This time we will tell you about another Asian country - Vietnam, which can be an excellent refuge for long term for lovers of the exotic, the ocean and super tasty coffee.
Meet Anna Fomenko, she has been living in Vietnam for a year and kindly shared her experience and basic information that will be useful to anyone who is thinking about temporarily (or not so much) moving to another country.
I sometimes wonder if I can settle in one place for a long time, not travel anywhere, enjoy the same view from the window, communicate with the same circle of people. This will probably happen someday, because I spent almost a whole year out of 4 years of traveling around Asia in Vietnam. There is sea and mountains, several climatic zones, a huge amount of fruit and a convenient visa regime.
When to go
The official tourist season in Vietnam starts from the end of September and ends in March. This is the most comfortable time to get acquainted with the country for the first time. Even if you decide to move to Vietnam forever, it is still better to live here for a while and see everything with your own eyes.
Which region to go to
I like the sea, so we chose Mui Ne.
The majority prefer Nha Trang as a more modern and comfortable city. Some guys live and work in Mui Ne during the season and move to Nha Trang when everything is empty here.
Both of these resorts are located in relative proximity to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the second largest city after Hanoi (the capital). So if you want to work under palm trees on the coast, learn to surf or kite, these are the places for you. Unlike seaside resorts, big cities are hot and stuffy in summer, but near the sea the constant breeze and heat are not so hard to bear.
In hot weather, you can go to Dalat. This is an amazing city. Just a few hours and you will forget about the heat. Dalat has cool air and beautiful views, which is why it is also called the city of eternal spring or little Paris.
I've been to Dalat three times already. I come every time with great pleasure. We rent a hotel room for $12 a day and are thinking of moving there for a couple of months. Naturally, not to a hotel, but to a rented room. It’s rare to find so many parks, squares, and excellent coffee shops anywhere. Dalat for me is a delightful fusion of European and Asian. Something unique where you want to return again and again.
Of course, you shouldn’t limit yourself to Dalat. There is also the island of Phu Coc, the imperial capital of Hue, cold Hanoi, and exotic tourist Sapa. And that is not all.
I admit, I am a big fan of Vietnamese ceramics, all these cups and saucers with images from life.
About work
There is quite a lot of work for foreigners in Vietnam. In addition to instructors aquatic species sports, you can get a job: as a manager in a restaurant, as an administrator in a hotel or club, as a travel agent or as a salesperson in a store. In Nha Trang and Mui Ne, your Russian will be an additional bonus - a lot of tourists come from Russia, and the owners prefer to hire those who speak the language. English won't hurt either; there are no fewer Australians here than Russians.
Personal experience: I work remotely, but I know quite a lot of guys who earn good money during the season and live here very comfortably. It’s difficult to name the payment amounts; you can get $250, $500, or $1000. It all depends on the type of activity and your capabilities.
Flight
Here I can recommend monitoring not only the website www.vietnamairfares.org. Sometimes you can catch it there interesting offers. Recently, friends bought tickets to Moscow for $350 per person.
Insurance, medical training
There is a whole street in Ho Chi Minh City where several good clinics with different levels of service are located. Some doctors know Russian because they received their education from us. Although the main language of communication is English. Where to go - to a private clinic or a public one - is up to you to choose. But I would recommend going to private ones and choosing your doctor carefully.
Visa
A visa for citizens of the Russian Federation for a period of up to 15 days is not required. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam for a longer period, then you need to obtain a visa in advance, as well as a VisaApprovalLetter - visa support. Such a letter should be received in advance and presented upon arrival along with the visa.
Where can I make a VisaApprovalLetter? For example, use the help of agencies (one of them: visasup.com).
Personal experience: We entered Vietnam from, got a visa at the Vietnamese embassy for six months, so the VisaApprovalLetter was not useful to us. Since then we have traveled only once; the rest of the time we extend the visa on the spot every three months. We use the services of intermediaries - it’s easier for us. The cost of extending a visa starts from $30 for three months, depending on where and with whom you are extending it, of course.
Extending your visa is easy:
- you need to receive documents to fill out;
- usually they are filled out either by the owner of the hotel, guest house, or house (where you will live) and certified by local law enforcement agencies;
- after that you carry the document and apply for a visa extension.
The procedure can be simplified if you pay an additional $10-15, then the agency will fill out everything themselves and the issue with papers will disappear by itself.
In addition, it is possible to get a business visa to Vietnam for six months to a year. Conditions and opportunities are carefully described on the Vinsky forum. I recommend studying the manuals from there - the entire acquisition process is described in detail, and you can familiarize yourself with it there.
Search for accommodation
Everyone has their own requirements for housing. It's quite difficult to recommend anything here. Most often, the search is carried out on site or through social media. There are quite large groups on Facebook and VKontakte dedicated to these issues. For example:
Options for those wishing to live in a metropolis can be found on the following sites:
I would like to emphasize that prices are approximate and depend on the season, requirements, income level, and can be much more or less. It's quite difficult to give a specific range here. There are guys who can easily spend $400-500 (housing + food in Mui Ne); There are those for whom this will seem insufficient.
For example, in a tourist area in Ho Chi Minh City you can rent a room in a hotel for $7 per day, but it will not be comfortable for living and working. Normal studios in Ho Chi Minh City with rent starting from six months can be found from $250 per month for a room in common house, and from $500 - in a good area.
If you want to rent a villa with a pool in European style on the coast for a long period, then the price can start from $1000.
A house in the Vietnamese style will cost several times less - from $400 per month. It will have everything: hot and cold water, Internet, washing machine, furniture and its own kitchen.
If a house is too much for you, then you can find a studio. As in previous options, seasonality applies, but average price starts from $300 per month. It's pretty large rooms, bright, with division into sleeping and working areas.
For those who are aiming for a budget option, a guesthouse is suitable, from $10-12 per day per room and on average from $220 per month - with hot water, Internet and shared kitchen.
The price of apartments in Nha Trang can range from $250 for a condo to $500 and above.
Also, the price of a room, house, or villa depends on whether it is a tourist city or not. For example, in Mui Ne and Nha Trang prices are higher than in Da Nang or Vung Tau. There are many Russian speakers in Vung Tau, mostly people work at the oil production enterprise. But still, I would call Nha Trang and Mui Ne more touristy.
The estimated budget for these cities will be as follows:
| Expenses/city | Ho Chi Minh City | ||
| from $650 | from $300 | from $250 | |
| from $300 | from $300 | from $200 |
»
We rent a studio in Mui Ne for $250, it has everything: Internet, hot water, electricity, air conditioning, desk (most importantly, yes).
What to look for:
- When renting a room, be careful: immediately check whether electricity is included in the price. Sometimes they “forget” to mention this right away;
- when paying a deposit, agree that it is an automatic payment for the last month of residence;
- if you are renting for a long period of time, be sure to ask for a discount - the more, the better. If the owners are confident that you will live a long time, then they will give quite decent discounts.
I want to emphasize that the number of options is endless. I know of rooms above restaurants for $75 a month and villas for $1000. You can find housing in this range, as well as above or below. It all depends on the needs.
In the off-season (summer) prices drop, you can find an option that suits you much cheaper. Again, your ability to negotiate will have an impact, as well as how long you intend to rent the house for.
Transport
The price for renting motorbikes is from $6 per day and more, depending on its condition. An automatic bike is traditionally more expensive, although for long trips I recommend going with a manual gear shift. If you plan to stay in Vietnam for a long time, then it is preferable to buy your own; there are many offers of used bikes in tourist areas. Their prices also fluctuate depending on the season. You can find it for $100 or $150 - usually such offers appear at the end of the season, when most people leave. Naturally, you won’t buy a new one for that price, but you don’t need one to begin with.
Officially, to drive a bike or car you need a Vietnamese license, international standard does not work. A Vietnamese license can be obtained on the spot; to do this, you need to contact the police and check the information locally. But often foreigners drive in tourist places without a license, as they come for the season.
Gasoline cost: about $1.15-1.20.
Personal experience: driving a car or, of course, you can. But Vietnam is known for its crazy traffic. Here the usual rules may not apply: stop in front of you and think, turn on the turn signal in one direction and then turn in the other, overtake on a narrow highway - all this is possible in Vietnam. Therefore, there is only one piece of advice here: accuracy and attentiveness. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to use a taxi, public transport or bike taxi, there are plenty of them here.
After several years of traveling you begin to really appreciate home cooking. Therefore, we mostly buy food at the market and cook it at home. Although I am a big fan of interesting and unusual coffee shops, so this is a special item for my expenses.
For example:
Coffee in a regular Vietnamese-style coffee shop on the road can cost from 7,000 dong (less than a dollar);
Coffee in a European-style coffee shop in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - from a dollar, two, sometimes three.
Examples of product prices (per kilogram/liter):
- Rice – from $0.7.
- Potatoes – $1.2.
- Sugar – $1.
- Flour – from $1.
- All local vegetables on the market (cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, greens) - $0.4-1.2.
- The price of fruits, with the exception of some exotic ones, ranges from $0.4-2 per kilogram. For example, bananas - about $0.5, pineapple - about $0.7 per piece, papaya - from $0.5. Imported fruits, such as apples, cost from $4.
- Milk - $1.4-2.
- Fish - $1-7, normal - about $3.
- Meat - from $3.
- Eggs - from $0.9 (per dozen).
What do they eat and where do they eat it?
Vietnamese cuisine is quite diverse. They eat a lot of seafood here, all types of meat (even exotics like crocodile or snake), a large number of tropical fruits. It's worth trying as much as you can find. Moreover, the cuisines of the north and south of Vietnam have many differences. Sometimes you can find unfamiliar dishes even in a neighboring city or province.
A special feature of the local cuisine is coffee. It seems that all of Vietnam is saturated with its smell. They drink it everywhere. In any cafe, wherever you go, you can always try this delicious drink. Traditional Vietnamese coffee is drunk very strong, diluted only with condensed milk and nothing else. Depending on the region or temperature, it may be hot or iced.
In addition, it is always served in manual press“Fine”, from which the aromatic drink slowly, drop by drop, flows onto the white condensed milk, allowing you to take a break from worries while contemplating this process. Living in Vietnam and never trying local coffee is tantamount to a crime. Fragrant, with a strong taste, filtered through a Finn - this is a whole philosophy.
What to do besides work
Firstly, you can learn yoga, kiting - there are many schools on the coast offering their services.
Secondly, this is traveling around Vietnam. The country is quite large and diverse. The north is different from the south. This is the imperial city of Hue, French Dalat, high-speed Saigon, cold Hanoi. You can choose and stop where you are interested.
Contact people in Vietnam. For some reason, there is a stereotype that Vietnamese people rarely smile. To be honest, I don't know where he's from. People smile and laugh very often. Young people learn English and it’s easy to get along with them.
Vietnamese everyday life Important details:
- Internet and hot water are everywhere in Vietnam in tourist and big cities. There are no difficulties with this.
- Mui Ne Nha Trang - many speak simple English or Russian. There are no problems with mutual understanding here.
- Ho Chi Minh City - mostly in English.
Personally, I can write endlessly about Vietnam. About unusual traditions, beautiful ceremonies, traditional clothes. I am interested in many things: culture, books, coffee. It seems to me that it is impossible not to love this country for what it is.
Anna Fomenko, organizer of the project It’s good everywhere! , traveler, on my list: Georgia, Azerbaijan, India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. I've been living in Vietnam for a year now and I love it here. I am engaged in the development of projects on the Internet.
My work place:-) The easiest option is to get a job as a manager in a travel agency, as an administrator in a restaurant or spa salon, as a salesperson in a clothing store, or jewelry or a bartender in a club. Such work in Vietnam for Russians accessible to almost everyone. Most places will accept you without experience. The main thing is to be active and be able to communicate with people. But keep in mind that you may be offered a schedule with only two days off per month, this is the norm for the Vietnamese. You can try to agree on a two-by-two schedule by finding a replacement, but then also divide the salary in half. If communicating with people and getting up early doesn’t bother you, you can try yourself as a guide. Naturally, having previously familiarized yourself with the history and modern life Vietnam. Some vacancies are posted here.
If you you know how to do something special, you can try to make money on your skills. Someone prepares delicious cakes and sells them to restaurants, someone makes jewelry self made or sews clothes. You can bake pancakes or cook lunches and deliver them to offices, repair motorcycles, make chocolate truffles, weave African braids, do hairstyles or tattoos. The main thing is to find an undeveloped direction in a given area and make yourself known. Information is now easy to spread through social networks.
If you are kite surfing, surfing or wind surfing and you can teach, you can get a job in one of the schools on the coast. Fitness instructors, dance and yoga teachers will also find work at schools or can rent a hall and independently recruit groups of students.
It is not uncommon for foreigners to open in Vietnam Own business- beauty salons, restaurants and bars.
Work in Vietnam for Russians: wages depend on the time of year
It should be noted that wage always depends on the number of tourists. In Mui Ne, for example, the high season lasts from November to April. In the summer months there are significantly fewer tourists, staff are sometimes laid off, and some establishments are completely closed for the summer.
Well, the last one and in my opinion the most convenient option — distant work. Programmers, copywriters, designers and representatives of other professions who have the opportunity to work on a computer have more or less constant income and do not depend on the influx of tourists into the country.
Those who love the exotic can consider working in Vietnam in 2016. The country's economy is developing, there is a shortage of specialists in the market (engineers, management personnel, etc.) tourism sector). Job openings in Vietnam vary from hotel managers to diving instructors. And there is also an industry where there are many Russians - oil production in the city of Vung Tau.
Finding a job in Vietnam is easy
To attract foreign specialists, the government has simplified the entry procedure. Nevertheless, a visa is needed, and to obtain it, the employer sends a contract, which spells out the main points (who and where the person will work, information about the company, what the position is, where he will live). A work permit valid for 36 months is issued.
In 2016, obtaining a visa to Vietnam for Russians and Ukrainians is free. Maybe you need to pay duties.
Russia and Vietnam signed a document regarding temporary work activities (for citizens of 2 countries, 2008)
Find a job in Vietnam - sites and agencies
- Through recruitment agencies (available in Vietnam)
- Online services (Vietnam Works), (Work for expats in Vietnam.)
What vacancies are suitable for Russians and Ukrainians
- If you have knowledge of the language, you can find a job as a top manager or other specialist in an international company (financial, logistics). Foreigners receive higher salaries than locals.
- Due to the industrialization of the country, there is a shortage of engineers, chemists for factories, workers in the tourism industry (season: late September to March), diving instructors, and mechanics.
- There is a definite demand for work in Vietnam as a cook, photographer, guide, or doctor.
Most likely they find a job in Ho Chi Minh City, and the highest paid one is in Nha Trang due to the fact that the auto industry is developed here. Industry.
Low salary - $100-150, average - $600-800
Living conditions in Vietnam
In summer it is very hot and the climate is humid. Renting an apartment - $500. The standard of living is lower and prices are lower than in Russia. Eating in cafes and restaurants is cheaper. There are many cafes with European food on the streets.
capital of Vietnam Hanoi
Vietnam visa application form
If you want to change your place of residence permanently or for a while, then the best option will get a job. And increasingly, glances turn to Asian countries, Where all year round It’s warm, and therefore you can not only earn money, but also relax. One of these countries is Vietnam. We will tell you further about what kind of work in Vietnam is for Russians and how to leave correctly.
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What you need to know about Vietnam?
Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia and borders countries such as Cambodia, Laos and China. If we talk about the climate, it will depend on where you work. In the north, it is cooler, while in the south it is hotter. But in general the weather is always warm, which makes you feel comfortable. And since there are vacancies for the Russian-speaking population, this attracts those who want to earn a little money and live abroad.
What you need to know about obtaining an entry permit
Since there are a large number of people who want to work or do business with Vietnam or within the country, a simplified system for obtaining special permission.
To obtain a work visa, you need to contact the embassy or consulate of the Republic of Vietnam.
You should be prepared for the fact that a short-term visa can be obtained within 7 working days. In this case, you should prepare and submit the following package of documents:
- personal valid passport;
- 2 color photographs;
- fill out a visa application. It will have to be sent from the place of work for which you are leaving;
- availability of air tickets.
When ordering a visa application form from an employer, you should be warned that it must indicate the position and the terms of the contract being concluded.
The entire package of documents should be sent to Vietnamese immigration services. If the answer is yes, the applicant will be notified to come in and obtain a visa. A work permit is issued for 30 or 90 days and requires a $40 fee.
It will be possible to apply for a visa directly at the airport upon arrival, which will require large financial expenses, since in addition to the fee they will be forced to pay from 60 to 85 dollars.
If everything is fine with work, then you need to contact the Ministry of Public Security to extend your visa. A renewal form is brought here, after which a $25 service fee is paid.
You should carefully monitor the date on your visa, as late fees will require you to pay at least $5 for each day.
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What does Vietnam suggest to the Russians?
If they need work in Vietnam, many people flock to popular centers where specialists of various profiles are in demand, and at the same time they can relax.
If this is a tourist center, then they get a job in the tourism industry. For example, when you come to Mui Ne, you can meet many Russians who have settled long ago and now run their business here. They often hire compatriots. In order to get a good job, you should high level know English language.
In Vietnam you can find work for Russians:
- various managers;
- engineers;
- guides, waiters, bartenders, maids;
And the higher the qualification, the more in demand the specialist is, which means the higher his salary will be.
How to look for a job?
Today there are a large number of ways to find a job. These can be social networks, where the necessary contacts are located during communication, special sites and forums. There are also those who come on vacation and find work in Vietnam.
Particular importance is given to those who want to start a business or start investing. One of the most profitable types is:
- organization Catering;
- provision of hairdressing services;
- opening of new stores.
There is an opportunity to buy ready business, the prices for which will be quite low. For example, a cafe with all its contents can be purchased by paying $35,000. Speaking about business, one cannot fail to mention the availability of discounts and tax benefits for them.
What you should know about salaries
When getting a job in, you should be ready to work and raise your level. This is due to the fact that the average minimum salary is 100 dollars, while the maximum can be over 1000. For example, a Russian-speaking guide during the season can receive from 400 to 5000 dollars, while off-season earnings will be 150-450 dollars. The manager's position is valued at $200 per month.
Conclusion
There is work for Russians in Vietnam and there is quite a lot of it. The most important thing is not to succumb to the offer to earn money illegally, as you may end up with a large fine and trouble from both the police and the mafia.
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