Market stalls in Hội An

Vietnam Retirement Guide

Daily Life in Vietnam: Language, School & Work

The apps and phrases that help, what schools charge, and what the rules say about working.

Language

Google Translate can download Vietnamese to your phone so it works without an internet connection, and its camera mode translates signs, menus and handwritten notes; Google says accuracy depends on how clear the text is. 6 7

Microsoft Translator also supports Vietnamese. 9 Papago is another option, but we have not checked it.

Zalo is Vietnam's main messaging app: its owner VNG reports 79.6 million monthly users in 2025. 8 Landlords, doctors' offices and neighbours often use it, so install it.

Ten starter phrases

VietnameseEnglish
Xin chàoHello
Cảm ơnThank you
Xin lỗiSorry / Excuse me
Vâng / DạYes (polite)
KhôngNo
Bao nhiêu tiền?How much is it?
Tôi không hiểuI don't understand
Làm ơnPlease
Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?Where is the toilet?
Tôi cần bác sĩI need a doctor

Vietnamese is tonal; the marks above the letters change the meaning, so keep them when you type.

School

Fees below are copied from each school's own fee page, for the school year shown. They change every year, and most schools add application, deposit and other fees. One example per city; this is not a ranking.

CityExample school and its own published fees
Ho Chi Minh CitySaigon South International School (SSIS): 530,192,000 to 924,546,000 dong a year, 2026-2027. 1
HanoiUnited Nations International School of Hanoi (UNIS): US$17,460 to US$39,870 a year, 2026-2027, plus a US$1,500 tuition deposit. 2
Da NangSingapore International School @ Da Nang: 255,237,000 to 292,092,000 dong a year (Years 1-9), 2025-2026, plus placement-test, registration and deposit fees. 3
Hội An, Nha Trang, Đà Lạt, Vũng TàuWe did not find an international school in these cities that publishes its fees online, so we list none. Ask schools directly for their fee sheet.

Vietnamese classes for adults

In Hanoi, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU) runs short courses in Vietnamese language and culture for foreign learners. 10

In Ho Chi Minh City, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities' Center for Vietnamese Language for Foreigners runs 40-hour courses from beginner to advanced, with 3 to 14 people per class. 11

Work

Tourist visas and e-visas are not work visas

Under Decree 219/2025, a work permit starts with the employer in Vietnam: the file opens with the employer's written explanation of why it needs a foreign worker and its request for the permit. 4 An e-visa or a visa exemption gives you no such permit, so do not take a job on one. Our Visas page explains the long-stay options.

Work permits and residence cards

Since 7 Aug 2025, foreign workers in Vietnam are governed by Decree 219/2025, which replaced Decree 152/2020. 4 A residence card for work is tied to that permit; ask the employer and a licensed Vietnamese lawyer for the current steps.

Remote work for a US employer

We found no clear official answer on whether working online for a US employer while living in Vietnam needs a Vietnamese work permit. Treat it as an unclear area, and get advice from a Vietnamese lawyer and a US tax adviser before you rely on it.

Volunteering

Decree 219/2025 lists volunteers among the kinds of foreign workers it covers. The exemption it names is for unpaid volunteers working under an international treaty Vietnam has joined, confirmed by a foreign embassy or an international organisation in Vietnam. 4 Ask the organisation which permit it uses before you start.

Teaching English

Under the Ministry of Education's rules for language centres, quoted on the government's policy portal, a native-speaker teacher needs a college degree or higher and a suitable language-teaching certificate. 5 The school must also get you a work permit. 4

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Translate work offline for Vietnamese?

Yes. Google says you can download a language to translate without an internet connection, and use the camera to translate text such as signs. 6 7

What messaging app do people use in Vietnam?

Zalo. Its owner VNG reports 79.6 million monthly active users in 2025. 8

Can I teach English in Vietnam?

A native-speaker teacher at a language centre needs a college degree or higher and a suitable language-teaching certificate, plus a work permit. 5 4

Sources (11)

Show the list

Vietnam government (2)

  1. 4. Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP on foreign workers in Vietnam (PDF) Official Gazette (Công báo) as of 2025-08-07 (issued and in force 07/08/2025, read Oct 28, 2026; replaces Decree 152/2020/NĐ-CP and Decree 70/2023/NĐ-CP (Nhân Dân, 8 Aug 2025). Gazette text (No. 1073+1074, 20-8-2025) read Oct 28, 2026: Art. 18(1) the permit file starts with the employer's report explaining its need for foreign workers and requesting the permit; volunteers (tình nguyện viên) are a listed form of work; exempt: unpaid volunteers under an international treaty, confirmed by a foreign diplomatic mission or international organisation in Vietnam) · checked 2026-10-28
  2. 5. Work permit conditions for foreign teachers (in Vietnamese) Government policy Q&A portal (chinhsachonline.chinhphu.vn) as of 2026-10-28 (read Oct 28, 2026; quotes Circular 21/2018/TT-BGDĐT Art. 18(5): a native-speaker teacher of a foreign language needs "bằng cao đẳng trở lên và chứng chỉ đào tạo dạy ngoại ngữ phù hợp" (a college degree or higher and a suitable language-teaching certificate). The answer was written under Decree 152/2020, since replaced by Decree 219/2025) · checked 2026-10-28

Other sources (9)

  1. 1. Tuition and Fees (Tuition Schedule 2026-2027) Saigon South International School as of 2026-2027 school year (read Oct 28, 2026: yearly tuition from 530,192,000 dong (EC 3-4) to 924,546,000 dong (Grades 11-12), instalment option) · checked 2026-10-28
  2. 2. Tuition and Fees 2026-2027 (PDF) UNIS Hanoi as of 2026-2027 school year (read Oct 28, 2026: annual tuition USD 17,460 (Early Years 3-4) to USD 39,870 (Grades 11-12); tuition deposit USD 1,500) · checked 2026-10-28
  3. 3. Fees, School Year 2025-2026 (PDF) Singapore International School @ Da Nang as of 2025-2026 school year (read Oct 28, 2026: yearly 255,237,000 dong (Years 1-3) to 292,092,000 dong (Years 6-9), plus placement test 2,940,000, registration 8,600,000 and deposit 8,000,000 dong) · checked 2026-10-28
  4. 6. Download languages to use offline Google Translate Help as of 2026-10-28 (read Oct 28, 2026: "This lets you translate them without an internet connection. After you've downloaded a language, you could be able to translate it by looking at it through your device's camera lens.") · checked 2026-10-28
  5. 7. Translate images Google Translate Help as of 2026-10-28 (read Oct 28, 2026: "You can use your phone's camera to translate text in the Translate app … signs or handwritten notes"; accuracy depends on the clarity of the text) · checked 2026-10-28
  6. 8. Zalo & AI, Annual Report 2025 VNG Group Investor Relations as of 2025 (read Oct 28, 2026: Monthly Active Users 79.6M in 2025 (77.7M in 2024); daily messages sent 2.11B) · checked 2026-10-28
  7. 9. Language support Microsoft Translator as of 2026-10-28 (read Oct 28, 2026: Vietnamese listed as supported) · checked 2026-10-28
  8. 10. Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language: training missions VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi as of 2026-10-28 (read Oct 28, 2026: "Short-term courses on Vietnamese language and culture for foreign students and learners") · checked 2026-10-28
  9. 11. Center for Vietnamese Language for Foreigners: courses (in Vietnamese) HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities as of 2026-10-28 (read Oct 28, 2026: short 40-hour courses from beginner to advanced; 3 to 14 learners per class) · checked 2026-10-28

Every source on the site, by page and topic: All sources.

About this guide

By the VietnamRetirementGuide.com editorial team.

How we check facts: every number and rule links to its source: an official or primary source wherever one exists (government sites, the U.S. Embassy, law texts), or the company's own page for company prices, which we label as company prices. Crowd-sourced figures are labelled too. Each source shows the date we last checked it; anything we cannot confirm is cut or marked “needs source”. Found a mistake? Tell us.

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