First 90 days in Vietnam: the relocation completion checklist

If the arrival week is the "soft landing" phase, the first 90 days is when the relocation becomes real. By day 90 most movers should have a TRC, a long-term apartment, a Vietnamese bank account, a motorbike or transport rhythm, and a routine. None of these is hard individually; the trap is doing them in the wrong order.

This page is the sequencing. Use it as a master checklist; each item links into the deeper page.

Week 2 — long-term housing

Tasks:

• Walk three neighbourhoods in your shortlist at three times of day (morning rush, midday, evening).
• View 8–15 apartments. Don't sign on the first one even if it's perfect — you'll learn things on viewings 5 and 10 that change your shortlist.
• Negotiate the lease: 1 month deposit, 2 months rent advance is normal; 6+ months advance is a red flag.
• Confirm the landlord will register your address (Form NA17). If they refuse, find another apartment — it'll block your TRC application.

See finding apartments HCMC and finding apartments Hanoi.

Week 3 — TRC application

If your visa class allows the TRC (work permit / DT investor / TT marriage / DH student), submit the application to the provincial Immigration Department:

• HCMC: PA61 at 196 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, District 1
• Hanoi: PA72 at 44 Phạm Ngọc Thạch, Đống Đa

Required documents:

Processing: 5–10 working days. Cost: $145–175 depending on duration. See Temporary Residence Card.

Week 4 — bank account

With your TRC in hand:

• Day-to-day banking: Vietcombank, Techcombank, BIDV (cheapest, widest ATM network)
• English-friendly / international: HSBC, Standard Chartered, Shinhan
• App quality: Techcombank, TPBank

Required:

• Original passport + TRC
• 200,000 VND opening deposit (Vietcombank/BIDV); higher minimums for HSBC
• Address registration printout (tạm trú)

Once open: link MoMo / ZaloPay, set up domestic transfers (NAPAS), get a debit card. See opening a bank account as a foreigner.

Week 4–5 — driving licence conversion

Vietnam recognises a foreign driving licence with an International Driving Permit (IDP) for short stays. For long stays, convert your home licence to a Vietnamese one — saves the IDP renewal cycle.

Process:

1. Get your home licence + IDP officially translated (notarised translation).
2. Apply at the provincial Department of Transport.
3. Submit translated licence, IDP, passport, TRC, photo.
4. Pass a Vietnamese health check at an approved clinic ($60–150).
5. Receive Vietnamese plastic licence in 7–10 working days.

Costs: $50–200 depending on city and which categories (car, motorbike A1) you convert. See driving licence conversion.

Week 5 — utilities and home setup

• Electricity (EVN): registered against the apartment's electricity meter; your landlord transfers the account or you set up a new one. Monthly bill via app or in-person at EVN counter.
• Water: similar process; usually included in apartment fees.
• Internet: FPT, Viettel, or VNPT install (3–5 working days from order). $7–15/mo for 150–300 Mbps fibre.
• Gas: most apartments use bottled LPG ordered from a delivery service; the previous tenant's supplier usually keeps serving the address.
• Garbage: handled via building management.

Apartment managers can do all of this for new residents who don't speak Vietnamese — usually for a $20–40 admin fee. Worth it on day one.

Week 6 — motorbike (if you're going to ride)

If you're going to ride, by week 6 you've spent five weeks watching Vietnamese traffic from a Grab seat. You're now ready to decide.

• Buy or rent? Long-stay > 6 months: buy. Shorter: rent monthly.
• Used vs new? Used $300–800 for a Honda Wave or Air Blade; new $1,200–2,500 for a current-year. Used is the standard choice.
• What to ask the seller: blue book (giấy đăng ký), licence plate matches the bike, no major repairs in the past year, registration up to date.
• Insurance: third-party mandatory (~$5/year); comprehensive optional ($60–150/year for a used bike).
• Helmet: buy a proper one ($30–80) — not the $5 plastic shell. See motorbike safety.

See motorbike rental.

Weeks 7–9 — tax + work routine

• Vietnamese personal tax code (MST cá nhân) — apply via your employer or directly at the district tax office.
• Cash-flow routine — automate a monthly transfer from Wise / home bank to Vietnamese bank.
• First Vietnamese-source income — if employed, your first payslip should show PIT withholding.
• Find your tax adviser — book a 1-hour consultation if you haven't already. See registering tax residency as a new arrival.

Weeks 10–12 — settle and reflect

By day 90 most of the heavy lifting is done. The last weeks are for:

• Joining a community — sports club, gym, language class, expat association, professional network.
• A short break — a Friday-to-Sunday trip out of your city. Đà Nẵng → Hội An, HCMC → Vũng Tàu, Hanoi → Ninh Bình. Restores energy.
• Honest assessment — is this working? Three months is the right moment to review and recalibrate.
• Family check-in — if you brought children or a partner, day-90 is when their experience often diverges from yours. Talk.

What's still ahead at day 90

• Annual tax filing (March/April of the following year)
• TRC renewal (matches work-permit / investor / marriage cycle)
• Year-2 housing decisions (renew or move)
• Vietnamese language progress (the realistic learning curve is years, not months)

Common day-90 issues

• Lease signed too early, neighbourhood disappointing. Move at the 12-month break; eat the deposit if needed.
• TRC application stuck. Most cases resolve with one follow-up; if it doesn't, see finding a good immigration agent.
• Tax position unclear. Talk to a Vietnamese tax adviser; the answer at month 12 is far more expensive than the answer at month 3.
• Family unhappy. Common around month 3. Pause, talk, recalibrate. Many of these resolve with a school change, a neighbourhood change, or a routine change.

Related

• Moving to Vietnam — full checklist
• Arrival week checklist
• Healthcare setup arrival week
• Registering tax residency as a new arrival
• Finding a good immigration agent