📋 Expat checklist: moving to Vietnam from A to Z
Step by step: what to prepare at home, getting through airport control, renting a bike without leaving your passport, Tạm Trú and settling in.
🧳Before departure(0 of 10 done)
Documents, money, power of attorney and packing
Your passport must be valid for at least 180 days from the date of entry into Vietnam. Having a spare second passport is recommended.
Visa-free entry for 45 days requires an onward ticket. If you plan to stay longer, apply for a 90-day E-Visa ($25–50) in advance on the official site 5–7 business days ahead and print 2 copies.
Vietnam recognizes the 1968 Vienna Convention. An IDP with category A officially protects you from fines (1–2 million dong) and lets you rent a bike legally. Get it from your home licensing authority before you leave.
Make a notarized power of attorney with broad powers (managing accounts, selling a car/property, collecting registered mail). Doing it abroad through a consulate can mean months of waiting.
Switch your number to a plan with no monthly fee or use eSIM. Check that SMS arrive abroad (roaming) and link email and biometrics to your banking and government apps.
Bring new-design $100 and $50 bills (with the blue ribbon). No stamps, tears, stains or pen marks — in Vietnam the slightest crease costs you 10–20% of the rate, or the exchange is refused.
The main way to move rubles to Vietnam is buying USDT with Russian bank cards and exchanging it for cash dong or a VietQR transfer locally. Complete identity verification before you fly.
Regular travel insurance does not cover scooter crashes! Be sure to add “motorbike riding / active sports”. Popular with expats: SafetyWing, World Nomads, ERV.
Bring your usual painkillers, antibiotics, probiotics (for adapting to Asian food), antihistamines and personal medication for 2–3 months.
Photograph your passport, license, insurance, birth/marriage certificates and upload them to Telegram “Saved Messages” and Google Drive with offline access.