Moving to Vietnam: the 12-month-to-arrival checklist

A staged checklist from 12 months out through your first 90 days in Vietnam. Documents, visa route, housing, banking, schools, pets, shipping, tax, exit plan.

Published 2026-05-21· 14 min read· Vietnam Knowledge

Last reviewed: 21 May 2026Report outdated info

This is the master checklist for moving to Vietnam. Use it whether you're going on a work permit, investor visa, marriage visa, or — for shorter stays — cycling the e-visa. Before you assume any "5-year Vietnam DTV" or "Vietnam digital-nomad visa" route exists, read the digital nomad reality check and the retirement visa reality check — Vietnam has neither, despite confident online claims.

The single biggest predictor of a smooth move is starting early. Pet rabies titer, apostilled documents, criminal record checks, school enrolments, and shipping all need 3–6 months of lead time.

This is a planning checklist, not legal advice. Visa, tax, and medical content here must be verified with the relevant Vietnamese authority, your home-country authority, or a qualified professional before acting. Pages are dated.

12 months before

Decide which city

Use the best city to live in matcher. The big three options:

HCMC for business, international schools, nightlife, healthcare depth.
Hanoi for the same with more culture and slower pace.
Đà Nẵng for digital nomads, families on mid-budget, beaches.

Read Hanoi vs HCMC, Đà Nẵng vs HCMC, Đà Nẵng vs Hanoi.

Identify your visa route

Use the visa route checker. The actually-confirmed long-stay routes:

Work permit + LD visa + TRC — Vietnamese employer sponsors. Tied to that employer.
DT investor visa (DT1–DT4) — own / invest in a Vietnamese company. Capital tier sets validity.
TT marriage visa — spouse of a Vietnamese citizen. Foreign marriages must be noted at the Department of Justice first.
DH student visa — enrolment at a recognised Vietnamese institution (Vietnamese-language courses count).
UĐ1 / UĐ2 special visa-exemption — narrow specialist / recognised-talent categories. Not a general remote-worker route.
Remote workers — no confirmed long-stay visa. Most cycle the e-visa, which is a legal grey zone for work. Read the reality check.
Retirees — no confirmed dedicated retirement visa. Most cycle e-visas, or qualify via marriage / investment. Read the retirement reality check.

Start document collection

Apostille / consular legalisation of these documents now — they take weeks in some countries and are valid only 6 months from issue:

Birth certificate (and children's birth certificates)
Marriage certificate (if applicable)
University degree (if going via work permit route)
Criminal record check (FBI report for US, ACRO for UK, etc.)

Open a Wise / Revolut account

For receiving Vietnamese salary or paying Vietnamese rent from abroad. See sending money home (which works in both directions).

Tell your bank

Notify card issuers you'll be in Vietnam.
Move savings to a bank with good international transfer rates.
US citizens: read up on FBAR and FATCA obligations.

6 months before

Pet rabies titer (if bringing pet)

The single longest-lead item. Start at least 4–6 months before the flight.

Sequence: microchip → rabies vaccine → wait 30 days → titer blood draw → wait for OIE-lab result. See bringing pets to Vietnam.

International schools (if children)

Tour 3–5 schools by video tour or in person.
Get on waitlists for HCMC (ISHCMC, BIS, SSIS, EIS, AISVN) or Hanoi (UNIS, BIS Hanoi, HIS, Concordia).
Budget: $15,000–35,000/year per child for the top international schools.
See international schools in HCMC and in Hanoi.

Health insurance

You need expat insurance, not travel insurance. Top options:

Bao Việt / Liberty / PVI — Vietnamese providers, cheaper.
BUPA / Cigna Global / Allianz Care — international, can pay direct at private hospitals.
Budget: $1,000–4,000/year per adult depending on cover.
See healthcare for expats.

Work permit / investor / marriage / student visa: file documents with the relevant Vietnamese authority. Start of the formal paperwork phase.
E-visa as bridge: many movers enter on a 90-day e-visa and switch to a long-stay class once in country (where eligible).
Remote workers and retirees without a sponsoring route: be honest with yourself that no clean long-stay route is confirmed — plan around e-visa cycles or a different country.

Confirm housing for arrival

Don't sign a long-term lease before arriving — areas always look different in person. Book a 30-day serviced apartment or Airbnb in the right district for arrival.

Suggested arrival districts:

City	Suggested arrival district
HCMC	District 2 (Thảo Điền) or District 7 (Phú Mỹ Hưng) for families; District 1 / 3 for singles
Hanoi	Tây Hồ (West Lake) or French Quarter
Đà Nẵng	An Thượng (cafés + beach close)

See finding apartments HCMC, finding apartments Hanoi.

Driving licence

Apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP) in your home country if you want to ride a motorbike or drive in Vietnam.
After arrival you can convert your home licence — see driving licence conversion.

Tax planning

Speak to a tax adviser in your home country about the move.
Vietnamese tax residency triggers at 183 days. Worldwide income becomes reportable.
See Vietnam tax residency and Vietnam tax for foreigners deep-dive.
US citizens: FEIE / FTC planning is significant. Talk to a US-Vietnam specialist.

1 month before

Confirm flights

Bring two debit cards from two different banks in your wallet on travel day.
Allow buffer between connections for pet flights.
Print your e-visa and visa documents — phones die.

Pack documents folder

Passport (6+ months validity)
Visa documents (printed + scanned to cloud)
Apostilled documents
Birth/marriage/degree certificates
Driver's licence + IDP
Health insurance policy
Pet papers (if applicable)
30 days' supply of any prescription medication
6 months' history of any chronic condition (for hospital handoff in Vietnam)

Tell your home government

Register with your embassy in Vietnam (online — UK STEP, US STEP, Australia Smartraveller, etc.).
Update tax authority of departure if relevant.

Telecommunications

Activate international roaming for the first 48 hours.
Buy a Vietnamese eSIM (Airalo, Saily) for landing day so you have data immediately.

Arrival week

Day 1

Land. Buy a local SIM at the airport if you skipped the eSIM. Get cash from a bank-branch ATM.
Take Grab or pre-arranged transfer to your serviced apartment.

Day 2

Register your address with the local ward police. Your serviced apartment / Airbnb host does this. Required by law. Form NA17.
Get a local phone number registered properly with your passport.

Day 3

Open a temporary bank account: HSBC, Standard Chartered, Shinhan are the easiest for foreigners. Vietcombank works once you have a TRC.
See opening a bank account.

Days 4–7

Walk neighborhoods you're considering for long-term housing.
Visit 3 international schools in person (if applicable).
Buy basic household items (Aeon, Coopmart, Vinmart).

First 30 days

Find an apartment. Use Facebook expat groups + agents. Sign a 12-month lease with 1 month deposit. See rental contracts.
Set up utilities. Electricity (EVN), water, internet (FPT or Viettel), garbage.
Apply for the TRC if your visa class allows. Provincial Immigration Department (PA61 HCMC, PA72 Hanoi). See temporary residence card.
Register children at school.
Choose a hospital network for your insurance. Vinmec, FV, Family Medical, AIH for HCMC; Vinmec, Hồng Ngọc, Family Medical for Hanoi.
Find a Vietnamese tutor if you want to learn the language. See Vietnamese language tutors.

First 90 days

TRC issued (typically 5–10 working days from submission). This unlocks long-term banking, contracts, and free exit/re-entry.
Convert your driving licence at the Department of Transport.
Set up payment apps — MoMo / ZaloPay / VietQR for everyday Vietnamese commerce.
Buy a motorbike if you'll be staying long term. Test ride. Insist on the blue book.
Pay first month of utilities — confirm payment processes.
Get into a routine. Gym, market, café, language class.

Tax considerations

Day 183 in country triggers Vietnamese tax residency on worldwide income.
Vietnamese PIT is progressive 5–35% on residents.
The official Vietnamese tax-year is the calendar year. Annual finalisation by 31 March of following year.
Most home-country tax treaties (UK, EU, Japan, Korea, Australia, Canada) provide relief. The US has signed but not ratified a treaty — US citizens have particular planning needs.
See tax deep dive.

Exit plan

Even at the start, sketch your exit:

How would you sell furniture, motorbike, car?
How would you close out tax?
What would you ship back vs leave?
Where would your pets fly to?

See leaving Vietnam checklist. It mirrors this page in reverse.

Common mistakes new expats make

Signing a long-term lease in the first week. Take a month.
Bringing too much stuff. Vietnamese furniture and electronics are cheap and adequate.
Skipping address registration. Required, fast, free. Don't put it off.
Treating the e-visa as the long-term answer. Switch to a proper class before it expires.
Not building a Vietnamese-speaking ally. A trusted local — landlord, neighbour, colleague, language tutor — solves problems faster than any expat group.
Trusting blog posts (including this one) without dating them. Check the dates.

Last reviewed 2026-05-21. Visa and tax rules change. Confirm with the Vietnamese embassy in your country, the official e-visa portal, or a qualified adviser before acting on any specific step.

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