Visas and residency for retirees | Vietnam Retirement Guide

The short version

Vietnam has no visa made for retirees: the immigration law lists residence cards by purpose (investment, work, study, family and so on), and none is for retirement. ¹³ Most retirees therefore pick one of the routes below. Use the quiz to see which ones fit you.

Which option fits me?

Four questions. Runs only in your browser; nothing is sent or saved.

E-visa (anyone)

Since 15 August 2023 citizens of every country can get an e-visa. ¹ ²
It lasts up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, and costs US$25 (single) or US$50 (multiple). ³ Vietnam's official fee schedule sets the same two fees. ⁴
Apply only on the official portals evisa.gov.vn or thithucdientu.gov.vn; the fee is not refunded if you are refused. ⁵
You must enter and leave through one of the designated border gates (42, including all international airports, per the U.S. Embassy). ³ The State Department says overstaying your visa brings fines. ⁶
Living on e-visas means leaving the country at least every 90 days. Visa-run cost, one cheap example from Ho Chi Minh City: the trip out and back is about US$70–100 — a bus to Phnom Penh at about US$20–35 each way on a booking site ⁷ plus a Cambodia tourist e-visa of US$30 ⁸ — and then your next Vietnam e-visa (US$25 single or US$50 multiple) ⁴, so about US$95–150 a trip in all, before any hotel nights. The calculator uses the low end of the trip cost (US$70) and counts the Vietnam e-visa on its own line. Flights, other borders or other cities cost more or less. (Example worked out by us from these prices.)

Visa exemption certificate — the "5-year visa" for overseas Vietnamese (Việt Kiều)

Who: people of Vietnamese origin living abroad, and foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens or of overseas Vietnamese. You need a passport with at least 1 year left. ⁹ ¹⁰
How long: up to 5 years, ending at least 6 months before your passport expires. ⁹ ¹⁰
Stay per entry: up to 6 months. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs guide says each entry on the certificate allows a stay of up to 6 months, and that a sponsored extension of up to 6 more months is possible. ¹⁰ The 90-day figure you may see comes from the older 2007 rule. ¹¹
Proof of Vietnamese origin can be one of many papers, such as an old Vietnamese passport or ID (even expired), a birth certificate, a family register book, or a pre-1975 ID or travel paper. ⁹
In the U.S. you apply in person at the Embassy or by Registered Mail Restricted Delivery (notarized copies if mailed), paying by money order or cashier's check. ⁹ Fee: Vietnam's national fee schedule sets US$10 per certificate (Circular 28/2026, in force 1 April 2026). ⁴ That is the fee for applying inside Vietnam; embassies abroad charge under a separate consular fee list, so the U.S. Embassy fee may differ (needs source — ask the Embassy).

Family (TT) visa and temporary residence card

Foreign family members of Vietnamese citizens can hold a family (TT) temporary residence card. TT cards last up to 3 years, and every card must end at least 30 days before your passport does. ¹² ¹³

Investor (ĐT) temporary residence card

Investors can get a card tied to the amount invested: ĐT1 up to 10 years, ĐT2 up to 5 years, ĐT3 up to 3 years. ¹² ¹³
The capital thresholds for each level are set in the law; check them with a licensed lawyer before investing. Investing just to get a card is a business decision with real risk.

Passport and arrival rules

The State Department (advisory issued 24 June 2026; checked Oct 27, 2026 in a browser) says: you need a visa before you travel, except for stays of 30 days or less on Phú Quốc island; your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond arrival; travelers arriving by air must fill in a pre-arrival form within 3 days before arrival; and you must declare more than 15 million dong or more than US$5,000 in cash. ⁶
Vietnam's 45-day visa-free list (Government Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid to 14 March 2028) covers citizens of 12 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. The U.S. is not one of them, so Americans need a visa. ¹⁴ ¹⁵
The State Department says you must enter and exit Vietnam on the same passport. ¹⁶

Getting Vietnamese nationality back

Law 79/2025, which amends the nationality law and took effect on 1 July 2025, lets an applicant keep a foreign nationality when the President permits it. Ask a lawyer whether it applies to you. ¹⁷

Register where you stay

Your hotel or landlord must declare your stay to the local police — on paper within 12 hours of arrival (24 hours in remote areas), or online. ¹³ The U.S. Embassy says all visitors must register their temporary residence where they sleep. ³

Sources & “as of” dates

Items marked verified were opened and checked in a browser; the note says who checked and when.

Government portal (chinhphu.vn) — e-visas for citizens of all countries from 15 Aug 2023 (Resolution 127/NQ-CP, in Vietnamese) as of 2023-08-14 (article date) · read 2026-10-27
Official Gazette — Resolution 127/NQ-CP (issued 14 Aug 2023, in force 15 Aug 2023) as of 2023-08-14 (Gazette record) · read 2026-10-27
U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam — Vietnamese Visas and Entry/Exit as of 2026-10-27 (page shows no update date; read by Team Scout) · read 2026-10-27
Official Gazette of Vietnam — Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC fee schedule (PDF, in Vietnamese): visa exemption certificate US$10; e-visa single US$25, multiple up to 90 days US$50; stay extension US$10 as of 2026-04-01 (Article 7: in force 1 April 2026, replacing Circular 25/2021; PDF read this day) · read 2026-10-27
Vietnam Immigration Department — e-visa portal home page (new domains from 11 Nov 2024; fee paid online and not refunded if the application is refused) as of 2026-10-27 (page opened Oct 27, 2026, ~6:32 PM PT; quote: "The fee will not be refunded if the application is refused.") · read 2026-10-27
U.S. State Department — Vietnam travel advisory (Level 1, issued June 24, 2026) as of 2026-06-24 (checked Oct 27, 2026 (browser check), 6:17 PM PT) · read 2026-10-27 verified · Grok Boss (browser check)
redBus Cambodia — Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus fares (booking site) as of 2026-10-27 (live listing read this day: cheapest US$20, Giant Ibis US$30; the same page also shows example fares of US$22–35; booking site, not official) · read 2026-10-27
Kingdom of Cambodia official e-Visa — Visa T (tourist): US$30, single entry, 1-month stay as of 2025-01-01 (page "Last updated: Jan 01, 2025") · read 2026-10-27
Embassy of Vietnam in the U.S. — Visa Exemption / 5-year visa as of 2026-10-27 (page shows no update date) · read 2026-10-27
Ministry of Foreign Affairs — guide to the visa exemption certificate (English PDF) as of 2026-10-27 (checked Oct 27, 2026 (browser check), ~6:50 PM PT; confirms: up to 6 months per entry; extension of up to 6 more months if sponsored; certificate up to 5 years ending 6 months before the passport; passport needs 1 year left; overseas Vietnamese and foreign spouses/children are eligible) · read 2026-10-27 verified · Grok Boss (browser check)
Embassy of Vietnam in the U.S. — 2007 news: PM promulgates visa exemption for overseas Vietnamese (old rule: 90 days per entry) as of 2007-08 (old rule, kept to show the conflict) · read 2026-10-27
Law 51/2019/QH14 amending the Law on Foreigners' Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence — Art. 38 card durations (LuatVietnam English) as of 2019-11-25 (checked Oct 27, 2026 (browser check), ~6:50 PM PT; confirms: Art. 38 card durations (TT up to 3 years, DT1/DT2/DT3 10/5/3 years, at least 30 days shorter than the passport)) · read 2026-10-27 verified · Grok Boss (browser check)
Official Gazette — Consolidated Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners, 62/VBHN-VPQH (23 Mar 2026) as of 2026-03-23 (consolidation date; the Gazette page shows the record, Team Scout read the article text in a legal database) · read 2026-10-27
Khánh Hòa Provincial Police, Immigration Division — "Visa exemption certificate" vs "visa exemption" (in Vietnamese): lists the 12 countries with 45-day visa-free entry under Resolution 44/NQ-CP as of 2026-05-29 (article dated 29 May 2026; page read by Team Web Oct 27, 2026 (~6:55 PM PT)) · read 2026-10-27
Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — visa exemption lists as of 2026-10-27 (checked Oct 27, 2026 (browser check), ~6:50 PM PT; confirms: Resolution 44/NQ-CP gives citizens of 12 countries 45 days visa-free until 14 Mar 2028 (country list is an image; list taken from the Khanh Hoa police page)) · read 2026-10-27 verified · Grok Boss (browser check)
U.S. State Department — Vietnam country information page as of 2026-10-27 (checked Oct 27, 2026 (browser check), ~6:50 PM PT; confirms: you must enter and exit Vietnam on the same passport) · read 2026-10-27 verified · Grok Boss (browser check)
Law 79/2025/QH15 amending the Law on Vietnamese Nationality (LuatVietnam English) as of 2025-07-01 (checked Oct 27, 2026 (browser check), ~6:50 PM PT; confirms: in force 1 July 2025; an applicant may keep a foreign nationality if the President permits) · read 2026-10-27 verified · Grok Boss (browser check)

Photo and video credits

Photo: “Hai Van Pass, Vietnam, View northwards” by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (resized and converted to WebP)