How to move to Vietnam as an expat in 2026

Dreaming of moving somewhere your money stretches three times further, breakfast costs a dollar, and the beach is never far from home?

Vietnam has quietly become one of the world's favorite places to start over, with digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and pensioners alike finding a home away from home.

But Vietnamese visas take planning, foreigners can't own land outright, and the healthcare system works differently from what most newcomers expect.

That’s why it’s important to know what to expect before planning your move.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• What life in Vietnam is really like, and why so many expats are keen to call the country home
• How much it costs to live in Vietnam comfortably
• How Vietnamese healthcare works, and what kind of insurance you'll need
• Which visa route fits your plans, and what you’ll need to apply
• Everything you’ll need to know about working, paying taxes, and finding a home
• How to handle the move itself, including shipping, pets, and schooling
• A few step-by-step checklists to keep your move on track

By the time we’re done, you'll know whether Vietnam is right for you and exactly what to do to make the move happen.

Without further ado, let's dive in!

What is life in Vietnam like?

Expat surveys regularly rank Vietnam among the most welcoming countries in the world.

Eating out costs less than cooking, housekeepers are affordable, and fast internet is everywhere.

On top of all this, Vietnam is very safe by global standards. Violent crime against foreigners is rare, and many expats feel safer than at home.

Climate-wise, the south is tropical year-round with a rainy season from May to November, the north has real seasons (Hanoi winters get genuinely chilly), and the central coast sees typhoons in autumn.

The main trade-offs in moving to Vietnam are big-city air pollution, noise, and a visa system that keeps long-term plans complicated.

Petty theft and bag-snatching do happen in busy areas of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but the biggest risk is traffic (most road fatalities involve motorbikes).

Still not sure if Vietnam’s right for you?

Here are some key pros and cons to help you make an informed decision:

Best cities for expats in Vietnam

Vietnam is a huge country, stretching 1,600 kilometers north to south, and each region has its own personality. That’s why it’s important to pick a city before looking for your new apartment.

Here is a quick overview of some of the most popular destinations for expats:

Cost of living in Vietnam

What does it cost to move to Vietnam?

Before booking that plane ticket, remember to account for these one-off costs in your budget:

• Flights: Long-haul for most movers, with Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi being the main gateways
• Housing setup: First month's rent, plus a typical deposit of 1 - 2 months
• Visa costs: E-visa fees are small, but work-permit document preparation (apostilles, translations, agent fees) can quickly add up
• Pet relocation: Paperwork and fees if you're bringing a dog or cat (we’ll cover this in more detail below)
• Shipping: Most expats skip the container, since almost all rentals come fully furnished

Monthly budgets: what real life costs

A single person can live on $700 - 1,000 per month in most cities, covering rent, food, and transport.

A couple can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle for under $1,300 per month in most of the country, while a family of four should plan on roughly $1,600 per month before rent and school fees.

In Ho Chi Minh City's expat districts, a comfortable Western lifestyle runs $1,500 - 2,500, with a one-bedroom in Thao Dien at $700 - 1,200.

In coastal towns like Da Nang, Hoi An, or Nha Trang, $800 - 1,100 per month buys a very good life, housekeeping included.

Banking and money

Vietnam runs on the dong (VND), and daily life is increasingly cashless, with QR payments becoming the norm everywhere from malls to street stalls.

That being said, opening a Vietnamese bank account does require a hefty amount of paperwork, including:

• Your passport with a valid visa or residence card (standard accounts generally require a residence document valid for at least 12 months).
• Proof of address (usually your signed lease and your landlord's documents)
• A Vietnamese SIM registered in your name
• A tax code, which some banks now require and can register for you on the spot

A Temporary Residence Card upgrades you to "resident" status with banks, giving you bigger transfer limits, better online banking, and access to USD accounts.

Some of the best banks for foreigners include Vietcombank, Techcombank, and BIDV, plus the digital bank Timo.

Healthcare in Vietnam

Healthcare is the part of moving to Vietnam that deserves the most planning.

The good news is that private care in the big cities is modern, English-speaking, and far cheaper than in the West.

However, quality drops fast outside these private providers, and how you're covered depends entirely on your setup.

How the system works

Vietnamese healthcare runs three tiers of care:

• Public hospitals: Very cheap (a general consultation runs VND 200,000 - 500,000) but crowded, with long waits and very limited English support.
• Private hospitals: Names like Vinmec and FV Hospital offer modern facilities and shorter waits, with specialist consultations at VND 1,500,000 - 4,000,000
• International clinics: Top-tier providers like Raffles Medical, with English-speaking doctors, and the highest prices, up to VND 6,000,000 - 20,000,000 per night for hospitalization

Most expats use private and international facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang.

Public health insurance: are expats covered?

Public healthcare only covers expats if you're officially employed in Vietnam.

Foreign employees join the compulsory social health insurance scheme through payroll. That coverage works best at the public facilities where you're registered, which most expats don't use as their first choice.

Everyone else has no access to public coverage at all, which is why private insurance is so important!

Health insurance for expats

Since public coverage is employment-only and public hospitals might not have the services you need, private insurance is effectively essential in Vietnam.

Within the realm of private insurance, you have a few different options:

• Local plans: Roughly $200 - 400 per year. This is affordable, but often comes with limited networks, low caps, and Vietnamese-language claims
• Regional plans: $600 - 1,200 per year, covering Vietnam and nearby countries
• International health insurance: From $1,500 per year, with worldwide or worldwide-minus-US cover, English-language service, and direct billing at the big private hospitals

For complex emergencies, patients are often transferred to Bangkok or Singapore, so check that your policy includes medical evacuation.

On top of this, if you're chaining e-visas remember that no visa route in Vietnam enrolls you in any coverage automatically.

Visas and immigration

Which Vietnam visa is right for you?

Vietnam has no digital nomad visa and no retirement visa, so all long stays are built from the routes below:

• 90-day e-visa: Open to all nationalities, and applied for online. Many long-stayers chain e-visas with short border runs to Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand. It's legal, but it isn't residency.
• Work permit + LD visa: The standard route for employees. Your employer sponsors the permit, which requires a degree or documented experience and legalized paperwork.
• Temporary Residence Card (TRC): Vietnam's closest thing to long-term residency, issued for 1 - 2 years to work-permit holders and their families, removing the need for visa renewals.
• Investor visas (DT1–DT4): Tiered by capital, starting below VND 3 billion (around $120,000). Larger investments qualify for TRCs of up to 5 years.
• Family routes: A Vietnamese spouse or parent opens visa exemption certificates and family TRCs.

One more thing to know: Vietnam does not grant permanent residency through investment, and permanent residency of any kind is rare.

How to apply

For the e-visa, applications are refreshingly simple.

All you have to do is apply online at Vietnam's official immigration portal, wait for approval, then print your e-visa for arrival.

The e-visa is cheap and fast, typically $25 - 50 and around 3 business days.

For the work-permit route, expect a few additional steps:

1. Your employer applies for approval to hire a foreign worker
2. Gather your documents: Legalized degree or experience letters, a police clearance, and a health check (all translated into Vietnamese and notarized)
3. Enter on an LD (working) visa once the permit is approved
4. Apply for your TRC through your employer, so you can skip visa renewals for 1 - 2 years
5. Confirm your address registration: Your landlord must register your stay with local police. This underpins every later application

The work-permit-plus-TRC route is the slow one. Document legalization, translation, and processing typically stretch over several weeks to a few months, so start collecting paperwork before you fly.

How to get Vietnamese citizenship

Thinking of settling down for the long haul?

Baseline requirements for naturalization include 5 years of residence, sufficient Vietnamese language, a clean record, and the means to support yourself.

However, Vietnam's citizenship rules changed significantly in July 2025, when an amended Nationality Law took effect.

Here are the 2025 reform's major changes:

• Dual citizenship is now possible in defined cases: Applicants with Vietnamese family, or who've made significant contributions to Vietnam, can keep their original nationality
• Big exemptions for family ties: Spouses and parents of Vietnamese citizens skip the language, residency, and self-sufficiency tests
• Faster processing, with several review stages cut in half

Realistically, naturalization remains most relevant to people with Vietnamese family or heritage. For everyone else, the TRC is the practical long-term status.

Working and paying taxes in Vietnam

The job market

For foreigners, work in Vietnam can be found mainly in English teaching, manufacturing and engineering, tech, and multinational or NGO roles in the big cities.

The average local wage is around VND 9 million per month (roughly $340), so even a modest expat package goes a long way locally.

Legal employment requires an employer-sponsored work permit, which demands a degree or documented experience and a pile of legalized paperwork.

Plenty of remote workers live in Vietnam on e-visas instead. However, be aware that this is a workaround, not a legal work status, and it comes with border runs every 90 days.

Salary and taxes

Vietnam taxes residents and non-residents differently (the line is 183 days in the country).

Stay 183 days or more in a 12-month period and you're a tax resident, meaning your worldwide income is taxed at progressive rates of 5 - 35%.

The scale consists of five brackets, with the 35% top rate starting above VND 100 million per month.

Stay less than 183 days, and you're a non-resident paying a flat 20% on Vietnam-sourced income only.

US citizens still file with the IRS on worldwide income, though the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit usually prevent double taxation.

Renting and buying property in Vietnam

Renting

Here's what to know when looking for a rental apartment or house in Vietnam:

• Where to look: Batdongsan is the biggest property portal, alongside local agents (usually free for tenants) and city expat Facebook groups
• Upfront costs: First month's rent, plus a standard deposit of 1 - 2 months
• Typical rents: A city-center one-bedroom averages around $400 nationwide. In Ho Chi Minh City's expat districts, however, expect closer to $700 - 1,200
• Paperwork: Your landlord must register your stay with the local police. Make sure you confirm that this happens, since visa renewals depend on it

Almost all rentals come fully furnished, and serviced apartments (cleaning and utilities included) are common in expat districts.

All in all, we recommend renting first. It's cheap, flexible, and how nearly every expat in Vietnam lives.

Buying

Foreigners can't own land in Vietnam outright, but you can own apartments in licensed developments on a 50-year renewable leasehold, documented by an ownership certificate known as the "pink book".

Foreigners can hold at most 30% of units in a building, and the 50-year clock starts when the certificate is issued. A resale from another foreigner passes on only the remaining term.

Booking deposits run $2,000–5,000. Verify the foreign quota in writing and hire an independent lawyer.

Moving to Vietnam: shipping, pets, and schooling

Shipping and pets

Since nearly every rental comes fully furnished, most expats arrive with suitcases and skip sea freight entirely.

Bringing a dog or cat is thankfully simple, and quarantine is usually waived as long as you’ve completed all the necessary paperwork and requirements:

• Microchip: a 15-digit ISO chip, with the number recorded on the rabies certificate
• Rabies vaccination: Given at least 30 days before arrival and no more than 12 months old (no titer test required)
• Parasite treatment: internal and external, within 5 days of departure
• Health certificate from your home country's veterinary authority
• Notify the airport quarantine station of your arrival details in advance. With valid documents pets typically clear without quarantine, while paperwork problems can mean 7 - 21 days

Schools and education

Public schools teach in Vietnamese, so expat families almost always choose international or bilingual schools, which are highly concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

The price ranges broadly, from around $6,000 per year at smaller bilingual primaries to over $35,000 at flagship IB and British schools, where top-end fees can now approach $38,000.

Da Nang and smaller cities offer solid options at lower prices.

We recommend budgeting the first year carefully, since application fees, deposits, and capital levies typically push real costs 20–30% above headline tuition.

Your "Moving to Vietnam" checklist

With so much to keep in mind, you might find yourself in need of a few quick lists to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.

Well, you’re in luck! Here are two key checklists to make sure you complete every step in the lead up to your move, and after touching down in Vietnam:

Before you move

1. Choose your route: E-visa flexibility, work permit + TRC, or investor visa (see the "Visas and immigration" section above)
2. Apply for your visa: The e-visa takes about 3 business days and costs $25 - 50. Remember, work visas hinge on your employer's approvals!
3. Start document legalization if you'll work: Degree, police clearance, and health check need translation and notarization, and it takes weeks
4. Take out international health insurance: No Vietnamese visa enrolls you in any coverage, and private hospitals bill you directly
5. Book a furnished rental or serviced apartment: Plan for first month's rent plus a 1 - 2 month deposit

After arriving in Vietnam

• Get a Vietnamese SIM in your name: You'll need it for banking, ride-hailing, and almost every app
• Confirm your landlord registers your stay: The police residence registration underpins visa extensions and card applications
• Open a bank account: Bring your passport and visa or TRC, your lease, your SIM, and ask the bank to register your tax code
• Track your work permit and TRC: your employer files them, but the document chase is yours

Before you go...

The one gap to plan for when moving to Vietnam is that no visa comes with health coverage.

Public insurance is employment-only, and the private hospitals you'd actually want to use bill you directly.

Arriving with international health insurance means you're protected from day one, even if an emergency means treatment abroad.

We hope this guide brings you closer to your Vietnam adventure.