How can I live in Vietnam for a long time?

/d 788d 43 f 8794 a 4c 24 c 0746 a 802 f 4 1 BD 5 ad 6 e 3908？ X-BCE-process = image/resize，m _ lfit，w _ 450，h _ 600，limit _ 1/quality，q _ 85。 After living in Southeast Asia for nearly 10 years and traveling in different countries, I found that more and more China people began to leave their hometown and choose. In fact, there are many opportunities abroad that are not available at home. Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, has developed rapidly. As long as you have enough patience, you will certainly gain a lot. Next, I will write some thoughts and experiences about my life in Southeast Asia, hoping to give some help to people who want to live abroad.

How can I live in Vietnam for a long time?

Before answering this question, I need to introduce two English words: Expat and Immigrant.

What are foreigners and immigrants?

/6609 c 93d 70 cf 3 BC 7 BF 066 c 6 FDD 00 baa 1cd 1 12a2a？ X-BCE-process = image/resize，m _ lfit，w _ 450，h _ 600，limit _ 1/quality，q _ 85 expat。 Immigrants are immigrants. Sometimes the difference between the two is not obvious and even controversial. Generally speaking, Expat means living abroad (whether it's pension, work, long-term business trip, fleeing abroad, runner, etc. In most cases, they keep their nationality. Immigration refers to people who change their nationality and emigrate abroad in the legal sense. However, I saw many situations in Vietnam. Some people from Europe, America, South Korea and China married and lived in Vietnam, but they still retained their China nationality, spoke fluent Vietnamese and had wives and children. Although they are not immigrants in the legal sense, in fact their living conditions are the same as those of immigrants. As far as today is concerned, the sojourning I want to talk about is only for foreigners, especially those who have not settled in Vietnam for a long time, especially freelancers or foreign entrepreneurs like me.

Vietnam visa

/3 AC 79 f 3 df 8 DCD 100999 a 59 a 27 E8 b 47 10b 9 122 f2a？ X-BCE-process = image/resize, m _ lfit, w _ 450, h _ 600, limit _ 1/quality, q _ 85 The most important thing to go to a strange country is to know its latest visa policy.

The Vietnamese visa is now a separate piece of paper with the applicant's photo attached. Because of the map dispute on China's latest passport, Vietnamese Customs refused to stamp the passport page directly, so it used another label instead.

Vietnamese visas are divided into tourist visas, business tourist visas, work visas and other visas for visiting relatives. For sojourners, tourist visas are the easiest to obtain. Tourist visas are divided into one-month stay and three-month stay. Business tourist visas must provide Vietnamese invitation letters and other documents. This only applies to business dealings, which is beyond the scope of our discussion. When 10 came to Vietnam, the visa could be used directly as a business visa for three months (without any invitation letter) and could be renewed three times. This means that you can stay in Vietnam indefinitely for nine months, but with the constant adjustment of the Vietnamese government's visa policy, you can only apply for a tourist visa for three months now. You must leave the country after the expiration, and you cannot stay illegally. Otherwise, Vietnamese customs will kill you.

What if the visa expires?

/242 DD 42 a 2834349 bb 776 cf 06 C5 ea 15 ce 37d 3 bec 5？ X-BCE-process = image/resize, m _ lfit, w _ 450, h _ 600, limit _ 1/quality, q _ 85 visa operation. This is a word that we often mention when discussing on facebook. It means that after the visa expires, we will arrive at the third country by land or air (round trip to China is often very expensive). Then return to Vietnam within one day. . This is all about holding the approval in advance and then applying for a visa on arrival at the customs.

/46 10b 9 12 c8 fc C3 ce e9 c 668 b 09 e 45d 688d 43 f 202 a？ X-BCE-process = image/resize, m _ lfit, w _ 450, h _ 600, limit _ 1/quality, q _ 85 Land border: Da Nang-Laobao (round-trip customs clearance and visa application takes about 12 hours).

/ 14 ce 36d 3d 539 b 6008 1 beae 34 e 550352 AC 75 CB 7 c 5？ X-BCE-process = image/resize, m _ lfit, w _ 450, h _ 600, limit _ 1/quality, q _ 85 Ho Chi Minh -Moc Bai (about 7 hours for round-trip visa application).

(The specific details of the visa run can be mentioned in the comments if necessary. I will write a special introduction when there are more people. )

If you fly, you can generally go to Malaysia (transit visa), Phnom Penh or Bangkok (the visa fee for landing in Bangkok has also increased to 2000 baht). There are also very cheap round-trip air tickets to Hong Kong.

language barrier

/0dd 79 12397 DDA 1446 179 CD 3 1 be B7 d 0a 20 df 486 c 5？ X-BCE-process = image/resize, m _ lfit, w _ 450, h _ 600, limit _ 1/quality, q _ 85 Many Vietnamese people can't speak English, but people in hotels, real estate, tourism, aviation and other industries can speak fluent English. So if you can speak English in Vietnam, you can communicate without Vietnamese. Of course, learning Vietnamese is very beneficial to understand the local people. But if you don't even know the most basic English and Vietnamese, it will be more painful at first, and so will other countries. There are many language centers in Vietnam, especially some that teach foreigners. Prices range from $2 to $5 per hour. Of course, the best way is to find a Vietnamese girlfriend.

I'll write here for the time being today, and then I'll write articles about renting, shopping and transportation costs in Vietnam later.

For more articles about life in Southeast Asia, please pay attention to my WeChat official account: Southeast Asia drift.