Australia-to-destination family route

Moving to Vietnam from Australia: 2026 family guide

Direct flights and a modest time difference make Vietnam accessible from Australia, but Australian passport holders still need a visa and cannot convert a visitor entry into any residence route they choose. Build the sponsor and family permission plan before completing the ATO, Medicare and Australian account handover.

Build the route plan Explore Vietnam

Research last verified 2 September 2026

🇦🇺StartAustralia

🇻🇳SettleVietnam

Vietnam Airlines publishes nonstop services from Sydney and Melbourne to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, plus Perth–Ho Chi Minh City. Da Nang and other family bases usually need an onward sector, so compare one protected itinerary with a self-connection.

One move, two connected plans

Finish the Australia departure work while you build the Vietnam arrival

A family move can fail on either side. Keep tax, healthcare, accounts and the departure date moving in step with immigration, school, housing and insurance at the destination.

Plan A · leave well

Connect the ATO, super, Medicare and family admin

Work out tax residence from the facts, protect super and account access, replace Medicare overseas, organise property and study-loan reporting, and keep myGov working after the move.

Open the Australia departure hub

Plan B · arrive legally

Build a workable life in Vietnam

Confirm the long-stay route for every family member, then line up school, healthcare, housing, money and the first local registrations.

Open the Vietnam country guide

The route at a glance

What changes between Australia and Vietnam

Use these as planning anchors, then verify live entry and airline rules close to travel.

Time difference

Vietnam is 1–4 hours behind

One hour behind Perth and three or four behind the east coast; central Australia differs.

Everyday currency

Vietnamese dong (VND)

Keep a documented AUD route while local banking and source-of-funds evidence are established.

Short visit

An approved visa is required

Eligible e-visas can allow up to 90 days, single or multiple entry; Australia has no visa on arrival.

Before arrival

Check the digital pre-arrival form

Vietnam encourages the form within 72 hours at major international airports; verify current scope.

Entry is not residence

Australian passport holders need an approved Vietnamese visa before travel

Smartraveller says Australians cannot obtain a visa on arrival. Eligible travellers can apply through Vietnam's official e-visa system for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days if granted. Details must match the passport exactly, and visitor status cannot simply be changed into another visa type in Vietnam.

1
Apply only through the official Vietnamese government route and print the approval for airline check-in and arrival.
2
Check the name, date of birth, passport number, entry point, validity and single- or multiple-entry permission before travel.
3
Choose the long-stay basis for the real purpose—employment, investment, family, study or another lawful sponsor route.
4
Confirm how each spouse and child is sponsored, and whether an adult needs a separate work permit or exemption.
5
Check the arrival stamp, residence registration and extension dates rather than assuming the visa document tells the whole story.

Make permission concrete

Three conversations to have before the move becomes expensive

Write down the official answer, the source and the date. A route that works for the principal applicant may still leave a gap for a spouse or child.

Before accepting the role

Ask the employer or sponsor for a written plan covering work-permit eligibility, family sponsorship, document legalisation, medical evidence and the route if employment ends.

Before committing to school and housing

Connect admission and refund dates to the realistic approval sequence for every family member, not only the principal applicant.

Before leaving Vietnam

Check visa validity, temporary residence evidence and whether a new approval or entry is needed for the return journey.

Continue with the family visa guide

Compare principal routes, dependant status, work rights and renewal questions in more detail.

Family visas in Vietnam

Flights and family time

Choose the Australian gateway and Vietnamese arrival city as one family journey

Nonstop access to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is strong from selected Australian capitals, but Da Nang and other bases commonly add a domestic connection. Compare arrival time, terminal changes, baggage, pets and missed-connection protection.

Vietnam remains on UTC+7; calls with daylight-saving Australian states move by an hour during the year.
Keep a printed e-visa approval and essential records in cabin baggage, not only on one phone.
If self-connecting, allow for immigration, baggage collection and a new domestic check-in.

The school handover

Protect the Australian senior-school pathway before moving between calendars

Vietnam has international schools using IB, British, American, Australian and other programmes. Mid-year transfer, subject availability and graduation credentials matter more than a broadly familiar school label.

1
Collect reports, subject outlines, assessments, attendance and a named registrar or year-level contact.
2
Share learning plans and specialist reports early, then ask how the receiving school delivers adjustments in practice.
3
For Years 10–12, map state certificate and ATAR plans against the receiving qualification and university-document route.
4
Confirm the place and test the home-to-school trip in ordinary traffic before choosing a long lease.

International schools in Vietnam

The money handover

Keep the AUD evidence trail while Vietnamese banking is established

Vietnamese banks can ask for immigration and source-of-funds evidence. Australian tax residence, Vietnamese tax and provider access are separate questions, so keep salary, transfers, asset sales and school payments well documented.

1
Record the ATO residence position and coordinate Australian and Vietnamese treatment of the same income and dates.
2
Ask banks, brokers and super funds what changes when the residential address becomes Vietnamese.
3
Compare AUD-to-VND rate margin, fees, intermediary charges and receiving costs together.
4
Keep contracts, payslips, transfer receipts and account statements in an accessible source-of-funds file.

Cost of living in Vietnam

Pack evidence, not guesswork

Build one secure family document pack

Keep originals safely, encrypted copies available to both adults and a small offline arrival folder. Verify whether the exact application needs an original, certified copy, translation, apostille or other authentication before ordering it.

Shipping belongings Moving pets

Identity and family

Australian passports, full birth and marriage records, custody or consent evidence, and the exact certification, DFAT apostille or authentication and translation sequence requested by Vietnam.

Work and immigration

Qualifications, employment and sponsor evidence, police checks if required, medical evidence, passport photographs and a complete copy of every application and approval.

Health and school

My Health Record downloads where useful, clinician summaries, prescriptions with generic names, Australian Immunisation Register statements, reports, subject records and learning-support plans.

Shipping and pets

A valued inventory, customs evidence and destination import permits. Confirm Vietnam's import permit, health certificate and vaccination sequence, as well as the return-to-Australia implications. DAFF export permits and health certificates may be required, and future return-to-Australia preparation should begin before departure.

The first week

Four arrival tasks that protect the rest of the move

Do the time-sensitive legal and access work first. Furniture, memberships and a perfect routine can wait.

01
Subscribe to Vietnam updates from Smartraveller and save Australian Embassy Hanoi, Consulate-General Ho Chi Minh City and emergency contacts.
02
Check the immigration stamp and make sure the landlord, hotel or host completes the required residence registration.
03
Test Australian banking, super and myGov recovery from Vietnam before changing the phone number used for security.
04
Activate insurance and identify suitable hospitals and evacuation options; Medicare does not pay for treatment in Vietnam.

Continue your research

Turn the route into a family shortlist

These country guides take the next decisions deeper without repeating the Australia departure work.

Best places for familiesCompare cities, areas and everyday access HealthcareHospitals, insurance and family care Australia departure checklistPut home-side tasks in a sensible order

Common questions

Questions about moving from Australia to Vietnam

Do Australian citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Australians need a visa or qualifying exemption certificate before travel and cannot obtain a visa on arrival.

How long can an Australian stay on a Vietnam e-visa?

If granted, the official e-visa can allow up to 90 days and may be single or multiple entry. The approved dates and entry point control the actual permission.

Are there direct flights from Australia to Vietnam?

Yes. Vietnam Airlines publishes nonstop services from Sydney and Melbourne to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and from Perth to Ho Chi Minh City. Schedules can change.

How far behind Australia is Vietnam?

Vietnam is one hour behind Perth and three or four hours behind the east coast depending on daylight saving. Central Australia differs.

Can a tourist e-visa be changed to a work visa in Vietnam?

Smartraveller warns that an entry visa cannot simply be changed to another type in Vietnam. Confirm the correct sponsor route before travel.

How should an Australian Year 12 student transfer?

Get a written subject, credit, graduation and university-document plan before accepting a place. A move between ATAR, IB, A-level or American diploma routes can affect options.

Will Australia tax income after the move?

Possibly. The answer depends on Australian tax residence and Australian-source income. Vietnam may also tax residence or local activity.

Can the Australian Embassy correct a Vietnamese e-visa?

No. Vietnamese authorities control visas. Check every approval detail before travel and contact the issuing authority about errors.

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