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Under what classification do you qualify for entry into Vietnam during this travel ban period?  Without an expert classification and sponsorship from the company you are working for it's all but impossible.   Numbers that have been bantered about lately are $5000-$7000 all in minus airfare, assuming you qualify and have sponsorship.

Double post - was supposed to be edit not quote.

With a legitimate sponsor (+ diploma or experience, it seems it's a new requirement) the total fee is not so crazy, count around $1500 for the quarantine (depending on the hotel), maybe around $1500 for a flight from Europe or the USA, and $500 for the agent. Some companies pays the fees, but I think they are rare.
But if you ask the question, I guess you have no company.

What's the name of the company?

no. i don't have a sponsor but i have a vietnamese passport . Are there repatriation flights from australia? i was told there might be one in march but i am not sure who to contact or what the process is? The vietnam embassy in canberra were no help.

Sorry but no repatriation flight is planned from Australia in March.
You should come by an "expert" commercial flight.

Since your embassy is not helpful, you must apply directly to the vietnamese government.

Here you can find information how a Vietnamese can use a non-rapatriation flight: visaphuongdong.com/thu-tuc-hoi-huong-cho-cong-dan-viet-nam-moi-nhat-2021 You can contact her for more information.
I sent you a PM for another information source.

Erikji wrote:

Here you can find information how a Vietnamese can use a non-rapatriation flight: You can contact her for more information.
I sent you a PM for another information source.

I have a Vietnamese friend who wishes to return to Vietnam to attend her son’s wedding, and she hasn’t found a way to book a flight yet (from Europe). I have sent her your link, hopefully it’s useful to her.
If you check the Tan Son Nhat airport website, you’ll see that on any given day, there are always a few flights arriving from abroad, for example from Hong Kong, but on the airline’s website, those flights can’t be booked. Anyone knows what’s the deal with these flights?

Kurterino wrote:

If you check the Tan Son Nhat airport website, you’ll see that on any given day, there are always a few flights arriving from abroad, for example from Hong Kong, but on the airline’s website, those flights can’t be booked. Anyone knows what’s the deal with these flights?

Yes, the flights are not on the websites of the companies. They have to verify all your paperwork before booking, and only the offices in Vietnam can do that. So, to book a flight with Singapore Airlines, Qatar, etc., you must contact the office in Saigon or Hanoi to know the schedules, prices, and to book.

Saigon:
Singapore Airlines:  SGNSQ_Reservation@singaporeair.com.sg
Emirates: ekvietnam@emirates.com
Qatar: Sgnreservations@vn.qatarairways.com

thanks.

From what I understand you must be a diplomat or coming back for some form of work that they consider necessary. They are still requiring a quarantine period length I’m not sure of. No entries for tourists or social type things. We’re looking to go as well as soon as they reopen. Trying to get a job sponsor as my wife is a high level nurse with dual citizenship.
Thailand on the other hand is planning to reopen in October. Different government, different country but it provides a little hope for VN doing so as well.

There is a possibility if what this guy is reading is correct. If it's true, you will still need to be fully vaccinated first.

It's just a wish of the tourism industry:

Erikji wrote:

It's just a wish of the tourism industry:

It WAS a wish of the tourism industry which evidently had reached the ears of the government. 

On March 5, the PM has assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism the responsibility of coordinating with concerned ministries and government branches to study, evaluate, propose, and handle appropriate measures to open the borders to international tourists.

³§´Ç³Ü°ù³¦±ð:Ìý .

That's exactly what I call a "wish". Remember about the "travel bubbles" last year? The ministries "study", "suggest"... But at the end, nothing.

Erikji wrote:

That's exactly what I call a "wish". Remember about the "travel bubbles" last year? The ministries "study", "suggest"... But at the end, nothing.

Agreed. This won’t be happening unless there’s proof that vaccinated people can’t transmit the virus (as opposed to just not getting sick), or until a large part of the Vietnamese population is vaccinated.
The Vietnamese economy has done relatively well last year, despite closed borders, so why would they risk high Covid cases numbers now?

Kurterino wrote:

Erikji wrote:

That's exactly what I call a "wish". Remember about the "travel bubbles" last year? The ministries "study", "suggest"... But at the end, nothing.

Agreed. This won’t be happening unless there’s proof that vaccinated people can’t transmit the virus (as opposed to just not getting sick), or until a large part of the Vietnamese population is vaccinated.
The Vietnamese economy has done relatively well last year, despite closed borders, so why would they risk high Covid cases numbers now?

Lots of job losses and business folding last year.

colinoscapee wrote:

Lots of job losses and business folding last year.

I thought this was relevant and interesting: 

qnbui wrote:

There is a possibility if what this guy is reading is correct. If it's true, you will still need to be fully vaccinated first.

not sure yet


This guy 'Fat and Broke" (Chris) doesn't know much about anything. I've seen his videos. His ego is way bigger than it should be. He seems to think his thoughts are factual on many topics. He's able to fool many viewers including himself. Basically he's full of much misinformation...but don't tell him that.
I do enjoy some of the visual of people and places he goes but then his personality steps in and ruins it all.....very frustrating so I don't watch it anymore.

For some reason the quote tab on MikeTVN is not working.

What Fat and Broke said is actually correct, it was reported in the media last week.

I never watched Fat and Broke before but he seems to be quoting Tourism officials who are of course pushing an optimistic line.   By contrast Vietnamese-American Ken Duong is saying October.  I know he is promoting his business consultancy but I have found him to be generally objective.

THIGV wrote:

I never watched Fat and Broke before but he seems to be quoting Tourism officials who are of course pushing an optimistic line.   By contrast Vietnamese-American Ken Duong is saying October.  I know he is promoting his business consultancy but I have found him to be generally objective.

What is there that Ken Duong doesn't do.

Love how he refers to himself as , Ken Duong Esq.

This guy 'Fat and Broke" (Chris) doesn't know much about anything. I've seen his videos. His ego is way bigger than it should be. He seems to think his thoughts are factual on many topics. He's able to fool many viewers including himself. Basically he's full of much misinformation...but don't tell him that.
I do enjoy some of the visual of people and places he goes but then his personality steps in and ruins it all.....very frustrating so I don't watch it anymore.



Fat & Broke sells his expert opinions on everything Vietnamese after living here about a year (but at least he actually does live here not like some other experts). Medical issues, & finance he is an expert on it all to his loyal & blinded followers, but god forbid you pull him up on some of the misinformation he spouts. He churns out the videos for money cos that's all the income he has therefore he plays to the field. Bit like the other one on the bike.

I met Fat and Broke at a friend's restaurant here in VT last year.  At the time, his knowledge of VN was a woefully small collection of what he gleaned from his friends, acquaintances, and a stranger here and there from all of whom he also solicited donations for his living and travelling expenses.  (One of his acquaintances that night paid for his trip from Saigon to VT and his expenses for the two days he was here, then bought my husband a beer, and later sent us a friend request in Zalo).

I don't watch Fat and Broke's videos (not even the one he made that evening in which I didn't participate although my voice was in the background), but based on the 90-minute listening to him talk, I would say I wasn't at all impressed.

colinoscapee wrote:

What is there that Ken Duong doesn't do.

Love how he refers to himself as , Ken Duong Esq.

I get the feeling that his primary target audience is Vietnamese Americans looking to invest in Vietnam.  Esq. is the standard US terminology for a lawyer but it does seem a bit pretentious in a YouTube format.  As you may know we don't separate our lawyers into two groups although some may sometimes be described as litigators.  These would be your barristers.  What you call solicitors we simply call lawyers.  They all can use the title Esq. after their name but usually do so only when signing formal legal correspondence.

I responded to one of Ken Duong's video about dual citizen and someone got back to me with an email address to contact the company. Then I sent them an email and then responded back with an online questionnaire for dual citizenship. It's been a few weeks and have not heard back. Guess too much work for them.

colinoscapee wrote:

What is there that Ken Duong doesn't do.

Love how he refers to himself as , Ken Duong Esq.

THIGV wrote:

Esq. is the standard US terminology for a lawyer but it does seem a bit pretentious in a YouTube format.  As you may know we don't separate our lawyers into two groups although some may sometimes be described as litigators.  These would be your barristers.  What you call solicitors we simply call lawyers.  They all can use the title Esq. after their name but usually do so only when signing formal legal correspondence.

Ken Duong graduated from Golden Gate School of Law, which is currently ranked 164 out of 194, a 4th tier law school -- the bottom tier, amongst the worst of US accredited law schools, a school with dismal quality of education. 

Golden Gate has very low admissions standards, routinely admits very large numbers of students whose GPA/LSAT scores indicate that they face an unacceptably high risk of bar failure (ranked 185 out of 194). 

In 2016, Golden Gate had the fourth-worst student attrition rate in the US.  In 2018, the American Bar Association sanctioned Golden Gate for predatory admissions practices.  The year Ken Duong entered Golden Gate, the required GPA for acceptance was only 2.74.  (For those who don't know, 2.74 is below the acceptable grade for admission into almost all graduate programs across the US.)

Ken Duong's bio indicates that he's a Tiến Sỹ Luật (PhD in Law).  That's a blatant lie.  Being a lawyer, his degree is a JD, which stands for Juris Doctor.  However, JD (4 years undergrad + 3 years of law school, no research dissertation) is not a Doctorate (PhD or Tiến Sỹ in Vietnamese). 

A PhD in Law is JSD (Doctor of Juridical Science), which would take another 3 to 5 years after the JD.  As he graduated from Golden Gate, it's absolutely impossible that he could ever have JSD, the most prestigious degree in Law.

THIGV wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

What is there that Ken Duong doesn't do.

Love how he refers to himself as , Ken Duong Esq.

I get the feeling that his primary target audience is Vietnamese Americans looking to invest in Vietnam.  Esq. is the standard US terminology for a lawyer but it does seem a bit pretentious in a YouTube format.  As you may know we don't separate our lawyers into two groups although some may sometimes be described as litigators.  These would be your barristers.  What you call solicitors we simply call lawyers.  They all can use the title Esq. after their name but usually do so only when signing formal legal correspondence.

As a speaker of British English, this is why I found it unusual.

"Esquire (/ɪˈskwaɪər/, US also /ˈɛskwaɪər/; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, Esquire historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman and below the rank of knight."

colinoscapee wrote:

As a speaker of British English, this is why I found it unusual.

I am sure you have heard the amusing G.B Shaw quote that "Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language."

Erikji wrote:

With a legitimate sponsor (+ diploma or experience, it seems it's a new requirement) the total fee is not so crazy, count around $1500 for the quarantine (depending on the hotel), maybe around $1500 for a flight from Europe or the USA, and $500 for the agent. Some companies pays the fees, but I think they are rare.

I'm supposed to go to HCMC from Malaysia this week for an ESL job, and I was just blown away by the bill they sent for the airfare: 470 USD.  It's only a two hour flight! 

It seems exorbitant, almost extortion.   They're also taking our 250 USD training bonus and using it to pay for 2 weeks quarantine, and then packing 3 of us together into a hotel room (invariably I'll be locked in with smokers, I expect).  Normally 250 USD would almost cover 2 weeks in a 2-3 star hotel in HCMC. 

I suspect they're jacking up prices to profit off people's fear of Covid.  I for one am not particularly afraid of covid, certainly no more than other dangers Asia hosts like air pollution, secondhand smoke, crazy traffic, or fecal matter in the food. 

As such, I'm almost tempted to decline the offer and wait.  But I feel better reading that others are paying $2000-5000.  I guess $500 isn't so bad... right?    ???

telescopicPuma wrote:

Erikji wrote:

With a legitimate sponsor (+ diploma or experience, it seems it's a new requirement) the total fee is not so crazy, count around $1500 for the quarantine (depending on the hotel), maybe around $1500 for a flight from Europe or the USA, and $500 for the agent. Some companies pays the fees, but I think they are rare.

I'm supposed to go to HCMC from Malaysia this week for an ESL job, and I was just blown away by the bill they sent for the airfare: 470 USD.  It's only a two hour flight! 

It seems exorbitant, almost extortion.   They're also taking our 250 USD training bonus and using it to pay for 2 weeks quarantine, and then packing 3 of us together into a hotel room (invariably I'll be locked in with smokers, I expect).  Normally 250 USD would almost cover 2 weeks in a 2-3 star hotel in HCMC. 

I suspect they're jacking up prices to profit off people's fear of Covid.  I for one am not particularly afraid of covid, certainly no more than other dangers Asia hosts like air pollution, secondhand smoke, crazy traffic, or fecal matter in the food. 

As such, I'm almost tempted to decline the offer and wait.  But I feel better reading that others are paying $2000-5000.  I guess $500 isn't so bad... right?    ???

Jesus, you forgot the haking up & spitting Green or Red flem on the street or restraint floor, urinating openly at the side of the road,  but fecal matter in the food, now I feel sick & will do all my own cooking from here on in!!

telescopicPuma wrote:

It seems exorbitant, almost extortion.   They're also taking our 250 USD training bonus and using it to pay for 2 weeks quarantine, and then packing 3 of us together into a hotel room (invariably I'll be locked in with smokers, I expect).

WTF! 3 people in the same room?! You will go insane. Be alone in the room, quarantine is already enough hard like that to bear. (it's my opinion, I'm French!)

Normally 250 USD would almost cover 2 weeks in a 2-3 star hotel in HCMC.

No no, the hotels for quarantine are between 1,7 million/day and 2 million (or more to have a kitchen, balcony...). So total > $1100 (+ transportation from the airport, $100-200). The cheapest is 1,3 million in 2 hours from Saigon. They are 3-4 star hotels.

Some employers (english schools...) pay 50% of the fees. I find it's not honest, they should pay 100% when you bring a foreign worker, the worker should pay nothing, but in Vietnam employers have no qualms, it's normal here.

As such, I'm almost tempted to decline the offer and wait.  But I feel better reading that others are paying $2000-5000.  I guess $500 isn't so bad... right?    ???

$500 is the normal price to pay an agent to make the papers for the employer.

If some English teachers search for an employer, they can contact ILA, EMG and Apollo (I don't know if they pay the quarantine or not).

Erikji wrote:

No no, the hotels for quarantine are between 1,7 million/day and 2 million (or more to have a kitchen, balcony...). So total > $1100 (+ transportation from the airport, $100-200). The cheapest is 1,3 million in 2 hours from Saigon. They are 3-4 star hotels.

Yes, "for quarantine".  It's not like the hotel is any nicer just because it's for quarantine. 

My employer is paying for all of it, so I guess I shouldn't really complain about $500 airfare, though it did make my eyes pop because I'm used to it being so cheap.

telescopicPuma wrote:

Erikji wrote:

No no, the hotels for quarantine are between 1,7 million/day and 2 million (or more to have a kitchen, balcony...). So total > $1100 (+ transportation from the airport, $100-200). The cheapest is 1,3 million in 2 hours from Saigon. They are 3-4 star hotels.

Yes, "for quarantine".  It's not like the hotel is any nicer just because it's for quarantine. 

My employer is paying for all of it, so I guess I shouldn't really complain about $500 airfare, though it did make my eyes pop because I'm used to it being so cheap.

All flights now are expensive. My brother had to pay 1500 usd one way to Australia. Its all due to the reduced number of passengers.

Ah I didn't understand you spoke about the airfare, from Paris I paid $1100 but it was the 1st time I take Singapore Airlines so I don't know the normal price with this company, probably the most expensive since famous to be the best, with the others before it was around $900 at the same period (for one way), not a so big difference. The A350 was 80% empty! They lose money for sure.