Looking into moving to Vietnam and in need of advice and Guidance

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

You're still fairly young so how long are you planning on staying in VN? If you plan to return to the US 5, 10, 20 years from when you leave, you will have a huge gap in your resume that will be a turn off for recruiters and employers once you return to the US and start to look for a career.

With that said, you're probably looking at a teaching job or possibly a hospitality job if your Vietnamese is good. You can probably start looking for how to teach online from anywhere in the world and see what the qualifications are. They might need a BA degree but may make an exception since you said you have teaching experience. You can also try reaching out to Ninja Teachers on YouTube and ask them if your qualifications will limit you from getting a job. One thing that could be a disadvantage to you when looking for a teaching job is you're Asian. It's harder for Asians to teach English in Asia because they prefer White, Black, Hispanic teachers over Asian teachers teaching English.

Hope this helps a tiny bit in your quest to move to VN. I too am planning to retire early in VN in a few years. Came to the US when I was 7 or 8 and went back for the first time when I was 47. Good luck!

Hokagemike wrote:

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

They're both large cities but I would suggest Saigon. I hear the pollution in Hanoi is pretty bad and it's gloomy a lot. I was in Hanoi once and it was gloomy most of the time I was there. As for property, you can own condo but not land which means you cannot own houses. There are loopholes but it's a headache. If you get lucky and marry a Viet girl, she can own the house which could be good or bad depending on if she lub you long time or not.

qnbui wrote:

Hokagemike wrote:

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

They're both large cities but I would suggest Saigon. I hear the pollution in Hanoi is pretty bad and it's gloomy a lot. I was in Hanoi once and it was gloomy most of the time I was there. As for property, you can own condo but not land which means you cannot own houses. There are loopholes but it's a headache. If you get lucky and marry a Viet girl, she can own the house which could be good or bad depending on if she lub you long time or not.

The law allowing foreigners to own a house changed in around 2016.

All answers above are accurate.

I may suggest:
Spend some time in Vietnam before buying a property
Feel the country, feel the people and the culture, and make sure you will feel happy and welcome in your father's home.
Learn from yourself while visiting in Vietnam what will be your chances with your current skills. 
Master your Vietnamese
I may suggest, build your skills and capabilities before coming to Vietnam. Get a Bachelors' degree and if you can have work experience in the US after graduation even better.

Good Luck

Risks in buying property in Vietnam.

Have a look at that link.

Not a good time to be buying anything anywhere at the moment other than food & water.   A pair of trousers would come in handy as well. 😆

Also, incase the above link doesn’t mention it.......find out what happens if your Visa is terminated or refused renewal.    That’s critical.

Hokagemike wrote:

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

I would suggest Ben Tre... An hour and half from Saigon and it is a lot nicer to lives.  The air is a lot cleaner than Saigon or Hanoi.  Good Luck!

Yes, you can buy land in Vietnam now... I am owning an acres of land in Ben Tre and just completed building my vacation home there.

Rahj_Devon wrote:

Hokagemike wrote:

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

I would suggest Ben Tre... An hour and half from Saigon and it is a lot nicer to lives.  The air is a lot cleaner than Saigon or Hanoi.  Good Luck!

Yes, you can buy land in Vietnam now... I am owning an acres of land in Ben Tre and just completed building my vacation home there.

You bought the land through a company you set up, as buying land in your personal name is still not allowed. Correct me if Im wrong.

Hokagemike wrote:

So I’ve been toying with idea for the last couple of years of leaving my current life and moving to Vietnam. So I’m here to try and get some guidance from you wonderful folks. Let me tell you a little bit about myself I’m a Vietnamese American my parents came over from Vietnam’s in 1975 I was born and raised in California. I do speak what is considered fluent Vietnamese in the U.S. but in Vietnam it can be considered elementary at best. I’m 30 years old I’m currently working at a credit union as a banker. I did not get an undergraduate degree but... *snip*

My personal recommendation is that you face up to whatever it is about your current life that makes you want to leave it, get your undergraduate degree, and THEN consider the move when you are in a much stronger position to create a successful life here.

You have been toying with this idea for a couple of years now, and you could have made significant progress toward an undergraduate degree in that time.

Your competition here for employment would do just about anything to be in the position you're in, in the country you're in, to obtain the education you can obtain now.

Or you can imagine that Vietnam is just waiting with open arms for you and your experience to come here and contribute something she can't already get from her citizens.

Good luck with that...

I was thinking that if you had a means to keep body and soul together (maybe $700-$1000/month) you might consider going to college in finance in Vietnam.  This is particularly true if you have relatively well off relatives where you could stay.  Tuition should be a lot less than in the US although there wouldn't be much value in the degree if you returned home. 

There is an agency that is set up to assist returning Vietnamese.  kieubaoviet You might be able to get some assistance there.

THIGV wrote:

I was thinking that if you had a means to keep body and soul together (maybe $700-$1000/month) you might consider going to college in finance in Vietnam.  This is particularly true if you have relatively well off relatives where you could stay.  Tuition should be a lot less than in the US although there wouldn't be much value in the degree if you returned home. 

There is an agency that is set up to assist returning Vietnamese.  kieubaoviet You might be able to get some assistance there.

It's possible that course of study could qualify him for the University of Hawaii MBA program in Vietnam (longer-term goal):

http://shidler.hawaii.edu/vemba

colinoscapee wrote:

Rahj_Devon wrote:

Hokagemike wrote:

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

I would suggest Ben Tre... An hour and half from Saigon and it is a lot nicer to lives.  The air is a lot cleaner than Saigon or Hanoi.  Good Luck!

Yes, you can buy land in Vietnam now... I am owning an acres of land in Ben Tre and just completed building my vacation home there.

You bought the land through a company you set up, as buying land in your personal name is still not allowed. Correct me if Im wrong.

colinoscapee! Yes, You are corrected...

Hi. Personally I wouldn't live in either Hanoi or Saigon, too big and too much traffic for my liking. I live in Da Nang which is considerably smaller and much more beautiful. Da Nang is a very modern and progressive city with 32klms of beach. I think it would be better to do some traveling and see what suits you best.
Wayne

Waynesinoz wrote:

I live in Da Nang which is considerably smaller and much more beautiful. Da Nang is a very modern and progressive city with 32klms of beach...

Too bad they are closed now...



Hope you are doing ok here during lockdown, Wayne.

Hi
I have been thinking of relocating to Vietnam with my family..
Would anyone have any advice??
I am a chef and been working in several different countries over the last 20 yrs but always wanted to work in asia..
Was thinking of Cambodia but a friend told me Vietnam would be best.
I have 2 young kids one of 6yr and another of 1yr..
Please anyone have advice

Thank you

Once things are back to normal I would suggest a couple of weeks here before taking the plunge. On the whole cost of living is cheaper in Europe but then the salaries assuming you can find suitable work will be lower. Pros and cons like lost places

Being a qualified chef is sort of a grey area as far as wages.  If your level of experience is such that it can command a premium over local wages you will be lucky, but it will be far from automatic.  Also having some kind of ethnic specialty may help; as in knowing one cuisine such as French or Italian intensively.   Unlike a decade ago, many Vietnamese have traveled the world and returned with skills that they acquired overseas.

colinoscapee wrote:

Rahj_Devon wrote:

Hokagemike wrote:

Is it better to go to Hanoi or Saigon? Can I buy property over there? If I can how does that process work?

I would suggest Ben Tre... An hour and half from Saigon and it is a lot nicer to lives.  The air is a lot cleaner than Saigon or Hanoi.  Good Luck!

Yes, you can buy land in Vietnam now... I am owning an acres of land in Ben Tre and just completed building my vacation home there.

You bought the land through a company you set up, as buying land in your personal name is still not allowed. Correct me if Im wrong.

colinoscapee... You are corrected! The land I bough in Ben Tre is using my wife name and me as a co-owner but not the land I recently bough in Saigon... It was under my company name.

marccoetzee wrote:

Hi
I have been thinking of relocating to Vietnam with my family..
Would anyone have any advice??
I am a chef and been working in several different countries over the last 20 yrs but always wanted to work in asia..
Was thinking of Cambodia but a friend told me Vietnam would be best.
I have 2 young kids one of 6yr and another of 1yr..
Please anyone have advice

Thank you

The replies you have received so far are mainly focusing on your ability to earn a wage, since you say you want to "work in Asia".

If you have the financial resources, another option is to start a business here and work for yourself, if you have a vision and the talents necessary to be a chef-restaurateur.

This would also give you the legal status of an investor, which might end up being a more stable situation for your family, unless you run your business into the ground.

Rahj_Devon wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Rahj_Devon wrote:

I would suggest Ben Tre... An hour and half from Saigon and it is a lot nicer to lives.  The air is a lot cleaner than Saigon or Hanoi.  Good Luck!

Yes, you can buy land in Vietnam now... I am owning an acres of land in Ben Tre and just completed building my vacation home there.

You bought the land through a company you set up, as buying land in your personal name is still not allowed. Correct me if Im wrong.

colinoscapee... You are corrected! The land I bough in Ben Tre is using my wife name and me as a co-owner but not the land I recently bough in Saigon... It was under my company name.

Thats right, you can have it as a co-owner, but not solely in your personal name.