The first two days in Ho Chi Minh City, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Ho Chi Minh City
How long you are staying
Must do
Viettel, Vinaphone and Mobifone sell SIMs at the airport; bring your passport, as SIMs are registered and checked against it. A local number is what Grab, Zalo and banks ask for.
Police, fire and ambulance. In a city emergency a private hospital's own ambulance is often faster; save its number too.
Before viewing anything seriously, ask whether the building declares foreign tenants to the ward police. Serviced apartments and managed towers usually do; shophouse rooms often do not.
Hotels declare you automatically. In a flat, ask the landlord to confirm the temporary residence declaration with the ward police and send you proof.
At a hospital on the approved list. Bring passport photos and go early in the morning, having fasted if the hospital asks you to.
Should do
Walk at a slow, steady pace and do not stop or run: the motorbikes steer round predictable people. Look both ways on one-way streets too.
Link a card to Grab. Zalo is how the landlord, agent and most offices will contact you.
Notes run to 500,000 and several look alike; the blue 20,000 and 500,000 are the classic pair to confuse. Drop the last three zeros in your head: 50k is 50,000.
Make the run from your shortlisted area to work or school at 8am by Grab bike and car. Bridges and the airport roads turn a short trip into a long one.
Keep the name and address of the international hospital you would use, written in Vietnamese, for a driver who does not read English.
Nice to do
Open the account at that bank once your work permit or residence card is issued, and set up the QR transfers.
Buy a ticket at Ben Thanh or Opera House and ride out to Thao Dien. A day pass is VND 40,000 and a monthly pass VND 300,000; it may change where you look for a flat.
Your first 48 hours in Ho Chi Minh City0/120% done. Ticks are saved on this device.