Retire in Vietnam on a Foreign Pension: Visa, Tax, Bank
Vietnam has no retiree visa. Retirees in Saigon can use a 90-day e-visa, or enter visa-free for 45 days if their country is on the list. Longer stays run through a visa tied to a Vietnamese relative or an investor visa. Pension paid by Vietnam's social insurance fund is tax-exempt.
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Vietnam has no retiree visa. The law names routes by purpose and relationship, so pick the one that matches your life here.
Which visa fits a retiree?
Five routes are in play. Pick by how long you want to stay and who you know in Vietnam.
| Route | Maximum stay |
|---|---|
| E-visa | 90 days |
| Visa exemption, listed countries | 45 days, for entries up to 14 March 2028 or 14 August 2028 depending on the list |
| VR visa, visiting relatives | 180 days |
| TT visa, relative of a Vietnamese citizen | 1 year |
| DT3 visa, investor | 3 years |
A TT visa goes to a foreigner who is the parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. The sibling guide spouse visa and residence card covers the marriage case.
E-visa or visa-free entry
The e-visa is the simplest start. It is valid for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry. The fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry.
Apply before you fly. E-visas are issued only to foreigners who are still outside Vietnam. The step-by-step is in Vietnam e-visa for Ho Chi Minh City.
Check your passport against the exemption lists first, because they save the fee. Each list runs to a fixed end date: 14 March 2028 for the first and 14 August 2028 for the second.
- Citizens of 12 named countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Japan and South Korea, get 45 days from entry.
- Citizens of a separate list of 12 European countries get 45 days from entry for tourism.
The full country lists are in Vietnam visa exemption.
Stay longer: a relative or an investment
The long routes need a Vietnamese link. A VR visa is issued to a foreigner who comes to visit relatives or for another purpose, and it is valid for a maximum of 180 days.
A DT3 visa goes to a foreign investor whose contributed capital is worth from 3 billion to under 50 billion VND. It is valid for a maximum of 3 years.
Extensions follow one rule. The inviting or sponsoring organisation or individual files the request, and there is no self-filing route. A Vietnamese citizen sponsoring you must be a grandparent, parent, spouse, child or sibling.
The fee is US$10. The authority decides within 5 working days of a complete file. See extend your visa in Ho Chi Minh City for the steps.
If you have a Vietnamese spouse or parent, read 5-year visa exemption certificate too.
Residence card in Saigon
A temporary residence card replaces repeated visas. A retiree on an e-visa, an exemption or a VR visa is not on the eligible list, so the card starts with a TT or DT3 visa. The law lists the visa holders who can get one, among them LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2 and TT.
Fees by validity: US$145 up to 2 years, US$155 for over 2 to 5 years, and US$165 for over 5 to 10 years. The card’s validity is set at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of your passport.
Your sponsor files at the provincial police immigration office where an individual sponsor lives. In Ho Chi Minh City that is the Immigration Management Division at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Xuan Hoa Ward.
196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Xuan Hoa, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
The card takes 5 working days from a complete dossier. Dossiers are received Monday to Saturday morning, except Tet and public holidays. The office is open Monday to Saturday, 7h to 11h30 and 1h30 to 5h, with Saturday morning only.
The eligibility list, forms and timing are in temporary residence card in Ho Chi Minh City. All fees side by side: Vietnam immigration fees.
Is your pension taxed?
A pension from Vietnam’s social insurance fund is tax-exempt. A pension paid from abroad is not named anywhere, so treat it as an open question and get it answered in writing.
Tiền lương hưu do Quỹ bảo hiểm xã hội chi trả; thu nhập do quỹ bảo hiểm hưu trí bổ sung, quỹ hưu trí tự nguyện chi trả.
Pension paid by the social insurance fund, and income paid by supplementary pension funds and voluntary pension funds, is exempt from personal income tax.
Law 109/2025/QH15, Điều 4 khoản 9
The tax law taxes the income categories it lists, minus the Article 4 exemptions. Wages and wage-like payments are one category. A pension has no line of its own. Whether a foreign pension counts as wage-like income is not settled in the law text.
Residency decides everything. You are a resident from 183 days in a calendar year, or in 12 consecutive months from your first day. A resident owes tax on income earned inside and outside Vietnam. Count arrival and departure days as one day each, from the immigration stamps in your passport.
Before you pass 183 days, ask the tax office in writing. The HCMC tax authority (Thuế Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) is at 63 Vu Tong Phan, Binh Trung Ward, open Monday to Friday, 08:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:00. If your country has a double-tax agreement with Vietnam, tax paid abroad is credited against the Vietnamese bill. The residency test is explained in Vietnam tax residency.
Bank account and insurance
Open a dong account in your own name. Bring your passport; a foreigner residing in Vietnam must also have an entry visa, a visa-equivalent document or proof of visa exemption.
A resident foreigner can credit a dong account by selling foreign currency to a licensed credit institution. So transfer your pension in foreign currency and convert it at a licensed bank. Account steps are in open a bank account in Ho Chi Minh City.
For health cover, buy from a licensed provider. A person in Vietnam may buy insurance only from a licensed insurer, a foreign non-life branch or a micro-insurance body, except cross-border insurance under a treaty Vietnam has joined. See health insurance for foreigners.
Budget the move with Ho Chi Minh City cost of living.
Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (HCMC immigration office on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Google Maps contributor, Tri Nh.
Not confirmed: Whether a pension paid from abroad is taxed once you are a tax resident. The exemption names only the social insurance fund. Ask the HCMC tax authority in writing at 63 Vu Tong Phan, Binh Trung Ward, open Monday to Friday, 08:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:00, before day 183.
Common questions
Which visas let a retiree stay in Saigon?
There is no retiree visa. Start with a 90-day e-visa or a 45-day exemption for listed countries. Longer routes: a VR visa of up to 180 days, a TT visa for a relative of a Vietnamese citizen, or an investor DT3 visa.
How long does an e-visa last and what does it cost?
An e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days. It costs US$25 single-entry and US$50 multiple-entry.
Can I extend a tourist visa myself?
No. The inviting or sponsoring organisation or individual files the request; there is no self-filing route. The fee is US$10, and the decision takes up to 5 working days.
Is my foreign pension taxed in Vietnam?
A resident, present for 183 days or more in a calendar year, owes tax on income inside and outside Vietnam. Pension paid by the social insurance fund is exempt. A foreign pension is not a listed taxable category and not in the exemption either, so get a written answer from the HCMC tax authority before day 183.
What do I show to open a bank account?
A passport. A foreigner residing in Vietnam must also have an entry visa, a visa-equivalent document or proof of visa exemption.
How do I get my pension into a dong account?
A resident foreigner can credit a dong account by selling foreign currency to a licensed credit institution.
Can I keep my foreign health insurance?
A person in Vietnam may buy insurance only from a licensed insurer, a foreign non-life branch or a micro-insurance body, except cross-border insurance under a treaty Vietnam has joined.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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