Your Ho Chi Minh City move checklist

HONEST WARNING: Vietnam has NO retirement visa as of July 2026, and the reported Golden Visa pilot does not change that for most retirees: it is said to carry only a GV-Investor track (one-time ~US$300,000 placement kept untouched) and a GV-Talent track for credentialed specialists — the rumored $2,000-3,000/mo pension route from the proposal era was never enacted, and the program's legal instrument remains unconfirmed in official sources. In practice, retirees cycle 90-day e-visas (~$25) with border runs, or obtain a Temporary Residence Card via the Investor (DT) category or family sponsorship. The couple requirement is undefined because no retiree route exists. Figures as of July 2026; verify current status before committing.

Surprisingly strong private tier for such a cheap city. FV Hospital (District 7) is JCI-accredited and foreign-owned; Vinmec Central Park, City International Hospital, and Family Medical Practice all have English-speaking doctors, 24/7 ERs, and direct international-insurance billing. Routine and acute care is genuinely good and inexpensive (private GP visit ~$30-60). Caveats: the public system is overcrowded and not geared to expats; for the most complex high-stakes cases (advanced oncology, complex cardiac or neuro surgery) many expats still fly to Bangkok or Singapore, both ~2 hours away. Private health insurance is essential.

Worldwide income for tax residents (183+ days/yr or a registered/leased home), taxed at progressive 5-35%. That can include US Social Security, 401(k)/IRA withdrawals, pensions, rental and investment income. There is NO US-Vietnam double-tax treaty and no totalization agreement, so treaty relief is unavailable and you rely on US foreign tax credits to avoid double taxation. Staying a non-resident (under 183 days) limits Vietnamese tax to Vietnam-source income only. Get cross-border tax advice. (PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, 2025-2026.)

Far from the US. Only ONE nonstop to the US exists: Vietnam Airlines SGN-San Francisco, ~15h40, about 4x/week (fares from ~$600 one-way, business ~$5,000+ round trip). Everything else (LAX, East Coast) requires a connection through an Asian hub, making typical door-to-door trips 20+ hours. Hard for frequent family visits.

US State Dept Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, as of 2026), one of the safest tiers. Violent crime against foreigners is rare. The persistent real problem is petty theft: motorbike drive-by phone and bag snatching, so keep your phone off the street and bags on the inside shoulder. Vietnamese police reported snatch-thefts down ~47% and robberies ~32% in early 2025. Numbeo safety index for HCMC sits around 49-50 (moderate), reflecting pickpocketing nuisance more than serious danger.

Hot and humid year-round (roughly high-20s to mid-30s C / 80s-90s F) with no cool season. Two seasons: dry (Dec-Apr) and wet monsoon (May-Nov) with daily downpours and street flooding in low areas. No winter relief; the constant heat and humidity wear on many older retirees.

Large, well-established expat presence, but it skews working professionals, English teachers, digital nomads, and Korean/Japanese corporate families rather than Western retirees. Main hubs: Thao Dien (District 2, the leafy Western-style enclave with international supermarkets, cafes and clinics) and Phu My Hung (District 7, a planned township of ~30,000 with a big Korean and mixed-expat community). Easy to find English-speaking community, but a 55-70 retiree cohort specifically is thinner here than in dedicated retiree spots like Chiang Mai.