Can Foreigners Enjoy Retirement in Vietnam?

Who does not want to retire in Vietnam? With its diverse culture and landscape, warm climate, delicious cuisine, and inexpensive living cost, Vietnam has remained one of the top countries for foreigners to retire, hoping to enjoy their golden years as much as they can. Vietnam not only offers retirees a tropical and chilling lifestyle, but also a retirement with a bargain.

Unlike other neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia that offer retirement visas for seniors, there are not a lot of visa options for retirement in Vietnam.

However, retiring and living in Vietnam is still possible when foreigners make use of the length of visa and flexible conditions.

If you are intrigued now, Cekindo will tell you the ways on how you can spend your golden years in Vietnam. Keep reading.

Is there a retirement visa for foreigners in Vietnam?

Unfortunately, retirement visa is still not available yet in Vietnam. So for foreigners who would like to stay longer in Vietnam, they will have to apply for a business visa or a tourist visa.

How can a foreigner retire and stay in Vietnam?

Investor Visa (DT Visa)

An investor visa or a DT visa is an alternative for foreigners who want to stay long term in Vietnam for their retirement. However, it is compulsory for you to establish a company before you can apply for this type of visa.

The company setup is a complex process in Vietnam and that’d probably take a lot of time and money. In order to go through the complicated process smoothly and make sure that you don’t misuse the visa for a long-term stay in Vietnam, it’s best to consult an experienced visa consultant.

Usually, the validity of a DT visa is only 3 months. A long-term DT visa can last between 3 and 5 years. Once you enter Vietnam with a DT visa, you can consider applying for a temporary residency visa.

Business Visa (DN Visa)

In case you are not able to obtain a DT visa, a foreign retiree can stay in Vietnam legally with a business visa or DN visa alternatively. Just like an investor visa, a DN visa is only valid for 3 months and thus you will need to apply for a work permit as your next step in order to secure a temporary residency permit.

What is the visa option for retired foreigners with a Vietnamese spouse?

If you are a foreign retiree married to a Vietnamese national, you are eligible for a 5-year visa exemption in Vietnam. This is a relatively much simpler process as long as you have got ready and submitted all the compulsory documents: marriage certificate, valid passport, identity card of your Vietnamese spouse, book of house registration, and others.

How about foreigners who aren’t investors and don’t have a Vietnamese spouse?

For retirees who are not employed in Vietnam and do not have a Vietnamese spouse, the only option is the 3-month tourist visa. Extension is allowed but you need to leave Vietnam before your existing visa has expired in order to apply for the extension.

Fortunately for US citizens, thanks to the agreement between Vietnam and the USA, they are able to get a 1-year single- or multiple-entry business or tourist visa.

Cekindo can Help with Visa Application

The process of visa application in Vietnam is not only complex, but changes quite often.

When you choose Cekindo to be your visa application service provider, you will have a professional and registered consultant working with you from the very beginning to the very end.

Our skilled experts have immense understanding of the visa requirements in Vietnam and specialise in customising solutions for you in the most complex circumstances.

In addition, our experience and expertise enable us to offer you a streamlined, stress-free visa application process in Vietnam.

Cekindo has provided innumerable foreigners with expert advice and assistance throughout the Vietnamese visa application process, and we are confident that we can give you the support you need too.

For more details on how we can help you obtain your Vietnam visa, please get in touch with one of our knowledgeable Cekindo consultants through the form below.