TravelBert
Sunset on Dong nai river, Bien Hoa, Vietnam

CHAPTER 4: JUST LANDED IN VIETNAM

Continuing the numbered list from Chapter 3, let’s go deeper in detail now with all the start-up steps to settle down in Vietnam.

10) What is the tax system in Vietnam?

If you work in Vietnam, you MUST pay a personal income tax. A personal income tax rates range from 0 to 35%. Rest assured, however, that as an employee, your tax is deducted at source in your payslip.

The Personal Income Tax Law in Vietnam specifies ten distinct categories of income, each with its own set of deductions, rates, and exemptions.

A tax resident in Vietnam is defined as someone who stays in the country for at least 183 days in a calendar year or within a 12-month period starting from the arrival date. Tax residents are taxed on their global income at progressive rates between 5% and 35%, regardless of where the income is earned or paid. Non-residents, however, are taxed at a flat rate of 20% on income sourced within Vietnam.

Thereby, if you start, let’s say in August or September, you will be deducted 20 % as a fixed rate until December to then have a lower (resident) burden from January on; instead, if you start to teach within the first 6 months of the year, then you should pay a bit less from the very beginning (around 15 % maybe), providing that you stay all the year and do not exceed high thresholds of income. The following year, however, if you are not planning to stay longer than 183 days, you will have to pay the flat 20 % rate. So not a big difference in the end. Anyhow, please refer to this website for further elucidation.

As for other deductions in your payslip, technically you should also contribute for 10.5 % for social security (8 % social insurance + 1.5 % health insurance + 1 % unemployment insurance), but practically I never had to : ) I was always told that if you stay “below” 96 teaching hours / month, then you are exempted (I imagine it depends on your base salary too). However, according to some online sources, every worker should pay for it, up to a maximum salary cap. If anybody can cast some light into it, I would greatly appreciate, thanks.

11) How long is the contract duration, probation period and renewal notice for an ESL Teacher in Vietnam?

Unless you specifically choose to sign a part-time contract for personal reasons, the contract should be valid for 12 months. Pay attention though, because some cheeky employers could play the trick of submitting a 9-10 months (you are laid off before the summer break in June) or 11-11.5 months contract. Read carefully all the description and clauses before accepting the offer.

IMPORTANT NEWS DECEMBER 2024: The Vietnamese government seems to have recently implemented stricter regulations regarding work permits and employment contracts. As a result, schools are starting to carry out some adjustments to remain fully compliant with local immigration and labor laws (just received notification from my school).

🔑 Key Changes:

  • Work permit and contract dates must now align. For new hires I thus believe you could straighaway get a 12 to 24 months contract (total duration of your WP) .
  • New contracts will be issued to already hired teachers to ensure compliance (unilateral, crazy stuff!).
  • Once the new contract is issued and signed, your current contract will no longer be valid (unilateral, crazy stuff!).

🔄 What to Expect:

  • This part is still under construction and investigation. If confirmed, I should now commit for more than 12 months (my WP is 13 months and 15 days valid for, see Chapter 2), which could be both secure (longer period) and oppressive (too long compromize). It looks like that companies can re-issue and modify contracts at will in Vietnam; but as an employee, you are subject to potential benefits loss in case of early termination from your side: welcome package, WP and Visas expenses paid by the company, etc. could well be deducted from your last payslip, be watchful. Plus holidays, contract completion and other bonuses NOT awarded on top of that.

The contract is not sent via email beforehand, only the quick, resuming offer. The real one is handed over right after you start working (first day or first week).

As far as the probation period is concerned, I did have none myself. I know notwithstanding that some schools could impose 2 months (Apollo for example) or longer probation periods. Watch out. That being said, I would tentatively affirm that the majority of centres do not apply these restrictions and directly offer you a clean 1 or 2 years contract. Logically, since it takes months and thousands of US dollars to get all the red tape done, it is not worth for both you and the school embarking on partial stretches, outspokenly.

Finally, generally speaking, if you have met all the KPIs, accrued the necessary development credits (12 yearly in my language centre) and passed three or four class observations, your contract could be renewed for 12 to 24 additional months (until your new Work Permit expires). Your employer should confirm that at least 2 months before the contract termination date.

12) What are the initial steps in Vietnam?

  • BANK ACCOUNT: although I was only given two options (HSBC and Vietcombank) by my employer, there are numerous available banks you can choose from. The process is fairly straightforward (bring your work contract and passport) but tragicomic. No debit or credit card until you get your full residency + no home banking if your phone number has not been regularly registered (my case) with an authorized provider. Off-licence Sim cards (sold in tiny shops under a local name) are not accepted then : ) Only temporary option you have is to physically withdraw money at the branch. Paid SMSs warn you if there is any variation in your account balance at least : ) Upgrade your status later maybe.

Apparently you cannot deposit physical cash in your bank either, odd.

  • CASH WITHDRAWALS: TPBank looks like the only bank not charging extra fees when withdrawing money at its ATMs.
  • SIM CARD: Mobiphone and Viettel I have been told are the best providers. In smaller cities, however, they might be quite far away from the city centre.

First day I got in Bien Hoa, I was asking around (no English spoken) and after a couple of attempts at convenience stores (failed because they can only top up your phone once the number is active), I was led by an helpful citizen to some unofficial stores, where finally I managed to get a “Local” pre-registered Sim card. I paid 250,000 VND for the card and some data, before discovering that the offer would vanish only a couple of weeks later : ) The subsequent top-up was again very complicate, as they could not help me out at the convenient store (Winmart) and neither it was possible to do anything online (language, international payment method and other problems). Long story short, I could find a phone shop (Siêu thị ThếGiới Di Động) with somebody painfully fixing the situation after topping up 7 times 0.30 USD each : ) Monthly top-ups for 2 GB traffic normally range between 2 and 3 USD. 4 GB between 4 and 5 USD.

  • APARTMENT: Local Facebook pages are extremely helpful for that. Join them right away. Many Ads, however, are posted by different agents showing the same apartment (same pictures). Real Estate Agents are trafficking a lot in Vietnam and are normally in charge of everything. They are paid by the landlord, so you do not have to worry about. And they commonly do not speak any English, about which you have to worry a bit : ) Remember, moreover, that they do not popularly use Whatsapp or Telegram in Vietnam, only Zalo : ) The regular deposit is either 1 or 2 months’ rent (2 in Bien Hoa), which can be anyhow spread over 1 month. Remember also that on top of the rent you have to pay:

a) Management fee (about 400.000 – 500.000 VND), according to your apartment size.

b) Parking fee (about 80.000-100.000 VND for a scooter), only if you have a vehicle.

c) Electricity, water and Wi-Fi bills (approx. 1,200,000 – 1,500,000 VND for 1 person).

You should normally get a Vietnamese-only invoice around the 15-20th of each month with the actual consumption. Wi-fi is a fixed amount instead (I am currently paying 200,000 VND / month). Electricity reading is provided to me at a later stage (at the end of each month) through a middle-man agent. You must pay it separately (at a Convenience store for example).

Hence, when calculating the total cost, you have to add 2 more millions to be on the safe side. Contract and registration of temporary accommodation (see Chapter 1) are provided within a few days in general. I have also seen that you can try to lower the rent a bit if you commit for at least 12 months. The catch here is that if you have to leave earlier for any reason, you could lose all the deposit (up to 2 months rent).

  • SCOOTER RENTAL: much to discuss here about. Technically if you have no A-type motorbike driver’s licence, you should not be able to rent any scooter above 50 cc (plus no insurance will cover you for any accident). Practically, on Facebook and through local contacts, you may find alternative, second-hand solutions. Make sure that the scooter conditions and paperwork are fine and legit though. They should provide you with a legal (notarized) contract + a “blue card” or ‘cavet’ (the Vietnamese vehicle registration card) showing ownership. Both proofs are essential for police checks and insurance purposes. For a 125 CC a fair price to pay should be around 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 VND (40 – 60 USD) per month. For a 150 CC I would say slightly more (no more than 1,800,000 VND = 70 USD in any case). Bear in mind that even if you have an International driver’s licence, but that is not for Bikes (A type), you are technically liable in any situation : ) Should any control happen, you might bribe the police though. Should any accident happen, instead, you are on your own. Alternatively, you can also think about buying a new motorbike (or scooter). Fair prices for a decent one start from 8 – 10 million Dongs (more or less 300 – 400 USD). Nevertheless, as a foreigner, you cannot have free access to the new market, only to the secondary (second-hand). Cars are even more expensive, complicate and not very recommended indeed (scooters are much faster in the classic Vietnamese traffic jams : )
  • GYM MEMBERSHIP: given the extreme conditions (strong sun radiations from early morning, rainy season, scorching heat and humidity; heavy traffic with few green areas) in Vietnam, you are basically obliged to sign up for an indoor training environment. You should not face any problem to find an establishment within close range. Some luxury apartments have even annexed (free or extra-charged) gyms and swimming pools too. In any case, budget gyms start at around 300,000 VND/month. Mid-range gyms start from 600,000 VND upward / month (what I am currently paying myself). I would never pay more than 800,000 VND (30 USD) myself.

As for gyms, they are quite shrewd: they try to offer you the 12 months or 24 months package for let’s say 600,000 VND (about 24 USD) / month. If you ask for shorter commitment (6 or 9 months for example), they will say right away that it is not possible. Only after “threatening” them you will check other gyms out, then the option becomes suddenly available for the same monthly price. Alternatively, for the same commitment term, ask for a discount. In my case, I had to decide whether to ask for a discount to 500,000 VND /month for a 12 months period; OR to keep the 600,000 VND /month but for a shorter 9 months period. Trade-off. Check if you can get a free trial too! Power of negotiation!

13) Buying or renting a bike or scooter in detail

This is quite a conundrum for new-comers. On the one hand, you are trying to see whether you like your job and environment and get all the prolix paperwork done (to be on the safe side to stay longer, see Chapter 1 and 2); on the other hand, you will struggle to find rental options outside the main cities as well as you risk ending up paying much more than buying a second hand vehicle. As a matter of fact, should you pay 1,200,000 VND / month (average price) for rent, in about 8 months you could have bought a 10 million VND used bike or scooter with ownership to resell it.

If you do not either rent nor buy, then you could be very limited, either bathed in sweat or rain (when walking) OR relying on intermittent Grab moto-taxi services, which could turn out to be as much expensive as owning a bike on a monthly basis.

Nevertheless, each “bike” solution comes with some additional problems:

  • Renting is cheaper at the beginning but in the long run (after 6 months maybe) more expensive. Plus you normally have to leave a deposit of 1-2 million VND. Moreover, you risk incurring into accidents (not refunded by regular health insurance policies), police checks (alcohol, correct driver’s licence, permits, paperwork, etc.) and thefts or damages. Finally you have to pay for parking either in your building (a few dollars a month) or somewhere else. In case you have no electric vehicle, gasoline has to be added too. Finally when it rains in Vietnam, it literally pours. Be reminded that during rainy season for 6 months a year.
  • Buying is burdensome at the beginning due to other huge expenses at the same time (flight, work permit paperwork, house, etc.). Furthermore, you risk the same (accidents + police checks + thefts + damages + parking + gasoline + rain) as stated above. In addition, you have to fix all the technical issues by yourself. I believe that at least electronic troubles are covered when renting instead, plus maybe a helmet : )

Another problem here is connected with ownership: you should technically go through several annoying, costly and lengthy legal steps to abide by the law. Please review this page for specifics.

In short, you would need a notarised sale contract + owner’s give away + (foreigner’s) new plate and registration certificate (and pay a percentage fee). And you can only buy second-hand bikes apparently. More time and money wasted again. Plus, imagine everybody (police especially) will know that you are a foreigner at that stage (by the plate : ). Not sure how beneficial that could be, frankly. Furthermore, should you wish to re-sell your bike, you will face troubles to find buyers (because of the foreigner’s plate). Additionally, you won’t get any insurance if you are not complying with correct driver’s licence and bike registration. Headache again.

(Expired) registration blue card
(Expired) registration blue card

Hence the main question here is “what should I do”?

I can report my experience here. I honestly had to “absorb” so  many expenses at the beginning that I could not add extra money. Plus it was rainy season until Mid-November, let’s say. I thus 90 % walked (Bien Hoa is smaller, granted : ) and 10 % ordered cheap Grab moto-taxi services during the first 3 months.

Once rainy season had ended and my initial exorbitant expenses had been absorbed (3 months later), I subsequently started to inquire around (colleagues or friends) and on social media platforms (notably Facebook Marketplace) conditions, prices and regulations.

I then discovered that I could not find many rental options in Bien Hoa. I thus decided to move on with the purchasing solution. My budget was 10 M VND, free delivery and full stop.

I was reckoning that in the worst case scenario, that was the fare for 6 – 8 months’ rent. Should I had any issue with police or reselling the bike, then I could have accepted and absorbed it.

For more than that amount be careful, especially with private citizens, as documents could be fake, or you do not get any assistance or the bike is not in a good condition. If you find a business dealer, maybe better in any case.

You can either directly go to a store or ask for home delivery. I would recommend to go to a store in case something happens later. I used Facebook Marketplace as a source with many available models.

As of December 2024, I could not find anything acceptable cheaper than 5 M VND (approx. 200 USD). Decent 125 CC scooters start from 7 M VND upward, 10 years old or more. Newer scooters or 150 CC versions are definitely above 10 millions nowadays. I paid 7,400,000 VND (around 300 USD) for a worn 125 cc second-hand, 2013 Yamaha Luvias GTX model, with insubstantial helmet included : ) I had eventually got tired with the topic after 1 month research.

Problems I faced myself:

  • Sellers do not speak English and do not bother even to translate from Vietnamese for you. You write in English and they easily reply in Vietnamese, not a very flawless sales approach:)
  • They hardly negotiate, and max 500.000 VND, if you are lucky and pay cash right away maybe. I got 200,000 VND off myself.
  • Instructions and answers are missing or very confused.
  • Once you have decided to buy your scooter or motorbike (you can test it), you are given a basic sales receipt and an expired (previous owner’s registration) blue card; after paying cash in hand, you are free to depart in few minutes with your scooter, hoping it will not break down soon : )
  • When asking for after-sales assistance (carburetor was causing some issues in starting off the scooter), I was prompted with a wall in front of me. No support and no info (repair shops location) whatsoever. The abrupt excuse was: “I am not a mechanic, seek help from a repair shop”, only few days after the purchase. When then I replied where could I locate those repair shops in Bien Hoa, there was no answer at all.
Yamaha Luvias GTX, second-hand, 7,400,000 VND in December 2024
Yamaha Luvias GTX, second-hand, 7,400,000 VND in December 2024

Long story short, below 10 M VND you could risk just buying a second-hand bike or scooter and avoid any paperwork or formal registration. Gambling let’s say.

For 20 or 25 M VND (780 USD +) I would play it much fairer, a lot at stake.

It goes without saying that the cheaper the bike, the older and worse it is, of course. And some of them are really old (more than 15 years) and overused by all the family. You might end up paying more later for repairing or accidents.

The secret here is to find the right deal for a reasonable price, I believe. And ask as much as possible around to compare.

Besides, a 125 cc version can be definitely much cheaper (2/3 price) but bear in mind that it is not as safe, stable and comfortable as a 150 cc or superior model, especially for long trips or when riding in two. Price may vary according to transmission (manual or automatic), model and brand too. Some of the top scooter brands in Vietnam today include Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio, and SYM. Local manufacturers could be a bit trickier, be careful.

Basic sales receipt
Basic sales receipt

14) Is there a dress code imposed by schools?

Well, yes and no, it depends on the school. For example mine removed all the old-fashioned rules (elegant shoes, shirt and tie mainly) in September 2024 and now allows teachers to work in a casual mode (sneakers, long trousers, polo shirt with collar, etc.). I would say I am relieved in a way.

15) Are teaching assistants (TA) provided?

A Teaching Assistant (TA) is a person who is employed to help a teacher both in a classroom with miscellaneous assistance and out with admin tasks. They are responsible for supporting class management, issuing and correcting homework, distributing lesson reminders to kids, marking attendance, liaising with kids’ parents, etc. They can be indeed very useful if experienced and proactive. And yes, they are normally provided, one for higher classes (not for Adult classes though) and even two for lower (3-6 years old) classes. In public schools you should get two by default as a general rule. However, since they are very young (most of them are in their early 20s and still attending university) and paid very little (few hundred US dollars a month), many disagreeable episodes might happen:

  • They are just sitting at the back scrolling their mobile phones.
  • Sometimes they are absent, late or sick.
  • Sometimes they speak a precarious English.
  • They can distract kids by speaking in Vietnamese.
  • They can offer unnecessary camaraderie to kids.
  • They often disappear during the second hour with the excuse (it should take 20-25 min max) of printing or preparing documents.
  • They do not help at all with any task in the classroom.
  • They can try to override teachers for excess of zeal.

I have to say that in my short experience so far I have not been so lucky with these assistants. Some of them look very moody and introvert too. Good point, though, is that at least they are provided by schools (do not take this for granted elsewhere in the world : )

Local staff eating disgusting Domino's pizzas on a Teacher's Day
Local staff eating disgusting Domino’s pizzas on a Teacher’s Day

16) Is the teaching material provided?

Again, yes and no. Some organized schools use Google Slides shared databases or a LMS (Learning Management System) platform where you can find lesson plans, handouts, instructions and ready-to-show slides. All you need actually. Teaching English in Vietnam has improved and evolved so much in the last times towards modernity, interactivity and active engagement. Big HD screens are used to project all lessons as well as tons of creative activities to engage students. All has become very dynamic and professional.

You have furthermore access to assorted stationary, playful props, printer, funny stickers (valuable and costless as awards for junior learners!), cutters, baskets, and all you need indeed.

17) Extra resources for ESL Teachers

Here you have some useful links to find extra material for yourself and your classes, as a courtesy gift:

Learning:

Games / Activities for learners:

Tools:

That’s all for now. Please check the next upcoming Chapter 5 for further tips and information.

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