You may not drive in Vietnam without an Official Vietnamese Driving License.
An International Licence is only a Permit and still does not Qualify you to drive.
If you become a Resident of Vietnam with a Resident VISA ,,, then you can apply for a Drivers License. 

Hanoi

Transportation and Public Works Department
Address: 16 Cao Ba Quat, Dist. Ba Dinh
Tel . (04) 845.37.40

Ho Chi Minh

Transportation and Public Works Department

Address: 252 Ly Chinh Thang, Dist. 3
Tel: ( 08) 935.05.51 or 935.05.17

Odds, Ends and Random Thoughts.

* Purchase Property: You can buy property in Vietnam but there are limits and time constants on how many and how long you get to keep the property.
check out: www.justlanded.com
You will never have 100 percent ownership when buying a house in Vietnam. 

* Wish they had a simple Expat Visa for Non- Employed (retired) Expats ...
Good for 1 year. (or longer)
After all the Expats will spend much money in every community.
Thus supporting local business, yet not taking jobs away from the people.

* Driving: It is not recommended that you drive. But if you do get a Vietnamese Driving License.
You can convert an International Permit (not a license) to a Vietnamese Driving License.
Lots of documents are required.
check out:  http://www.vietnamonline.com/transport/how-to-obtain-a-vietnamese-driving-license.html 
There can be serious trouble if you do not follow the rules. Not to mention causing an accident or death. Both of which are common. Make friends with a few Honest Taxi and Xe Om operators.

* Working In Vietnam ... Start planing way ahead of time.
There are many Job Boards and various classifieds on the internet.

* Learning Vietnamese: There are many books, tapes, CD's. DVD's  and various programs teaching you to speak the native language. Many of these fall short in one way or another. Soak up what you can. Take your time and you will do just great. Having a few native speaking friends is more than helpful when it comes to truly learning and understanding.
Check out: YouTube.com. I have watched many Youtube videos about language, cultural events, foods and street scenes. I like Rusty Compass, www.rustycompass.com  and  https://www.facebook.com/rustycompass.
Yet for an enhanced (free) understanding of the local language I enjoy Annie on Youtube. 
Simply search for: Learn Vietnamese with Annie. 
She is a talented woman with a great understanding for teaching language.
Annie also does private classes.
You will find her on Youtube and facebook. http://learnvietnamesewithannie.com/

* Some of my other travel tips.
Do not use Drugs and avoid getting drunk.
Travel light and wear layers.
Check out the area and eat in several little places. Try new foods.
Stay away from voicing your Religious and Political Opinions.
Watch your phone and avoid Roaming Charges.
Please use the Room Safe.
Make copies of all your documents. Email to self.
Use your credit debt card to establish a paper trail,

VISA changes 2015

from : http://www.vietnam-immigration.org.vn/ 

NEW VIETNAM IMMIGRATION LAW EFFECTS ON JANUARY 2015

A new Vietnam Immigration law effects on January 1, 2015. This is an evidence of Vietnam’s efforts to establish entry and exit policies that provide more clarity to employers and foreign nationals. The full impact of the new law will depend on how it is ultimately implemented. Following are the key changes in this new immigration law: 1/ New Structure Of Visa Types And Durations: Under the upcoming system, foreign nationals will apply for a visa based on their occupation or intended travel purpose, with distinct visa categories for occupations such as investors, lawyers, or journalists. Each visa classification will have its own maximum duration period ranging from 30 days to five years. The new structure will increase the number of immigration categories from four general groups to twenty specific visa classifications. The full impact of the new visa structure will not be known until implementation details are released by the Vietnamese government. The change is intended to give visa applicants and sponsors greater clarity regarding permissible activities and maximum duration. No. Type Of Visa Description  Staying Duration Temporary Resident Card Duration 1 NG1-NG4 Diplomatic UP to12 months UP to 05 years 2 LV1-LV2 Working with Vietnamese authorities/parties UP to 12 months UP to 05 years 3 ĐT Investor/ Foreign Lawyers UP to 05 months UP to 05 years 4 DN Working with Vietnamese Enterprise UP to 12 months N/A 5 NN1-NN2 Chief Representative Office, Head Of Project  Of Foreign, Chief rep of rep offices in Vienam UP to 12 months UP to 03 years 6 NN3 Staffs Of Head of Project Office, Rep Office in Vietnam UP to 12 months N/A 7 DH Students/ Interns UP to 12 months UP to 05 years 8 HN Attending Meeting UP to 03 months N/A 9 PV1 Journalists with pernament residence in Vietnam UP to 12 months UP to 02 years 10 PV2 Journalist with short term in Vietnam UP to 12 months N/A 11 LD Foreign Workers UP to 02 years UP to 02 years 12 DL Tourists UP to 03 months N/A 13 TT Dependents of No. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9,11 UP to 12 months UP to 03 years 14 VR Visiting Relatives, Other Purpose UP to 06 months N/A 15 SQ Related to MOF, Consulate with the purpose of market research, visiting relatives, tourist Medical treatment UP to 30 days N/A 2/ Unable To Convert Tourist Visa To Working visa According to article 7, point 1 of the new law, the purpose of Vietnam visa may not be converted from one purpose to another. For instance, someone entering Vietnam with a tourist visa (DL) may not be able to convert it to a working visa in country (LD) 3/ New Entry And Exit Restrictions: There will be greater restrictions on entry for individuals with adverse criminal or immigration records from any country. Foreign nationals deported from Vietnam will be banned from entry for three years. Minors under the age of fourteen will not be permitted to enter Vietnam unless traveling with a parent or legal guardian. Foreign nationals will not be permitted to exit Vietnam if they have not fulfilled all tax obligations, are facing criminal charges or administrative sanctions, are serving a criminal sentence, or are a party to any civil, economic, labor, administrative or marriage litigation in Vietnam: Prohibited conditions for entrance: - Any person that was deported from Vietnam within the last 03 years; - Any person that was compelled to leave Vietnam within the last 06 months; - Any person Presenting forging paper or providing false information to obtain entry/exit/residence permit. - A child under 14 years of age traveling without an accompanying parent or custodian; etc Prohibited conditions for exit: A foreigner’s exit will be suspended (up to three years) in the following cases: - His or her tax obligations have yet been fulfilled; - He/she is obliged to comply with an administrative sanction; - He/she has been criminally charged or must serve a criminal sentence; - He/she is a defendant or a person with related rights and obligations in a civil, economic, labor, administrative or marriage litigation case Have a nice day! Vietnam Immigration Team ********************************************************************************************************************************************OM TUOI TuOI TRE NEWS    http://tuoitrenews.vn/ UPDATED : 06/08/2015 11:08 GMT + 7 Tuoi tre news, an English online publication of Tuoi Tre newspaper, will serve as a news portal for international readers, foreigners living in Vietnam, Vietnamese living abroad, entrepreneurs, and the general public – in essence, everyone interested. The Vietnamese government has green-lighted several proposals, including waiving visas for more nations, to revive the country’s troubled tourist industry. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism have repeatedly called on the government to enact measures to ‘save’ the tourist industry, which has reported declining tourist arrival numbers for 12 months in a row, since May 2014. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved many propositions of the two agencies during a government meeting late last month, bringing about hopes that Vietnam would soon be able to lure back international visitors. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has proposed scrapping visas for countries that are Vietnam’s key tourism markets, or those it has strategic or comprehensive partnerships with, which has secured in-principle approval from the premier. The countries that are likely to enjoy free-visa rules from Vietnam are the UK, France, Germany and Spain, which have strategic partnerships with Vietnam; and Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the Southeast Asian country’s comprehensive partners, according to newswire Van Hoa (Culture) Online. “Tourists from these countries will be given a 15-day stay for each entry over five years,” Van Hoa Online quoted VNAT chief Nguyen Anh Tuan as saying. The visa waivers for the first group of countries are expected to take effect on July 1 this year, and the second group, July 1 next year, according to the VNAT director. Vietnam currently applies one-sided free-visa rules for seven countries, including Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia, and scraps visas for nine Southeast Asian countries including Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. Starting next month, Vietnam will also waive visas for tourists from Belarus, according to a resolution the government released earlier this month. The waiver will be applied within five years, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020, with an allowed stay of 15 days for each entry. Tourists from the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 72 percent of international arrivals to Vietnam, followed by Europe (14 percent) and North America, according to a VNAT survey. The government approval of the visa waiver proposal is seen by industry insiders as “an invitation to international tourists who love to explore Vietnam,” and a boost to the country’s tourism. The visa waivers granted to Russia, Japan, and South Korea have indeed paid off, as vacationers from these countries collectively made up 23.6 percent of Vietnam’s tourist arrival numbers in 2014, according to the same VNAT data. Vietnam scrapped visas for Japan and South Korea in 2004, and the number of holidaymakers from these countries has since increased 2.4 times and 3.6 times, respectively. The number of Russian tourists visiting Vietnam in 2014 was 7.45 times higher than in 2009, when they began enjoying visa waivers from the country. Nguyen Huu Tho, chairman of the Vietnam Travel Association, said waiving visas for more countries is inevitable at a time when Vietnam is struggling to compete with other regional tourism destinations. Hoang Huu Loc, chairman of the board of members of Saigontourist, a leading tour operator in Ho Chi Minh City, said Vietnam should also scrap visas for nations that have non-stop flights to the country. Free-visa rules will encourage international vacationers to come to Vietnam, and having a non-stop service there is a plus, he said.

Travel Tips and Ideas

Well this topic can cover many variables.
Therefor I will be adding random bits of material now and again.
Remember to be Adventurous.

Be sure to watch many Vietnam Travel videos on Youtube.com,

* To get you started ... It will be Hot and Dry, or Hot and Wet ... Think about what you bring, wear or need. Drink plenty of water and stay out of the heat. I prefer to travel very light. Care a little note pad. It is easy to write down your temporary addresses and phone number of those in your group. If I am not sure where I am walking I use the pad to write the names of streets and the direction where I just turned.
Before you go traveling, consider walking everyday (in flip flops) to get your body, legs and toes in great shape. You will find flip flops are cool, comfortable and very easy to use. Strap on Sandals are nice and sturdy for walks.
Depending on your phone service consider purchasing local SIM Cards. Then everyone can share numbers and stay in contact. Whether lost, something interesting or a change of plans.

* Leave your valuables (all of them) at home!  Guard your belongings, passports, phone, camera, bags and even those items being held while you are using them. No need to get uptight and paranoid, just be attentive and cautious.

* Scan of all of your legal documents, cards, passport, ID, prescriptions and contact numbers. Then send a copy to your E-Mail account.
Many of these locals will try to over charge or scam more $$$ out of you. OK, so it is only a few nickels to you ... that is not the point. Do not let them Disrespect you.
To avoid taxi Rip Offs, take a picture (let them see you) of your taxi cab, license plate and driver. Keeps everyone more honest. Even for the 'money exchanges' on the street. Take a photo of the currency you wish to exchange ... or (let them see you) write the serial number down.
Best deal, visit the Bank 'Ngan Hang'.

* While booze is cheap ... There is no need to get drunk in a strange land and end up in a lot of trouble with no money or documents. The local girls know how to ripoff you boys.
 Be Extra Smart this time.

* There are a number of websites and blogs that talk about bargaining with vendors, various scams and local hazards. You will read about those that love the experience, and those who were dissatisfied.Try to merge a little and not be the Stereotypical Tourist/target.

* Clothing ... Travel light. You can buy clothing and/or wash as you travel. Unless you are big or over weight. XL here is still a smaller item. Of course I often get clothing made while I am here. Pack a little rain poncho and a little First Aid. Wear a money belt inside your clothing. It is for extra funds, credit cards, documents. and safety. Flip flop and sandals ...  but not fancy shoes. Things get wet from rain or sweat, and shoes and heavier cotton items dry slowly.
I hit my local thrift stores before I travel. This is where I buy my pants with big pockets and Zipper Legs. Also, pick up a few short sleeve shirts. I do not care for AC air conditioning so I do not bother with jackets, sweats, sweaters or pajamas. If every needed ... I will buy there, If you are coming from cold climates leave the coats etc behind and wear layers on your trip to the airport.

Getting my act together.

I have been in and out of Vietnam since 2008, and will retire into a simple life of living and traveling through out this country and neighboring lands.

There can be a lot to getting ready.
For me I will dump all I own and settle for a Passport and Online Banking.
You too may wish to study maps, temples, historic sites, language, culture, climate and talk to others.
There is so much more to Vietnam than meets the eye.
There are several Blogs and Ex-Pat groups you can join.

I do have Vietnamese friends with Travel Companies that offer many types of tours.
They have asked me to write for them and share my knowledge and experiences.

For sometime now I have been putting it all together.
Needed to finish working, sorting my brain, belongings, general logistics and why & what for.
I plan to live in SaiGon (HCMC) and explore the region with a special friend and doggies.

What I wish to do here is share my experience of traveling and living in Vietnam.
To help assist you in exploring this Beautiful Country, meeting great people, getting around, settling down and safe travel tips.
Whether for Holiday, Medical Tourism, Business or Retirement, I want you to get the best out of my knowledge and experience.