Moving from Finland to Vietnam
A long ocean haul from the Baltic to Southeast Asia. Here is the honest brief on container costs, how Vietnam treats used effects for work permit holders, the temporary residence card that anchors your stay, and a timeline you can plan around.
Time your shipment to your residence card and your goods clear with relief.
A move from Finland to Vietnam is a long sea haul from the Baltic to Southeast Asia. Containers usually leave Helsinki or the HaminaKotka port and sail through northern Europe and the Suez Canal to Vietnam, arriving at Hai Phong if you are heading to Hanoi and the north, or at Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh City for the south. The ocean leg runs about five to seven weeks, and a realistic door to door window is seven to ten weeks once consolidation, customs and delivery are counted.
The customs picture is manageable but time sensitive. Vietnam admits used household goods for foreigners who hold a work permit and a temporary residence card, and the clearance generally needs your shipment to arrive within a set window of your residence card being issued, so timing the sailing to your immigration milestones is the key planning move on this route. A licensed local agent handles the declaration.
Prices below are in euro and indicative for 2026. Your real number turns on volume, whether you share a container or take a full one, the port you use, and delivery to your address in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or beyond.
What it costs in 2026, by home size.
Your bill is driven by volume and whether you share or take a full load, plus delivery within Vietnam. The figures below are indicative ranges for 2026, door to door.
Indicative 2026 ranges in euro, door to door by sea from Helsinki or Kotka through the Suez Canal to Hai Phong in the north or Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh City. Volume, season, the port pair and final delivery move the figure. Summer is the peak.
- +Best value for a studio or a partial home
- +You pay only for the space you use
- −Slower, because your goods wait for the consolidated load
- +Faster and sealed to your home only
- +The sensible choice for a full home
- −You pay for the whole box even if you do not fill it
- +Fastest way to get essentials over
- +Useful while your container is at sea
- −Rarely sensible for a full household
Get moving quotes for Finland to Vietnam.
Tell us your size and timing. We pass your request to vetted movers who run the route from Finland into Vietnam, and you compare them on your own terms.
A realistic schedule for this route.
Working back from the day your goods leave Finland, here is a realistic schedule for this move to Vietnam.
Sort your residence route
Line up your sponsoring employer, because your work permit and temporary residence card are what let you settle in Vietnam and clear your goods with relief.
Get surveys and quotes
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding price. Confirm they sail to Hai Phong or Cat Lai and work with a licensed Vietnamese agent.
Book the sailing
Confirm your Finnish port and sailing date and lock a valued inventory, then time the arrival to fall within the window after your residence card is issued.
Secure your residence card
Land, complete your work permit and temporary residence card, and register your residence with the local ward police.
Clear customs and deliver
Your agent lodges the declaration with the General Department of Vietnam Customs at the port, applying the resident relief, then delivers to your Vietnamese home.
Clearing your goods into Vietnam.
Vietnam clears household goods through the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Because Vietnam is outside any customs union with Finland, your move is an import, so your used effects need a customs declaration. Relief from duty for a genuine home move generally depends on you holding a work permit and a temporary residence card, and on the shipment arriving within the window the rules allow after the card is issued.
You prepare a detailed valued inventory, your passport, work permit and temporary residence card, and the bill of lading, which a licensed Vietnamese agent lodges at Hai Phong or Cat Lai. Honest used valuations keep clearance smooth, because items that look new or commercial can attract duty and tax. Used goods that are clearly part of your home are the easiest to clear.
Bringing a car from Finland is rarely worthwhile, as Vietnam restricts and heavily taxes vehicle imports and registration is complex. Firearms, drones, certain media, foods, plants and animal products are restricted or prohibited, so declare everything and check the current lists before you ship.
The routes in for this corridor.
A Finnish citizen needs a work permit and a temporary residence card to settle in Vietnam, and these are usually arranged by a sponsoring employer. The temporary residence card, the TRC, is the document that anchors your stay, unlocks the customs clearance of your goods, and lets you sign a longer lease.
The starting point for most movers. A Vietnamese employer sponsors your work permit, which is the basis for a longer stay and for clearing your household goods.
Once you hold a work permit, you obtain a temporary residence card, valid for a set period, which replaces repeated visa runs and supports your customs clearance.
Foreigners investing in or running a registered Vietnamese company can qualify for an investor route to a temporary residence card.
Spouses and children of a TRC holder can obtain dependant cards, allowing the family to settle together for the duration of the main applicant's stay.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Check the trade affiliation. Membership of FIDI or IAM is the clearest signal a mover is financially screened and bound to industry standards for international household goods. For this route, ask whether the mover handles moves from Finland into Vietnam regularly and manages clearance at Hai Phong or Cat Lai in house.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. A quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, the freight, customs clearance and the destination paperwork, delivery, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled. Read the valuation clause before you sign.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. A mover can be excellent at home and weak on a haul like this one. Look for verified reviews that mention the Finland to Vietnam route and a smooth clearance at Hai Phong or Cat Lai.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Finland to Vietnam?
For a two to three bedroom household by sea, plan on roughly 5,000 to 16,500 euro door to door in 2026, depending on volume, shared or full container, the port, and delivery within Vietnam. A studio is less and a four bedroom home more. These are indicative ranges, not a quote.
How long does shipping take from Finland to Vietnam?
Door to door is usually about seven to ten weeks. The sailing from Helsinki or Kotka through the Suez Canal to Hai Phong or Cat Lai runs about five to seven weeks, and consolidation, customs clearance and final delivery add the rest.
Do I pay duty on my household goods moving to Vietnam?
Usually not for a genuine home move, if you hold a work permit and a temporary residence card and your shipment arrives within the allowed window. Used effects are the easiest to clear. Verify the current rules with the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
Do I need a visa to move from Finland to Vietnam?
Yes. Most movers arrive on an employer sponsored work permit and then obtain a temporary residence card, the TRC. Confirm your route with the Vietnamese immigration authorities and your sponsor before you move.
Which port do my goods arrive at in Vietnam?
Hai Phong serves Hanoi and the north, while Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh City serves the south. Your mover delivers onward from the relevant port to your Vietnamese address.
Can I bring my car from Finland to Vietnam?
It is rarely worthwhile. Vietnam restricts and heavily taxes vehicle imports and registration is complex, so most movers sell in Finland and buy or lease locally.
Last reviewed: 28 May 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.