As long as thinking about moving to a new environment outside the country, most people will get excited about upcoming experiences. However, you may not foresee the risks and difficulties if you don’t have ideas of how life over there is. Hanoi is not an exception which needs your careful study prior to arrival, so the following guides will give you an overview of how you can live here.
Housing
The most important thing when moving to a new place is to find a nest. Luckily, housing for expats in Hanoi is not too hard and expensive. The price range is from $400 to $1,000/ month depending on how the house you are looking for is. If you are single or live with a mate, a serviced apartment can be suitable. If your family has 3 members, an apartment is the best choice. And a big family who prefers private and comfortable living space should go for a house in town or villa in Ciputra urban area or Vinhomes Riverside (if having enough budget). Meanwhile, many people choose a shared unit with others as it is cheap and much convenient. Living with other people in a house is not only cozy but also makes you sociable in a new land. For such people lived in crowded cities in their home country, living in Hanoi at this price is a true upgrade. You will see most foreigners gather in Tay Ho, Tu Liem, and Ba Dinh Districts because these areas are much quieter than the hustle and bustle center. While Tay Ho reflects Western-style with many villas, apartment buildings (such as Golden Westlake, Watermark) and serviced apartments, Ba Dinh where has Lancaster and Vinhomes Metropolis complexes are close to office buildings, embassies, and political centers. Tu Liem is far from the city center compared to the other two but it’s developing with a lot of urban areas like Vinhomes Gardenia, Keangnam, The Manor, Golden Palace, Vinhomes Skylake … so on. One special thing about renting housing in Hanoi, Vietnam is that you can rely on agents at no cost. Emerging among many agents in Hanoi, Alpha Housing is a trustworthy one whose contacts should be kept as we provide professional and dedicated consultants. They are people who show up at all residences in the capital and willing to support you to find a perfect house at good rent. View all apartments for rent in Hanoi click here
Transportation
Many people depend on Grab and taxi as daily transportation. But in the long run, it is not really realistic and cheap at all unless you have a competitive income. It’s essential to learn driving motorbike in Hanoi although it can be challenging at the beginning. Some drivers go fast on streets or carry unbelievable things on scooters may scare you at first sight, you will get used to it soon. Instead of buying a brand new one, you can rent from renting companies with a very reasonable price of around $40 per month, then it’s no need to worry about selling when you leave the country. It’s great to travel across Vietnam by motorbike, too. And in fact, many foreign travelers choose motorbike to go to provinces around Hanoi for a fascinating experience. If you already know how to drive, make sure you are clear about traffic rules and possess a driving license. For those have motorbike driving license in their country, it’s possible to exchange to equivalent Vietnamese motorbike driving license. If not, you must take the test before going down to the streets.
Work
When you are not assigned to work in Hanoi but come here to find a job on your own, don’t worry too much. Besides office jobs, becoming a language teacher is not a bad idea. The demand for foreign language teachers (like English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) is quite high at private centers and international schools. There are increasingly more language centers aiming at students and office workers who want to improve their language skills. Teacher positions at these places are flexible and paid hourly, so many people love doing this in order to have time for traveling. Otherwise, you can be full-time teachers at school and university which offer you summer holiday and other labor benefits. However, all schools require you a Bachelor’s Degree or at least a teaching certification to be hired.
Visa
The length of your acquired visa depends on what type of labor you are. If you are a part-time worker or freelancer, you will get a 3-month Vietnam tourist visa. Then, when your visa expires, you need to leave Vietnam and come back once a new tourist visa is issued. On the other hand, you can get a 1-year visa and work permit if you work full-time for any companies and organizations so that there is no need to leave. There are many visa agencies in Vietnam who you can contact for advice and have your visa proceeded with cheap fees.
Telecommunication
When you arrive in Hanoi, the first thing to do is getting a new Sim Card for your phone so that communication will not interrupt. 3 main service providers in Vietnam are Viettel, Mobiphone, and Vinaphone. Their shops are everywhere in the city, then you can come in and buy one for your mobile. Telecommunication costs can be paid in 2 ways: prepay or postpay. Pre-pay means you bank in your account first to use data, text, and call within that amount. Otherwise, you can register a post-paid account which allows you to consume as much as you want, then pay at every month-end. A post-paid account sounds attractive to frequent communicators because providers offer various packages comprised of free data and texts.
In general, living and working in Hanoi turn out to be an interesting experience where you can make friends with hospitable people, earn money by well-paid jobs and travel to incredible places. In order to make the most of your time here, good preparation and study are crucial and hopefully, those above stated points add a piece to your notes.
