CHAPTER 3: FIRST STEPS TO MOVE TO VIETNAM FROM ABROAD
Following Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 preliminary and postliminary documents requirements, here you have the most updated FAQs regarding moving and teaching in Vietnam, as of December 2024 and later. Feel truly free to comment this post below with any remark that might be useful for new expats. Remember that my knowledge is only partial and experimental.
1) So, why choosing Vietnam first?
Well, because it is still a thriving market for ESL (English as a Second Language) jobs. Pros are outlined below:
- Many available positions (especially from June to August) , even if you apply online from abroad.
- Fairly simple to get hired from abroad after only 1 video call.
- Quite attractive salary in proportion to the local cost of living AND neighbouring countries.
- Enrichingly different from Western World.
- Safe and economical country.
- Fewer general rules compared to Europe for example.
- Has access to seaside.
- Teachers are still given high regard (they still celebrate the Teacher’s Day with Letters and Gifts to Teachers, imagine : ).
- Fast career paths (due to high job turnovers) resulting in less time to achieve senior / managerial positions.
- Teachers coming from non-English speaking countries (e.g. Europe, considered as a country in Vietnam, or Russia or Philippines or India, etc.) may get still quite high wages and above all, can legally be employed (unlike other countries such as Japan or South Korea).
- Food, culture and warm weather are appreciated parameters too.
- Chance to travel to neighbouring countries (Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc.)
2) Why NOT choosing Vietnam instead?
Well, Vietnam is a resourceful country where you can find a vast assortment of culture, local cuisine and heterogeneous landscapes. And it is still very affordable. However, in terms of teaching conditions, it has recently started to offer less appetizing salaries and benefits, compared to countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Arabic Countries and Middle-East, Central Asia, etc.
It is still by far more attractive than neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Laos, yes, but I would say less and less inviting compared with the afore-mentioned areas, above all if you are an English native speaker. Then, I must say, you have better options. If you are not native, instead, it keeps being an enticing opportunity, especially for your first teaching job.
That being said, please have also a heedful examination on climate (moist, with torrential rainy seasons, or “tropically” dry with burning sun), pollution (high in main cities), traffic (high in main cities), noise, food and culture (people are quite reserved), level of English (basic in countryside areas), irksome red tape (see Chapter 1 and Chapter 2), deficient health system, (unpredictable) social life, (basic) working conditions and contributions, access to sport activities (green areas, running paths, gyms, facilities…), etc. to gauge the quality of life you want to achieve.
3) What do you need for job applications?
Well, it depends on the school or language centre. Mostly you need the following attachments (even when sending the first email in response to a Job Ad):
- Scanned degree copy (even in your language, no bother at this stage).
- Scanned TEFL or TESOL or CELTA certificate (even not legalized, no problem now).
- Scanned passport (recommended).
- CV in English (make it more teaching-oriented: ). Although you may use any CV type, I would strongly advise to prepare a format currently very popular in Vietnam. Some examples here.
- Cover Letter
- Short introductory video of yourself, max 3 minutes (formal attire, optional).
- Video of a lesson made by yourself (very optional this one, I never sent it myself).
- A Zalo account to communicate with local HR members (Whatsapp is not very popular here).
- Some experience (1 year +) and / or being native English speaker might be needed too, according to the school / salary level. Try to make up some informal teaching positions at least.
4) Where to apply for jobs?
Well, there are many websites, but the most useful ones gathering 80 % of the job Ad traffic are the following ones (links below). Feel free to post your own CV directly on relevant Facebook pages if you have the suitable requirements AND you are coming from a predominantly “white” or “Western” country [sic!]. Useful links here below:
- Teachaway;
- The Guardian Jobs;
- Tefl.Org;
- Tefl.com;
- The Tefl Academy Jobs Portal;
- Edvectus.com;
- Dave’s ESL Café;
- Teast (very good one);
- Tefl.net;
- Tes.com;
- Tefl Graduate;
- Teaching House;
- Vietnam Teaching Jobs (very good one);
- Astute Education;
- The Tefl Institute;
- Hanoi Massive Jobs Facebook Page;
- English Teaching Jobs and Accommodation in Vietnam Facebook Page;
- English Teaching Jobs In Vietnam Facebook Page;
- English Teaching Jobs in Vietnam Facebook Page.
Facebook pages are still very popular in Vietnam, please use them too! Be aware of scams, incongruous offers and job duplicates though.
5) Where in Vietnam should I apply to?
This is a real conundrum. Myself I started to apply late at the end of July and wanted to have everything settled by the beginning of August (that is possible by the way). I was more enticed by the North as it is fresher and more mountainous (I do like hiking). However, due to a tight timeframe and a offer received from a big, well-known private school, I ended up accepting a proposal coming from Bien Hoa, 30 Km away from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
There is no specific rule here, apart from the general ones:
- The more remote the area, the more benefits and money you get, generally.
- Plus probably you will definitely look more exotic and uncommon there.
- The experience might turn out to be absolutely more authentic as well.
Downsides:
- little or no English spoken;
- little or no familiarity with foreigners;
- harder to find places, services (e.g. scooter for rent) and stuff;
- lack of reliable medical structures;
- little or no nightlife;
- little or no expat community, etc.
This is a bit the current situation in Bien Hoa too. Not for much longer though. Remote areas are shifting into villages or small cities now, and, as a consequence, attractive benefits (e.g. housing allowance or hourly supplements) that were allotted to new teachers in mid-size, satellite cities (e.g. Bien Hoa) are slowly disappearing. I would say that in some cases, for the same salary and benefits, unless you have a specific goal or activity in mind, big cities have a more lively, eventful and International lifestyle you could better relish.
- Big cities like Hanoi and Saigon (HCMC) have the appeal of the vibrant nightlife, strong expat community, frequent events to attend to, endless assortment of bars and restaurants; and high Western standards for everything almost.
Downsides: you are another fish in the pond; cost of living is typically higher; lower salary and benefits; more competition to get certain positions; frantic and stressful traffic; higher pollution, more time to commute, higher criminal rate, fussier police, etc.
- Many then search for relief on the costal line: Da Nang, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Phan Tiet , Hoi An and Vinh are quite coveted by job seekers apparently. It is good balance of the two cases above I would say. In addition, you have a big extra point given by the seaside. Watch out, anyways, cause there are definitely fewer openings over there and competition is much fiercer.
- Another solution is choosing the outskirts of big urban areas. Again it is a bit of compromise to avoid the stress of the big cities.
Another big parameter regards seasonality. The timing of the rainy season, marked by monthly average precipitation surpassing 100 mm (3.9 in), varies across different regions.
- In the North West and North East, it starts around April to May, peaks from July to August, and wraps up in September and October.
- The Red River Delta experiences a similar pattern, with rain starting in April to May, intensifying in July to August, and concluding in October to November.
- On the North Central Coast, rains begin later in August to September, peak in October to November, and end by November to December.
- The South Central Coast follows a similar schedule, beginning in August to September, peaking in October to November, and ending in December.
- In the Central Highlands, the rainy season kicks off in April or May, reaches its highest intensity in August, and gradually tapers off by October or November.
- In contrast, the South experiences its rainy season starting in May, with rainfall peaking in September and tapering off by November.
Furthermore, the North (where you can even see snow) offers colder temperatures then the Centre and the South. It is colder yes, but with less suffocating heat and dampness compared with the South. Finally, moving southward towards the Equator, the sun radiations are literally blistering. It gets somewhat annoying because you always need to cover yourself and put sun cream during the dry season.
6) How long does the process last?
It is all very quick. They are in extreme need. Normally if your profile is in line with their expectations during the high season, you may receive a reply even within the first 24 hours.
A follow-up video call (30 min) is generally arranged within a few days (time zone applies, be careful) with very broad questions.
Finally, a formal offer is sent right after the only interview. You are given a few days to accept it (you do not need to sign it in most cases) or not. Do not expect any official contract at this stage. It is just an offer.
Beware of HR reps not providing email addresses or not replying to emails (just using IM tools such as Whatsapp, Messenger or Zalo) or sending contracts via Zalo or Whatsapp. I suspect they could not be serious. Steer clear from that, in my opinion. The same applies when you cannot see all the job specifics (short description, timeline, place, salary, total requested hours, benefits, requirements, etc.) or when the salary is unbelievably too high / too low.
Be informed, however, that the general (there are exceptions, of course) level of professionalism among Vietnamese employees is fairly low. My personal impression is that they tend to be lax (no or insufficient replies), relaxed (it took over 3 weeks for me to meet the HR rep at my language centre and 2 weeks more for processes initiation) and not precise (many errors in communication and emails). Several mistakes and delays are the consequence of this general inadequacy (probably because of low education OR motivation due to poor salaries, who knows).
Quite the opposite happens with the Government Institutions, getting pickier and picker instead.
The most reputable schools? Well, I have heard ILA, VUS, RES and ABC above all. But there can be others, for sure. Some big names have so many centres scattered around the country that you can be easily relocated after some time. Big plus indeed.
Some of them, like ILA, have also internal referral programs (as of December 2024) to recommend new hires and be recommended. In particular, you (referring somebody) or your contact (referring you) can earn as much as 10,000,00 VND (= 400 USD, gross before taxes) if:
– The new hiring takes place in Binh Duong (as of December 2024).
– The new hire whom you refer signs a full-time contract.
– The new hire completes at least 60 days of employment.
For other cities (at the moment only Ho Chi Minh, Ha Noi, Bien Hoa, My Tho & Ba Ria-Vung Tau) the amount is half in fact.
At any rate, should you have all the requested qualifications, let me know if you are interested in this program. I can double-check for you if the program is still valid (slowly disappearing though)!
7) Is it better to choose Private Language Centres or Public Schools?
It all depends on your inclination and predisposition. However, bear in mind that Public Schools entail henhouse classes of 35-50 students, with no air conditioners sometimes. Additionally, you have to move by yourself from school to school to make up 80 or 100 monthly hours.
The advantage here: they work Monday to Friday.
Private language centres (I am working for one of them currently) , instead, have lower number of students (max 20 on average); new buildings and only one centre to go to.
Furthermore, they are generally more serious and organized.
Downside: you have to work at weekends!
Salaries are more or less equivalent for both of them.
8) What is the average salary and benefits for an ESL Teacher in Vietnam?
Hard to say : ) It depends on the city and the area. Then it depends on public or private. Then it depends on big or small. Finally it may depend on the school reputation and its enrolling fees.
Trend is changing in the last few years. Vietnam golden age seems to be far from its heyday. Although still some schools / language centres might offer very competitive hourly or monthly wages (generally up to 2500 USD / month after taxes), the average salary is getting lower and lower for the majority of openings (between 1000 – 1500 USD for a full time 80-100 hours/month work after taxes).
Almost all positions are paid by hour and not by month though : ) Hence, the more hours you can sum up, the more you get paid. There is rarely a fixed monthly amount. Employees are supposed to normally work between 80 and 100 hours a month effectively teaching English in classrooms (plus extra didactic, social, formative and administrative work, unpaid).
From what I have recently noticed, average hourly salaries are shifting downward towards 400,000 – 450,000 VND (15/17 USD per hour), especially in Hanoi and Saigon or in coastal cities where competition among candidates is higher and schools pay normally less. Another looming recent phenomenon is connected with the fact that employers have started to hire “cheap” Filipino staff, who is accepting much lower conditions. A decent hourly wage should start from 500,000 VND (20 USD) upward. Remember that you have to pay 15 – 20 % taxes on top of that too and that many tasks (see above) are unpaid.
A fruitful exception is represented by imparting IELTS lessons, which might in fact be surprisingly remunerative (up to 850,000 VND, 34 USD / hour, before taxes). You must have at least 1 or 2 years experience in teaching the topic nonetheless, plus relevant qualifications.
Some schools also offer the chance to teach Maths (in English), English to Adults (additional allowance paid) or English to Company workers. The latter in particular, in my language centre at least, provides the following benefits:
– 50,000 VND / hour, in addition to your contracted teaching hours;
– Variable travel allowance for a round trip.
To qualify as a corporate teacher, you usually need to have experience teaching IELTS and English to adult learners. You can learn those little by little with webinars, training, peer observation and real classes to teach.
Furthermore, it is commonly the company that singles the candidates out, not the school / language center. In order to be ready, you should become a standardized Adults, Corporate & IELTS teacher (you will receive Professional Development Credits for those trainings, which can count towards your pay scale review).
Online lessons could be not very well paid instead. Better to do them in other countries (e.g. China).
It goes without saying that the more native, qualified and experienced you are, the more you can yearn for. Competition remains tough and the best schools or centres are generally reserved for “multi-titled”, seasoned, native speakers. If this is your first teaching experience, then 500,000 VND (gross) per hour is an attractive launching pad. As stated earlier, schools located in province or secondary cities (I am currently in Bien Hoa myself) or villages do typically pay more than centred ones.
In terms of benefits, a minimum Health Insurance (with low coverage cap, see next paragraph below) is the only guarantee you can long for. Possible extras for FULL TIME employees could be:
- HOUSING ALLOWANCE OR FREE ACCOMMODATION: it is getting rarer and rarer nowadays, unless you are applying for remote areas (no competition) or top-notch language centres/schools. Some schools may cover a part of the rent if you are lucky. However, this benefit is slowly ending up on the scrap heap. In my personal situation, I got paid this bonus only until December 2024, when the language centre sadly decided to interrupt the benefit.
- PAID FLIGHT TICKETS: disappearing too. Not transferred to me anyway.
- INITIAL AGREEMENT (SIGNING) BONUS: schools like Apollo still pay that, but then they might have lower hourly salaries. This bonus may commonly range between 200 and 400 USD paid after the first month. Getting on the verge of extinction too. Not transferred to me anyway.
- INDUCTION ALLOWANCE (50 – 100 USD): not very popular either and if paid, it will be visible in your first monthly salary. Not transferred to me anyway.
- RELOCATION BONUS: again only some remote areas or prestigious schools could offer that. Another option is the hiring centre paying for you the first 2 or 3 weeks of hotel (my case) and perhaps a couple of taxis (my case). Do not expect too much here either.
- END OF CONTRACT PERFORMANCE BONUS (CONTRACT COMPLETION BONUS): more typical and still offered by most of schools / centres at the end of the 12 or 24 months contract. Amount is fairly variable, between 500 and 1000 USD I would say (in my case around 600 USD are expected, tax-free here).
- PAID SELF DEVELOPMENT: certain employers might offer themselves to pay for your courses (e.g. CELTA) on top of your salary.
- HOLIDAYS ALLOWANCE: Holidays in Vietnam are customarily unpaid (apart some local holidays sometimes, when you get paid a part of your regular rate), but once a year (after 6 months from starting date usually) a meagre lump sum is offered to the employee, few hundred dollars (in my case 10,000,000 VND = 400 USD before taxes, which makes a bit more than 300 USD net).
- WORK PERMIT / 1 YEAR VISA SPONSORSHIP: although your employer will cover your expenses, he will hardly pay for all the red tape (see Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) concerning the notarisation, legalization and translation costs. Some extremely rare schools indeed they do it in full; some only for 50 %; others for a fixed amount (150 USD before taxes in my case, negligible); others finally for zero.
What the school does, instead, it will pay for your Visa Invitation Letter when landing to Vietnam, or other fees related to the Work Permit or Visa process. If any, reimbursement will occur after the WP and 1 year Visa have been fully approved by the Vietnamese authorities. Thereby a long way to go.
- BUSINESS VISA: in entering the first time Vietnam, a 25 USD, 3 months-valid Business Visa is normally issued to you after the school applied for it. Reimbursement never took place for me as I was not released any formal receipt by the migration authorities.
- PERIOD OF ILLNESS COVERAGE: not given by almost all employers. You only get paid if you physically work at the school or language centre. You only have 2 days prescription-free in my language center. No free meals, as previously said.
Additionally, I have noticed in my payslip that you have many more “ways” of making extra money at the end of the month (NOT evidently promoted by the company though):
9) How is the company health insurance working?
In October 2024 I was assigned a (free) general insurance coverage by the company, Fullerton Health. There is no card associated first. Secondly, you manage all options from a handy app. However, the claim submission process might take up to 15 working days to be completed, with a customarily discouraging process replete with burdensome steps and documents to submit (typical of insurance companies everywhere). Some clinics or hospitals could nevertheless accept a direct bill, taking hours to be verified by the hospital. Should the direct bill be ratified, then you have a monetary threshold AND a per-visit, daily and annual limit covered by the Insurance. In my case, although 70 % of the total expenses were theoretically supposed to be paid for RMI and physiotherapy, only 55 % was indeed settled on my behalf, due to complex calculations.
Coverage caps are generally quite low, as you can see from these examples:
- HOSPITALIZATION: max 3,000 USD per year
- HOSPI DAY PACKAGE: max 100 USD per day
- OUTPATIENT TREATMENT: max 800 USD per year
- OUTPATIENT PER VISIT LIMIT: max 70 USD
- PHYSIOTHERAPY: max 12 USD per visit
- DENTAL TREATMENT: max 120 USD per year
- DENTAL SCALING: max 25 USD
Long story short, should you incur into a serious issue, you had better have a private, additional package (or a better plan / company : ).
The advantage, at least, is that prices are not as high as in Europe. To provide you with a ballpark figure, the total bill for visit + RMI + visit + 5 physiotherapy sessions + medications rounded up to 200 USD, of which 90 USD paid by me and 110 paid by the insurance.
10) Are there social employee benefits in Vietnam?
Speaking of monthly teaching hours assigned to you, you can of course push for more hours with your manager or scheduler, but there is no much convenience after 96 hours/month (in my specific case) I have been told, apparently due to the fact that after a certain monthly income threshold, you (8 %) and your employer (17.5 %) have to obligatorily pay social insurance contributions. Check with your employer that. Anyhow, since employers have to contribute for 17.5 % (as of 2024), they are really unwilling to exceed the maximum monthly income threshold and to assign you more than the limit number of monthly teaching hours.
The same applies to unemployment, paid holidays, maternity and paternity leave, sickness, etc. You do not commonly get anything as a foreigner, unless differently agreed upon (beforehand) with your employer.
As stated on the following page:
In Vietnam, social security contributions go to three funds: social insurance, health, and unemployment.
As an employer, you are responsible for contributing 17.5% of your employee’s salary to social insurance, 3% to health insurance, and 1% to unemployment. Your employees are likewise required to contribute 8%, 1.5%, and 1%, respectively.
Seemingly, all that can be “avoided” if you stay below a certain monthly wage / hours amount, with modifications happening every year almost. Seemingly, because honestly, I have been browsing the web for more detailed info about this topic without any success. It looks quite a grey area to me. Please feel free to offer more detailed info below in the comments.
More “grey areas” will be discussed in the upcoming Chapter 4 quite soon.
