Home & Moving
Renting here is simpler than people expect. Shipping your stuff usually isn't worth it.
Two separate decisions tend to get lumped together when people think about moving to Vietnam: finding somewhere to live, and what to do with everything you currently own. They're worth untangling, because the answers are pretty different.
Renting as a foreigner
Foreigners can rent apartments directly in Vietnam — there's no local co-signer requirement the way some countries have. You'll need a passport and a valid visa or work permit, and by law the landlord has to register your stay with local police shortly after you sign, usually within a day or two. This isn't optional paperwork either of you can skip.
Leases typically run around a year. Ask for the full monthly cost including management fees, electricity, water and internet before you commit — listings often quote only the base rent, and the real number can be noticeably higher once everything's added in.
Finding a place
Local property portals, agents, and word of mouth are all in play, and in the big cities an agent who specifically works with foreign tenants tends to be worth the commission for the first lease — they know which buildings actually allow short notice periods, which landlords are used to dealing with foreigners, and what a fair price actually looks like in a given neighbourhood.
Should you ship your belongings?
For most people relocating with a normal amount of furniture, the honest answer is: probably not. Shipping household goods internationally is expensive and slow, and a lot of what people own — furniture especially — can be bought new or secondhand in Vietnam for less than the cost of shipping it. The calculation changes if you have specific items that matter to you personally (not easily replaceable, sentimental, or genuinely expensive to rebuy) — those are worth shipping even if the rest of your stuff isn't.
If you do need to ship, international movers who specialise in relocations (not general freight-forwarders built for e-commerce parcels) are the ones set up for door-to-door household moves, including handling Vietnamese customs paperwork for personal effects.
What usually catches people out
Underestimating the all-in monthly rent (management fees, utilities) is the most common one. Second is assuming a short-term serviced apartment booking gives you the same flexibility as a proper lease — it doesn't, and it's worth budgeting for both: a few weeks in temporary accommodation while you actually look at places in person, then a longer lease once you've found the right one.
Indicative pricing
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Common questions
- Can foreigners rent apartments in Vietnam?
- Yes, directly, without needing a local co-signer. You'll need a passport and a valid visa or work permit, and the landlord must register your residence with local police after you sign.
- Can I ship household goods to Vietnam?
- Yes, through international movers who specialise in household relocations rather than general parcel freight-forwarders. For most people with a typical amount of furniture, it's usually cheaper to buy new or secondhand locally than to ship it — worth doing the maths before you commit to a shipment.
- How long are typical leases in Vietnam?
- Around a year is standard, though shorter terms can sometimes be negotiated, particularly through an agent experienced with foreign tenants.