Vietnam family relocation guide
Moving to Vietnam with children
Vietnam can offer families an energetic, comfortable life and good day-to-day value. The harder part is securing a stable right to stay: an e-visa can suit a research trip, but a longer family move normally needs an eligible work, investment or family-sponsored route.
The honest answer
Is Vietnam a good place to move with children?
Vietnam rewards families whose legal status is anchored by a credible employer or another durable route. It is a less convincing choice for location-independent households trying to turn consecutive visitor permissions into a settled school year.
At a glance
What moving here could mean for your family
Costs are researched comparison ranges, not quotes. They assume a family of four with international school; a second high-fee place, major exchange-rate movement or premium housing can take you beyond them. Display conversions use ECB reference rates from 31 Aug 2026.
Where families live
Three places with different strengths
Start with the school, home and healthcare your family needs. Even a popular city may be a poor fit if everyday journeys are too difficult.
Ho Chi Minh City
Best for: Largest commercial and school ecosystem
Fast, entrepreneurial and intensely urban
Watch: Air pollution, flooding and traffic make the exact school/home pairing critical.
Da Nang
Best for: Beach-city balance and simpler scale
More relaxed, coastal and increasingly international
Watch: The school and specialist-healthcare market is narrower; severe weather and wet-season flooding affect planning.
Hanoi
Best for: Culture, capital-city institutions and established schools
Seasonal, dense and historically rich
Watch: Winter damp and severe pollution episodes are important for respiratory needs.
Residence and work
Which visa could work for your family?
A valid visa does not always include permission to live, work or study in the way you expect. Check that the route covers what every family member plans to do.
| Route | Useful for | Family reality | Do not miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic visa | Scouting trips and temporary stays | Official e-visas are available for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry; each traveller needs the correct permission. | It does not create permission to work or a durable school-year residence plan. Do not build a move around assumed extensions. |
| Work permit + temporary residence card | A qualifying role with a Vietnamese sponsor | The employer normally drives work-permit and residence-card documentation; eligible relatives may use linked family status. | Qualifications, experience, health and police documents can require legalisation; a change of employer can affect status. |
| Investor/business route | Genuine qualifying investment or business activity | Duration and dependant options depend on the approved category and investment facts. | It is not a paper-company shortcut. Corporate, tax, capital and immigration obligations continue after approval. |
| Family sponsorship | Eligible relatives of Vietnamese citizens or qualifying foreign residents | Can support temporary residence where the relationship and sponsor status meet the rules. | A child at an international school does not, by itself, sponsor both parents. |
Before paying an agent: ask for the current official category code, sponsor, permitted activities, dependant basis, total government/agent fees, renewal conditions and cancellation consequences in writing.
Schools and children
Build the budget from the child's year group
Our comparison range is about £8,700–£31,000 a year. Published tuition is only the start: application, registration, capital/development, deposit, bus, meals, uniform, devices, exams, trips and learning support may be separate.
Publishes 2026/27 application, enrolment, deposit and tuition information; use the complete first-year total rather than tuition alone.
British Vietnamese International SchoolHo Chi Minh City · British / bilingualPublishes a 2026/27 schedule by year group; admissions, transport, meals, uniforms and trips require separate checking.
Singapore International SchoolDa Nang · International / SingaporePublishes a 2026/27 annex. Check programme stream, refundable deposits, meals, buses and compulsory charges.
- Is the place confirmed in writing?
- What is the complete first-year invoice?
- How is additional learning or language support delivered?
- What happens if immigration timing slips?
Understanding the costs
What changes the monthly budget?
School fees and your choice of area usually affect the total more than groceries. These examples show how costs can vary; they are not fixed budgets.
Da Nang or outer-city housing, a lower-fee school, local food and a simple transport pattern.
Practical school access, established private care, broader leisure and a mid-market international school.
High-fee Hanoi/HCMC schooling, central or compound housing, flights and international-consumer habits.
Keep deposits, visa fees, joining charges, flights, temporary housing, furniture and emergency reserves outside the monthly comparison. They arrive before the household reaches a steady rhythm.
Plan these early
Healthcare and cross-border tax
Healthcare
- Private hospitals and international clinics are concentrated in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. More complex treatment or medical evacuation can still be necessary.
- Insurance should include medical evacuation and repatriation, not merely local inpatient limits. Check which facility can treat a child after hours.
- Air pollution is a material location factor in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; typhoons and flooding matter in central Vietnam. Match the risk to the individual city.
Tax
- Vietnamese tax residence and taxable scope can depend on days present, permanent accommodation and treaty residence; do not reduce the answer to a visa expiry date.
- Work performed while physically in Vietnam can create Vietnamese payroll, personal-tax or employer issues even when the client or company is abroad.
- A tax treaty with your departure country may relieve double taxation but does not remove registration or filing duties. Get advice before the move year because arrival timing matters.
Information, not personal advice. Immigration, tax, employment and insurance outcomes depend on your facts. Use the official links below and obtain regulated or locally qualified advice where needed.
Is it right for you?
Who Vietnam may suit—and who should keep comparing
Put it on the shortlist if…
- One adult has a credible sponsored role or another reliable basis for residence.
- You value city energy and strong everyday value.
- You are comfortable using more Vietnamese in daily life.
- You will insure medical evacuation and choose school, home and healthcare together.
Keep comparing if…
- Your only plan is to repeat 90-day e-visas indefinitely.
- Both adults need effortless local work rights.
- Your child needs a wide choice of specialist educational support outside Hanoi or HCMC.
- Air quality is a severe family health concern and you cannot flex location or season.
Useful for every destination
Compare the decisions that follow your family across borders
These guides help you research the same important questions for Vietnam, while keeping your departure-country responsibilities in view.
Choose a family area in Vietnam
Compare the city areas behind the country overview
Move from the national picture to named neighbourhoods, with school access, realistic journeys, housing, healthcare and rent considered together.
Your next steps
How to turn research into a family move
Use the e-visa for a research trip
Compare cities, schools, hospitals, wet-season journeys and realistic homes without treating a visitor visa as a long-term residence plan.
Confirm your basis for long-term residence
Confirm the sponsoring employer or other qualifying basis, document legalisation, dependant eligibility and what happens if the job changes.
Allow extra money and time for the first school year
Budget first-year fees and keep enough flexibility for temporary housing while residence cards, leases and school places are finalised.
Register and review
Ensure accommodation registration is completed, retain immigration records and obtain cross-border tax advice before the first relevant filing deadline.
Common questions
Questions about moving to Vietnam
Can a family move to Vietnam on an e-visa?
An e-visa can support a scouting or temporary stay of up to 90 days, but it is not a stable family-residence or work route. A durable move normally needs employer, investor or eligible family sponsorship.
Can I work remotely from Vietnam on an e-visa?
Do not assume a visitor permission authorises work. Immigration permission and Vietnamese tax/employer obligations are separate. Obtain advice on your activity and employer structure before working from Vietnam.
Which Vietnamese city is best for families?
Ho Chi Minh City has the largest school and commercial choice; Hanoi has established institutions and culture; Da Nang offers a more relaxed coastal scale. School breadth, air quality, flooding and specialist care create different trade-offs.
How much does international school cost?
Use the live annual planning range shown above, with large variation by city, curriculum and year group. Application, enrolment, capital, transport, meals and trips can materially increase year one.
How much should a family budget monthly?
Use the live monthly planning range shown above as a comparison, not a quote. A premium school can dominate the budget; a second child or central compound can take it higher.
Is private healthcare good in Vietnam?
Major cities have international clinics and private hospitals, but quality and capability vary and some complex care may require evacuation. Buy suitable insurance and identify your child-friendly emergency facility before choosing a home.
Do foreigners have to register their address?
Vietnam requires foreign residents' accommodation to be registered with local police, usually within 24 hours. Hotels commonly do this; in a private rental, confirm the landlord or host completes it and keep evidence.
When might I pay tax in Vietnam?
Days present, accommodation and treaty facts can all matter, and work physically performed in Vietnam may be locally sourced. Get cross-border advice for the arrival year rather than relying on an e-visa's 90-day label.