The Land of Floating Markets & The Tam Thai pagoda

Information on Relocating to Vietnam

• The capital city of Vietnam is Hanoi with nearly 3 million people, it is a centre of politics, culture, trade and social of the whole country. Vietnam is a Republic.

• Languages: Vietnam is a tonal language that uses the Roman alphabet together with tone and diacritical marks. Much of the language is Sino/Vietnamese, through influences from French and English are also apparent. Today, English has replaced French and Russian as the most studied and spoken foreign language and is widely spoken in major cities. The TV programs are mostly in Vietnamese with English subtitles.

• Population: It is estimated that 81 million people live within the borders of Vietnam. 85% are ethnic-Vietnamese with the remaining 15% being made up of ethnic Chinese, Khmers, Chams and members of more than 60 ethnic groups living mostly in the mountainous areas in the Central Highlands and northern regions.

• Expat areas: Popular areas for the Expat community are Ha noi Capital and Ho Chi Minh City.

• Housing: There are numerous of house types. They are: villas (with large garden & possibly swimming pool), detached house (with smaller garden or yards), semi-detached house and townhouse. Most of semi-detached and townhouse are narrower in width & have a number of stories (average 3-4 story's). Flats are available but the majority of them are serviced apartments.

• Cost of housing: Housing in Vietnam can be very expensive and varies based on type of residence, location, and standard of renovation. Rent can be anywhere from $ 1500 for a small apartment in the city to $5000 and more for a fully-furnished apartment in the city centre. Villas with large garden and swimming pool is more expensive than the others. The local currency is Vietnam Dong (VND). However expatriate rental properties are quoted in US$.

• Schools: The International School, the British International School offers education from pre-K to grade 12. It is co-educational and multicultural and provides a high quality of education. The American International School offers education from grade 1 to grade 8 based on the American school system. The French College, The Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese International School are the other options.

• Transportation: There is public transportation in the city centre with medium quality and relies mostly on buses. Taxis are widely available and convenient and cost VND 6000 per km. Permanent car hire costs between US$ 800 and 1300 per month depending on size and condition of the car.

• Bank: There are number of international banks in Vietnam but only a few of them are able to offer banking services. The banks are open on Monday – Friday from 9.00 am – 12.00 and from 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm.

• Shopping: Supermarket opens from 9.00 am - 10.00 pm for the whole week, small local shops usually open earlier.

• Climate: Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate. The seasons vary depending on both latitude and elevation. In general, the dry season runs from November to April, through for the Central Highlands this period coincides with the wettest part of the year. The preferred times to visit the north (Hanoi) are from October to January, the central highland (Danang) from February to April and the south (HoChiMinh) from December to March.

• Culture: There are many interesting places for entertainment: museums, pagodas, theaters, opera houses, concert halls, ballets, cinemas, art galleries. Movies are mostly in Vietnamese with English subtitles. There are also several bowling alleys.

• Public holidays: January 1st-Western New Year Day; January 1st-5th-(Lunar New Year); April 30th-Liberation Day; May 1st-International Worker’s Day; September 2nd-National Day. Tet-is the most important holiday for Vietnamese which usually takes place in February.