Guide › Moving in Vietnam: the checklist

Moving in Vietnam: the checklist

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

58 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: 30 days for an open-ended lease
Civil Code 2015, art. 472 ff. and the Housing Act: for a lease without a term either side gives 30 days' notice; a fixed term follows the contract.
14 weeks before
Give written notice and keep proof it was received
A message with a date is enough in practice; keep the reply.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Pay the deposit: usually one month, sometimes three
There is no statutory cap; the amount and the return are what the contract says.
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Home contents insurance for the new address
Not compulsory and not common; worth it for expensive contents.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Book a bulky waste collection
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Track the return of the deposit

New home

9 weeks before
Record the condition and the meter numbers with photos
An annex to the lease, signed by both sides; without it the deposit is hard to get back.
6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
EVN electricity: transfer the contract or agree the landlord's rate
A contract in your own name gets the household tariff; renting through the landlord's meter is often billed at a higher agreed rate.
7 days before
Water and internet: new contract or transfer
Water usually runs through the building; internet takes a few days to install.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Reserve parking outside both buildings
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

3 days after
Building management: report the move, service charge, lift hours
Apartment buildings set times for moving furniture and often take a deposit for the lift.
3 days after
Ask the landlord to report your stay to the ward
The owner of the property has to report who lives there; without it the temporary residence registration stalls.
7 days after
Register your residence with the ward police (VNeID)
Within 12 months for permanent residence and within 30 days for temporary residence (Residence Act 2020, art. 27); the paper household book is gone, everything runs through the population database and VNeID.
7 days after
Vietnam Post and the delivery apps: change the address
Redirection is limited; most parcels come through couriers, so change the address in each app.
10 days after
School: the place follows the residence registration
State schools admit by ward; a temporary residence registration is usually enough, but it has to be done in time.
2 weeks after
Bank, employer and health insurance: change the address
Health insurance changes the registered hospital with the new address; banks ask for the CCCD.
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
4 weeks after
Vehicle: re-register with the new address when you change province
Moving province means changing the vehicle registration; the driving licence follows the CCCD.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

Get Homeshift and take the list with you

The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.