Peace Corps
Viet Nam
Living Conditions in Viet Nam

Living Conditions in Viet Nam

General considerations

To learn more about living and working in Viet Nam, applicants are encouraged to connect with a recruiter to discuss any specific considerations that could affect their service. In addition, please visit the U.S. Department of State's Viet Nam travel information pages for the latest on travel advisories, local laws, and special circumstances.

Applicants who undergo an interview will have additional opportunities to raise questions or concerns. If, upon learning more information, an applicant would like to be considered for a different assignment from the one they have been assigned to serve in, the Peace Corps can often find an alternate option that may be a better fit.

Communications

Telephones

Mobile phones are everywhere in Viet Nam and Wi-Fi is ubiquitous. Mobile phones will be required for all Peace Corps Volunteers as part of their emergency plan. Volunteers may choose to bring their own phone to use during service. They should make sure that these devices are “unlocked.”

Internet

Viet Nam ranks 16th in the world in terms of internet use. Affordable services have made it easier for users to access the internet. Wireless internet access is readily available in most places, although the connection speed and consistency may be of varying quality. Volunteers may wish to subscribe to a virtual private network prior to their arrival in Viet Nam. Regardless, Volunteers should not assume privacy in regard to their internet and social media usage while in Viet Nam. The government of Viet Nam routinely monitors all social media.

Sunlight, shade and basketball net in the courtyard of a Hanoi school. — Sunlight, shade and basketball net in the courtyard of a Ha Noi school.

General considerations

Housing and site location

During pre-service training during the first three months in-country, Volunteers live in independent housing near the Peace Corps office in the city of Hanoi. When Volunteers move to their permanent site, they live in independent housing on or within commuting distance of the school grounds at sites within the Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City provinces. Volunteers will have access to local markets and transportation to the city. Wireless internet access is readily available in most places, though the connection speed and consistency can be of varying quality.

As with all sites selected for Volunteers, housing will meet Peace Corps safety and security requirements. Schools and communities are committed to making the Volunteer feel welcome and you can expect school officials and teachers to be actively involved in your day-to-day life to ensure you are safe and healthy. These teachers and school leaders will likely be very interested in how you are spending time, what you enjoy eating, and your interests and hobbies. As this is a newer program, government officials will also likely be curious about your work, language development, and community integration.

Wherever they serve, Peace Corps Volunteers are often the subject of curiosity and/or unwanted attention regarding both visible and non-visible aspects of their identity, such as skin and hair color or texture, height and weight, race, ethnicity, tribe, national origin, language, religious beliefs, gender identification, sexual orientation, political affiliation, family structure, age, marriage status, socioeconomic status, ability, and other aspects. A Volunteer’s colleagues and neighbors may be unused to interacting with foreigners and may have preconceptions about Americans. With the support of Peace Corps staff, Volunteers will become adept at managing this type of attention; as a Volunteer and their community get used to living and working together, the level of this type of attention may diminish.

The Peace Corps is committed to creating a supportive environment for staff and Volunteers. During pre-service training, staff will provide Volunteers with information and support how a Volunteer’s identities may impact their experiences in relation to integration, safety, and other topics.

Living allowance and money management

Volunteers receive a monthly allowance in Vietnamese dong that is sufficient to cover basic expenses. The allowance includes funds for food, household supplies, clothing, transportation, modest recreation and entertainment, and incidental expenses.

Peace Corps Volunteers are expected to live at a level that is comparable with that of their host country counterparts. The Peace Corps discourages Volunteers from supplementing their living allowance with funds from home. ATM machines are available in cities and credit cards can be used at larger establishments. Check with your bank regarding service fees for international transactions.

Food and diet

Vietnamese food is varied, flavorful, and delicious. Meat, particularly pork, and rice are eaten on a daily basis by many Vietnamese. Fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful. Food is cooked in a variety of ways: deep fried, stir fried, boiled, or steamed. A typical Vietnamese meal includes rice, a soup dish, a meat or fish dish, a vegetable dish, and fish sauce with garlic, chili, and lemon.

Volunteers who prefer not to eat meat, fish, or animal products should know that these ingredients are often included to add flavor to any dish. Food is a sensitive cultural topic, because it is around food that families and friends often get together. Many Vietnamese show affection to others by sharing food, whether they can afford to or not. During social events and work visits, community members commonly offer a variety of foods to Volunteers. Rejecting or throwing away food is generally not well received in Viet Nam and could be considered impolite.

Shoppers load fruit onto a bicycle at an open-air market.

General considerations

Transportation

Volunteers are likely to travel by foot, bicycle, and/or bus to get around or run errands at a local market. Viet Nam has an extensive bus network and we anticipate that Volunteers will be able to travel from their sites in the outlying districts of Ha Noi municipality or Ho Chi Minh municipality to Ha Noi city or Ho Chi Minh City by bus; taxis may also be available. For holiday travel within Viet Nam, Volunteers may choose to travel by bus, train, or plane. Note that the use of motorcycles/scooters by Volunteers (as drivers or passengers) in any area of the country is prohibited, as is the use of bicycles in the urban center of Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Social activities

Volunteers may be invited to participate in school outings during holidays.

On some special occasions, such as the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, teachers and schools may involve Volunteers in different activities such as making Vietnamese “Chung” cake (glutinous sticky rice cake), the carp release ritual on Kitchen God Day, and others.

Sports and group exercise are also common recreational activities.

PCV activities — A Peace Corps Volunteer joins teachers to play volleyball on school grounds.

General considerations

Professionalism, appearance, dress, and behavior

Professionalism in the Peace Corps requires an awareness of the host community workplace culture, community values, and your self-presentation. To maintain a positive, culturally appropriate professional standing within a host community or workplace, Volunteers may need to adjust their style of dress, hair style, facial hair, make-up, piercings, manner of greeting others, etc., to demonstrate respect for local culture and customs. How you present yourself, in both informal and professional settings, is a reflection of you as an individual and of you as a representative of Peace Corps and the United States. In the U.S., dress (and other elements of personal appearance) may be seen as an expression of personal freedom and identity. In many host countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve, the way you dress and present yourself may be interpreted as an expression of regard—or disregard—for those host community members around you.

Volunteers are encouraged to spend time in their communities, develop their language skills, and get to know the individual members of their community to better understand their traditions, culture, and local norms. As mutual trust is established over time, there may opportunities for Volunteers to adjust their personal appearance and dress outside of the more rigid local standards. Volunteers are encouraged to discuss these potential adjustments with staff and other cultural mentors.

Volunteers are expected to dress professionally according to local standards. They will be expected to observe and follow their school’s dress code and Vietnamese cultural norms that hold teachers as role models. This will be perceived as demonstrating respect for the community and country in which they are living and serving, and it will increase a Volunteer’s ability to be trusted and respected, and their overall integration into the community. Note that Vietnamese parents may express concern if a teacher’s appearance is unconventional by local standards, even when the teacher is not in school. This may result in difficulty in building trust, which can negatively impact the Volunteer’s integration and ability to be optimally successful in their service.

Dress expectations at Vietnamese schools may be more conservative than the United States. Volunteers should wear clean, pressed, and well-fitted long pants, skirts, and shirts. Dress pants (or skirts) and short- or long-sleeved collared shirts are appropriate for school. Dresses and skirts should fall below the knee. Clothing that is ripped, frayed, untidy, tight, or revealing skin (such as knees, shoulders, back, midriff) is strongly discouraged, as is athletic wear, and caps. Flip-flops or slipper-type shoes are not appropriate for teaching. Open-toed shoes for women are viewed as acceptable.

Volunteers should keep their hair clean and neat both in and outside school. Vietnamese teachers who are men are typically clean shaven. Volunteers are expected to find ways to be as culturally appropriate as possible regarding hairstyles, dyed hair colors, facial hair, and other personal choices related to professionalism, dress and behavior.

Visible body art such as tattoos and piercings are perceived as unprofessional and inappropriate for teachers. Volunteers are expected to keep tattoos covered during training and service, both in and outside school.

Take the next step.