禁漫天堂

I'm an elderly American retired professor and plan to move to Da Nang soon, to retire. I've done lots of research in many ways, but I'd still like to chat in general with some of you who live there now. Thank you, John
-@jwdtpe

Since you've done a lot of research in many ways, I won't take it upon myself to try and educate you to the situation here for retirees

Tell us about the type of Visa/TRC/VEC you are going to have and then we will have a much better idea of general pointers we can give.

Welcome to the forum.

Again, Welcome to the forum...

Thanks so much for your reply. I understand that as if August 15, a more generous 90 day visa will be offered. I did go to the VN office in Taipei, told them I wanted to retire there, and they kindly said, "Just go!" But I am old and would like to get a waiver on the exit/re-enter trips, and I'll be visiting them again in a few weeks just to at least try that question with them!

@jwdtpe Hi John

I am also old (80) and retired.

Moved to Nha Trang some 500 kms further South.

I did that in 2019.

Got married to a local last year.

I've been a computer teacher for some 40 years.

Now, I teach English pro bona. Students, 14-66, pay nothing. I get nothing.

Great fun.

Any specifics? Contact me on ***

Thanks so much for your reply. I understand that as if August 15, a more generous 90 day visa will be offered. I did go to the VN office in Taipei, told them I wanted to retire there, and they kindly said, "Just go!" But I am old and would like to get a waiver on the exit/re-enter trips, and I'll be visiting them again in a few weeks just to at least try that question with them!
-@jwdtpe

I'd like to kindly suggest that would be a total and complete waste of time and expenses involved.

There's no such waiver available.

While the advice to "just go" is correct to a point, you'll always officially be a tourist, unless you change your status through marriage, employment or investing/starting a business.

As long as immigration policy remains unchanged, visa runs are going to be a regular occurrence.

It sounds harsh for me to say it, but the government of Vi峄噒 Nam has zero interest in having old foreigners come here to die unless they contribute to society in ways other than being perpetual tourists.

You can get a renewable 1 year 膼T4 business visa for 3 months to 1 year, but that doesn't qualify for a TRC (as do the 膼T1, 膼T2 & 膼T3).

The current minimum capital contribution for a 膼T4 visa is 鈧�600,000,000 VN膼 (currently $25,279 USD) but that doesn't include the cost for a mandatory accounting service, a mandatory brick and mortar storefront (no virtual businesses allowed) and any other startup fees.

The three year investment TRC (Temporary Resident Card) with a 膼T3 Visa requires a 鈧�3,000,000,000 VN膼 (currently $126,395 USD) capital contribution, but if you are investing in an established business and not trying to start your own business here, then the other costs I mentioned will be significantly lower or non-existent.

You could get married and have a 2 to 3 year spousal TRC approved within 90 days without needing to leave the country.

All of the required notarized & apostilled documents would need to be certified within the previous 6 months, so if you are possibly considering marrying a long-distance sweetheart here, get all the documents sorted before coming here and the process won't be too difficult.

You don't need to work full time to qualify for a business visa or TRC matching the length of your employment contract, as long as an employer is willing to shoulder the expense of officially/legally hiring you.

Many people remain in country perpetually as long as they remain employed as English teachers.

Again, get required documents sorted before coming here unless you submit your dossier through a consulate or the Embassy of Vietnam in the USA.

Those are basically your viable options.

Good luck!

(search the Thailand Forum and the Cambodia Forum for better retirement options and discuss those there)

Thank you for your post, and for telling me the harsh reality about the visa situation. I haven't taken any point-of-no-return steps for leaving here (Taiwan), but I'm keen on getting to Da Nang, if I can. I have no special 'pull' with anybody in the VN office, but I still might go talk to them again, knowing it might be futile. Your honest opinion on this matter was most appreciated; thank you again.

Thank you for your post, and for telling me the harsh reality about the visa situation. I haven't taken any point-of-no-return steps for leaving here (Taiwan), but I'm keen on getting to Da Nang, if I can. I have no special 'pull' with anybody in the VN office, but I still might go talk to them again, knowing it might be futile. Your honest opinion on this matter was most appreciated; thank you again.
-@jwdtpe

You're welcome.

Too often I'm told that I'm "discouraging" people unnecessarily, but after a person lives here for awhile, the "harsh reality" simply becomes a basic understanding of what can and can't be done here.

I totally understand your desire to investigate every possibly way your plan might work for you.

May I kindly suggest that these are not matters open to opinion or expat interpretations.

All of the information you are seeking is publicly published online as facts by the government of Vi峄噒 Nam.

Sometimes there is an English translation available and other times a foreigner has to rely on translation tools such as the built-in translation function in Google Chrome or by using the Google Lens & Google Translate apps.

US citizens have the added advantage of English translations of key immigration facts via links found on the website of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Houston, Texas.

They routinely link to explanations and articles found on .

The normal transit time by bus from 膼脿 N岷祅g to the Lao B岷�o border crossing into Laos--including processing time at the border--is normally about 11 hours, give or take an hour, depending on traffic/road conditions and processing speed at the border (which can vary from day to day).

It's understandable you'd like to avoid that if it's at all possible.

One alternative that some of my friends here in the greater 膼脿 N岷祅g area are employing is taking a flight to Thailand.

Based on current prices and the flight schedule you choose, the price range for the airline fare can be anywhere from slightly under $100 USD to $200 USD.

The wise folks (IMHO) choose to turn their visa run into a little holiday trip.

If I still had to do visa runs, I'd probably be planning to visit my cousin and my niece (and great nephew) in Thailand, once every 3 months, after the 90 day visas go into effect on August 15th.

I've lived in 膼脿 N岷祅g 4 times now (2018-2019, 2020 during covid lockdown, briefly in 2022 and also in 1972) so I understand the inexorable draw the area has for many foreigners, as well as knowing the negatives that some people would rather address wearing earplugs & blindfolds.

Some might say I'm a bit of a , but she wasn't wrong; just unbelievable 馃惔

I'm saying this because you might very well discover that 膼脿 N岷祅g is perfect for you for part of the year, but you might not be too keen about monsoon season.

If that becomes the case, maybe consider other options such as R岷�ch Gi谩 or H脿 Ti锚n on the southern coast or Ph煤 Qu峄慶 island across the Gulf of Thailand from there.

By living in one of those areas, you'd greatly decrease the amount of time necessary for visa runs.

Even living in V农ng T脿u isn't so terrible for visa runs to the M峄檆 B脿i border crossing into Cambodia IF you combine the every-90-days trip with one or more nights in S脿i G貌n (HCMC) having a shopping & entertainment experience.

You haven't specifically said so, but when you speak about your age possibly qualifying you for a waiver, I have to wonder if you are feeling somewhat enfeebled or are in fact physically handicapped in some way?

Hopefully you are healthy, but to be clear, when it comes to visa runs, handicapped people (myself included) get ZERO sympathy from government officials and visa agents.

You'll be expected to provide your own means of transportation and any necessary personal attendant, plus assistance devices such as a wheelchair or walker.

A disabled fellow here in H峄檌 An was just informed by the otherwise caring & helpful local visa agent that he probably won't be allowed to use the bus service any longer because his mobility issues are so great that the travel time is severely impacted when he transfers on and of the bus and into and out of his seat.

They are also worried about liability, since he has nearly fallen more than once.

He can still do visa runs to the border, but he now needs to hire private transportation that can handle his power wheelchair and assist his wife with physical transfers.

If there were ever someone who might evoke sympathy from the government for some sort of waiver, he'd be that person.

Not gonna happen.

We'll all be happy for you if you manage to get the waiver you seek, as well as interested in how you accomplish that, so please do update us on your progress, whatever the end result.

Cheers!

O.B.

All good advice from OceanBeach!