Vietnam
Vietnam · Asia · updated 21.08.2026
Vietnam is relatively accessible on a work visa (work permit + TRC) for an employee with a degree and an employer, but long-term status is hard to reach: permanent residence requires at least 3 continuous years on a TRC, citizenship another 5 plus a discretionary decision going up to presidential level, and dual citizenship is restricted. Local IT salaries are substantially below the developed Asian hubs, which is typical of a market with a large outsourcing sector. Natural hazards cluster in the typhoon and monsoon flood season (May–December); seismic and volcanic threats are practically absent.
Some descriptions for this country are still Russian only: 92% translated. Numbers, prices and timelines are complete.
Entry
Entry rules depend on citizenship. Choose a passport to see the requirement for that one.
Work and visas
- Salary in IT
- $ 5 644 – $ 24 990
- Median
- $ 13 656
- Visa speed
- Work permit: 5–7 working days to process after filing; the full cycle from approval of the labour need to receiving the TRC is 4–6 weeks.
- Degree required
- yes
- Changing employer
- The work permit is tied to a specific position and employer (the details must match the employment contract and the company registration). Changing employer requires a new permit application.
Visa types: Work Permit (giấy phép lao động) · LD visa (work, on the basis of a work permit) · DT visa (investor) · The TRC (Temporary Residence Card) is issued after the work permit, for up to 2 years, aligned with the term of the work permit
Employers: FPT Software, Samsung (manufacturing and R&D), Intel (a plant in Ho Chi Minh City), TMA Solutions, NashTech
The programmes recorded here (visaPrograms) were collected on 17 August 2026 from the consolidated text of the Law on the entry, exit, transit and residence of foreign nationals (No. 30/VBHN-VPQH, consolidating Law 47/2014/QH13 with amendments 51/2019/QH14 and 23/2023/QH15) in the official Công báo. The figure in durationMonths is the maximum term of the temporary residence card under article 38 for those grounds where a card is issued; for ĐT4 and DN1 no card is issued, so the maximum visa term under article 9 is given instead. The fees come from Annex II to Ministry of Finance Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC, in force since 1 April 2026, which replaced Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC. The 5-day processing time is 5 working days under article 37 (temporary residence card); for permanent residence, article 41 allows 4 months with a possible further 2. The new portal xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn serves empty sections ("No data", unresolved translation keys) and evisa.gov.vn is a JavaScript application with no text of the requirements, so the requirements were taken from the law rather than from the portal.
Long-term visas and residence permits
LĐ2 visa and LĐ2 temporary residence card (employment requiring a work permit)
WorkLĐ1 visa and LĐ1 temporary residence card (employment exempt from a work permit)
WorkĐT1 visa and ĐT1 temporary residence card (investor with capital of 100 billion VND or more)
InvestmentĐT2 visa and ĐT2 temporary residence card (investor with capital from 50 to under 100 billion VND)
InvestmentĐT3 visa and ĐT3 temporary residence card (investor with capital from 3 to under 50 billion VND)
InvestmentĐT4 visa (investor with capital under 3 billion VND)
InvestmentDH visa and DH temporary residence card (study and internship)
StudyTT visa and TT temporary residence card (family reunification)
FamilyLS visa and LS temporary residence card (foreign lawyer practising in Vietnam)
WorkNN1 visa and NN1 temporary residence card (head of a representative office or project of an international organisation or foreign NGO)
WorkNN2 visa and NN2 temporary residence card (head of a representative office or branch of a foreign trader)
WorkDN1 visa (working with a Vietnamese legal entity)
WorkPV1 visa and PV1 temporary residence card (journalist permanently based in Vietnam)
OtherPermanent residence card
OtherProgramme terms change, and the final decision rests with the consulate or the country migration service. The data is collected from official sources on the date shown and is not legal advice.
Residence and citizenship
- Permanent residence after
- 3 years
- Citizenship after
- 5 years
- Language
- Yes: the applicant must speak Vietnamese well enough to integrate into the community (the requirement is waived for spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens).
- Dual citizenship
- not allowed
Law No. 79/2025/QH15 (from 01.07.2025): naturalisation requires 5+ years of permanent residence in Vietnam at the time of filing, documented by a permanent residence card (PRC). The PRC in turn usually requires at least 3 years of continuous residence on a temporary card (TRC). The naturalisation decision is discretionary and passes through the provincial level, the justice ministry, the Prime Minister and the President. Permanent residence and citizenship on an ordinary work visa are rare in practice; they are far more often obtained through marriage to a Vietnamese citizen or through investment. Giving up the previous citizenship is required by default, but the law allows an exception (keeping the foreign citizenship) by decision of the President, on grounds of economic interests, family unity or legal obstacles to renunciation in the country of origin.
Documents
- Document certification
- consular legalisation
The country does not accept apostilles: documents go through consular legalisation in three steps — ministry of justice, foreign ministry, consulate.
Family
Partner
- Timeline
- The TT class visa (dependant) runs alongside the work visa of the work permit holder; it can be converted into a TRC if the sponsor has a valid work permit or an investor visa.
Sources confirm that a dependent TT visa for a spouse is possible, but give no clear answer on the right to work — a separate work permit is required.
Children
- Can be brought
- yes
The minor children of a work permit holder can obtain the dependent TT visa along with the spouse. The exact age threshold in the regulations could not be found.
Parents
No official data was found on a mechanism for reuniting with the parents of a work permit holder.
Partner's parents
Matters: In a number of countries only a biological child can sponsor a parent, in which case the spouse files the application.
Pets
- Limit
- 2
- Quarantine
- no
- Antibody titre test
- not needed
- Preparation
- ~1 months
Up to 2 animals per person without special permission, and with a full set of documents no quarantine is required. You need: an ISO 11784/11785 microchip (before vaccination), a health certificate, a rabies vaccination certificate (given between 30 days and 12 months before arrival; an antibody titre test is NOT required for most countries of origin) and USDA APHIS form 7001 (for animals from the United States, completed within 7 days before arrival). For 3 or more animals a MARD permit is needed (~1 week, valid 10 days, costing $50–150). Preparation takes roughly 30–45 days if the animal is already vaccinated and microchipped. No breed-specific bans were found for Vietnam; only the standard airline restrictions apply.
Safety
- Situation
- calm
A one-party system (the Communist Party of Vietnam), stable in domestic politics. The UK Foreign Office notes the authorities' intolerance of public protest and criticism — this is not a risk to newcomers' everyday safety, but it does restrict civil liberties.
Crime: Street crime against foreigners is mostly non-violent (theft, fraud). The UK Foreign Office warns separately that Vietnam is a one-party state that does not tolerate public criticism of the authorities or unsanctioned protest; deportation or detention are possible consequences.
Natural hazards
Vietnam does not sit on the boundary of major tectonic plates, and no strong earthquakes have been recorded in modern history.
Not a systemic risk for the coastal cities listed.
Regular flooding in the rainy season and from typhoons, especially in the central provinces; the floods of 2007–2008 in the central provinces exceeded the figures of the previous 48 years. Hanoi faces river flooding, Ho Chi Minh City tidal flooding (up to 23% of its area in a 1-in-100-year flood). Sources: Wikipedia (Climate of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City).
An average of 6–8 typhoons or tropical cyclones a year, with the season running May–October (peaking on the central coast in September–December). Da Nang and Haiphong are in the direct strike zone; Nha Trang is partly sheltered by mountains and islands. Source: Wikipedia (Climate of Vietnam).
The south-central coast (the Nha Trang area) is drier in the dry season; periodic droughts are noted as one of the country's climate risks.
The heat intensifies during heatwaves but is not extreme all year round as in equatorial countries: there is marked seasonality.
Six volcanoes are recorded in Vietnam, the last eruption (Ile des Cendres) being in 1923. There are no active volcanoes posing a threat. Source: Wikipedia (Geology of Vietnam).
The main natural hazards are typhoons and flooding in the rainy season (May–December, depending on region). Seismicity and volcanism pose no threat.
Climate
The monthly figures relate to northern Vietnam (Hanoi) in the existing dataset. The country is stretched from north to south, so the climate varies sharply with latitude: subtropical monsoon in the north (4 seasons, with a cool dry winter) and tropical savanna in the south (2 seasons, dry and rainy, with an even temperature all year round).
Quality of life
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years
Healthcare: The public system covers ~93.4% of the population (2024) but is designed primarily for citizens. Large private hospitals (Hoan My, City International Hospital) meet international standards, some are JCI-accredited and they treat foreign patients; private insurance is recommended for foreigners.
Air: Hanoi periodically ranks among the cities with the dirtiest air in the world; on 2018 data the fine particulate (PM2.5) concentration exceeded WHO guidelines by about four times. Ho Chi Minh City and the coastal cities usually have cleaner air thanks to the ocean wind.
Cities
Ho Chi Minh City
tech hubVietnam's largest city, its financial and business centre, the main hub for IT outsourcing and foreign business.
Tidal flooding in the rainy season: a 1-in-100-year flood could inundate up to 23% of the city's area (Wikipedia). A tropical climate, with the rainy season from May to November.
Hanoi
tech hubThe capital of Vietnam, a political and cultural centre with a growing tech sector.
At times one of the most polluted cities in the world for air quality (PM2.5 at 4× the WHO guideline, 2018 data). The rivers within the city are heavily polluted, with about 78% of waste water discharged untreated. Monsoon flooding.
Da Nang
tech hubA coastal city, home to one of Vietnam's three national technology parks (Da Nang Hi-Tech Park), popular with digital nomads and expats.
Sits in the direct path of typhoons (the season runs September–December, with 550–1000 mm of rain a month). Coastal flooding in the monsoon season.
Nha Trang
A resort city on the south-eastern coast, popular with foreign tourists and expatriates. Since 1 July 2025, following administrative reform, it has lost the status of a separate city and is now a ward within the enlarged province of Khanh Hoa.
The city is partly shielded from the strongest typhoon winds by mountains and islands, but heavy downpours and flooding are possible in the rainy season (September–December).
Hai Phong
Vietnam's third largest city, a port and industrial centre in the north. From June 2025 Hải Dương province was merged into the city, substantially expanding its area and population.
A coastal position on Bac Bo Bay (the Gulf of Tonkin) leaves it open to tropical cyclones coming from the north. The tidal ecosystems around the city are partly being built over.
Grocery basket
- Bread, 500 g
- $ 0,97
- Milk, 1 l
- $ 1,46
- Eggs, 12
- $ 1,49
- Chicken breast, 1 kg
- $ 3,65
- Cheese, 1 kg
- $ 11,3
- Rice, 1 kg
- $ 0,92
- Potatoes, 1 kg
- $ 1,04
- Apples, 1 kg
- $ 2,97
- Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 l
- $ 0,89
- Total
- $ 24,7
The same set for every country, so the comparison is fair.
Cost of living across the country
- Rent, 1 bedroom
- $ 383 a month
- Rent, 3 bedrooms
- $ 892 a month
- Utility bills
- $ 74,6 a month
- Home internet
- $ 9,05 a month
- Monthly transport pass
- $ 9,08 a month
- Single transport ticket
- $ 0,32
- Petrol, litre
- $ 0,87
- Cold medicine
- $ 1,74 for a week
Country averages. City prices, where collected, are shown above and are more precise.
Indicators
- Life expectancy
- 74,7 years2024
- Homicides
- 1,5 per 100k2011 · data lags behind
- Road deaths
- 17,7 per 100k2021
- Unemployment
- 1,5 %2025
- Unemployment, ages 15–24
- 6,2 %2025
- Inequality (Gini)
- 36,12022
- Health spending per person
- $ 197 a year
- Air pollution, PM2.5
- 24,8 µg/m³2023
- Access to clean water
- 98,8 %2024
- Internet, fixed line
- 307,4 Mbit/s2026
- Internet, mobile
- 156,5 Mbit/s2026
Governance
- Political stability
- above average · 0
- Control of corruption
- below average · -0,3
- Rule of law
- below average · -0,3
- Government effectiveness
- below average · -0,1
World Bank estimates on a −2.5 to +2.5 scale, higher is better.
Natural hazards
- Earthquakes
- 3,5 out of 10
- River floods
- 9,9 out of 10
- Coastal floods
- 9,6 out of 10
- Tropical cyclones
- 5,9 out of 10
- Droughts
- 4,5 out of 10
- Tsunamis
- 5,9 out of 10
Each value carries the year it refers to. “Data lags behind” means this country's figure was collected noticeably earlier than the rest. Natural hazards use one 0–10 scale and are meant to be compared against each other.
Pros and cons
Compare with other countries in the region
Afghanistan · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · People's Republic of China · Philippines · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · State of Palestine · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen
Other countries in the region: Asia
Afghanistan · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · People's Republic of China · Philippines · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · State of Palestine · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen