This page will try to cover general information regarding relocating to Hoi An.
VISAS (**IMPORTANT**)
One must apply for a 3 month visa to be allowed to rent private accommodation. The 3 month visa can be applied at the Vietnamese Embassy in your country or applied through companies such as myvietnamvisa.com(Which I have personally used 3-4 times without any issues).
A holder of a 3 month visa is entitled to 2-3 more extensions which can lead to a 1 year stay without having to leave the country, of course, this does vary as policies change on a regular basis.
According to two agencies (details below), it is advised that one chooses HCMC as a port of entry as opposed to Hanoi as extensions are cheaper and easier from HCMC.
For visa extensions we personally recommend two agencies in Hoi An:
– Bau Travel at 06 Tran Hung Dao street. Tel: 0905553341- Mr. Bau
– Mr Hung’s booking office at 68 Tran Hung Dao street. Tel: 0510 3862 911 – Mr. Hung.
Most of the expatriates living in Hoi An with no working permit should be able to suggest more options.
EDUCATION
There is a International School in Hoi An which runs from Kindergarten to Primary school:
Greenshoots international school – From 18 months to 16 years. http://greenshootseducation.org/
THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OF HOI AN
Although Hoi An is often refered as a small town, it is actually 60 /km2 and has a population of over 120,000.
There are 9 districts in Hoi An but we will refer to the most popular ones and provide an insight on the pros and cons on these areas.
Tan An / Cam Ha district:
Located in the North – West part of town is a relatively new urban area of Hoi An within a circa of 1-2 km for Tan An and 2-4 km for Cam Ha, from the town center, districts that is not affected by flooding.
Pros:
No flood during the monsoon season
Good roads and good access to both town center or An Bang beach
Quiet neighborhood (to Vietnam standard)
Generally more privacy
Cons:
Limited amount of commerce nearby Neighborhood can feel rather dull (personal opinion)
Feels a lot warmer in the summer than the South-East side of town, Although can be a good thing, there is not much of a ‘neighborhood watch’ can be found in other parts of town and there has been occurrences of burglaries. This is particularly relevant to Cam Ha district.
Cam Chau district
Cam Chau district is what we tend to call the rice paddy part of town, it lays mostly next to Cua Dai road both on it’s right and left side. It’s boundaries are the river crossings on the East and on the South of Hoi An.
Pros:
Beautiful landscapes
Great neighborhood, although can be a bit obstructive if deeper in the countryside – the area has a very good feel to it
Relatively low population density – more chance to get a garden, Greenshoots international school is located nearby so ideal for families, A nice breeze most of the year coming from the rice fields, Big local market nearby and shops / restaurants
Cons:
Morning speakers – starts at 5 am until 7 am are widely spread here, so it is important to keep an eye out on how close these are lack of privacy, that’s a good or bad thing, depends on the person higher chance to have a carpenter as a neighbor or a rooster
Cam Thanh district
Cam Thanh district is a mix between rice paddies, streams and rivers. It is located accross the river, south side of Hoi An. Similar pros and cons to Cam Chau district. The added advantage would be nice river views and the disadvantage would be the added chance (bad luck) of flooding. 30-40% of Cam Thanh is affected by flooding, especially the part at the South end laying next to the Thu Bon river.
An Bang beach ( Cam An district) the local beach is a very popular part of town for expats to live in, but its also a part of town where choice remains very limited on long term lets, especially with the increase of short term accommodation lets.
Cam Nam / Cam Pho district are not quiet in the same parts of town but boast most of the same advantages and disadvantages. These two districts are close to town so for a big part these are walking distance to town. The big disadvantage of these areas are that they are for the most part affected by floods on the same scale as the old town.
UTILITY PROVIDERS:
Internet : There are three internet providers in Hoi An, VNPT, FPT and Viettel.
Fiber optic is now very accessible in Hoi An and rates have dropped a lot during last year or so, the basic fiber optic package starts at around 12 usd / month
Average rates for normal package: 150,000 – 180,000 vnd / month
FPT: 540 Hai ba trung street, Hoi An – Tel: 0510. 391 4777
VNPT: 06 Tran Hung dao street, Hoi An – Tel: 0510 3864 444
Cable tv – 50,000 vnd for the basic package.
Water- Only one provider or the option for free ground water depending on the area.
Bill collection – There are very few post boxes or ring bells in Hoi An therefore collecting bills can be tricky especially if you are away during most of the day. We recommend getting the bills sent to your landlord and once a month arrange to gather all bills and pay.
Note: In Vietnam, all these services are arranged by the landlords prior to moving in. We do get involved for the internet as some tenants require high speed internet so the basic packages might not be suitable.
OTHER SOURCE OF INFORMATION:
Hoi An Now is a blog written by two expat residents in Hoi An and their website is full of very useful information. They also have a relocating to Hoi An page. W: http://hoiannow.com/