Relocation guide
🇻🇳 Moving to Vietnam: Language & Your First Week
Moving to Vietnam means learning Vietnamese — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are temporary residence registration with local police (often handled by your landlord) and your TRC or visa, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.
Vietnamese is tonal (six tones in the north, five in the south) and the Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City accents differ noticeably. The Latin-based quốc ngữ script helps reading; for the ward police and markets, matching the local southern or northern tones matters.
Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's Vietnamese curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →
Do you need to speak Vietnamese to move to Vietnam?
Yes — you’ll need practical Vietnamese for the essentials. Moving to Vietnam means handling temporary residence registration with local police in Vietnamese, plus the doctor, the bank and your landlord. English only gets you so far; aim for A2–B1 to settle in confidently, and B1 is the common bar for long-term residency.
Moving to Vietnam: key facts
| Language you'll need | Vietnamese |
| Main registration | temporary residence registration with local police |
| Who needs a visa / permit | Movers usually enter on a work permit-linked visa or a temporary residence card (TRC); a business or DN visa is common for the self-employed. |
| Level to aim for | A2–B1 for daily life (B1 for long-term residency) |
| First thing to do | Register your address / residency — temporary residence registration with local police (often handled by your landlord) and your TRC or visa. |
| Free phrasebooks | 8 Vietnamese topics |
Which app should you use to learn Vietnamese for moving to Vietnam?
Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to Vietnam, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the Vietnamese that decides your first months: temporary residence registration with local police, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.
- Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
- Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
- Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 Vietnamese pointed at settling in Vietnam, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
- 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.
What to do in your first week in Vietnam?
- Register your address / residency — temporary residence registration with local police (often handled by your landlord) and your TRC or visa.
- Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
- Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
- Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
- Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.
Visa & permits: Movers usually enter on a work permit-linked visa or a temporary residence card (TRC); a business or DN visa is common for the self-employed. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.
Vietnamese phrasebooks you'll need
What do expats say about language in Vietnam?
- Vietnamese is tonal with six tones marked by accent symbols.
- It uses the Latin alphabet, adapted with extra diacritics.
- Most words are a single syllable — meaning rides on the tone.
- Pronouns depend on age and relationship, not just gender.
- Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk (cà phê sữa) is iconic.
Land in Vietnam ready.
Language Lab teaches the Vietnamese you actually need to settle in — with a live AI tutor. Coming soon.
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