Useful information in Hanoi, Vietnam

Telecommunication

Vietnam is a well-connected country. The country has 134 million mobile subscribers, the 6th largest in the world. Mobile phones and SIM cards are so widely-available that you can easily purchase one along most of the streets. Some of the top telecom companies in Vietnam are Viettel Mobile, MobiFone and VinaPhone.

As of 2012, 36 per cent of the national population is connected to the internet. It’s the 16th highest penetration rate in the world. The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in the country are Corporation for Finance and Promoting Technology (FPT), Netnam Company, Vietnam Data Communication Company (VDC), Saigon Post and Telecommunications Services Corporation (SPT) and the Viettel Company.

Utilities

According to expats living in Hanoi, an individual living in a 45 sqm flat spends about US$40 for utilities including electricity, heating, water and gas. A family of three living in an 85 sqm apartment allots US$50-55 for utility bills. You can pay your bills at the payment centres, banks and ATMs.

• Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Hanoi Power Corporation
  
  24-hour hotlines: 042-2222-000 / 1-900-1288

• Hanoi Water Limited Company (HAWACO)
  
  Hotlines:
  
  Ba Dinh Tel. No: (04) 3829-3155
  
  Dong Da Tel. No.: (04) 3747-4035
  
  Hoan Kiem Tel. No.: (04) 3825-7670
  
  Hai Ba Trung Tel. No.: (04) 3821-1638
  
  Cau Giay Tel. No.: (04) 3764-0175

Emergencies

• Police: 113
• Fire Department: 114
• Ambulance/First Aid: 115
• General Information Service: 1080

Embassies/consulates

• Australian Embassy in Vietnam
  
  #8 Dao Tan Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
  
  Tel. No.: +844 3774-0100

• Embassy of Canada to Vietnam in Hanoi
  
  #31 Hung Vuong, Hanoi, Vietnam
  
  Tel. No.: +844-3734-5000

• Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
  
  #46 Hoang Dieu Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
  
  Tel. No.: +844-845-3736

• US Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam
  
  #7 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
  
  Tel. No.: +844 3850-5000

• British Embassy in Hanoi
  
  #31 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Vietnam
  
  Tel. No.: +844-3936-0500

Banking

If you’re staying in Hanoi or any part of Vietnam for more than six months, it’s advisable that you open a local bank account to save on transaction costs on foreign accounts. Most banks in Vietnam will allow you to open an account online. Expats are required to present their valid original passport and visa in to open a savings account. If you need a current account, you may be asked to present an endorsement letter from your Vietnam-based employer. The initial deposit will depend on your bank of choice.

ATMs can easily be found in Hanoi. However, if you’re to other parts of the country, you should have enough cash with you as ATMs are scarce in the countryside. You can withdraw a max of two million Vietnamese dong per day, except for ANZ Bank which allows cash withdrawals up to four million Vietnamese dong.

• Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank)
  
  Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi
  
  Call Centre: 1900-558-868 / +844-3941-8868

• Citibank Vietnam
  
  Hanoi Branch: Ngo Quyen Street, Hanoi
  
  Call Centre: +848-3521-1111
  
  Tel. No.: +844-3825-1950

• BNP Paribas
  
  Ba Dinh, Hanoi
  
  Tel. No.: +844-3825-3175

• Deutsche Bank Vietnam
  
  Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
  
  Tel. No.: +844-936-7255

• Mizuho Bank Vietnam
  
  Ly Thai To, Hanoi
  
  Tel. No.: +844-3936-3123 / 3124

Chambers of Commerce (located in Hanoi)

• Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• European Chamber of Commerce
• German Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Italian Chamber of Commerce
• American Chamber of Commerce
• Australian Chamber of Commerce
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• French Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Indian Business Chamber
• Nordic Chamber of Commerce

Know more about Hanoi, Vietnam with our relocation guide for expatriates:

• Introduction to Hanoi
• Moving to Hanoi
• Living in Hanoi
• Working in Hanoi

This relocation guide is provided by http://www.expatfinder.com, copyright © 2016 Interexpat Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Neither Interexpat nor S.A.S. ACS can be held liable for any errors or omissions, or any loss, damage that may occur as a result of this information. This information does not constitute advice.