Moving to Vietnam

Your status decides your visa, your job offers and what you can own. The main routes:

• Five-year visa exemption certificate. For Overseas Vietnamese with a foreign passport, and for foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens. Up to six months per stay, many entries, and it costs USD 10 in Vietnam (Government of Vietnam, April 2026).
• Work permit through an employer. A temporary residence card lasts up to two years and costs USD 145.
• Vietnamese nationality. Since 1 July 2025, with a Vietnamese parent or grandparent, you can get or restore nationality and keep your foreign one, with the President's approval and no language test or residence period (Duane Morris, July 2025).
• Certificate of Vietnamese origin. Apply at a provincial Department of Justice or an embassy; checks take up to 45 days (Tuoi Tre, November 2025).

Documents. Since 11 September 2026, an apostille from the issuing country is enough for most documents. Germany, Austria and Czechia are exceptions and still need consular legalisation.

A test visit. Passports from 24 countries, including Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea, get 45 days without a visa under rules that run to 2028 (Government of Vietnam, August 2025). Others can use an e-visa for up to 90 days, at USD 25 for one entry or USD 50 for several. Hao Tran, co-founder of Vietcetera, suggests two to four weeks in Ho Chi Minh City from December to February, or in March, when companies plan new hires.

There are three common routes: a job with a company in Vietnam, income from abroad while you live here, or your own business. A job is the easiest start: the employer handles the work permit. Expect to earn less at first.

"I think it's reasonable to start with a job. When I first came here, my income went down by like 85%." (Stephen Turban on the OV Podcast)

For pay, tax on a salary and contracts, see Building a career in Vietnam. For your own company, see Building a business in Vietnam. Open roles: jobs in Ho Chi Minh City.

Rent. Average monthly rent for a central one-bedroom (Numbeo, October 2026): about VND 15 million in Ho Chi Minh City, VND 11 million in Hanoi and VND 14 million in Da Nang. Deposits are usually one to two months' rent, on leases of 6 to 12 months. With a foreign passport, your landlord must declare your stay to the police within 12 hours.

What you can own. Under the Land Law and Housing Law in force since 1 August 2024:

• Vietnamese citizens, also those living abroad, have the same rights as citizens in Vietnam.
• People of Vietnamese origin with a foreign passport can own a house with its land, but residential land only inside housing projects.
• Foreigners can buy in approved projects only, for 50 years plus one renewal.

Buying. New apartments in central Ho Chi Minh City sold for about VND 92 million per m² in Q2 2026 (CBRE). Home loan rates at major banks ran 9.5% to 12.3% a year in September 2026, and float higher after the fixed period.

Monthly costs. Without rent, one person spends about VND 12.7 million a month in Ho Chi Minh City, 11.9 million in Hanoi and 11.5 million in Da Nang (Numbeo, October 2026). Hao Tran pays VND 30 million a month for a modest two-bedroom in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tax. Since 1 July 2026, you are tax resident after 183 days in Vietnam in a year, or with a registered address or a fixed-term lease here. Residents pay tax on income from anywhere. Vietnam has tax treaties in force with Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK, but not the US.

Banking and cash. Bank accounts must be linked to a VNeID electronic ID by 30 June 2027. Foreigners can get one since 28 September 2026. Declare cash above USD 5,000 when you enter or leave, or the fine can reach VND 50 million.

School fees for 2026-27. International school fees in Ho Chi Minh City rose 3% to 6% this year (Tuoi Tre, August 2026). ISHCMC charges VND 702 million to 1.06 billion a year, BIS Hanoi VND 658 to 970 million, and the bilingual Wellspring Saigon VND 238.5 to 409.5 million. Most international schools take applications from August to January for the next August. Schools with a foreign programme must keep Vietnamese students below 50%, so ask how they count a child with two passports.

Help at home. Since 10 September 2026, a domestic helper needs a written contract, and you must tell the commune when you hire or end the job, or pay a fine of VND 1 to 3 million.

Air. Hanoi's average PM2.5 in 2025 was 45.9 µg/m³, against a WHO guideline of 5. Ho Chi Minh City's air is cleaner: its average in 2024 was 20.9 µg/m³ (IQAir).

Healthcare. FV Hospital and Vinmec Central Park in Ho Chi Minh City, and Vinmec Times City in Hanoi, hold JCI accreditation. With a labour contract of 12 months or more, you join state health insurance through your job. The average international plan sold by the broker Pacific Prime in Vietnam cost USD 4,547 a year for one person and USD 12,505 for a family (2024 data). For an ambulance call 115; the call is free.