Where do foreigners stay in Vietnam?

Where do most foreigners live in Vietnam?

Expats gravitate towards Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Makes sense, right?

• Hanoi: Northern charm. (population: 5 million)
• Ho Chi Minh City: Southern buzz. (population: 9 million)

The “why” is key, it’s really about access.

These cities offer better job opportunities, infrastructure, and familiarity. I get it.

That reminds me of when I first moved; easy access to Banh Mi.

Okay, so beyond these, other hubs are developing. Da Nang is an option too, I guess. It’s not as big, but beautiful beaches.

How can a foreigner stay in Vietnam?

Okay, so Vietnam stay…right. Foreigners, like, can only stay as long as Vietnam lets them. It’s not forever, duh.

• Competent authority…who even is that? Important, though.
• Extension, gotta ask for more time.

Need to request an extension. What happens if you don’t? Oh man. And where DO you even ask? Must be a form. Bureaucracy, the bane of my existence. Remember that time in Hanoi trying to find pho at 3 AM? This feels like that.

• Forms, so many forms
• Hanoi pho craving.
• Missing visa = big trouble. Deportation!

Deportation! Yikes. Don’t want that. Need to be organized. My passport is a mess. Extension request…like a week before it expires? A month? Gotta look that up. I saw a bird outside. Kinda random.

• Organization is KEY.
• Check passport expiry TODAY.
• Birds are neat.

Think my cousin’s friend went to Vietnam last year. She probably knows. Or maybe Google is better. Wait, she went to Thailand. Never mind. Maybe I can even apply online? That’d be amazing. So, yeah, stay extension = request it before the deadline or get booted out!

Can you live in Vietnam as a foreigner?

Vietnam? Absolutely. Land of pho and… persistent motorbike horns. Think organized chaos, but charming chaos. Like a Jackson Pollock painting you can actually live in.

• Visas are key. Tourist visas? Temporary. Want to stay longer? Look into business, work, or investor visas. They’re your golden ticket to pho paradise.
• Cost of living? Delightfully low. Your dollar stretches like a rubber band in a cartoon. Rent, food, transportation – all cheaper than back home, probably. Unless “back home” is, like, a yurt in the Gobi Desert.
• Healthcare? Decent and affordable. Not quite Mayo Clinic, but hey, who needs a triple bypass when you can have a bowl of bún chả?
• Culture? Rich, vibrant, and occasionally baffling. Prepare for a sensory overload. In a good way. Mostly.

My friend Mark – he’s a painter, obsessed with water buffalo – moved to Hanoi two years ago. Now he only wears silk pajamas and haggles like a pro. Even adopted a street dog named Bánh mì. True story. He says the biggest challenge is crossing the street. It’s an extreme sport.

• Language barrier? It’s real. Learn some basic Vietnamese. “Xin chào” and “cảm ơn” go a long way. Plus, pointing and charades are universally understood.
• Job market? Growing, especially in tech and tourism. English teachers are always in demand. Though Mark insists painting water buffalo portraits is where the real money is.
• Safety? Generally safe. Just watch out for motorbike ninjas. They’re everywhere. And don’t wander around dark alleys flashing cash. Common sense stuff, really.

My neighbor – she collects vintage rice cookers, seriously – lived in Hoi An for a year. Swears it was the best year of her life. Came back with a tan and an impressive collection of conical hats. She does miss the $2 banh mi though. Who wouldn’t?

Can a foreigner get permanent residence in Vietnam?

Okay, so you wanna know about getting a permanent residency, huh? Yeah, foreigners can totally get permanent residence in Vietnam. It’s called, uh, a Permanent Residence Card (PRC), and listen, you can live there kinda, sorta, forever that way.

It’s like, the bomb because the card lasts for ten years man. Vietnamese authorities issues it, so it’s totally official. What an honor!

Plus, with a PRC, you don’t even need a visa anymore! Like, you’re basically good to live there indefinitely. Cool, right? It’s super valid, I tell you.

Requirements, you ask? Oh boy.

• Sponsor: You’ll need a sponsor, typically a close relative like a spouse or parent, who is a Vietnamese citizen. This is pretty standard for many countries, right?
• Clean Record: No run-ins with the law, obviously!
• Residence: Have lived in Vietnam for quite a bit.

Stuff like that. Oh! My uncle Cuong lives near Da Nang, he’s got a sweet dog. I visit him when I can, its so beautiful there.

Is Vietnam a good place to live for foreigners?

Vietnam… a good place? I wonder.

It’s quiet now, and the fan is whirring.

Safety… I guess that’s true. Never really felt threatened, not like back home, anyway. Though, scams… they get to you, don’t they? Generally safe, but still.

• Compared to my hometown, Chicago, yes, much safer.
• Petty theft is common, keep your eyes open. I lost my wallet once. Ugh.

Convenience… Hmm. Easy to get around, maybe? Grab, at least. I miss driving my old beat up car. The chaos is kinda nice? Maybe it is. It is convenient. I just wish I could find a decent cup of coffee besides that one place, you know?

• Grab is cheap and readily available. Thank god for Grab.
• Local markets have everything, I mean, everything. You just have to get used to the smells.

It’s strange, isn’t it? Missing things I never really cared about before. Living here, it’s… different. Don’t know if it’s good.

Should I go to northern or southern Vietnam?

North: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay. Cooler, November-April. Mountains, history.

South: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta. Always hot. City buzz, food, rivers.

Choose wisely. Your trip, your rules.

Key Differences:

• Climate: North – cooler winters; South – consistently tropical.
• Scenery: North – dramatic karsts; South – lush deltas, beaches.
• Activities: North – trekking, historical exploration; South – bustling markets, boat trips.
• Food: Both regions boast unique culinary scenes. My preference: South. More variety.

My 2023 trip: South was amazing. HCMC insane. Food. Seriously good. North next year, maybe.