Relocation
Moving to Vietnam is straightforward if you start early and verify before acting. We treat visa, tax, and medical content as triggers to read the official source — not as legal advice.
How to use this section: read the master checklist first, then drill into the pre-move and arrival pages.
Pre-move planning
Pet relocation: 12-month timeline
The OIE rabies titer alone takes four months. Plan from one year out.
International shipping — picking a mover
Three real quotes, eight comparison lines, the red flags to filter out.
Document apostille and legalisation
Vietnam isn't a Hague signatory — the consular-legalisation chain by source country.
School enrolment: waitlist timing
International schools run 12–18 month waitlists. The pre-arrival enrolment plan.
Finding a good immigration agent
When to use one, what they should cost, the four filter questions.
Importing a car — the honest reality
Almost never worth it. The duty stack, the four cases when it does work.
Plan your exit before you arrive
Seven exit risks worth sketching pre-arrival, and the documents to put in place.
Arrival and first 90 days
Arrival week: 7-day checklist
Day-by-day arrival sequence. One major task per day, not five.
Healthcare setup — arrival week
Five tasks in your first seven days. Insurance, hospital, GP, prescriptions, emergency card.
Registering tax residency on arrival
The 183-day clock, the personal tax code, the first conversation with a tax adviser.
First 90 days checklist
TRC, bank account, motorbike, long-term lease, driving licence — in the right order.
Cost of living, by city
Decide between cities
In-country expat life
Linked across to the living-in-Vietnam section.
Cost of living overview
Honest ranges by lifestyle tier and city.
Finding apartments — Hanoi
Finding apartments — HCMC
Opening a bank account
Healthcare for expats
International schools HCMC
International schools Hanoi
Driving licence conversion
Bringing pets to Vietnam
Shipping belongings
Tax basics for expats
Verify before acting. Visa, tax, healthcare and education rules change. We date our pages and we link to official sources. We are not a substitute for an immigration lawyer or tax adviser.