• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

  • Destinations
    • United States
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Canada
    • Mexico and Caribbean
    • Central and South America
    • Australia and South Pacific
    • Africa
    • Middle East
    • Antarctica and Arctic
    • See All
  • Activities & Interests
    • History and Culture
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Food and Drink
    • Sightseeing
    • Seasonal Travel
    • National Parks
    • State Parks
    • Hotels and Resorts
    • Wildlife
    • Beaches
    • Shopping
    • Festivals and Special Events
    • Theme Parks
    • Photography
    • Reading
    • See All
  • Types of Travel
    • Cruises and Sailing
    • Road Trips
    • Group Travel
    • RVing
    • Camping
    • Rail
    • Wellness Travel
    • Adventure Travel
    • Ancestry Travel
    • Naturism
    • LGBTQ+ Travel
    • Budget Travel
    • Weekend Getaway
    • Bucket List Trips
    • Family Vacations
    • Solo Travel
    • Full-Time Travel
    • Pet-Friendly Travel
    • See All
  • News & Tips
    • Travel News
    • Travel Tips
    • Travel Products
    • Travel With Confidence
    • Gift Guides
    • See All
  • Inspire
  • Retire
  • Best Of Travel Awards
Halong Bay, Vietnam view from above

Vietnam

Overview
Featured Articles
Resources

Why To Retire In Vietnam

Vietnam is a popular place for expats to relocate; in fact, it ranked 10th best for Americans in 2021. The extremely low cost of living for travelers and residents alike, along with the tropical climate, make it easy to see why. Vietnam is known for its especially hospitable people and for delectable, affordable cuisine. Whether you’re looking to spend retirement in a bustling city, surrounded by mountains, or even on a picturesque island, Vietnam has it all. And, if you ever run out of places to explore, it’s very easy to travel to surrounding Asian countries. Spend retirement discovering an entirely new culture in this affordable country!

Videos by TravelAwaits

Continue Reading

Retire In Vietnam: Things To Know

Weather

Vietnam offers a tropical climate year-round, with mostly warm, humid weather, as well as an annual monsoon season. Temperatures average between 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year.

The mountainous region of North Vietnam can get much colder than the rest of the country, sometimes plumitting below freezing and experiencing rounds of snowfall. However, for the most part, the country experiences a year-round warm climate, with an increase in rainfall between the months of May and October.

Visa Requirements

Unlike many countries, Vietnam does not have a retirement visa. However, this does not make retirement impossible. Americans can apply for a tourist visa through a Vietnamese embassy, where they will be granted approval to stay in the country for 90 days.

After this, a retiree has two options: one is to request an extension of the visa, but this route can be a costly one. Instead, many opt for the second option: participating in “visa runs.” During visa runs, individuals will leave the country for anywhere from a few hours to a few days, and upon return, they can begin another round of a three month stay.

Transportation

Vietnam has three major airports: Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), which is located in Hanoi in northern Vietnam; Da Nang International Airport (DAD), which is located in Da Nang in central Vietnam; and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), which is located in Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam.

Health Insurance

Retirees are welcome to participate in the country’s public healthcare system, but many opt to instead splurge for the private system’s facilities. Vietnam’s private healthcare facilities are more reliably modern and, often, staffed by multilingual residents, making them a more appealing option for expats. More information on Vietnam’s healthcare can be found here.

Language

Vietnamese is both the official and the dominant language in Vietnam. While the major tourist centers will feature some English speakers, most citizens, particularly those outside of urban areas, will speak none.

Currency

The legal tender in Vietnam is the đồng. A single US dollar is worth more than 20,000 VND.

Featured Articles

National ParksReal-Life Pandora: Visit the Mountains That Inspired James Cameron’s AvatarPandora is one of the world’s most recognizable fictional planets. Videos by TravelAwaits From the imagination of James Cameron comes a fantastical landscape of jutting and flora-covered mountains. And while the Na’vi people in 2009’s Avatar and 2022’s The Way of Water are decidedly alien, the landscape of Pandora—a habitable moon in a faraway galaxy—has […]
Notre-Dame Cathedral Of Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City9 Best Things To Do In Historic Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamFormerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling metro that honors its historic roots in an out-of-this-world location.
Hoi An, Vietnam
Retiring AbroadRetiring In Vietnam: 8 Things To Know About HealthcareIf you are considering retiring to Vietnam, you may want to check out these helpful tips about the healthcare system there.

Sign up for our newsletter
It's our time to explore
Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler
We want to inspire you to explore new destinations, discover new experiences and savor the journey. Our goal, to share the world’s unique, hidden and once in a lifetime locations with you to create unforgettable memories.
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information Change Consent