Insurance
House insurance is not compulsory in Vietnam, but is a wise way to protect your possessions, especially personal computers, home electronics, jewelry and fine art. You can contact these insurance companies for consultation:
Gras Savoye Willis Vietnam
A foreign insurance company specializing in household insurance; English and French spoken.
Melia Office Building, Suite 305
44B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi
Tel: (84 4) 3824 5325
http://www.grassavoyewillis-vn.com/
Bao Viet
A government-owned company with a broad range of services and a number of partner agencies.
8 Le Thai To,
Hoan Kiem District,
Ha Noi, Vietnam
Tel: (84 4) 3928 9898
E-mail: service@baoviet.com.vn
http://www.baoviet.com.vn
Utilities
Water is usually included in rental prices, while gas and electricity are extra.
Utility bills are almost always handled through your landlord. Each residence is metered, and the price for electricity is VND 2000 per Kilowatt/hour. A single person’s monthly bill may be as low as $30/month in the winter, but for a family in a large villa it could go as high as $200/month in summer, if air-conditioners are used often.
Landlords in Hanoi keep utilities in their own names, you won’t have to deal with the electric company directly. Your landlord, or an assistant, will drop by once a month to check the electricity meter, and present you with a bill, and you’ll be expected to pay cash for what you’ve used in the past month. Serviced apartments sometimes have everything included in the rental price, so all you have to do is pay the rent.
Natural gas is sold by canisters in every corner store, and will be delivered upon purchase. A canister costs VND 200,000 and will last one to three months, depending on how often you cook. (Hot water heaters in Vietnam use electricity, not gas.) If you have a housekeeper or cook they will take care of this for you, and present you the bill.
Postal service
An office address may be more secure for receiving post than a home address–there’s much latitude for confusion in the proliferating alleys of Hanoi, and many houses do not even have numbers. (A well-known apartment tower should be fine for receiving post, however.)
Post offices are dotted throughout the city and are open from 8:30 to 5:30 seven days a week, but some of the smaller branches may close for lunch.
Shipping
Try one of these companies if you need help relocating to Hanoi:
Saigon Van International Relocations
39 Xuan Dieu Street
Tay HoDistrict
Ha Noi, Viet Nam
(84-4) 3718 6714/ (84-4) 3718 6715
http://www.saigonvan.com/
Email: info@saigonvan.com
Santa Fe Relocation Services
Suite 821, 14 Tran Binh Trong
Vietnam Trade Union Hotel
Tel: (+84 4) 3941 0805
http://www.santaferelo.com
Allied Pickfords
Vocarimex Building
8 Cat Linh Dong Da, Hanoi
Tel: (+84 4) 6275 2824
http://www.alliedpickfords.com
Or for small shipping needs, try these:
DHL
778 Lang Road
Dong Da District
Phone: 04-3775 3999
http://www.dhl.com.vn
FedEx
No 14 Le Thach Street, Hoan Kiem District
Tel: 04 – 824 9054,
http://www.fedex.com/vn
EMS (Generally less expensive than DHL or FedEx)
You can access this international shipping service at any post office, or at their Hanoi office; they offer both air and sea rates:
No 1, Tan Xuan, Xuan Dinh
Tu Liem, Ha Noi
Tel: 04 – 757 5577
http://www.ems.com.vn/default.aspx
Email: ptems@ems.com.vn
