Hoi An
A storybook UNESCO riverside town, dirt cheap and deeply charming, but the Ancient Town floods most autumns, Vietnam has no real retirement visa, and serious care means a trip to Da Nang or beyond.
For an American couple, Hoi An runs about $1,850 a month — though the trip home is a true long haul.
Hoi An by the numbers
Visa & residency for Americans
Critical honest con: Vietnam still has NO traditional age-/pension-based retirement visa (true as of July 2026). The much-discussed Golden Visa pilot is reported live since 1 Jul 2026 with only two tracks: GV-Investor (a one-time ~US$300,000 capital placement that must stay untouched; early withdrawal reportedly cancels the visa) and GV-Talent (credentialed specialists) — but its legal instrument is still unconfirmed in official sources, so treat details as provisional. The 'Retirement TRC' with a ~US$1,000/mo pension floor that circulated in earlier drafts was NOT enacted, so no income-based retiree route exists. Established fallbacks remain the DT investor visa (capital-linked, up to 10 yrs, PR possible after 5) or living on 90-day e-visas with periodic visa runs (unstable for permanent retirement). Verify current rules with Vietnam Immigration before relying on them.
Your Vietnam residency, mapped to your situation
Where you're headed, who's going, and what you're working with — five questions puts your file on the desk. When a visa specialist clears our bar for your country, you're first in line for the introduction.
Map my Vietnam visa path →What living in Hoi An is actually like
Adequate locally, excellent nearby. In-town options are limited: Hoi An Hospital (public, cheap, good for minor issues, x-rays, vaccinations but little English), Pacific Hospital (private with an international section, mixed reviews and upfront-payment pressure), and Western-style clinics (Family Medical Practice, Hoi An Medical Services) with English/French-speaking doctors for primary and urgent care. The real medical hub is Da Nang, ~30 min by car, home to Vinmec International (highly rated by expats), Hoan My (international wing, the expat go-to, insurer-linked) and Family Hospital. For complex oncology, advanced cardiac/neuro or major trauma, the world-class benchmark is Bangkok or Singapore (~1.5-2h flight), so medical-evacuation insurance is strongly advised for retirees.
Health cover for retiring in Vietnam
A broker that compares plans across the major international insurers — including plans that cover you past 65.
Compare plans for Vietnam →Tropical with two seasons. A dry, sunny stretch roughly Feb-Jul (23-34C, low rain) is the comfortable draw; the hottest months (Jun-Aug) can hit ~34-38C. A heavy rainy season runs Aug/Sep-Dec, peaking in November (~450mm), and Quang Nam sits in Vietnam's typhoon belt (highest storm/flood risk late Aug-early Nov). Coolest months are Dec-Jan (~19-24C). Humidity is high year-round (76-85%).
Very safe day-to-day. Vietnam is US State Dept Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) as of 2026, violent crime against foreigners is rare and the slow-paced town feels secure, including for women alone. Main risks are practical: petty theft (scooter-borne snatch-and-grab of phones/bags in crowded Ancient Town lanes), traffic and road-crossing danger amid chaotic scooter flow, and seasonal flooding rather than crime. Typical tourist-town overcharging (cyclo/taxi, tailor-shop upsells, foreigner pricing) is the most common hassle. Unregulated motorbike taxis are best avoided in favor of Grab.
A small but growing foreign community (grown from under 50 to ~1,000+ over the past decade, with ~400 Americans across Hoi An/Da Nang), mixing retirees, remote workers and families drawn to the slow, cultural pace. It is far thinner and less retiree-dominated than Mexico, Portugal or Chiang Mai, and overlaps heavily with the larger Da Nang scene 30 min away. Sociable and welcoming if you like a small-town, lower-key crowd; limited if you want a large, settled 55-70 peer group on your doorstep.
No nonstop US flights. Hoi An is served by Da Nang International (DAD), ~45 min away, with strong East/Southeast Asia connectivity (Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok); every US trip routes 1-2 stops via an Asian hub for ~20-26+ hours door-to-door (LA ~20h, NYC ~20-25h with connections). One of the farther, less convenient destinations for US-based family.
Worldwide income taxation for tax residents (183+ days/yr) up to 35%, and there is NO in-force US-Vietnam tax treaty (signed 2015, never ratified), so no treaty relief, rely on US foreign tax credit / FEIE. Vietnam's own social-insurance pensions are exempt, but that does not shelter US Social Security or US private pensions for a Vietnamese resident. Staying under 183 days/yr avoids residency. We are not tax advisors, get cross-border advice.
Getting your money to Hoi An
Move money across the border at the real exchange rate — the fee shown up front, and you see exactly what lands on the other side.
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Hoi An, weighed both ways
What’s good
- +Exceptional value, a couple lives comfortably on ~$1,500-2,000/mo (nice house or apartment, daily dining out, housekeeping), and frugal living is well under $1,000
- +Storybook UNESCO Ancient Town, lantern-lit and walkable, with beaches and Da Nang's amenities a short ride away
- +Slow, relaxed, sociable pace many retirees find ideal, plus famous food and a strong tailor/craft scene
- +Very safe, low-violent-crime environment (Vietnam State Dept Level 1)
- +Western-style clinics in town and strong private hospitals (Vinmec, Hoan My) 30 min away in Da Nang for routine and standard emergency care
- +Cheap, fast internet and a small but welcoming, growing expat community
Worth weighing
- –No traditional retirement visa, the single biggest obstacle; long-term residency relies on a brand-new, unproven 2026 pilot, an investor visa (~$300k), or unstable repeated visa runs
- –Worldwide taxation for tax residents (183+ days) AND no in-force US-Vietnam treaty (never ratified), a real double-taxation/complexity risk for residents
- –The Ancient Town floods most autumns (rainy season Aug/Sep-Dec, peaking November ~450mm) and sits in the typhoon belt, with multi-day closures
- –No direct US flights, ~20-26h+ journeys with 1-2 stops, making trips home long and tiring
- –Expat community is small and not retiree-dominated, you may rely on Da Nang for a deeper peer group and amenities
- –Limited local English outside tourist/expat venues and clinics, and Vietnamese is hard, so off-the-path admin and medical care can be friction-heavy
- –Hot, humid year-round with no cool season; chaotic scooter traffic and patchy sidewalks make walking unpleasant in parts
- –Serious/complex care typically means transfer or medevac to Bangkok or Singapore, budget for evacuation insurance
Who Hoi An suits
Adventurous retirees who want a beautiful, ultra-affordable small town and a slow cultural pace · Those comfortable with Asia and visa/tax uncertainty (or who will stay under 183 days/yr) · Foodies and culture lovers happy in a walkable, low-key riverside town near a bigger city · People who can self-fund an investor visa or don't need long-term residency certainty
Retirees who need a clear, income-based retirement visa and long-term residency security · Anyone wanting frequent, easy trips back to the US (no direct flights) · Those who want a large, established 55-70 expat retiree community on their doorstep · Retirees with serious/chronic conditions needing top-tier specialist care on the ground · Anyone who can't tolerate annual flooding, typhoon risk, or year-round heat and humidity
What a move to Hoi An actually costs
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Get my moving quotes →Sources, methodology & recent updates · visa & advisory re-checked 2026-09-08SHOW
- Sep 1, 2026We re-checked a reported change to Hoi An's figures against official sources — no change; they stand as shown.
- Jul 11, 2026We updated Hoi An's visa data — the retirement route no longer sets a monthly income requirement.
Go and see Hoi An first
Flights, a hotel, and a car for the scouting trip — booked in one place, through our travel shop.
See scouting trips to Hoi An →A month in Hoi An before you decide
The people who land happiest came and lived it first — the market, the bus, an ordinary Tuesday — before they signed anything. A furnished place by the week or the month is how you do that.
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Browse monthly stays in Hoi An on Vrbo →