Shiping to Ho Chi Minh City

Dear all,
I am moving to HCMC in January. I was going to ship (by sea) personal items over but I ran into the following problems: One needs a work permit on company letterhead stating that your company is allowed to do business in Vietnam. Also I should list when I arrive at the airport that a shipment is coming and how many items/boxes. I have a work visa but have not secured a job yet so obviously not an option. I saw at one of the shipping sites that one can bring up to Protected content by air without a problem but this will be very expensive. Is there any way around this? Could I ship it to my girlfriend without raising a problem? Any input will be appreciated.