Long Stay in Da Nang: Visa, Tax, Bank, Insurance, Budget
Passports from the 12 countries of Resolution 44/NQ-CP get 45 days free for any purpose. Any other passport can use an e-visa valid for up to 90 days. Longer stays need a sponsor-filed extension or a new e-visa requested after you leave Vietnam. Presence of 183 days or more in Vietnam makes you a tax resident.
On this page
Find your passport case first, then set up tax days, bank, insurance, budget and housing.
Your route by passport
- 45-day exemption, 12 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland get 45 days from entry, for any purpose.
- 45-day exemption, tourism purposes: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland get 45 days from entry for tourism purposes.
- Passport not on the lists: apply for an e-visa, valid for a maximum of 90 days, for single or multiple entries. E-visas are granted to citizens of all countries and territories.
- Same passport, no sponsor, longer stay: after you depart and exit Vietnam, you may request a new e-visa from outside.
- With a sponsor: a foreigner who wants to extend must have the inviting or sponsoring person or organisation file the request.
The first exemption runs for entries from 15 March 2025 to the end of 14 March 2028. The tourism-purpose one runs from 15 August 2025 to the end of 14 August 2028. Full lists: Vietnam visa exemption countries.
If you hold an e-visa
The fee is US$25 for a single-entry visa and US$50 for a multiple-entry visa. You file it yourself, online.
Someone already in Vietnam cannot apply for an e-visa. An e-visa holder in Vietnam may be eligible for a new visa if an authority, organisation or individual in Vietnam invites or guarantees them. Details: Vietnam e-visa guide.
Going past the first stamp
A 45-day entrant may be considered for a visa or an extension of stay. For an extension:
- Your sponsor files the request with the immigration authority, not you.
- A Vietnamese citizen sponsor must be a grandparent, parent, spouse, child or sibling of the foreigner, with proof of the relationship.
- The fee is US$10.
- The decision takes no more than 5 working days from a complete file.
- The form is NA5.
Overstay fines for an individual:
| Overstay | Fine |
|---|---|
| Under 16 days | 500,000-2,000,000 VND |
| 16 to under 30 days | 5,000,000-10,000,000 VND |
| 90 to under 180 days | 20,000,000-25,000,000 VND |
Next steps: how to extend a visa in Da Nang, agency versus your own sponsor, overstay fines, the visa run to Lao Bao.
Tax days: the 183-day line
A person present in Vietnam for 183 days or more within one calendar year, or within 12 consecutive months from the first day of presence, is a resident individual. The arrival day counts as one day and the departure day counts as one day.
A rented home also counts. Lease terms of 183 days or more within the tax year make you a resident individual, and a hotel or guesthouse stay counts as a rented home.
A non-resident’s wages for work performed in Vietnam are taxed at 20%, wherever the income is paid. Full test: the tax residency test.
Bank account
At a bank, a foreigner’s file needs a passport, plus an entry visa or proof of visa exemption for a foreigner residing in Vietnam. When you use a passport, the bank must meet you in person and check your identity papers.
A bank may add documents beyond the standard list, and must notify you and give specific guidance.
A foreigner in Vietnam to study, receive medical treatment or travel is not a resident under the foreign-exchange rules, whatever the length of stay. A non-resident individual may use a dong account at a licensed bank to pay for or withdraw cash for spending in Vietnam. Steps: open a bank account in Vietnam, ATM fees on a foreign card.
Health insurance for retirees
Listed from the highest age limit down:
- Bao Viet Intercare takes people up to 69 at the start of cover, extendable to 75 if renewed continuously from 69.
- Liberty HealthCare takes new members up to 64 years old, and renewal members up to 74.
- Bao Viet An Gia stops at 60 at the start of cover, extendable to 65 if renewed continuously from 60.
- SafetyWing Nomad Insurance stops sign-ups at age 64, and is renewable indefinitely once enrolled.
Bao Viet cover sold through HSBC requires that the insured person does not leave Vietnam for a continuous period exceeding 180 days. Liberty covers pre-existing conditions after a 1 year waiting period. More: health insurance for foreigners.
Where to go when you are sick
- Hoan My Da Nang Hospital, 291 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Thanh Khe Ward, is open 24 hours.
- Its new VIP Medical Centre has dedicated assistance in English, Chinese and Japanese.
- At FMP Da Nang, Dr. Ngo Huy Linh, Dr. Christopher Mandani Suazon and Dr. Allan Paras speak English.
- The medical emergency number is 115.
Full list: hospitals and clinics for foreigners.
Monthly budget lines
| Line | Counts per | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom, My An / An Thuong | household | 9-13 million VND a month |
| One-bedroom, Son Tra near the beach | household | 10-15 million VND a month |
| Utilities, 85 m2 apartment | household | 2,001,269.29 VND on average |
| Fibre internet, GIGA plan | household | 195,000 VND a month |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | person | 60,000 VND on average |
| 50cc scooter, 30 days | rider | from 4,500,000 VND |
| Viettel SIM, 45GB | person | 90,000 VND for 30 days |
Add the per-person lines twice; rent and utilities are per household.
Standard leases in Vietnam are typically 6 months. Short-term rentals of 1–3 months exist, but inventory is smaller and the per-month rate is higher. More: cost of living, motorbike rental.
Where to live
- Son Tra: quiet, with lower rents, near the nature reserve.
- My An: best for tranquility with easy access to beaches and the tourist area.
- An Thuong: a touristy feel, karaoke noise, construction and the highest rents.
- Hai Chau: 5-10 minutes by motorbike from the beach, with apartments starting from USD 250-350 a month.
December brings around 25 rainy days, roughly 200mm of rain and average humidity around 89% in Da Nang. See weather by month, typhoon season.
Areas and leases: where to live in Da Nang, how to find an apartment.
Registering where you sleep
A foreigner staying in Vietnam must declare the residence through the person who runs the accommodation, to the ward police where it is located. The one who files is the owner, its legal representative or an authorised person, not the foreign guest. There is no fee.
A foreigner who does not hand their passport and residence papers to the accommodation is fined. The same clause fines the accommodation 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 VND for not declaring 1 to 3 foreign guests. If you change address, you must declare again. More: temporary residence registration.
Scams and street safety
- Violent crime against foreigners is rare, but theft and pickpocketing occur regularly.
- Bag-snatching by thieves on motorcycles is common, so hold your bag on the side away from traffic.
- Do not give your passport as a guarantee to motorcycle rental shops or landlords. They can hold it against claimed damage.
- Never transfer deposits to personal bank accounts, per Da Nang Police.
Details: scams and street safety, emergency numbers.
Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (My Khe Beach on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Vinmec Da Nang International Hospital on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by @Krys D, @Hùng Bùi văn.
Not confirmed: A couple's monthly budget is unconfirmed. Whether border officers re-admit an exempt entrant straight after an exit for a new stay. Whether a long tourist stay creates Vietnamese tax on income paid abroad. Which insurers cover a newcomer in their seventies. What a Da Nang branch accepts when a visitor on the exemption or an e-visa opens an account.
Common questions
Can I stay 6 months in Da Nang on a visa exemption?
The exemption gives 45 days from entry. A 45-day entrant may be considered for a visa or an extension of stay, and the extension request comes from your sponsor.
How long is a Vietnam e-visa valid?
An e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days, for single or multiple entries. Someone already in Vietnam cannot apply.
Does a half-year stay make me a Vietnam tax resident?
Presence of 183 days or more within one calendar year, or within 12 consecutive months from your first day, makes you a resident individual.
Who registers my address when I rent?
The accommodation owner, its legal representative or an authorised person files the declaration, not the foreign guest. There is no fee.
Can an older retiree buy health insurance in Vietnam?
Bao Viet An Gia accepts people up to 60 at the start of cover, extendable to 65 on continuous renewal. Bao Viet Intercare accepts up to 69, extendable to 75.
How do I stay beyond one e-visa with no sponsor?
An e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days. After you depart and exit Vietnam, you may request an electronic visa.
Read next
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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