RayG
American citizen
Forum posts
59
Contacts
20
About me
American
Lives in Lakeland, Florida
Speaks at one time or another: English, German, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Cantonese, Tagalog and Japanese. Now: English
Registration: 20 April 2013
A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam by charmavietnam
Dear Expats! We already covered this topic many times but still some members has doubt about - how to obtain a VEC, who are eligible, what document needed, how much does it cost, how long it take to get processed, etc. I hope this short guide will ...
The last posts were November 8, 2015 and that information is current. Read More
A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam by charmavietnam
Dear Expats! We already covered this topic many times but still some members has doubt about - how to obtain a VEC, who are eligible, what document needed, how much does it cost, how long it take to get processed, etc. I hope this short guide will ...
Why start a new thread? :( I hope that people will keep posting here as that's the thread I get notifications for. Read More
A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam by charmavietnam
Dear Expats! We already covered this topic many times but still some members has doubt about - how to obtain a VEC, who are eligible, what document needed, how much does it cost, how long it take to get processed, etc. I hope this short guide will ...
Thanks much for your information. I'm envious of your quick service. Here in HCM I've tried submitting my extension 5, 6, and 7 days in advance and they always have me come back on the last day authorized on my stay to pick up my passport. Read More
A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam by charmavietnam
Dear Expats! We already covered this topic many times but still some members has doubt about - how to obtain a VEC, who are eligible, what document needed, how much does it cost, how long it take to get processed, etc. I hope this short guide will ...
I guess the prudent thing to do would be to apply for an extension well in advance of your "good through" date. Does anyone know how far in advance of that date you can apply for an extension? And/or has anyone gotten an extension issued ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
That may be the motivation behind attitudes of the government but not the Vietnamese people. On my first visits after the war in the 80's I was wary of the reception I might receive as an American. Across the board I was treated differently, I ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
Thanks for the new information. It's no longer a vital personal concern as I have 5 year visa exemption. As far as I know a visa has never been an obligation of the issuing country to admit you. You can still be inadmissible at the time you want ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
In Vietnam when you marry you can get a 5 year visa exemption but the big catch is that you still only get your passport stamped for a 90 stay. That can be extended for additional 90 day stays but how many times you can get those extensions seems ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
That's not a problem. There's no minimum amount of time that you have to be gone from Vietnam. Theoretically I suppose you get your next visa wile you're still in Vietnam and then could take the bus to the Vienam-Cambodian border, get ... Read More
Dog Meat Trade in Vietnam by sjpersonal
The reason that I joined this group was to learn more about Vietnam because I was really considering retiring there in a few years, specifically Hoi An. I found out about the Murder of Innocent Dogs in Thailand for food, so that country was crossed ...
Sorry that your question prompted a few intemperate responses. It was a perfectly reasonable question and expressing your reason for wanting to know to, was acceptable and provided some context. According to newspaper reports, most of the dog ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
I'm sure you realize that nothing like that has been announced here in Vietnam. What do you know that we don't?Hi if you are going to quote me. Please use the WHOLE QUOTE. You left out the "I hope that " which precedes what you ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
I'm sure you realize that nothing like that has been announced here in Vietnam. What do you know that we don't? Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
Maybe it's hard but it's not uncommon. My ex was born in the Philippines and I had no trouble having a decent conversation with her before we came to the US. Then after she'd been in the US just a couple of years she not only improved ... Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
I'm not able to find where a US citizen who receives SSA benefits of their own other than SSI and is not working for money has any obligation to report their physical presence outside the United States as long as they maintain a US mailing ... Read More
Vietnam 3rd best place in Asia for expats: Survey by bluenz
When did they do this survey, any member participate in it? Thursday, October 23, 2014 14:58 Vietnam is the third best place in Asia for expats looking to improve their quality of life, with 62 percent saying they strongly associate the country ...
To qualify for HSBC Premier based on an account here in Vietnam you need to maintain a relationship balance of one billion VND. I have no idea if you have that much money why you'd want to keep it tied up in high cost low return HSBC accounts. ... Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
Guess we're way off topic now. :( US citizens and residents generally only have to report foreign bank accounts if the total value of all foreign accounts exceeeds $10,000 at some time during the calendar year. You can register and report ... Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
Luckily perhaps my own SSA check is so small that they've never done any verification of my address which has been unchanged back in the states since I became eligible. Maybe they do more checking when there's more than occasional beer ... Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
Just thought I'd try to help you by adding a few things I've learned as I'm a veteran living in Vietnam and am married to a Vietnamese woman who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the US. All this is how it applies to me, there may ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
You're correct. I looked at the wrong column in the terms and conditions. Thanks. Wish I could go back and note that on my earlier posting. I hate to let incorrect information stand. For US Citibank customers there are some limitations and ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
That account has a $10,000 minimum balance requirement. Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
They've asked me for an address but they've never used it for anything. If you know someone here it would be good to use that address .... just in case. Otherwise just use the address of where you happen to be staying. They MIGHT take a ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
Phil, With $10k you should definitely fill out a customs declaration at the airport before you go through customs and keep a stamped copy. Vietcombank ATM cards are personalized with your name so be sure to allow some time (days) for them to make it ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
Not all of Asia, I didn't find that particular issue in Japan, Hong Kong, or Singapore Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
Just as in our typical home countries things vary from bank to bank and in Vietnam they can vary from branch to branch. Especially here don't assume that a bank will do something you need or want done.. For example I was surprised to find that ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
I have opened three accounts at Vietcombank with a passport showing only a 90 day stay. I recommend the branch at 10 膽瓢峄漬g V玫 V膬n Ki峄噒- ph瓢峄漬g Nguy峄卬 Th谩i B矛nh- Qu岷璶 1 HCM as they ... Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
I'm glad that our overwhelming consensus made an impression on you. Don't worry about money already spent. Just don't lose any more. You're not the first man to make a mistake and certainly won't be the last. My big mistake was ... Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
bluenz , most definitely. otherwise it would have taken her longer to spend so much money. Read More
Air travel from Vietnam by 1stewart
My girlfriend wants to visit me here in Florida. She has her passport and the travel company in Vietnam wants her to fly to Japan first, but the travel company wants her to stay 5 days and she only wants to stay 2 days. The travel agency wants 1,650 ...
I would concur with the advice that Jaitch has given you. There are just too many warning flags up in what you write for me to mention all of them. I hope that this turns out much much better for you than I honestly think it will, And btw I'm ... Read More
Transfer money abroad by player123
Hi. >I hAve money on a high interest rate account in vnd vietnam, And the 1 year binding has almost comes to an end I would like to transfer it back to where i live ( europe) What is the best way to do it? Change vnd to dollar before transfer or ...
One of the problems in Vietnam is that you're limited not only by government policy but by what any particular bank and sometimes any particular branch wants to have for their policy. Most will flat out lie to you and say that whatever they ... Read More
For dedicated American Red Meat lovers!
Anyplace in Hawaii that serves breakfast to locals has spam on the menu. It's also the most common topping for musubi. It's also reasonably common in American Samoa and ... Read More
A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam by charmavietnam
Dear Expats! We already covered this topic many times but still some members has doubt about - how to obtain a VEC, who are eligible, what document needed, how much does it cost, how long it take to get processed, etc. I hope this short guide will ...
I've heard and read all sorts of figures for what they will charge you for overstaying that date stamp. Minimum is $10/day and it can go much higher. I know the immigration office here in HCM would like to receive the completed paperwork at ... Read More
A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam by charmavietnam
Dear Expats! We already covered this topic many times but still some members has doubt about - how to obtain a VEC, who are eligible, what document needed, how much does it cost, how long it take to get processed, etc. I hope this short guide will ...
I'm a US citizen with a 5 year VEC stamped in my passport. When I go to the Immigration office in HCM at the end of each 90 day period they collect a fee roughly equal to USD$10 in VND and I receive an official receipt. Last time it was 212,200 ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
It's my own personal observation over the course of almost 4 years here that sometimes the clear line that appears in many countries between legal and illegal is not quite so clear in Vietnam. Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
IMHO, if you are a US citizen or resident and are doing some major cheating on your US taxes you shouldn't be getting your banking and tax advice off an 天美麻豆. If you are a US citizen or resident and have had signature authority over ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
AustriaKarl, I'll keep that in mind should I need a 7th account with a Vietnamese bank. Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
I'm a US citizen and have VND and USD accounts at Vietcombank, Vietinbank, and ACB bank. Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
1. I can do the same with my US HSBC debit card but the fees are considerable and of course ATM withdrawals are limited to the least amount permitted by any of the banks involved.. What you can't do without paying the regular fees for wire ... Read More
1 year Visa by suerte007
Hello Vietnamese expat I like to travel to Vietnam for about 1 year help me with visa idea thank you
As for a Cambodian Visa on a visa bus run to PP, I've always paid the extra $5 or so that it costs to let the bus company take care of getting my visa at the border. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way on the return trip to Vietnam. You ... Read More
Agents in HCM for a 5 year visa exemption certificate (VEC) by RayG
Does anyone have any suggestions for an agent in Ho Chi Minh to handle my application for a 5 Year Visa Exemption Certificate. I'm aware of the regulations, the documents required and I was told by the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC that the ...
I think it was one week. Read More
Agents in HCM for a 5 year visa exemption certificate (VEC) by RayG
Does anyone have any suggestions for an agent in Ho Chi Minh to handle my application for a 5 Year Visa Exemption Certificate. I'm aware of the regulations, the documents required and I was told by the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC that the ...
I'm pretty sure it was 254 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1. I know it was Nguyen Trai in District 1 but I'm not absolutely certain of the number. Read More
My vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my house in vietnam overnight by enigma1981
Today i went to the local police station in da nang,cause i just renewed my visa,and the policeman told me they have right to check my house which i rented one month ago anytime even at mid-night?! And my vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my ...
as significant as coffee grounds Read More
My vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my house in vietnam overnight by enigma1981
Today i went to the local police station in da nang,cause i just renewed my visa,and the policeman told me they have right to check my house which i rented one month ago anytime even at mid-night?! And my vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my ...
Many if not most of us don't feel that a woman or a man need to provide any excuses for being in a room together. However, the law here in Vietnam prohibits a foreign man and a Vietnamese woman sharing a room, which is why it is a matter of ... Read More
Agents in HCM for a 5 year visa exemption certificate (VEC) by RayG
Does anyone have any suggestions for an agent in Ho Chi Minh to handle my application for a 5 Year Visa Exemption Certificate. I'm aware of the regulations, the documents required and I was told by the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC that the ...
My wife went to get mine at immigration here in HCM. I had had no luck and got nothing accomplished, she had no problem and I only paid USD$10. Most of the agents I spoke with here wanted over $100. Don't know if it can be obtained outside of HCM ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
Sounds promising. Just remember however that especially as expats we're likely to be unaware of the financial health of any bank and deposits are only insured to a maximum for 50 million vnd per individual. Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
I know this answer is late but the answer is "no" unless you are a Premier customer Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
No proof of residency needed. Everywhere I've used my passport for identification except the post office the person checking the passport also checks for a valid visa. Since I've always been here legally I don't know what they would do if you ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
Vietcombank starting charging accounts VND1100 (VND 1000 fee + VAT) for ATM withdrawals at it's own ATM machines about 1/1/14. So far I haven't been charged any fees for ATM withdrawals from ACB and Vietin accounts when using their own ATM machines. Read More
Agents in HCM for a 5 year visa exemption certificate (VEC)
Does anyone have any suggestions for an agent in Ho Chi Minh to handle my application for a 5 Year Visa Exemption Certificate. I'm aware of the regulations, the documents required and I was told by the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC that the ... Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam by RayG
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ...
I just went to my travel agency in Canada, and they said for $120, they will get me a multiple entry visa , (or VEC), that will allow me to enter Vietnam multiple times for the life of my passport minus 6 months. I wish I had known about it before ... Read More
Open a personal bank account - Comparison of banks offers by TuanSgn
Hello all, I am looking to open a personal bank account, which can be managed easily by internet or phone and that provides me a debit card. There are other people in this case so I want to make a post that can be updated with your experience. You ...
I've got accounts with VCB, Tecnobank and ANZ. They always have requested proof of income before accepting a deposit. Thought they all did.Guess I've been lucky but I've never had to provide any documentation to deposit VND. I use several banks and ... Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam by RayG
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ...
I'm told by people who have them that extending your stay is not usually a problem. They have been able to get multiple 3 month extensions back-to-back with a only a $10 fee each time, a couple of photos and an extension form stamped by your local ... Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam by RayG
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ...
Well I guess that's one of life's many mysteries and probably important only to him. Maybe he means he has 4 years left. Here's the exact language of the regulation: 'Giấy miễn thị thực c贸 gi谩 trị đến 5 ... Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam by RayG
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ...
If VEC stands for Visa Exemption Certificate then that is exactly what this is about. It's good for 5 years if your passport is valid for at least 5 yrs and 6 months, otherwise the length of validity of your passport less 6 months. Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam by RayG
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ...
The one I got here in Canada is $120 for unlimited travel to Vietnam for the entire life of my passport.Lucky you. No such deal for US citizens. Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam by RayG
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ...
The reason for wanting to obtain the 5 year visa exemption is strictly financial. The longest visa commonly available now to a US citizen is a 3 month visa. Agencies here or in Cambodia charge roughly $120 for that visa for US citizens. That's ... Read More
5 Year Visa Waiver - Get it outside Vietnam
If you marry a Vietnamese national you are eligible for what is called a 5 Year Visa Waiver. It allows you to have an unlimited number of 90 day visits to Vietnam over the course of 5 years. I was warned that some people had had trouble getting ... Read More
Monthly support to Vietnamese GF a mistake? by NashCat
Met a great Vietnamese girl a year ago online, went to Vietnam for 3 months to meet her. Everything was great. She was beautiful and nice. Not a bar or party girl, and we hit it off the moment we met. She had a restaurant at the time, but, because ...
Congratulations CTVN. Sounds like you have found an exceptionally nice girl friend. She is however, exceptional. There are plenty of girls in Vietnam who are much less kind and honest, as there are plenty of ex-pats who are not kind and honest. ... Read More
My vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my house in vietnam overnight by enigma1981
Today i went to the local police station in da nang,cause i just renewed my visa,and the policeman told me they have right to check my house which i rented one month ago anytime even at mid-night?! And my vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my ...
Tried to follow this thread but something is missing. If this hasn't been resolved yet you might want to investigate whether or not you as a foreigner can legally sub-let a room in your house to your gf. If you have more than one bedroom this could ... Read More
Monthly support to Vietnamese GF a mistake? by NashCat
Met a great Vietnamese girl a year ago online, went to Vietnam for 3 months to meet her. Everything was great. She was beautiful and nice. Not a bar or party girl, and we hit it off the moment we met. She had a restaurant at the time, but, because ...
khanh44 is giving you some good advice. I'm 65 and have been around the block in Asia many many times. Read More