Moving to Vietnam: jobs, pay and legal setup for Viet Kieu

For Overseas Vietnamese moving to Vietnam, the best job openings are senior roles the country still struggles to fill, and recruiters matter more than job boards. Pay can match or beat what you earn abroad at the right company, and your citizenship shapes everything from hiring speed to your contract.

At the OV Summit 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), three speakers took on the practical side of moving to Vietnam. Steven Tran, an Australian Overseas Vietnamese, moved to Hanoi to join Techcombank, where he is Director of Talent Management & Organisational Development. An Vo is Founding Partner and Managing Director at JANUS Executive Search, and has helped hundreds of Overseas Vietnamese candidates explore roles in Vietnam. Ken Duong is CEO of Duong Global Business Consulting and a California-licensed attorney who covers visas, work permits, business setup and taxes.

These are the lessons we would pass on to any Việt Kiều weighing the move. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Aim for the senior skills Vietnam still lacks

"What jobs are available in Vietnam?" is too broad. Ask instead where Vietnam needs skills that are still scarce locally.

An and Steven agreed that Vietnam has strong execution talent. The gap is at senior level: leading large teams, scaling systems, innovation and change. An named the areas where Overseas Vietnamese and international talent can still add value:

• research and development
• technology and data leadership
• global business development, and helping Vietnamese companies expand abroad
• leadership at scale, and building systems for larger organizations

Steven said the same from inside Techcombank. Many organizations have already imported global systems and technology. They now need people who can lead the next phase.

“We don’t look for doers and executioners anymore. We look for thought leadership, leadership at scale, and people who have tried, failed, and done different things.”

For junior talent the picture is different. An was direct: junior Overseas Vietnamese compete with strong local graduates, and many companies will not hire from abroad for roles where the local pool is already deep. For what a foreign degree is worth today, see Moving to Vietnam for your career.

Talk to recruiters before you need a job

Vietnam does not run on LinkedIn and career pages the way some markets do. Many senior roles are never posted, some are shaped around a candidate, and many depend on recruiters and personal networks. If you live 12 hours away, a company that needs your profile may never find you through a normal search.

Steven's advice: if you are serious about moving, talk to strong recruiters who understand Overseas Vietnamese talent. They know which companies are ready to hire from abroad and which roles are within reach.

An added that recruiters put people who are ready to move first. Someone willing to move within six months becomes more relevant; someone vaguely exploring stays in the interesting-but-not-urgent pile. So:

• Build relationships with recruiters before you need the job.
• Make your profile easy to understand.
• Be specific about your timeline and about the functions, industries and company types you want.
• Be ready to explain why Vietnam, why now and what value you bring.

Expect a slow, uneven hiring process

An was blunt about recruitment in Vietnam: it can be messy. Some processes move fast. Others take six or twelve months. Companies may be comparing candidates or changing priorities without telling anyone.

Part of the reason is cost. For a senior hire from abroad, a company may be relocating a whole family, with schooling, housing and immigration paperwork. Steven framed it as a return on investment question: the company needs to be sure of the fit.

• Start earlier than you think.
• Do not read silence as rejection.
• Do not depend on one process.
• Be clear about your notice period, and ready for things to move fast without warning.

Compare total compensation, not base salary

Many Overseas Vietnamese fear a big pay cut. Steven is the counterexample. Once base pay, USD compensation, housing, international school support, transportation, trips home and other benefits were counted, he said, his total compensation in Vietnam was materially higher than what he had earned in Australia.

An gave the wider view. Some Vietnamese companies still benchmark pay locally and are not set up to offer global packages. Larger corporates, and some leading banks and conglomerates, now benchmark regionally or globally, but usually only for high-impact roles.

“The statement that you must take a pay cut when moving to Vietnam is both true and false. It depends on the company’s stage, reward philosophy, and whether they are truly prepared to hire global talent.”

So compare offers line by line: base pay, bonus, equity, housing, school fees, transport, flights home, tax treatment, cost of living and long-term career upside. For a family, the school and housing lines can matter as much as the salary.

Check your legal status first, because citizenship changes the path

Ken's rule: the right legal setup depends on what you are doing. Working remotely for a foreign company is different from working for a Vietnamese one, and a software company is different from a bar. Ask what you are doing, who owns it, who works in it, where the revenue comes from and which licenses apply.

Citizenship can change the whole picture. At the Summit, Ken explained that Vietnamese citizenship, including dual citizenship, removes many work permit and temporary residence card complications, and that companies often prefer hiring Vietnamese citizens because compliance is simpler. An called dual citizenship the "best of both worlds": easier to hire, with international experience on top.

There is a catch. If you apply as a Vietnamese citizen, a company may first treat you as local talent. You can still negotiate a competitive package, but build the conversation around the value you bring, the level of the role and total compensation. Sort out your citizenship, visa, tax and employment status before you move, not at the last minute. If property is part of the plan, Ken's advice is in Buying property in Vietnam as an Overseas Vietnamese.

Not sure yet? Start with How to test a move to Vietnam before you make it. And if you are looking now, OV Jobs lists roles in Vietnam picked for Overseas Vietnamese.