Is it difficult for an american to live in Vietnam and what are the requirements?

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rick m

It depends on your financial situation. Vietnamese banks are currently paying about 9% interest on certificates of deposit. If you have $10,000 to deposit you can live frugally on the interest.
If you do not have a job, you will need to have a tourist visa. For a first time visitor, you will get a one month visa which will have to be renewed every month for about twenty to forty dollars. After you have been in country for awhile, you can get a three month visa which can be renewed for the same cost.
The laws have recently changed concerning property ownership. It is now possible for foreign individuals to own private property. For $30,000 you could buy a beautiful condo in Vung Tau or a two to three hectare farm in the country side.
If you are planning to work in Vietnam, google vietnamworks.com. It is a job board listing various jobs throughout the country as well as salaries. Your employer will get you a work permit. If you are planning on starting a business, google vietnam economic news or the american chamber of commerce in vietnam for information on business news.
I currently spend three months a year in Vietnam visiting my wife and family and I hope to retire there in the very near future. The people (including government officials, army and police) are exceedingly friendly. The violent crime rate is almost non-existent although burglaries seem to be rising.
The most difficult thing for me so far is getting proficient in the language. My wife speaks excellent English so I have been a bit lazy in learning Vietnamese.
If you really want to live in Vietnam long term, my best advice would be to make sure you have enough money in the bank to give you a $2000 a year return. You will be able to live comfortably on that for a while. Just remember, the Vietnamese economy is growing rapidly. A comfortable return today may not be enough in the long term.

PS, it's a day later and I've given it some thought. $20.000/year is a pretty good life style.

JAY

Depends on what you plan on doing here really. Alot of people that want to live here try to become an english teacher. But you need to own a business or work for a company here to get a residence visa or business visa. Besides that. If you play your cards right, you can find a way to extend your visa every 6 months.

huananduong

I'm Vietnamese and I can see that it's very easy for American to live in Vietnam. You can work for a American company in Vietnam (there are many now) or joining a Non-Government project, working for US Embassy...
- English teacher is a good option (as learning English in Vietnam is very popular now and many people want a foreign's teacher)

Requirements:
- You want to live in Vietnam
- Don't do illegal things
- Have valid passport, Vietnamese visa

Good luck!

dani ng

I don't think it is difficult for foreign people to live in VietNam. U need to have a plan ( why and what will u do...?) and go to embassy to ask for more information.
If u have a Vietnamese spouse, it will so easy for u
Good luck

Hanoi_babe

Do you mean because of the "American war"? There are no bad feelings in that direction, neither in the South, nor in the North.
You can find appartments via housing agancies or adds in the newspaper, but don't expect them to be toooo cheap. You can have one for 150$, sure, but then you have no AC, community toilet, always no power and a nasty neighborhood.
The costs of living?Well, it depends on you live style. If you eat only in little food shops and mainly "Pho" (noodle soup) you can live from $ 2 a day.
Try to get a job before you come here, even it's also possible to find something here, but always keep in mind - no contract in Vietnam is worth the paper it's printed on!!!!!
But - be open minded, keep a bit spare money for the worst case....it's a beautiful country to llive in!
Good luck

nobody

It shouldn't be difficult for anyone to live in Vietnam as long as you know the rules. There are no requirements really as long as you have your passport, ID, and you know those stuff, and money of course. As long as you know a little Vietnamese and is open minded you will get along just fine.

MojaveDan

I know several Vietnam Veterans who have lived in Vietnam for many years without issue. One is a university chemistry teacher who has lived in Ha Noi for over twenty years. He loves it there, and has never had a problem with the Vietnamese and his past history. He was a marine who had fought and killed Vietnamese during the war. If he doesn't have a problem, then other Americans shouldn't have a problem either.

From my personal experience, being an American in Vietnam is the closest thing to being a rock star as you're going to get without having to play a musical instrument.

Requirements to live in Vietnam as a foreigner is very simple. All you need to do is have someone sponsor you for a work, family or medical visa. You can stay as long as you want so long as you renew your visa when you're supposed to and not get into trouble. However, you're limited to sixty (60) days if you arrive with a tourist visa and don't convert it to another kind.

Depending on your desired lifestyle, cost of living in Vietnam can be very inexpensive. You can live with relative comfort on $300/month. You can live off your savings from the U.S. or pick up a job as an English instructor to make ends meet.

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