets explained with real numbers, FEIE positioning for Americans, and how treaty applications actually work.
Learning Vietnamese: Tutors, Classes and Apps
Where to find good Vietnamese teachers, what classes actually cost, and the realistic timeline to functional Vietnamese.
Voting from Vietnam (US, UK, EU, Australia)
Overseas absentee ballots, postal voting, embassy involvement. The specific processes by major Western country and the deadlines that catch expats out.
Work Permit in Vietnam: The Employer Reality Check
Beyond the documents list: what employers actually do wrong, what to push back on, and how to protect yourself.