Moving from London to Vietnam

Member since 17 April 2020

crystalvisualsActive member17 April 2020 17:27:08

Hi All
This is my first post so forgive me if my expat.com etiquette is a little off.
A bit of background first: I am 34 from the UK, qualified teacher and have visited most places in Asia and lived in Japan for a short while so I have a wee-bit of experience with some asian cultures
I have been offered a contract with a renowned international school in Hanoi as an ICT teacher but I have a few questions regarding the position and life in Vietnam

Does anyone have any experience working for an international school in Vietnam and can share their experience working their? I'm particularly concerned with the fact that they only offer 3 days sick pay.

I have a few responsibiliities back home, nameley a mortgage.
Q) Does anyone know the process is or have any experience of moving money from a VN bank account to a UK account (HSBC in my case) and how much I would be charged?

The pay is 74 mill VND (before tax) plus 10 mill VND after tax which according to google is £2359.78. After accounting for my mortgage in the UK I'm left with 36377978.67VND or £1241. What sort of life style, if one, can I expect with this salary? I have seen a few cost of living surveys but many are a bit old and I want an up to date one from this community please and thanks.

Q) How about career progression opportunities? are there any and what is life like in the office?

I'm not to sure if this is relevant and I hope nobody takes offence but I am black and will this affect anything with regards to living in Vietnam? or are you aware of any black people who have experienced challenges?

Any and all information regarding a newbie living in Vietnam is welcome and thank you all in advance
BW

See also

Malcolmleitrim Serial expat

Member since 18 June 2019

MalcolmleitrimSerial expat17 April 2020 19:07:07

231

Hi there,
First of all, I must say I don't actually live in Vietnam but I spend a lot of time there, e.g. 6 months at a time. I think you could live quite comfortably in Hanoi on £1200 a month, a good salary for a Vietnamese person would be 10,000,000 vnd.
I'm not surprised about the three days sick pay, from talking to my Vietnamese friends what we would regard as normal social security in Europe doesn't really exist.
How well do you know Hanoi? Most expats live and generally hang around in the Tay Ho area. If you need any advice or help finding accomodation I could put you in touch with someone who rents property in that area.
I can't help you with your banking queries, but I would urge you to be very cautious, as I get the feeling they make it up as they go along. Theoretically you should have no problem with HSBC but be careful, try to get local help, perhaps from your employer.
Regarding your being black, to be honest there are very few black people in Vietnam and most of them are probably teachers living in Hanoi. I've no idea whether you would meet with any prejudice, you would certainly be a novelty. It's a lovely country and the people are very friendly, I wish you the best of luck.

Jlgarbutt ViP

Member since 13 June 2018

JlgarbuttViP19 April 2020 04:21:39

1426

74 million is s good salary even for a teacher.
As a guide I live in HCM and rent a two bed apartment for 600USD plus another 100USD for water, internet, electric etc.

Depending when you plan to come here... At the moment all schools are closed and flights to VN for non vietnamese have been suspended

Career progression is possible as a teacher ... And always in demand. Depends how long you plan to stay..

Eating eat can be as cheap or expensive as you want. Good mod range meal around 10-15 USD

Shopping again.. bit like opting for Aldi versus Waitrose.

Travel expenses.. buy a cheap 50cc scooter for springs town and you won't need to take a test. Above that and you need a UK bike license or take a test here. Otherwise Grab (basically Uber) is cheap or look for similar service as godee.. basically a bus service using transit van sized vehicles.

Most places legally will ask for your documents to be certified and legalised (degree + any teaching qualifications)

Choice of employer.. if you have an offer from a good reputable and established school should be fine, avoid smaller organisations, this is not to say they are dodgy... But some don't pay taxes etc.

VietCanada Serial expat

Member since 09 January 2016

VietCanadaSerial expat19 April 2020 16:11:59

324

Qualified teachers with experience teaching in their home country can work in international schools around the globe.

Pay is much higher than a basic EFL teachers as are the benefits. free housing, flights home for the holidays, health care are but a few available for a teacher and their family. The excessive benefits make up for the lower pay than one could make in one's own country.

There are websites for qualified teachers. Do a search and research the schools. Typically you'll need a couple of referees for the application process. Whatever they are, I'm just an EFLer!

Private schools can hire anyone. International schools only hire qualified teachers with experience in their home country. Make sure you know the difference!