Video by Evan Eh! 🇨🇦
Retiring in Vietnam: 20 Drawbacks After 6 Years
Evan Eh!, "basically retired early" in Da Nang after 6 years in Vietnam, said there was no retirement visa and the Golden Visa did not yet exist. They paid hundreds of dollars a month in insurance premiums for years. Their knee reconstruction after an accident cost 1,200 bucks, and they stopped paying premiums after it.
What it cost them
As stated in the video, May 2025. Prices change; these are theirs.
| Local breakfastwhat they said is easy to find | 25,000 Vietnamese dong ("which is a dollar") | ▶ 2:05 |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs benedictthe place they ate that morning | $5 US | ▶ 2:35 |
| Western breakfast elsewhere | 8 or 10 bucks | ▶ 2:35 |
| Pizza, steak or pasta out"easily"; they put it at 500k Vietnamese | 20 or 30 bucks US | ▶ 2:35 |
| Insurance premiumspaid for years, then stopped | hundreds of dollars a month | ▶ 4:39 |
| Knee reconstructionafter an accident | 1,200 bucks | ▶ 4:39 |
| Teeth cleaning | $8 | ▶ 4:39 |
| Motorbike ride, a couple of kilometrescompared with a car | like 50 cents | ▶ 7:15 |
| Car ride, a couple of kilometres | probably four or five bucks | ▶ 7:15 |
Their situation
Questions this video answers
Is there a retirement visa in Vietnam?
Evan Eh! said there is no retirement visa and the talked-about Golden Visa does not exist yet. Most people use the 90-day e-visa with visa or bus runs. They went the marriage route. ▶ 1:02
How much does Western food cost in Vietnam?
They said the eggs benedict they had that morning was $5 US, "a pretty good price". Elsewhere a Western breakfast was 8 or 10 bucks, and pizza, steak or pasta out was easily 20 or 30 bucks US. ▶ 2:35
What did a knee reconstruction cost in Vietnam?
After an accident, their knee was reconstructed and it cost 1,200 bucks. They had paid hundreds of dollars a month in premiums for years, and stopped paying premiums after the surgery. ▶ 4:39
How long did it take to get married in Vietnam?
Evan Eh! said it took them and their wife "like a year and a half or 2 years or something", with paper-based steps, stamps, signatures and notarised documents. ▶ 6:14
Did hiring an accountant help with taxes in Vietnam?
They paid a local accountant to file for three years in a row and said they got "like thousands of US dollars back". ▶ 13:59
The moments, in order
Press ▶ to play the video from that second.
- ▶ 1:02
Vietnam has no retirement visa, and the talked-about Golden Visa does not exist yet. Most tourists and expats use the 90-day e-visa with visa or bus runs. A business investor visa is another option. He stays through the marriage route.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 2:35
Western food costs much more than local food. The eggs benedict he had that morning was $5 US, which he calls a good price. Elsewhere a Western breakfast is 8 or 10 bucks, and pizza, steak or pasta out is easily 20 or 30 bucks US.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 3:06
After 6 years in Vietnam, with lessons and Duolingo,, and even though he speaks three languages, his Vietnamese is still super basic. He understands maybe a quarter of what his Grab driver says. He says the tonal thing is real.
- ▶ 4:07
Not all clinics accept foreign or travel insurance. He warns that older people with pre-existing health issues can pay so much for insurance that the cheap care stops being a saving.
- ▶ 4:39
He paid hundreds of dollars a month in premiums for years. When he finally had an accident and his knee was reconstructed, it cost 1,200 bucks. He stopped paying premiums after that, saying he should have just paid out of pocket.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 6:14
Vietnamese bureaucracy runs on paper, stamps, signatures and notarised documents. Getting married took him and his wife something like a year and a half or 2 years.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 7:46
Only some countries' international licences are recognised under the treaty: Canada's is, the US's is not. Most people have to get a Vietnamese licence through a painful process. He warns against the fake licences sold online.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 9:17
Air pollution is one reason he left Ho Chi Minh City, where the AQI is often in the 150s or 160s. He says Hanoi goes over 200 on some days and he will never live there. He calls Da Nang majestic by comparison.
- ▶ 10:50
He says loneliness is real, especially for singles outside the big cities. Living alone where you can't speak the staff's language is hard. He advises joining an expat community through Facebook groups or events.
- ▶ 13:59
After about 3 years in Vietnam, he paid a local accountant to file his taxes for three years in a row. He got 'like thousands of US dollars back' and recommends getting professional help.
Worth knowing before you go
- ▶ 1:02
Vietnam has no retirement visa, and the talked-about Golden Visa does not exist yet. Most tourists and expats use the 90-day e-visa with visa or bus runs. A business investor visa is another option. He stays through the marriage route.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 4:07
Not all clinics accept foreign or travel insurance. He warns that older people with pre-existing health issues can pay so much for insurance that the cheap care stops being a saving.
- ▶ 4:39
He paid hundreds of dollars a month in premiums for years. When he finally had an accident and his knee was reconstructed, it cost 1,200 bucks. He stopped paying premiums after that, saying he should have just paid out of pocket.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 6:14
Vietnamese bureaucracy runs on paper, stamps, signatures and notarised documents. Getting married took him and his wife something like a year and a half or 2 years.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 7:46
Only some countries' international licences are recognised under the treaty: Canada's is, the US's is not. Most people have to get a Vietnamese licence through a painful process. He warns against the fake licences sold online.
as stated, May 2025
- ▶ 9:17
Air pollution is one reason he left Ho Chi Minh City, where the AQI is often in the 150s or 160s. He says Hanoi goes over 200 on some days and he will never live there. He calls Da Nang majestic by comparison.
This is their experience, retold in our words, and not medical, insurance or financial advice.