Vietnam

Vietnam has no digital nomad visa. Most remote workers come on an e-visa or, for some nationalities, visa-free. The one long-stay option covered here, the DT4 investor visa, is for people who put capital into a Vietnamese company.

E-visa

Since Aug. 15, 2023, the e-visa has been open to citizens of every country and lasts up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, according to the Vietnamese embassy notice on Law 23/2023. Applications go through the official portal at evisa.gov.vn.

Visa-free stays

Citizens of some countries can enter without a visa and stay 45 days:

• Resolution 128/NQ-CP covers 13 countries for any entry purpose: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus.
• Resolution 229/NQ-CP adds 12 more for tourism from Aug. 15, 2025 to Aug. 14, 2028: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Bilateral agreements set other visa-free periods for some nationalities, including several ASEAN countries, so travelers from elsewhere should check their own case.

The DT4 investor visa

DT4 covers foreign investors whose contributed capital is under ₫3,000,000,000, a ceiling rather than a minimum. It lasts up to 12 months per visa, carries no residence card and gives family members no dependant visa. The sponsoring company applies through the Immigration Department, and the DT4 visa page sets out the process and fees.

Which route fits

• Remote worker staying up to 90 days: the e-visa.
• Citizen of a listed country on a shorter trip: the visa-free stay of 45 days.
• Investor with a small stake in a Vietnamese company: DT4.
• Investor with ₫3,000,000,000 or more: DT3 or a higher category, which carries a temporary residence card.

None of these is a remote work visa. Vietnam has no golden visa either: reports of one describe a proposal that hasn't been adopted, with no decree or application channel.

Numbeo's crowd-sourced prices, updated September 2026, give these monthly budgets for one person: rent for a one-bedroom apartment plus other living costs.

• Ho Chi Minh City: about VND 20.7 million outside the center to VND 28.0 million in it (about USD 800 to 1,080).
• Hanoi: about VND 19.1 million to VND 22.3 million (about USD 730 to 860), per Numbeo's Hanoi page.
• Da Nang: about VND 20.6 million to VND 25.4 million (about USD 790 to 980), per Numbeo's Da Nang page.

Dollar amounts use the exchange rate of Sept. 24, 2026. In Hoi An, Numbeo put a one-bedroom apartment at about VND 11.3 million a month in the center and VND 10.4 million outside it in August 2026, but it has too few entries for a full budget.

Numbeo's figures are averages of what contributors report, so they're a guide rather than a quote. Short-term and furnished rentals usually cost more than the long-lease averages.

What the totals leave out

• Visas: e-visa fees, or repeat visas for longer stays.
• Health cover: private insurance depends on age and provider.
• Coworking: a desk comes on top of the budget.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and the business center of the south. It suits nomads who want the widest choice of apartments, coworking spaces and food, and don't mind traffic and heat.

Hanoi, the capital, has the lowest total budget of the three big cities in Numbeo's September 2026 prices. It suits nomads who want a historic city with four seasons, including a cool winter.

Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam with city beaches. It suits nomads who want sea and city in one place, at a slower pace than the two largest cities.

Hoi An, south of Da Nang, is a small town whose old quarter is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It suits nomads who want a walkable, quieter base, with Da Nang's airport close by.

Those who want the mountains can look at Da Lat in the Central Highlands, and beach lovers at Nha Trang or Phu Quoc.

Fixed broadband is fast in national terms. Speedtest's Global Index for August 2026 put Vietnam's median fixed download speed at about 361 Mbps.

That's a national median. Speeds in a given apartment depend on the building and the plan, so it pays to test the connection before signing a longer lease. Mobile data works as a backup in the cities.

Coworking

Coworking spaces cluster in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang, with smaller scenes in Hoi An and other coastal towns. Day passes and monthly desks are the usual formats, and prices vary by space. Cafes with Wi-Fi are common in the cities and fill the gap in smaller towns.

Visas don't set tax status in Vietnam; days in the country do. Under the Personal Income Tax Law, in its consolidated version in force since July 1, 2026, a person is tax resident after 183 days or more in Vietnam in a calendar year or in 12 consecutive months from the first day of presence, or when they have a permanent residence there.

The 183 days test isn't new, but the law around it was rewritten, and salary and business income rules for residents apply from the 2026 tax year. Residents and non-residents are taxed differently.

What nomads should check

• Day count: the 12-month window runs from the first day of presence, not only the calendar year, so back-to-back e-visas can add up.
• Special regimes: Vietnam has no tax regime for remote workers, and the DT4 visa carries none.
• Treaties: a tax treaty between Vietnam and the home country can change the outcome, so anyone near the threshold should confirm with the tax authority or an adviser.

Arrival

Most remote workers arrive on an e-visa of up to 90 days, applied for online at evisa.gov.vn before the trip, or visa-free if their passport qualifies. The visa-free stay of 45 days applies only to the listed countries.

Longer stays

There's no nomad visa to switch to, so stays beyond the e-visa mean a new visa. Border and visa rules change often, so it pays to check the official e-visa portal before each trip.

Money

The dong (VND) is the currency, and prices run into the millions for rent, which makes it easy to misplace a zero. Cash still matters for street food, markets and smaller shops, while cards work in larger stores, hotels and many cafes in the cities.

Phone and internet

Local SIM and eSIM plans are sold at airports and carrier shops, and buying one usually means showing a passport.

Health

Private international clinics and hospitals operate in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. Care is thinner in smaller towns, and travel or international health insurance that covers medical evacuation is worth having.

Safety

Road traffic is a common hazard, especially for anyone riding a motorbike. Home governments' travel advice covers current safety and health notices.