Vietnam Golden Visa: Residency, Investment and Retirement

Why Is Everyone Suddenly Talking About Vietnam’s Long-Term Visas?

If you’ve followed relocation trends or Southeast Asian investment in recent years, you’re probably already familiar with Thailand’s LTR visa, Malaysia’s MM2H, or even Singapore’s dedicated channel for high-net-worth individuals. But have you noticed — Vietnam is quietly closing the gap in this long-term residency race?

As of September 2026, Vietnam’s Tourism Advisory Board’s 2025 proposal for a “golden visa” and long-term residence upgrade has not been confirmed as enacted by any official Vietnamese government source (Immigration Department, National Assembly, or Government Portal). Treat every figure below (validity years, investment thresholds, visa categories) as an unconfirmed 2025 proposal, not current law, and check xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn before relying on it. This isn’t just an administrative tweak — it’s framed as an invitation to redistribute global assets and talent.

Why now? Because Vietnam has identified several key shifts:

• Globally wealthy individuals and professionals are increasingly moving toward markets with lower tax rates, a lower cost of living and more room to grow;
• Thailand’s LTR is attractive, but still has restrictions on profession and income thresholds;
• Malaysia’s MM2H has tightened its policy several times in recent years, denting applicant confidence;
• Vietnam is positioning itself around three advantages: fast economic growth, land and prices that have not yet overheated, and flexible design of residence thresholds.

Vietnam doesn’t want to be seen only as a “cheap tourist destination” or an “export-processing country,” but wants to become the next international node with genuine appeal for living and for retaining talent. So the question is — is this wave of golden visas right for you, or is it just another gimmick?

The rest of this article breaks down the visa types, application requirements, how things work in practice, and common misunderstandings.

Stop One: What Long-Term Visa Types Are There, and Who Are They For?

In 2025, Vietnam formally proposed four long-term residence visa concepts, targeting different categories of foreign nationals — from high-net-worth investors and professionals to digital-nomad-style workers — creating a more flexible range of status options. Whether you want to retire and settle down, set up a company, work remotely, or simply want a stable base for living, the following categories are worth comparing.

1. Golden Visa

This is the most talked-about of the newly proposed visas. It would have a validity of 5 to 10 years, renewable, allowing passive investment without needing to run an actual company, while also letting the holder set up a business, buy property and move freely in and out — the design most closely resembling a “Southeast Asian Portuguese golden visa.” It is particularly suited to high-net-worth individuals and retirees who want a stable long-term base and a good quality of life, without being tied down by administrative and operational matters.

2. Investor Visa

An upgraded version building on the existing DT1-DT4 framework, expected to offer a 10-year validity, with the option to apply for permanent residence (PR) after 5 years. Compared with the golden visa, this visa remains oriented toward substantive investment, though conditions are expected to be more flexible — for example, relaxing requirements around operational involvement. If you want to use Vietnam as a base for asset allocation and a regional economic bridgehead, this visa is intended to provide a longer, more stable legal foundation.

3. Talent Visa

To attract top talent in fields such as technology, healthcare and education, Vietnam has also proposed a 5-year talent visa. As long as you have a sufficient professional background, with an employer’s recommendation, academic qualifications and proof of work experience, you would be exempt from asset requirements, gaining long-term residence and renewal rights purely on the basis of your professional standing. For globally skilled talent, this is presented as a low-cost route into an emerging market.

4. Digital Nomad Visa (Still Being Planned)

Although not yet formally implemented, the Vietnamese government has said it is planning a “digital nomad visa” mechanism. At this stage, many freelancers still live long-term in Vietnam on a business or tourist visa, but once the regulations are complete, the plan is to provide a full system for lawful work, income declaration and social protection. For remote workers who want a stable place to live without setting up an actual company, this is a development worth continuing to track.

Stop Two: Will the Requirements Be Strict? What Do I Need to Prepare?

Many people, on first seeing “a 5-10 year visa,” assume the requirements must be very demanding — but that’s not necessarily the case. Compared with the existing investor visa system (DT1-DT4), Vietnam’s proposed golden visa and talent visa are designed to be more flexible and accessible, giving retirees, freelancers or highly skilled professionals a chance to reside long-term without necessarily having to run an actual company.

While official final rules have not yet been published, based on policy recommendations already submitted by Vietnam’s Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and analysis from major immigration firms, the likely direction of the requirements can be estimated as follows:

Estimated Basic Requirements

Asset and income requirements (applicable to the golden visa and investor visa)

• The golden visa is not expected to require setting up an actual company; property investment, financial assets or pension proof could serve as evidence of “financial strength.”
• Industry estimates as of 2025 suggested an investor-visa capital requirement in the USD 100,000-200,000 range with a holding period of around 5 years — but this was never confirmed as an official threshold, and no finalized figure has been found as of September 2026.
• Applicants would typically need to provide bank statements, proof of the source of assets, and past tax records.

Health insurance and police clearance (applicable to all categories)

• Applicants are expected to need to purchase a local or international health insurance plan covering hospitalization and emergency care.
• Applicants need to provide a police clearance certificate issued within the past 6-12 months, showing no major criminal record.

Professional documents or recommendation letters (talent visa only)

• Applicants need to provide proof of qualifications (such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree), professional certifications, an employer’s recommendation letter, or industry experience.
• Certain industries (such as healthcare and education) may require additional certification documents recognized by Vietnam.

Dependent eligibility

• A spouse and minor children may accompany the main applicant, depending on the main applicant’s visa category and financial capacity.
• Dependents may apply for residence together, generally processed as a “Dependent Visa,” without an independent right to work (pending the finalized implementation rules).

📌 Reminder: applicants don’t need to fully meet the current DT investor visa’s high capital threshold, but still need to demonstrate a stable, lawful and clear source of income or assets, along with genuine intent and basic preparation to relocate.

Stop Three: FAQ — Who Is It Best Suited For, Can I Bring Family, and How Does It Differ From Other Countries?

Whether you’re a retiree, a remote worker, or an investor planning to diversify assets, when you’re weighing whether to move to Vietnam, a few key questions always come up. Here are the five most commonly asked questions, to help you understand the core differences and practical considerations at a glance:

Q1: Do I have to set up a company to apply for the golden visa?

No. The most attractive feature of the golden visa is that it is designed to allow passive investment — meaning you could buy real estate, hold financial assets or provide proof of deposits, without needing to actually set up or run a company. This is one of the biggest differences from the current DT visa (which requires setting up a company and being substantively involved in its operations).

Q2: Can retirees apply? Won’t the cost of living be too high?

Yes, in principle. Vietnam’s government has said it wants to attract “high-quality retirees” — as long as you can show a stable pension income, sufficient assets, and no major illness or criminal record, you would have a chance to apply for the golden visa.

As for the cost of living, Vietnam remains well below Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur:

• A good one-bedroom rental in central Ho Chi Minh City costs roughly USD 400-600 per month;
• A typical family’s basic monthly living costs (excluding luxury spending) can be kept within USD 800-1,200. Naturally, choosing Da Nang or Phu Quoc would bring costs down further.

Q3: Can I bring my spouse and children? Can they study or work?

You can bring family, but the supporting rules are still pending finalized details. Under the government’s draft proposal, the main applicant would be able to apply for a Dependent Visa for a spouse and minor children. This type of visa is generally expected to allow lawful residence and school enrollment, but does not guarantee a right to work.

✅ If your children plan to attend an international school in future, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi already have a number of Western-accredited schools to choose from, with tuition fees of roughly USD 5,000-15,000 per year.

Q4: After getting a golden visa, do I need to file taxes in Vietnam? Would foreign income be taxed?

This depends on whether you become a Vietnamese tax resident.

• If you stay in Vietnam for more than 183 days in a year, you may be considered a tax resident;
• Tax residents are required to declare worldwide income, though currently foreign-sourced income is rarely taxed in practice, with the focus on the legality of the source and the remittance route.

🧾 Vietnam’s personal income tax system is progressive (5-35%), but enforcement in practice tends to be more lenient toward foreign residents, with the focus on financial transparency and remittance compliance.

Q5: How does Vietnam’s golden visa differ from Thailand’s LTR and Malaysia’s MM2H?

In short: Vietnam’s proposed golden visa is, among these three, the most flexible and initially competitive, particularly suited to those who want an easy, lawful, long-term stay, who don’t want to be tied to a specific company or strict financial requirements, and who want to balance living costs with potential asset allocation.

Conclusion: Vietnam Is Positioning Itself as Your Next Destination

As countries around the world compete for people and capital, Vietnam’s chosen approach here is not to raise the bar, or to play tax games, but to genuinely open a door:

• For those who want to live there long-term without running an actual business;
• For those who want asset security and a reasonable cost of living;
• For freelancers, retirees and remote business owners.

This wave of proposed 2025 golden visa policy is presented as more than just an entry document — it’s framed as a new gateway to a life that can be lived long-term, planned for, and anticipated.

So — are you ready to open this door?

Have a question about this guide? Leave a comment below, or ask Zagdim directly.

Sources

• Euronews — *Vietnam is introducing a 10-year golden visa: here’s what we know so far*
• IMI Daily — *Vietnam’s Tourism Board Proposes New 10-Year Golden Visa*
• Times of India — *Vietnam’s 10-year golden visa program: Key features, perks and eligibility*
• Tuoi Tre News — *Vietnam’s tourism body proposes 10-year golden visa to attract global talent, investors*
• Financial Express — *Vietnam proposes golden visa to attract ultra-wealthy and global talent*

Disclaimer: This article is compiled from the 2024-2025 golden visa policy recommendations put forward by Vietnam’s Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and English-language media coverage from the first half of 2025. All figures and conditions described are proposals, not final rules, and are subject to the official final announcement.