Got my passport back from Vietnamese Embassy

[Matt_Stevens 5]

My fiancee and I met in person twice in Europe when she was researching universities, so this will be my first trip to her home country of Vietnam and my first time meeting her parents.

Sent my passport to the Vietnamese Embassy in DC last week and received it back today, with the Visa.

47 days and counting.

Edited March 26, 2006 by Matt_Stevens

[Mike n Huong 1]

My fiancee and I met in person twice in Europe when she was researching universities, so this will be my first trip to her home country of Vietnam and my first time meeting her parents.

Sent my passport to the Vietnamese Embassy in DC last week and received it back today, with the Visa.

47 days and counting.

Matt, I am really happy for you. I have gone to Vietnam twice to meet my fiancee, and her family. It is very differnt than here in the US, but I really enjoyed my time their. I was a little worried about how people would react to me, but now I know there was nothing to worry about. The people of Vietnam are wonderful. There are many things in their culture that I just loved. It is a very good experience, and you will learn alot about your fiancee's culture, and life. I miss being there, and I wish I could go there soon, but I must wait for her Visa to be approved. My fiancee is from Hanoi, where is your fiancee from? I wish they interview there, because she will have to travel for her medical exam as well as the interview.

Have fun and enjoy the time there, because you will be very busy with meeting her family and seeing Vietnam.

My fiancee and I met in person twice in Europe when she was researching universities, so this will be my first trip to her home country of Vietnam and my first time meeting her parents.

Sent my passport to the Vietnamese Embassy in DC last week and received it back today, with the Visa.

47 days and counting.

Matt, I am really happy for you. I have gone to Vietnam twice to meet my fiancee, and her family. It is very differnt than here in the US, but I really enjoyed my time their. I was a little worried about how people would react to me, but now I know there was nothing to worry about. The people of Vietnam are wonderful. There are many things in their culture that I just loved. It is a very good experience, and you will learn alot about your fiancee's culture, and life. I miss being there, and I wish I could go there soon, but I must wait for her Visa to be approved. My fiancee is from Hanoi, where is your fiancee from? I wish they interview there, because she will have to travel for her medical exam as well as the interview.

Have fun and enjoy the time there, because you will be very busy with meeting her family and seeing Vietnam.

[MaryandMian 1]

Congratulations and it will not be long before your trip. Good luck.

Mary

[Jasman0717 8]

Congrats, have a save trip

[Peggy 1]

Have a wonderful trip

[Bruce and Han 0]

My fiancee and I met in person twice in Europe when she was researching universities, so this will be my first trip to her home country of Vietnam and my first time meeting her parents.

Sent my passport to the Vietnamese Embassy in DC last week and received it back today, with the Visa.

47 days and counting.

Matt,

This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room. If you do stay in a hotel, have her sign the reciept too. Take alot of pictures with her parents and her friends and have them dated. Save every reciept you get. Make sure to keep the credit card statments for the airline tickets. Take as much proof of relation stuff (ie printed emails, Greeting cards, IM log chats, Photos of you and your parents and family, Pictures of your car, you cant bring to much with you, (this will save you some time and money down the road. Just keep your baggage under 70 pounds though. Well, good luck, have fun, If you have a gameboy you will need it for the flight.

[Robert & Van 0]

Your going to love it there, I have been there twice July 2005 and just got back for 3 weeks last Feb.. I stayed in District 1 in Saigon. But also went to Da Lat, Vung Tau and Phan Thiet. I hope I can return back this September but have to wait for the K-1 process. Good luck on your trip. And what mike says about the people there they are very nice and polite people.

[dalegg 143]

Matt,

This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room.

Are you telling me this is all I had to do to avoid the panic I went through every time I was there???!! We stayed at a willing hotel, but without fail every time I was there at least once a week there would be police doing a random inspection and I tried desperately to sleep without dreaming of being hauled off to a Vietnamese jail showing them pictures of our engagement ceremony and bribing them to get me out!!! fortunately they never checked our room.

Besides, it doesn't matter. We learned in another post that Matt's fiance is saving herself for marriage , so I'm sure she will never be in his room

Edited March 26, 2006 by dalegg

[Bruce and Han 0]

Matt,

This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room.

Are you telling me this is all I had to do to avoid the panic I went through every time I was there???!! We stayed at a willing hotel, but without fail every time I was there at least once a week there would be police doing a random inspection and I tried desperately to sleep without dreaming of being hauled off to a Vietnamese jail showing them pictures of our engagement ceremony and bribing them to get me out!!! fortunately they never checked our room.

Besides, it doesn't matter. We learned in another post that Matt's fiance is saving herself for marriage , so I'm sure she will never be in his room

Thats for sure, If you book the room as a couple, they cant touch you.

[scy 0]

Matt,

This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room.

Are you telling me this is all I had to do to avoid the panic I went through every time I was there???!! We stayed at a willing hotel, but without fail every time I was there at least once a week there would be police doing a random inspection and I tried desperately to sleep without dreaming of being hauled off to a Vietnamese jail showing them pictures of our engagement ceremony and bribing them to get me out!!! fortunately they never checked our room.

Besides, it doesn't matter. We learned in another post that Matt's fiance is saving herself for marriage , so I'm sure she will never be in his room

Actually, according to Vietnamese law, the foreigner has to be married to the Vietnamese citizen in order for them to be allowed in the same hotel room. So being engaged doesn't count. And yes, they could have hauled you off to a jail if you're found to not be married to the woman staying in your room. But I'm sure a little bribe will go a long way towards resolving any problem.

[Bruce and Han 0]

Matt,

This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room.

Are you telling me this is all I had to do to avoid the panic I went through every time I was there???!! We stayed at a willing hotel, but without fail every time I was there at least once a week there would be police doing a random inspection and I tried desperately to sleep without dreaming of being hauled off to a Vietnamese jail showing them pictures of our engagement ceremony and bribing them to get me out!!! fortunately they never checked our room.

Besides, it doesn't matter. We learned in another post that Matt's fiance is saving herself for marriage , so I'm sure she will never be in his room

Actually, according to Vietnamese law, the foreigner has to be married to the Vietnamese citizen in order for them to be allowed in the same hotel room. So being engaged doesn't count. And yes, they could have hauled you off to a jail if you're found to not be married to the woman staying in your room. But I'm sure a little bribe will go a long way towards resolving any problem.

Scy,

I guessed I dodged another bullit then. When I made the hotel reservations, my fiance said to be sure to list her name on the reservation. So thats what exactly what I did. Thanks for that correction, because my facts were off. I really thought this within the law.

[Mike n Huong 1]

Matt,

This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room.

Are you telling me this is all I had to do to avoid the panic I went through every time I was there???!! We stayed at a willing hotel, but without fail every time I was there at least once a week there would be police doing a random inspection and I tried desperately to sleep without dreaming of being hauled off to a Vietnamese jail showing them pictures of our engagement ceremony and bribing them to get me out!!! fortunately they never checked our room.

Besides, it doesn't matter. We learned in another post that Matt's fiance is saving herself for marriage , so I'm sure she will never be in his room

Actually, according to Vietnamese law, the foreigner has to be married to the Vietnamese citizen in order for them to be allowed in the same hotel room. So being engaged doesn't count. And yes, they could have hauled you off to a jail if you're found to not be married to the woman staying in your room. But I'm sure a little bribe will go a long way towards resolving any problem.

Scy,

I guessed I dodged another bullit then. When I made the hotel reservations, my fiance said to be sure to list her name on the reservation. So thats what exactly what I did. Thanks for that correction, because my facts were off. I really thought this within the law.

Both times I was there my fiancee stayed int he room with me. If the Fiancee talks to the receptionist and tells them you are going to get married every thing will be fine. I stayed in 5 different hotels and didn't have one problem having her stay in my room as well as the worry of the police. The key is to come to the hotel together to book the room for more than one night. If you come there yourself and then bring her bak with you then that is when you have probelms, but if you two are together all the time, they don't say a word.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

Besides, it doesn't matter. We learned in another post that Matt's fiance is saving herself for marriage , so I'm sure she will never be in his room

Well, just because there won't be the deed, doesn't mean we cannot get busy.

While In Saigon she will not stay in my room. She will stay with her parents, as that is where she currently lives (District 3). Now, we were wondering what to do about our trip to Hanoi, as we will fly up to see her grandparents. Some of the more Western hotels would likely not get raided, so I think we should stay there.

What stunned me was when Anh called me and said that her mother told her when we go to Hanoi together, she can stay in my room as we will have had the Dam Hoi and Anh "will belong to Matthew as future wife" from then on. I was floored by this. Anh was in shock.

Of course, we are now NOT having the Dam Hoi in May, as the expense of my trip, plus a ring, plus the Dam Hoi would kill me financially. I just do not have that kind of money. Instead we will do it later in the year, which also allows my parents to fly to Saigon and be there.

We're a little nervous about the interview though, as they might be suspicious. Anh will have the engagement ring and plenty of proof of our relationship, of course, but you never know with HCMC. I'm trying not to think about it too much. Anh wants us to take engagement type pictures for an album that she can take with her.

Advice?

Stated by Bruce_Han:This is very important, If you stay at a hotel, book the room for you and your Fiance in advance or they wont let her into your room. If you do stay in a hotel, have her sign the reciept too. Take alot of pictures with her parents and her friends and have them dated. Save every reciept you get. Make sure to keep the credit card statments for the airline tickets. Take as much proof of relation stuff (ie printed emails, Greeting cards, IM log chats, Photos of you and your parents and family, Pictures of your car, you cant bring to much with you

My only fear is the lack of proof I will have in purchasing the ticket to Vietnam. I am using tickets (turned into a voucher) from an aborted flight to Europe last year. They were Business Class tickets, so the price difference was only about $75 and while that charge is on my latest statement, that doesn't exactly look kosher to the ill-informed. I really do not know how I can explain this to the people in HCMC as I know they will use any excuse to hand out a blue slip.

Thank God Anh and I met twice in Europe last year.

Matt

Edited March 26, 2006 by Matt_Stevens

[dalegg 143]

While In Saigon she will not stay in my room. She will stay with her parents, as that is where she currently lives (District 3). Now, we were wondering what to do about our trip to Hanoi, as we will fly up to see her grandparents. Some of the more Western hotels would likely not get raided, so I think we should stay there.

The only thing is that you will likely have to pay for two rooms. That's funny. Nicole is from District 3 and we went to Hanoi to visit her grandparents also! By the way, when you get to Saigon, you're going to say "wow, look how crowded it is", then you will go to Hanoi and rethink your position.

What stunned me was when Anh called me and said that her mother told her when we go to Hanoi together, she can stay in my room as we will have had the Dam Hoi and Anh "will belong to Matthew as future wife" from then on. I was floored by this. Anh was in shock.

No need to be in shock over this. The same went in my case. This is the way their culture is. In fact, when we celebrate anniverseries, we don't really celebrate the day we had our marriage ceremony in the U.S., we celebrate the day we had our anniversery ceremony in Vietnam. Nicole's mother was real concerned about us being together during the trip before the ceremony, but as soon as the ceremony was over, she gave me the key to her room.

Of course, we are now NOT having the Dam Hoi in May, as the expense of my trip, plus a ring, plus the Dam Hoi would kill me financially. I just do not have that kind of money. Instead we will do it later in the year, which also allows my parents to fly to Saigon and be there.

We're a little nervous about the interview though, as they might be suspicious. Anh will have the engagement ring and plenty of proof of our relationship, of course, but you never know with HCMC. I'm trying not to think about it too much. Anh wants us to take engagement type pictures for an album that she can take with her.

Advice?

Matt

I know it might be an expense you aren't planning on until later in the year, but not having the engagement ceremony before the interview does sometimes raise suspicion. You might want to reconsider this.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

No, you misunderstand, I *WILL* have the engagement ring for her. I am bringing it with me in May. It is just the Dam Hoi that will take place later. I simply could not afford both. It was impossible.

And now I can spend more on the ring. I wanted to get her a ring that was worthy of her.