Moving to Vietnam

Most foreigners who live in Vietnam do it on a 90-day e-visa, then leave the country and apply for another. There’s no retirement visa, and a residence card needs a real job, a business investment or Vietnamese family.

That’s the starting point for anyone planning a long stay, retired or not. Below is the visa you’ll most likely use, who can get something longer, and the paperwork, renting, banking and health cover once you land. I lived in Saigon and around Vung Tau, so I’ll point out where the rules bite in daily life.

The 90-day e-visa most people live on

Vietnam’s e-visa is open to every nationality. You apply online at the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, and it lasts up to 90 days.

The fee isn’t refunded if you’re refused, so check the passport number and dates twice. Enter through the border gate named on the visa, and make sure your passport has at least six months left.

The catch: a tourist e-visa generally can’t be extended inside Vietnam. When it runs out, you leave and apply for a new one. Plenty of long-stayers do this every three months with a short trip to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Phnom Penh. Four multiple-entry e-visas a year cost US$200 (about A$290), plus the flights.

Who can enter without a visa

Australians, Americans, Canadians and New Zealanders need a visa. Other nationalities may not, at least for a first visit:

• 45 days, any purpose: Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Japan and South Korea (Resolution 44/NQ-CP, 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028).
• 45 days, tourism only: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland (Resolution 229/NQ-CP, 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028).
• ASEAN neighbours: 14 to 30 days, depending on the country.

Visa-free entrants can sometimes be granted a visa or extension inside Vietnam if a company or relative sponsors them. For a long stay, most people still end up on the 90-day e-visa. If your country isn’t listed above, check with the nearest Vietnamese embassy.

Who can get a residence card

A temporary residence card (TRC) lets you live in Vietnam without leaving every 90 days. You need a sponsor and a reason Vietnam recognises. The main routes for foreigners:

Your employer, company or Vietnamese family member applies for you at the immigration office. The card must expire at least 30 days before your passport does. Investments under VND 3 billion (DT4) get a visa of up to 12 months but no card.

Foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens can also get a five-year visa exemption certificate, which allows stays of up to 180 days per entry. Marrying in Vietnam needs government approval and a Certificate of No Impediment, which Australians get through DFAT.

There is no retirement visa and no residence card for people living off a pension or savings. A “golden visa” has been discussed but isn’t law. Changes passed in 2025 created new UD1 and UD2 visas for highly skilled digital and technology workers and their families, not for retirees. If you’re retiring, read retiring in Vietnam for how people manage it in practice.

Registering your address with the police

Every foreigner in Vietnam must have their address declared to the local commune or ward police. Hotels do this at check-in. When you rent a flat or stay with friends, your landlord or host is responsible.

Declarations can be made online or on paper. Paper forms must reach the police within 12 hours of your arrival (24 hours in remote areas). A Ministry of Public Security circular in force from 24 July 2026 tells accommodation providers to declare online straight away. A new declaration is needed when you move or get a new passport.

Private landlords sometimes forget, and the problem shows up later at the bank, at immigration or when a sponsor applies for your card. Ask your landlord to do it in your first week and keep a copy or screenshot.

New province names on your paperwork

Vietnam merged its 63 provinces into 34 on 1 July 2025, and abolished districts. Leases, police declarations and bank records now use the new names. The changes most expats notice:

• Ho Chi Minh City now includes Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Duong. Vung Tau is part of Ho Chi Minh City.
• Da Nang now includes Quang Nam, so Hoi An is in Da Nang.
• Khanh Hoa (Nha Trang) includes Ninh Thuan.
• Lam Dong (Da Lat) includes Binh Thuan, which covers Mui Ne, and Dak Nong.
• Hanoi is unchanged.

People still use the old district names in conversation, such as District 1 or Thao Dien in the old District 2. Your paperwork won’t.

Renting a place

Rent short term first. A serviced apartment or a monthly Airbnb for your first month lets you walk the neighbourhoods before you commit. Then look for a 6- or 12-month lease, which is where the better prices are.

Leases are usually a deposit of one or two months plus a month in advance. Insist on a written contract you can read (bilingual, or translated by someone you trust). Check who pays electricity and water, and how it’s billed. The apartment-hunting guide covers scams and negotiation, and Cost of Living has rent ranges for Saigon and Da Nang.

Foreigners can buy an apartment in Vietnam within set limits, but ownership is time-limited and rules are tighter than renting. Rent for at least a year before thinking about it.

Opening a bank account

You can live in Vietnam for months on a home debit card with no foreign transaction fees for ATM withdrawals and Wise for larger transfers. A local account becomes useful once you pay rent by transfer or use the bank QR codes that almost every shop accepts.

What you’ll need:

• Your passport and a valid visa. Some banks will open an account on an e-visa; many prefer a TRC or work permit.
• Your local address and a Vietnamese phone number in your name.
• Face (biometric) registration at a branch. Since 1 January 2025, it’s required before you can make online transfers.

Under the 2024 State Bank circulars, banks track your visa and passport dates. Woori Bank Vietnam says foreigners with less than 12 months of permitted stay can’t be issued a debit card, and residents’ services are suspended if their visa expires without an update. More in the expat banking guide.

Hospitals and health insurance

Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have good private hospitals for most needs, and Da Nang has decent ones too. For complex surgery or cancer care, many expats go to Bangkok or Singapore.

Your home system won’t pay for any of it. Buy international health insurance that covers Vietnam and includes medical evacuation, and buy it before you leave, especially if you’re over 60. The healthcare and insurance guide explains what to look for, and retiring in Vietnam names the main hospitals.

Internet rules and VPNs

Vietnam has tightened its internet rules. Social media accounts need a Vietnamese phone number to post, and a new Cybersecurity Law took effect on 1 July 2026. Many foreigners use a VPN for home banking and streaming. Set it up before you arrive: see VPNs for expats.

One more thing to leave at home: vapes. Smartraveller says e-cigarettes are now illegal to bring in, sell or use in Vietnam.

What to do, and when

If you’re still choosing between countries, start with Thailand vs Vietnam or retiring in South East Asia.