Vietnam

Vietnam’s Visa Options

Tourist Visa

The Tourist Visa is best if you are visiting for the first time. It has a 1-3 month or 90 day duration and costs $25 for single entry and $50 for multiple entry. In order to obtain this visa, you must apply through Vietnam’s online e-visa portal or the Consulate and embassy.

This is the ultimate gift for the aspiring nomad. Coming up with $25 to $50 should be pretty easy for anybody. If you can’t afford that, start selling things on Ebay or Estsy. When you include the cost of Airfare and everyday expenses within Vietnam, this really is the cheapest way to enter, explore, and see how you like the country. 1-3 months should be more than enough time to visit locations to live in and familiarize yourself with daily expenses. After your initial recon mission, you should have more than enough information to look for an apartment, or other living arrangements in Vietnam. Additionally, you can work on a realistic budget to meet your wants and needs while living there.

Temporary Residency Visa

The Temporary Residency visa allows for a longer stay with a duration of 1-3 years. This visa requires sponsorship from either an employer or a family member. Additional documentation you will need are:

Passport
NA6/NA8 application
Sponsorship letter

1-3 years is a big commitment, so it would be smart to go for the Tourist Visa first. The three months that the Tourist Visa allows you can be used to get the additional paper work of the NA6/NA8 application and your sponsorship letter. Vietnam has essentially set up it’s visas like stepping stones, using one visa prepare you for the next visa.

Permanent Residency Permit

For long term living in Vietnam, you will need the Permanent Residency Permit. You must live in Vietnam a minimum of three years under the Temporary Residency Visa before you can qualify. You will additionally provide the following documentation:

employment and salary status
sponsorship by a Vietnamese citizen (Usually a family member)
Health Insurance Passport
Criminal record.

Once you meet the requirements and obtain permanent residence, you can mostly do everything a citizen can do, except vote.

Cities, Activities, and Cost Of Living

Now, let’s get to the fun part, saving money while site seeing in another country. Affordability is the top reason to visit or move to Vietnam. Living cost for a single person ranges between $500 – $620 for all expenses including rent. Compare that to the state Ohio where the average rent alone is $1081. Now, this can, of course, vary depending on where and how you are living. If you want to live a more high end life, well, make sure you budget accordingly. Reguardless of you lifestyle, Vietnam is still better for your bank account than your actual bank. Build a GEO-Arbitrage strategy and secure a digital nomad job. After that, you will gain a lot of flexibility for your spending habits.

Ho Chi Min

Down in southern Vietnam, you will want to consider living in Ho Chi Min, or as it was formerly known, Saigon. This is the largest city in Vietnam and comes with all modern amenities, so if you enjoy living in New York City, but don’t like the daily costs, Ho Chi Min will be a good substitute. You won’t be the only foreigner there as it is a popular hub for nomads and expats. Lodging such as Airbnbs and apartments will cost between $800 – $1200 per month in a good area.

There is a lot to see and do here such as there unique historical monuments and architecture. Exploring Vietnam’s history with French colonialism, one can visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. This church was constructed 1877 and completed in 1880, it was built for the French Catholics settling in Saigon. It defining features are its red color from bricks imported from Marseille and the statue of Our Lady of Peace.

Another grand monument and piece of Vietnamese culture to visit is the Emperor Jade Pagoda. Constructed in the 20th century by a Chinese business man who moved to Vietnam and built the temple for Buudism, Taoism, and Confusionism. Visitors will find a plethora of culture and customs such as the room dedicated to the worship of the Jade emperor or statues of Kim Hoa Thanh Mau and her 12 midwives who are believed to help couples who are struggling with childlessness.

If you are looking for a cultural hub, then checkout Cho Lon, Saigon’s China Town. Here, you can visit the Binh Tay Market for authentic Chinese food and produce and is geared towards locals and not tourists, as well as Chinese medicine pharmacies and the Lantern Street where people buy lanterns and all things associated with festivals. Then there is the residential area with architecture similar to that in Hong Kong, such as Hao Si Phuong, an old alley way of apartments that houses predominantly people of Chinese descent. And then finally, Cho Lon features a number of landmarks such as the Cha Tam church, also called the St. Francis Xavior Church, or temples like the Lady Thien Hau Pagoda or Nhi Phu Temple. Saigon’s China Town is a location for those who truly want to immerse themselves in unique parts of Vietmanese culture and historical influences.

Da Nang

If the main reason for moving to Vietnam is affordibaility, then you will most likely want to consider Da Nang, a city in central Vietnam, praised for its low cost of living. A two bedroom apartment in a nice location will cost around $500 – $800 per month. Other major expenses such food and transportation are estimated to cost $191 and $41.5 respectively per month.

Now, just because it is cheap does not mean that it is boring, there is a lot to see and do in Da Nang. Spanning from Son Tra Peninsula to the Marble Mountains is the beautiful My Khe Beach. Visitors can paritcipate in a number of beach side activities such as volleyball, windsurfing, diving, and more, much of which is hosted venders on the beach itself.

For those who want to mix site seeing with fun attractions then Ba Na Hills would be a recommended spot. It sports a variety of interesting architecture, much of which is inspired by the French, and displays the Golden Bridge, a bridge with two large stone hands supporting its structure.