How ordinary people live in Vietnam. Living and working in Vietnam: why not

This time we will tell you about another Asian country- Vietnam, which can become a great haven for a long time for lovers of the exotic, the ocean and super-tasty coffee.

Meet Anna Fomenko, she has been living in Vietnam for a year and kindly shared her experience and basic information that will be useful to anyone who is thinking about temporary (or not so) moving to another country.

I sometimes think about whether I can settle in one place for a long time, not go anywhere, enjoy the same view from the window, communicate with the same circle of people. Probably someday it will happen, because almost whole year of 4 years of travel in Asia, I spent in Vietnam. There are sea and mountains, several climatic zones, a huge amount of fruit and a convenient visa regime.

When to go

Official tourist season in Vietnam starts from the end of September and ends in March. This is the most comfortable time for the first acquaintance with the country. Even if you decide to move to Vietnam permanently, it is still better to live here for a while and see everything with your own eyes.

Which region to go

I like the sea, so we chose Mui Ne.

The majority prefers Nha Trang as a more modern and comfortable city. Some guys live and work in Mui Ne during the season and move to Nha Trang when everything is empty here.

Both of these resorts are in relative proximity to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - the second largest city after Hanoi (the capital). So if you want to work under palm trees on the coast, learn to surf or kiteboard, these are the places for you. Unlike sea resorts, V big cities in summer it is hot and stuffy, but next to the sea, a constant breeze and heat are not so hard to endure.

In hot weather, you can go to Dalat. This amazing city. Just a few hours and you will forget about the heat. Cool air in Dalat great views that is why it is also called the city eternal spring Or little Paris.

I have been to Dalat three times already. Every time I come with great pleasure. We rent a room in a hotel for $12 per night, we are thinking of moving there for a couple of months. Naturally, no longer in a hotel, but in a rented room. You will rarely find so many parks, squares, excellent coffee houses. Dalat for me is a delightful fusion of European and Asian. Something unique, where you want to return again and again.

Of course, you should not limit yourself to Dalat. There is also the island of Phukok, the imperial capital of Hue, cold Hanoi, exotic-tourist Sapa. And that is not all.

I confess that I am a big fan of Vietnamese ceramics, all these cups, saucers with images from life.

About work

There is a lot of work for foreigners in Vietnam. In addition to instructors water sports sports, you can get a job: a manager in a restaurant, an administrator in a hotel or club, a travel agent or a seller in a store. In Nha Trang and Mui Ne, your Russian will be an added bonus - there are many tourists from Russia, and the owners prefer to hire those who speak the language. English will not hurt either, there are no less Australians here than Russians.

Personal experience: I work remotely, but I know quite a few guys who make good money during the season and live very comfortably here. I find it difficult to name the payment amounts, you can get $250, $500, and $1000. It all depends on the type of activity and your capabilities.

Flight

Here I can recommend monitoring not only , but also the site www.vietnamairfares.org . Sometimes you can catch interesting offers there. Recently, acquaintances bought tickets to Moscow for $350 per person.

Insurance, medical training

There is a whole street in Ho Chi Minh City where several good clinics are located with different levels service. Some doctors know Russian, as they received their education from us. Although the main language of communication is English. Where to go - to a private clinic or a public one - it's up to you to choose. But I would recommend contacting private ones and at the same time carefully choosing your doctor.

Visa

A visa for citizens of the Russian Federation for up to 15 days is not required. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam for a longer period, then you need to obtain a visa in advance, as well as VisaApprovalLetter - visa support. Such a letter should be received in advance and presented upon arrival along with the visa.

Where can I make a VisaApprovalLetter? For example, take the help of agencies (one of them: visasup.com).

Personal experience: we entered Vietnam from, we made a visa for six months at the Vietnamese embassy, so the VisaApprovalLetter was not useful to us. Since then, we have traveled only once, the rest of the time we renew the visa on the spot every three months. We use the services of intermediaries - it's easier for us. The cost of extending a visa is from $30 for three months, depending on where and with whom you are renewing it, of course.

Extending a visa is easy:

you need to get documents to fill out;
usually the owner of the hotel, guest house, house (where you will live) fills them out and certifies local authorities law enforcement;
after that, you carry the document and apply for a visa extension.

The procedure can be simplified if you pay an additional $10-15, then the agency will fill in everything themselves and the issue with the papers will disappear by itself.

In addition, it is possible to get a business visa to Vietnam for six months - a year. Conditions and opportunities are carefully described on Vinsky's forum. I recommend studying the manuals from there - the entire process of obtaining is described in detail, and you can familiarize yourself with it there.

Accommodation search

Everyone has their own requirements for housing. It's pretty hard to recommend anything here. Most often, the search is carried out already on the spot or through social media. There are quite a few on Facebook and VKontakte large groups dedicated to these issues. For example:

Options for those wishing to live in the metropolis can be found on similar sites:

I want to emphasize that prices are indicative, depending on the season, requirements, income level, they can be either much more or less. It is rather difficult to give a specific range here. There are guys who easily fit into the amount of $400-500 (housing + food in Mui Ne); there are those who find it insufficient.

For example, in tourist area in Ho Chi Minh City you can rent a room in a hotel from $7 per day, but it will not be comfortable for life and work. Normal studios in Ho Chi Minh City with rent from six months can be found from $250 per month for a room in a shared house, and from $500 - in a good area.

If you want to rent a European-style villa with a pool on the coast on long term, then the price can start from $1000.

A Vietnamese-style house will cost several times cheaper - from $400 per month. It will have everything: hot and cold water, Internet, washing machine, furniture and own kitchen.

If a house is a lot for you, then you can find a studio. As in the previous options, seasonality applies, but the average price starts from $300 per month. These are quite large rooms, bright, with a division into sleeping and working areas.

For those aiming for a budget option, a guesthouse is suitable, from $10-12 per day per room and an average of $220 per month - with hot water, Internet and shared kitchen.

The price of apartments in Nha Trang can range from $250 for a condo to $500 and more.

Also, the price for a room, a house, a villa depends on whether it is a tourist city or not. For example, in Mui Ne and Nha Trang, prices are higher than in Da Nang or Vung Tau. There are many Russian-speakers in Vung Tau, mostly people work at an oil producing enterprise. But still, I would call Nha Trang and Mui Ne more touristy.

The estimated budget for these cities will be as follows:

Costs/city	Ho Chi Minh City
	from $650	from $300	from $250
	from $300	from $300	from $200

»
We rent a studio in Mui Ne for $250, it has everything: Internet, hot water, electricity, air conditioning, work desk (most importantly, yes).

What to look for:

when renting a room, be careful: immediately check whether electricity is included in the payment. Sometimes they “forget” to mention it right away;
when paying a deposit, agree that it is an automatic payment for the last month of residence;
if you are renting a house for a long time, be sure to ask for a discount - the more the better. If the owners are sure that you will live for a long time, then the discounts are quite decent.

I want to emphasize that the number of options is endless. I know about rooms above restaurants for $75 a month and villas for $1000. You can find housing in this range, as well as above or below. Everything depends on the needs.

In the off-season (summer) prices drop, you can find an acceptable option for yourself much cheaper. Again, your ability to negotiate, as well as how long you intend to rent a house, will affect.

Transport

The price for renting motorbikes is from $6 per day and more, depending on its condition. The automatic bike is traditionally more expensive, although for long trips I recommend taking it with manual gear shifting. If you plan to stay in Vietnam for a long time, then it is preferable to buy your own, in tourist places Lots of second hand bikes. Their prices also fluctuate depending on the season. You can find it for $100 and $150 - usually such offers appear at the end of the season, when most of the people leave. Naturally, you won’t buy a new one for such a price, but for a start you don’t need it.

Officially, to drive a bike or a car, you need a Vietnamese license, international standards do not work. Vietnamese rights can be obtained on the spot, for this you need to contact the police and clarify the information at the place. But often foreigners in tourist places drive without a license, as they come for the season.

Gasoline cost: about $1.15-1.20.

Personal experience: drive a car or, of course, you can. But Vietnam is known for its crazy traffic on the roads. Here, the usual rules may not apply: stop in front of you and think, turn on the turn signal in one direction and then turn in the other, overtake on a narrow highway - all this is possible in Vietnam. Therefore, there is only one advice here: accuracy and attentiveness. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to use a taxi, public transport or bike taxi, there are plenty of them here.

After several years of traveling, you begin to appreciate home cooking very much. Therefore, we mainly buy products on the market and cook them at home. Although I am a big fan of interesting and unusual coffee shops, so this is a special item of my expenses.

For example:

Coffee in a regular coffee shop on a Vietnamese-style road can cost from 7,000 dong (less than a dollar);

Coffee in a European-style coffee shop in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - from a dollar, two, sometimes three.

Examples of food prices (per kilogram / liter):

Rice - from $0.7.
Potato - $ 1.2.
Sugar - $1.
Flour - from $1.
All local vegetables on the market (cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, greens) - $0.4-1.2.
The price of fruits, with the exception of some exotics, is from $0.4-2 per kilogram. For example, bananas - about $0.5, pineapple - about $0.7 apiece, papaya - from $0.5. Imported fruits, such as apples, start at $4.
Milk - $1.4-2.
Fish - $1-7, normal - about $3.
Meat - from $3.
Eggs - from $ 0.9 (per dozen).

What do they eat and where do they eat

Vietnamese cuisine is quite diverse. Here they eat a lot of seafood, all kinds of meat (even exotic things like a crocodile or a snake), a large number of tropical fruits. Worth trying as much as you can find. Moreover, the cuisines of the north and south of Vietnam have many differences. Sometimes you can find unfamiliar dishes even in neighboring city or province.

special item local cuisine is coffee. It seems that the whole of Vietnam is saturated with its smell. They drink it everywhere. In any cafe, wherever you come, you can always try this delicious drink. Traditional Vietnamese coffee is drunk very strong, diluted only with condensed milk and nothing else. Depending on the region or temperature, it may be hot or iced.

In addition, it is always served in a manual “fine” press, from which the fragrant drink slowly, drop by drop, flows onto white condensed milk, allowing you to take a break from the worries of contemplating this process. Living in Vietnam and never tasting the local coffee is tantamount to a crime. Fragrant, with a strong taste, filtered through a Finn - this is a whole philosophy.

Things to do besides work

Firstly, you can learn yoga, kiting - there are many schools on the coast that offer their services.

Secondly, this is travel in Vietnam. The country is quite large and diverse. The north is different from the south. This imperial city Hue, French Dalat, high-speed Saigon, cold Hanoi. You can choose and stay where you like.

Contact people in Vietnam. For some reason, there is a stereotype that the Vietnamese rarely smile. To be honest, I don't know where it comes from. People smile and laugh very often. Young people learn English, it is easy to find a common language with them.

Vietnamese everyday life

Important details:

Internet and hot water in Vietnam in tourist and big cities are everywhere. There are no difficulties with this.
Mui Ne Nha Trang - Many people speak plain English or Russian. There are no problems with mutual understanding here.
Ho Chi Minh - for the most part in English.

Personally, I can write about Vietnam endlessly. About unusual traditions, beautiful ceremonies, traditional clothes. I am interested in many things: culture, books, coffee. It seems to me that it is impossible not to love this country the way it is.

Anna Fomenko, organizer of the project Everywhere is good! , traveler, on my list: Georgia, Azerbaijan, India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. I have been living in Vietnam for a year now and I like it here. I am engaged in the development of projects on the Web.

My workplace:-)

I am sure that many are wondering how much life in Vietnam costs. I thought about it and decided to give several options for budgets. These budgets are based on personal experience and information from guys who live in Vietnam. We have chosen to live the main seaside resort of Vietnam -. I think most likely my article turned out to be more informative and will answer the question how much could you spend to live in vietnam. Everything, of course, depends on your personal needs and desired level of comfort.

First, I will describe what the money is mainly spent on, and at the end I will give three options for the budget. The main items of expenditure I have included rent, food, transport and a visa.

Rental housing in Vietnam

I will consider the price of renting housing for a month for 1 person. Renting a house for a day or a week can be viewed on the same Booking.com

The first housing option mini hotel room about 100 to 200 dollars, where 100 dollars is the threshold of trash, everything below is absolutely terrible. For two, a mini-room can be found somewhere from $ 150. It should be understood that such prices can only be found on your own, Booking will not help here. You won’t have to count on a room near the sea either, most likely it will be a sleeping area 7-10 minutes drive from the beach or Spartan conditions, but not far from the center.

There is also an opportunity to rent a bed or a separate room (from $50 per month), but somehow I don’t consider such options as housing at all. The toilet and bathroom in such cases will be shared. I'm not talking about minimal furniture (tables, chairs) and even glass on the windows. The Internet, of course, will not be in this type of housing.

In this case, the advantages of hotels are that you most often do not pay for water, electricity and the Internet. There are hotels / motels / guest houses in which some part of the utility bills will have to be covered and the rates for the guests will be whatever the tenant wants them to be (you will not see utility bills). This number is not quite suitable for fans of air conditioners, because they can turn out brilliant for you. One of our acquaintances paid $150 a month for electricity, but his air conditioner worked around the clock.

The next type of housing is already a level higher, somewhere around $200-250. This is small flats, apartments, again, in hotels, but they already have a small kitchen. In this type of housing, be prepared to pay for everything: water, electricity, gas, internet, and even security guard services. The size of the room will also leave much to be desired: get out of bed and op! already in the kitchen, took a step - already in the toilet.

Most convenient option- This full apartment with a good repair and a kitchen, possibly a 2-3-room apartment. In Vietnam, as in Turkey, a hall or living room is not considered a room and is often combined with a kitchen. Therefore, if you take yourself a one-room apartment, you actually get a two-room apartment. Prices in this category of housing in Nha Trang range from $250 to $600 depending on the area. As in the previous case, you will need to pay utility bills, but there is already one plus: you will see the bills themselves, they will be brought to you right under the door, and you can pay some to the employee right at home when he comes to take meter readings. The cost of utilities in such apartments is from 25 to 70 dollars per month. Depending on the consumption of electricity, water and gas.

Food

I will not list any specific products now, you can read about this in the article Food prices in Vietnam. If you have a desire to learn about some prices, write in the comments and I will take everything into account.

In Nha Trang, as in all of Vietnam, the locals themselves eat at home only in the evening, and then sometimes. Let's assume that you and I are lazy and don't want to cook at home, but are ready to eat in local cafes. Therefore, on average, one meal will cost from 1 to 2 dollars.

Standard Vietnamese dish for $1

Of course, we should not forget about fruits, but we are considering Southeast Asia, here we still need to take into account seasonality, so fruit prices may vary. Some fruits generally disappear from the shelves for six months. On average, all fruits cost from $0.5 to $1.5 per kilogram.

Transport

The next expense item is transportation. In particular, it is gasoline. If you plan to live in Vietnam for a long time, then I recommend that you buy a bike (moped, scooter), and not rent it. Prices for a bike are from 150 to 250 dollars (depending on the model), and the rent per month is somewhere around 70-100 dollars. You can calculate for yourself how much this bike can pay off. At the same time, when leaving Vietnam, almost everyone sells bikes (there are no problems with buying either). It is quite difficult for me to calculate the cost of gasoline, we often drive it out of town. The consumption of our bike (Honda Nuovo 3) is about 3-4 liters per 100 km. If you do not take into account long distance, and trips only around the city, then we need to refuel full tank(about 4 l) 1 time per week. Gasoline prices are quite dynamic. For example, since the end of 2015 at the time of March 2016, the price of gasoline has decreased by 40% and now A95 costs 15,500 VND (0.7 USD), and A92 costs 14,200 VND (0.65 USD).

I want to note that when you first arrive in Vietnam, you begin to actively travel to various pagodas, beaches, waterfalls and, accordingly, gas consumption will be higher.

The type of bike you have will also affect gas mileage. We have an automatic and more consumption. If you take a semi-automatic or even mechanics, then the expense can be reduced. From experience I can say that transport is not the biggest part of the expense.

Bikes are the most popular mode of transport in Vietnam. Without it, it’s like without hands))) I haven’t met car rentals. Of course, there are various rental services at airports, but getting around Vietnam by car is not the easiest and most easy way. Here the visitors are in quiet horror from the traffic on the road, calling it affectionately chaos. Over time, you get used to and "drawn" into this chaos.

Alcohol and cigarettes

The prices for these goods in Vietnam are cheaper compared to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. On average, a pack of cigarettes costs $1, a can of beer from $0.4 to $1, local rum about $2-3, Dalat wine about $3-4 per bottle. You can also find imported alcohol in Vietnam. Prices for it will start anywhere from 8-10 dollars per bottle. Vodka is also on sale in stores, even Russian vodka, whiskey, scotch, imported wines and Soviet champagne produced in Hungary.

There is no alcohol ban in Vietnam, so if you need it, you can easily find it here.

Budget options in Vietnam

Now let's move on with you to the 3 budget options that I talked about at the very beginning. I have tentatively named them: Super Economy, Economy And Comfortable. I must say right away that the calculations are quite rough and averaged. I did not take into account the cost of entertainment, some household items, medicines, etc. Some items can be rearranged from one option to another and calculate an acceptable budget for you.

What is Super Economy an option is a situation where you have very little money, but you really, really want to stay in Vietnam. I must say right away that this option is not only suitable for everyone, it is suitable only for the most desperate, those who are ready to endure, but still live in Vietnam. For the Super-Economy budget, the most cheap hotel- $ 100 per person, we add utilities and household expenses, approximately $ 10-20. It turns out 110-120 dollars for housing. Then comes the fun part - food. I voiced the most cheap prices for food it is 1-2 dollars. For this money, you can eat rice with all kinds of additives (meat, vegetables, some seafood) in local buffets, for the same price you can eat the famous beef pho soup. Rice can be taken without meat (vegetables only) for $0.3 per serving. Also, a local sandwich can be attributed to cheap food. bang mi with various additives: meat, herbs, eggs. Despite its cheapness, this is one of my favorite foods in Vietnam. Its price is up to $1.

Bang Mi for $0.5

Since there is no kitchen in the Super Economy mini-room, you will have to eat out most often. We take the lowest prices for various foods (you still need variety - you don’t want to pay for gastric treatment yet) multiply this by 30 days and get $ 75 if you eat one rice with vegetables 3 times a day, and even less - $27.

The next item of expenditure was gasoline, that is, the cost of transport. Since we have a Super-Economy budget, there can be no talk about buying a bike. Instead of a bike, you can buy a bicycle - about $50 for used The fact is that having bought it once, you will no longer need to spend money on gasoline.

The next thing you will need to spend money on is a visa to Vietnam. If you plan to live for a long time, then you will definitely need it, so we put its cost in the budget. I took the standard price of $20 invitation and $25 visa itself for 3 months ($45 / $15 per month). I do not consider extending a visa, the prices there are completely different. And every year the Vietnamese government makes some adjustments and new rules. You can read the latest news.

Total, by the most modest standards, Super-Economy will cost $202-$212 I do not want to recommend this option to anyone, I will just announce these prices. If you really need it, use it. Honestly, I don’t know how many people can live without meat on the same food. I love meat and fruits very much))) And not everyone can survive without alcohol (I don’t mean binges here :-)) but, for example, a glass of wine or beer “for appetite” for dinner. I repeat: "I'll just leave these prices here."

Consider the following budget Economy or Medium. It is still more real and accessible to most. Here, the class of housing will already be higher than in Super-Economy. I still want to live better and have minimal comfort - $200 per month With food, there will also be changes and, say, the price for one meal will be already $ 1 per serving ( $90 per month). Also, for a change, add $ 1 per day for fruits ( $30) and you can add a can of beer a day ( $15 per month). IN this option already have a bike, instead of a bicycle, and lay dollars 20 for gasoline, we take into account the price of the bike $ 200 ( $67 per month). Total turns out 437 Doll for one with a visa. This budget can be further reduced in price by leaving housing from the Super-Economy option or taking one of the meals cheaper: eat fruit and drink alcohol not every day. We can say that the monthly budget per person in the Economy option will be from 350 to 450 dollars.

And the last budget Comfort. Here the monthly rent will be from $350. It will be an apartment with a good repair and a kitchen. You will also ride a bike - $20 per month, spend on fruit about $50 That is, there will be more of some exotic. Since the apartment already has a kitchen, it will be possible to eat at home more often and, say, go to a restaurant 2 times a week. Thus, the budget for groceries per month will be about $150 + $40 per month for cafes and restaurants ($ 5 for 1 trip). Regarding alcohol, it’s already difficult to assume anything here, so I’m just laying $50 a month for this. There is still a visa $15/month We get that in the Comfort option it will be required $742.

The cost of housing in the Economy and Comfort options for one and two people will be the same.

In this article, the figures are quite average and, in some cases, indicative. In Vung Tau and Mui Ne (Phan Thiet), prices for rental housing and food are cheaper than in Nha Trang. But in each of the cities you can find an option for any wallet. For example, in Nha Trang we lived in the city center in a studio with a kitchen for $ 350 per month, 5 minutes walk from the sea. Now we are renting a 2-room apartment in a residential area for $ 225 per month, 10 minutes from the sea by bike. Also in Nha Trang you can rent an apartment right on the first line, where there will be a beach across the road. Prices for such apartments start from $450 per month and more. In the prices for apartments in Nha Trang, I did not take into account utility bills.

I hope the Super-Economy budget has amused you a little. But this is a real option, and there really is such a thing here.

If you have read the article to the end and you are interested in Vietnam, join me in

How do Russians live in Vietnam?

Russian diaspora in countries South-East Asia grows markedly in last years. And surprisingly, very often it began to replenish with families with small children. This is especially true for Vietnam. People come here for warmth, to the sea, fresh fruits and luxurious tropical nature. How to move to live in Vietnam? Read our moving guide.

It is very difficult to say how many of our compatriots now live in Vietnam. Many live there permanently, there are those who come to earn money, someone to spend the winter, and some, while traveling, stay in Vietnam for several months. The latter usually do not work, but live on passive income received from Russia. Such Russians in Vietnam are called downshifters. There are freelancers for whom the workplace is the whole world. Those who stay "longer" find work in restaurants, travel agencies, sellers in pharmacies and shops and so on.

Permanently live and work in Vietnam employees of the leading Russian tour operators. There is a joint venture Vietsovpetro in Vung Tau. It is engaged in oil production. Its employees, Russian specialists, have been living in Vietnam with their families for many years. A special microdistrict with its own infrastructure has been built in the city for them. There is also a Russian school.

Teachers who find work in educational institutions. But for this you need to be fluent in Vietnamese and English.

There are also Russians who came to Vietnam in the early 2000s and now they have their own business - mini-hotels, jewelry stores, restaurants or shops. In Nha Trang, enterprising young mothers who came for permanent residence with small children opened a wonderful kindergarten"Okay".

The main thing is to choose right place. The choice depends on whether you need a job, and what kind.

Where to go?

On the Internet today you can get comprehensive information about any country. But to understand whether it is suitable for you for a long stay, you can only visit it. Therefore, for starters, it is better to go there on vacation. In Vietnam, there are several climatic zones. North is Hanoi, Halong and Haiphong, central Vietnam- Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang, south - from Nha Trang to Phu Quoc. Here is located the most major metropolis Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). If you are interested in the coast, then this is Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Vung Tau and Mui Ne. It is here that it is always warm, there is no threat of typhoons and the swimming season is all year round.

Our compatriots do not climb north of Hoi An, most of the visitors prefer to settle in Nha Trang. This is a city that has developed infrastructure, actively under construction and offering work for Russian-speaking locals (local foreign residents). In it, the Russians have more possibilities than in Mui Ne, although the latter has even been called a “Russian” village, since in recent years many Russians and residents of the post-Soviet countries have come there.

If you are not very interested in making money or you work remotely, you can safely settle in Fukuoka. In Mui Ne there is work for Russians only in the high season - from November to March. Then they begin to slowly move to Nha Trang in order to find at least some kind of income.

Visa

If you are coming here to live, you will need a visa. Without a visa, Russians can only rest here for 15 days. Previously, you could just come on vacation, and then stay and apply for a visa on the spot for a longer period. Now this is not possible, so you need to get a document called visa support (Approval Letter). It can be issued through an online travel agency. The cost of visa support for 1 month is $10, for 3 - $25.

is single and multiple. This means that according to the first one, you cannot leave and enter the country without a new visa. A multiple entry visa gives you that opportunity.

First visa on arrival in any international airport Vietnam for Russians for free (insist on this if the customs officer starts demanding money from you).

Russians in Vietnam can extend their visas on the spot, through the same numerous travel agencies that provide such services. Visa extensions always come at a cost. Its cost is from 70 dollars. You can extend a visa no more than three times, then you will need to travel to another country and start all over again.

Recently, there is another rule that does not make life easier for those who are forced to constantly renew their visas. If you left the country due to the expiration of your visa, then you can return and get it again only after 30 days. To avoid such a situation, when leaving Vietnam to renew your visa, stock up on visa support again.

If you plan to live and work in Vietnam for a long time, you should consider a "work" visa. It can be issued for a period of 1 to 3 years. The cost of such a visa is about 600 dollars (for a year). But! Only an employer who is ready to sign a contract with you can order it for you.

Insurance and medicine

If you are going to rest in Vietnam, it is recommended to purchase medical insurance. But with a long stay there (more than 3 months) it is not advisable. Firstly, it will be expensive, and secondly, to receive money on it (if you applied for medical care, bypassing the service company) is possible only at a certain time, which is difficult to do, since the application must be submitted personally.

In this regard, let's say a few words about medicine in Vietnam. Russians living in Vietnam write a lot and contradictory about it. In Vietnam, there are many medical institutions of various levels - from municipal to departmental and private clinics. Medicine there is paid, but not very expensive (state). Private clinics can issue a "mad" bill. If necessary, you can call an ambulance, which will take you to the municipal hospital. Almost in any of them there is a Russian-speaking doctor who studied in Russia.

Housing

Finding accommodation in Vietnam is not difficult, everything is here - from luxury apartments in a condominium to the cheapest guesthouses. It all depends on what budget you have, your preferences.

It is best to look for accommodation while on the spot. On the Internet, you can find it and agree with the owner on one price, and in the end come and get a completely different one.

In Nha Trang, for example, Russian-speaking realtors work, you can search for an apartment or house through travel agencies, various magazines in Russian are published and even distributed free of charge, where you can find information about renting a home.

In a word, there are many possibilities, the main thing is to decide what you want. Russians who have already settled in Vietnam strongly recommend looking for housing with a kitchen. Self-cooking can help you save a lot on food.

The cost of renting a room in a guesthouse can range from $150 to $200 per month. It depends on the season low season – low prices). Apartments and houses will be cheaper, the longer the lease term. Here are some features of rental housing in Vietnam:

If you rent a house, cottage or apartment, you will definitely be charged a so-called deposit in the amount of the rental price for 1, 3 or 6 months. In this way, the owners seek to minimize the risk of damage or loss of any property in the rented housing (usually household appliances). If you check out and everything is in order, you will get your deposit back. Be sure to discuss with the owner the possibility of using it as a rent for the last month of residence;
Bargain with the owner if you rent a house for a long time. The Vietnamese give a good discount;
When determining the cost of renting, immediately find out whether it includes payment for electricity. This is a very expensive article, which you can then roll out to the agreed rental price;
If you rent a room in a guesthouse, be sure to bargain, because initially you will be given a very high price;
The farther the housing is from the sea, the cheaper it is.

Houses and apartments are rented here with everything you need: furniture, equipped kitchen, Appliances. Everywhere there is a central water supply and necessarily flow heaters in the bathrooms.

The cost of a long-term rental of an apartment (they are also called studios here) or a house will range from $230 for rent + a communal apartment in an apartment to $1,000-1,500 for renting a cottage with a pool. Again, depending on the distance from the sea.

Natalya Shemyakova,

36 years old, director of a private kindergarten

Nha Trang, Vietnam

“When I cross the road, every time I say a prayer”

"My Planet" continues to ask questions of Russian-speaking residents different countries peace. Natalya from Pyatigorsk spoke about the attitude towards children, punctuality and national types of “sports” of the Vietnamese.

Why Vietnam? I still ask myself this question. For the first time my husband and I got here in 2009, flew along tourist package. We liked it so much that the following year we went again on our own. And two years later, the husband once returned home from work and said: "That's it, we're moving to Vietnam." By that time, our son Tim had just been born. Now he is seven years old.

The most difficult thing was to overcome the language barrier. In Vietnamese, words are mostly monosyllabic, but one word can have six meanings, depending on intonation. I studied the language in the market. First I learned the score, then the products. Now I communicate like this - in a mixture of Vietnamese, English, Russian and gestures.

When the Vietnamese see my passport, they are surprised why I am Shemyakova by her husband. Here, on the contrary, the man takes the surname of his wife, as he leaves for her family.

Children under 7 are spoon-fed and let them all. Around school, they grow up sharply and begin to help their parents in the family business.

Business is a common activity for the middle class. The Vietnamese often live in two-story houses: the first is a cafe, shop or something similar, and the second is living rooms.

I work alone, my husband is raising his son. I opened a kindergarten for Russians just because of Tima - he has developmental features. This is one of the reasons we moved to Vietnam. Local residents look at health problems much easier than in Russia.

It's hard to do business because the contract doesn't mean anything here. A friend had a chain of jewelry stores, which he worked with his Vietnamese wife. And then one day she went and rewrote the business for herself. Or another case: another friend opened a cafe, and when the business went uphill, the partner broke the contract with him, paid a penalty and took the business for himself.

Steal, deceive national view sports. You can contact the police, but they are unlikely to investigate the case. Our friends recently had a bag stolen. They wrote a statement, the police accepted it, but did not even ask for the victim's phone number.

When they tell me "in 5 minutes", I clarify: "Russian 5 minutes or Vietnamese?". Vietnamese may be delayed until tomorrow. So do business with local residents very difficult. It seems that their language does not even have such a word - "punctuality".

At the same time, the Vietnamese are hardworking. get up at 4 in the morning. At 7 o'clock, most establishments are already open, and half of the products in the market may be sold out. A siesta lasts from noon until about three in the afternoon, during which the Vietnamese not only have lunch, but also sleep. The working day ends around 5-6 pm. At 21 o'clock on the streets there is silence and peace.

The only day off is Sunday. On this day, everyone goes out into nature, have picnics. We also go out of town with the whole family. Despite the fact that we have been living in Vietnam for four years, we never cease to be amazed at how many beautiful places there are.

There is no cultural life in Vietnam. Only cafes, bars and nightclubs. My friends and I entertain ourselves. For example, sometimes we get together and draw, and then we arrange something like exhibitions.

Personal boundaries are erased. The Vietnamese can get into the bag and see what I bought, pinch if I gained weight or lost weight - which, by the way, they will not forget to report.

It is important to know the age of the interlocutor. to properly address the person. It's simple in Russian: a girl, a woman, a grandmother, and the same for men. In Vietnamese, the hierarchy of address is very complex. I learned only two: "uh oh" - if I see my peer or a person younger than me, "gee oh" - if the person is older. They understand me, who needs it, they respond, they haven’t beaten my face yet.

Russians are treated kindly. For example, about 2,500 Russians live in Nha Trang, and even more in winter.

Cheapness is deceiving. $1 can buy, for example, a dozen eggs or a kilogram of potatoes, tomatoes, but a trip to the store for butter, milk, chicken and some vegetables will cost about $150. At the same time, the average monthly salary is about $1000.

I never thought that I would have to buy warm clothes and shoes. It only seems that in Vietnam there is an eternal summer, giving way to rains. In the north, in the mountains, sometimes there is even snow. And in Dalat, a city in the Central Highlands, you can’t go at all without a jacket. The Vietnamese say that it is spring in the morning, summer in the afternoon, autumn in the evening, and winter at night.

This winter was the most severe cold in the time that we live in Nha Trang,— +15 °С! We just needed to go somewhere. They ordered a taxi, but the taxi driver refused to come, citing the fact that the car would not start due to frost.

In Vietnam, due to high humidity and wind, the air temperature seems much colder. Now it is +34 °C outside, and I cannot say that it is hot there.

Clothes and shoes here are of disgusting quality and style. At least in Nha Trang. The best thing for sale here is aozai. This is the name of the female National Costume, which includes silk pants and a long dress. It is often worn by office workers.

I am 166 cm tall and tall by local standards. The situation is the same with my husband and son. This is another reason why we have to buy in foreign stores, bring things from Russia or sew clothes to order. We also often go to another city, Saigon, where there are more shops with average quality goods.

I can't imagine Vietnamese people without coffee. They have a very common Ca Phe Sua Da - coffee with milk, usually condensed, and ice. The truth is, I can't drink it. I tried it a couple of times, and both times ended up in the hospital due to high blood pressure. Although I have a Vietnamese girl working in kindergarten. In the morning, she puts a large container of such coffee in the refrigerator and drinks during the day.

When we first moved to Vietnam, I cooked local dishes. But after two or three weeks, we began to “break” in borscht. Now I cook mostly Russian dishes. Fortunately, almost all products are sold. Not only buckwheat, expensive oatmeal and other chocolate, honey, but we bring all this from Russia.

The basis of local cuisine - rice, meat and a lot of vegetables, herbs. The food is spicy, but not too strong. My favorite dishes are pho, a soup with noodles and meat, which according to the rules is boiled for 12 hours, it is customary to eat it for breakfast, and banseo, fried rice pancakes with squid, shrimp or other stuffing, flavored with fish sauce.

Dogs, unfortunately, are also eaten, but not all and everywhere. I haven't eaten and don't want to.

Antibiotics are prescribed for any disease. Sneezed, cut himself - it doesn't matter. As the doctors themselves say: "Just in case." Therefore, after going to the hospital, every time I call my sister in Russia, she is my doctor, and I consult with her.

From medicines there are no only absorbents. So you have to stock up on activated charcoal and similar medicines for digestive problems at home.

This time we will tell you about another Asian country - Vietnam, which can become a great haven for a long time for lovers of the exotic, the ocean and super delicious coffee.

I sometimes think about whether I can settle in one place for a long time, not go anywhere, enjoy the same view from the window, communicate with the same circle of people. Probably, someday it will happen, because I spent almost a whole year out of 4 years of travel in Asia in Vietnam. There is a sea and mountains, several climatic zones, a huge amount of fruits and a convenient visa regime.

When to go

The official tourist season in Vietnam starts at the end of September and ends in March. This is the most comfortable time for the first acquaintance with the country. Even if you decide to move to Vietnam permanently, it is still better to live here for a while and see everything with your own eyes.

Which region to go

I like the sea, so we chose Mui Ne.

The majority prefers Nha Trang as a more modern and comfortable city. Some guys live and work in Mui Ne during the season and move to Nha Trang when everything is empty here.

Both of these resorts are in relative proximity to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - the second largest city after Hanoi (the capital). So if you want to work under palm trees on the coast, learn to surf or kiteboard, these are the places for you. Unlike seaside resorts, in big cities it is hot and stuffy in summer, but near the sea, the constant breeze and heat are not so hard to endure.

In hot weather, you can go to Dalat. This is an amazing city. Just a few hours and you will forget about the heat. Dalat has cool air and beautiful views, which is why it is also called the city of eternal spring or little Paris.

Of course, you should not limit yourself to Dalat. There is also the island of Phukok, the imperial capital of Hue, cold Hanoi, exotic-tourist Sapa. And that is not all.

I confess that I am a big fan of Vietnamese ceramics, all these cups, saucers with images from life.

About work

There is a lot of work for foreigners in Vietnam. In addition to water sports instructors, you can get a job: a manager in a restaurant, an administrator in a hotel or club, a travel agent or a seller in a store. In Nha Trang and Mui Ne, your Russian will be an added bonus - there are many tourists from Russia, and the owners prefer to hire those who speak the language. English will not hurt either, there are no less Australians here than Russians.

Flight

Insurance, medical training

There is a whole street in Ho Chi Minh City where several good clinics with different levels of service are located. Some doctors know Russian, as they received their education from us. Although the main language of communication is English. Where to go - to a private clinic or a public one - it's up to you to choose. But I would recommend contacting private ones and at the same time carefully choosing your doctor.

Visa

Where can I make a VisaApprovalLetter? For example, take the help of agencies (one of them: visasup.com).

Extending a visa is easy:

you need to get documents to fill out;
usually they are filled in either by the owner of the hotel, guest house, house (where you will live) and assures the local law enforcement agencies;
after that, you carry the document and apply for a visa extension.

The procedure can be simplified if you pay an additional $10-15, then the agency will fill in everything themselves and the issue with the papers will disappear by itself.

Accommodation search

Everyone has their own requirements for housing. It's pretty hard to recommend anything here. Most often, the search is carried out already on the spot or through social networks. There are quite large groups on Facebook and VKontakte devoted to these issues. For example:

Options for those wishing to live in the metropolis can be found on similar sites:

For example, in a tourist area in Ho Chi Minh City, you can rent a room in a hotel from $ 7 per day, but it will not be comfortable for living and working. Normal studios in Ho Chi Minh City with rent from six months can be found from $250 per month for a room in a shared house, and from $500 - in a good area.

If you want to rent a European-style villa with a pool on the coast for a long time, then the price can start from $1000.

A Vietnamese-style house will cost several times cheaper - from $400 per month. It will have everything: hot and cold water, Internet, washing machine, furniture and its own kitchen.

For those who are aiming for a budget option, a guesthouse is suitable, from $10-12 per day per room and an average of $220 per month - with hot water, Internet and a shared kitchen.

The price of apartments in Nha Trang can range from $250 for a condo to $500 and more.

The estimated budget for these cities will be as follows:

Costs/city	Ho Chi Minh City
	from $650	from $300	from $250
	from $300	from $300	from $200

»
We rent a studio in Mui Ne for $250, it has everything: Internet, hot water, electricity, air conditioning, work desk (most importantly, yes).

What to look for:

when renting a room, be careful: immediately check whether electricity is included in the payment. Sometimes they “forget” to mention it right away;
when paying a deposit, agree that it is an automatic payment for the last month of residence;
if you are renting a house for a long time, be sure to ask for a discount - the more the better. If the owners are sure that you will live for a long time, then the discounts are quite decent.

In the off-season (summer) prices drop, you can find an acceptable option for yourself much cheaper. Again, your ability to negotiate, as well as how long you intend to rent a house, will affect.

Transport

The price for renting motorbikes is from $6 per day and more, depending on its condition. The automatic bike is traditionally more expensive, although for long trips I recommend taking it with manual gear shifting. If you plan to stay in Vietnam for a long time, then it is preferable to buy your own, there are many used bikes in tourist places. Their prices also fluctuate depending on the season. You can find it for $100 and $150 - usually such offers appear at the end of the season, when most of the people leave. Naturally, you won’t buy a new one for such a price, but for a start you don’t need it.

Gasoline cost: about $1.15-1.20.

For example:

Coffee in a regular coffee shop on a Vietnamese-style road can cost from 7,000 dong (less than a dollar);

Coffee in a European-style coffee shop in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - from a dollar, two, sometimes three.

Examples of food prices (per kilogram / liter):

Rice - from $0.7.
Potato - $ 1.2.
Sugar - $1.
Flour - from $1.
All local vegetables on the market (cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, greens) - $0.4-1.2.
The price of fruits, with the exception of some exotics, is from $0.4-2 per kilogram. For example, bananas - about $0.5, pineapple - about $0.7 apiece, papaya - from $0.5. Imported fruits, such as apples, start at $4.
Milk - $1.4-2.
Fish - $1-7, normal - about $3.
Meat - from $3.
Eggs - from $ 0.9 (per dozen).

What do they eat and where do they eat

Vietnamese cuisine is quite diverse. Here they eat a lot of seafood, all kinds of meat (even exotics like a crocodile or a snake), a large amount of tropical fruits. Worth trying as much as you can find. Moreover, the cuisines of the north and south of Vietnam have many differences. Sometimes you can find unfamiliar dishes even in a neighboring city or province.

Coffee is a special item of the local cuisine. It seems that the whole of Vietnam is saturated with its smell. They drink it everywhere. In any cafe, wherever you come, you can always try this delicious drink. Traditional Vietnamese coffee is drunk very strong, diluted only with condensed milk and nothing else. Depending on the region or temperature, it may be hot or iced.

Things to do besides work

Firstly, you can learn yoga, kiting - there are many schools on the coast that offer their services.

Secondly, this is travel in Vietnam. The country is quite large and diverse. The north is different from the south. This is the imperial city of Hue, French Dalat, high-speed Saigon, cold Hanoi. You can choose and stay where you like.

Vietnamese everyday life

Important details:

Internet and hot water in Vietnam in tourist and big cities are everywhere. There are no difficulties with this.
Mui Ne Nha Trang - Many people speak plain English or Russian. There are no problems with mutual understanding here.
Ho Chi Minh - mostly in English.

My work place:-)