TL;DR: Vietnam is one of Asia’s best digital nomad destinations — fast internet (50-100+ Mbps), incredible food for $1-3/meal, growing coworking scene, and total monthly costs of $700-1,200 for a comfortable lifestyle. No dedicated digital nomad visa exists, but the 90-day e-visa ($50) works for most nomads. Best base cities: Da Nang (beach + easy…
TL;DR: US citizens owe federal income tax on worldwide income regardless of where they live. There’s no ratified US-Vietnam tax treaty and no totalization agreement. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) lets you exclude up to $130,000 (2025) / $132,900 (2026) of earned income. The Foreign Tax Credit covers Vietnamese taxes paid. FBAR filing is…
TL;DR: If you’re living in Vietnam as a foreigner, private health insurance isn’t optional — it’s essential. The public system isn’t designed for expats, Medicare doesn’t cover you overseas, and a single hospital stay at a private facility can exceed $10,000. Your three tiers: local plans ($300-600/year, basic), regional Asia plans ($600-1,200/year, best value), and…
TL;DR: Vietnam is one of the most affordable retirement destinations in Asia — a comfortable lifestyle runs $1,200-2,500/month including rent, healthcare, and frequent dining out. The biggest challenge is the visa: Vietnam has no retirement visa, so Americans use a combination of 90-day e-visas, investor visas (DT), or spouse visas. Healthcare in private hospitals is…
TL;DR — The 60-Second Version If you’re sending money to Vietnam — whether to fund a brokerage account, pay for property, or cover living expenses as an expat — your bank is almost certainly the most expensive option. A typical US bank charges $50 per wire plus a 2-4% exchange rate markup, meaning you lose…
TL;DR: If you’re buying Vietnam stocks through a brokerage account, you don’t need an investor visa — a 90-day e-visa or even a 45-day visa exemption (US passport holders) is enough to set up your account in person. The formal DT Investor Visa (DT1–DT4) is for direct business investment, not portfolio investing. But if you’re…
Stop asking “How cheap is a beer?” Start asking a better question: “What does it cost to buy back my time?” I moved to Ho Chi Minh City in 2016. I track every dollar that enters and exits my accounts. And after a decade of spreadsheets, visa runs, and watching hundreds of expats come and…
Five years ago, opening a bank account in Vietnam meant three trips to a branch, a stack of photocopies, and a teller who stared at your passport like it was written in alien hieroglyphics. Today? I can send money to my landlord at 2 AM on Sunday. Instantly. For free. From my phone. Try doing…
While Ho Chi Minh City real estate yields compress toward 3% and rental vacancy rates climb, a simpler opportunity sits in plain sight: Vietnamese dong (VND) term deposits paying 5-6% annually — tax-free. No property management. No tenant disputes. No 10% withholding tax like rental income carries. Just pure, passive yield that still outpaces U.S….