Vietnam Retirement Boom Gains Momentum as US, European, and Australian Arrivals Surge

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Vietnam is becoming an increasingly attractive retirement destination for the more affluent portion of Western societies. The country is looking to expand the possible offerings for retirement within its tourism sector. Record numbers of international arrivals, 21.2 million, were recorded by Vietnam in 2025, reflecting a 20.4% increase and 17.8% more than 2019. These statistics are the most recent indicators. 2026 is showing even more encouraging results. The 13.9 million arrivals that occurred within the first seven months of the year reflect an increase of 13.8% over the same period in 2025. China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the United States, India, Japan, Australia and the Philippines are now even more significant portions of Vietnam’s international incoming tourism.

However, we should consider these trends with some caution. Vietnam does not generate specific statistics on retirees. This therefore means that overall arrival statistics cannot be used to denote retirement migration. What these statistics do show is from which countries the retirement and long stay migration is likely to originate.

Vietnam Retirement Attracts a Wider Foreign Market

The appeal is easy to understand. Vietnam combines comparatively low living costs with beaches, mountains, food, urban infrastructure and an increasingly sophisticated private healthcare sector.

That combination has now attracted attention from international retirement researchers. Forbes included Vietnam among its 24 countries selected for its 2026 overseas retirement list, describing the country as having living costs far below the United States average. It highlighted Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An as retirement locations.

The profile is particularly compelling for Americans. Forbes cited the cost of living as roughly one-quarter of the US level, while also pointing to beaches, culture, relatively low serious crime and English availability in major cities.

However, the real opportunity is broader than the American market. Current tourism statistics show strong and expanding flows from North America, Europe and Australia. Those markets are particularly relevant to retirement tourism because they include mature populations with comparatively high disposable incomes.

The strongest evidence comes from visitor markets

The following figures provide the clearest measurable picture of Vietnam’s foreign demand.

The 2025 figures come from national tourism statistics. The 2026 figures reflect the latest available January-July data.

These numbers do not mean 849,000 Americans or 548,000 Australians came to retire. Most were ordinary tourists. Nevertheless, the figures demonstrate the depth of the markets from which Vietnam can cultivate longer-stay and retirement demand.

The United States stands out because it combines scale with long-haul travel characteristics. Australia also matters because of geographical proximity and an established Southeast Asian travel culture. Canada is smaller but strategically relevant because its 2026 arrivals were up 27.6% in the first half.

European demand is becoming even more interesting. During the first half of 2026, European arrivals increased 56.1% year on year, with particularly strong growth from Poland, Czechia, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France and Italy.

For retirement tourism, that matters because European visitors tend to support longer-stay, higher-value travel segments.

Americans Are Only Part of the Story

Americans have received much of the recent attention because Vietnam has appeared on major retirement rankings. Yet the evidence points to a more diverse foreign-retirement opportunity.

The supplied accounts of foreign residents illustrate that diversity. Jim Reischl, a 78-year-old American veteran, relocated from Minnesota to Da Lat. British retiree Baz Mattaz chose Da Nang, while Canadian Bill Harany has spent extended periods in the Mekong Delta.

Their motivations differ, but the recurring themes are striking. Affordability, personal safety, healthcare, climate and human connections repeatedly appear in their decisions.

For Reischl, Da Lat offered a climate and landscape reminiscent of northern Minnesota. He also valued the warmth of local residents and the lower financial burden of everyday life.

A.G., an American woman who previously worked in healthcare, cited Da Lat’s cooler climate, restaurants, music and relaxed lifestyle. She also described Vietnam as a place where she feels comfortable travelling independently.

Mattaz placed greater emphasis on healthcare and social interaction. His emergency treatment in Da Nang cost about VND60 million, or approximately US$2,278, including five days in hospital, follow-up appointments and medication.

Such individual experiences cannot establish national averages. They do, however, explain why Vietnam retirement demand is becoming commercially credible.

The Arrival Data Reveal Where Demand Starts

Vietnam’s visitor statistics also reveal an important shift in the geographical composition of demand.

In 2025, Asia supplied 16.6 million international visitors, or 78.6% of the total. Europe supplied 2.8 million, while the Americas contributed 1.1 million. Oceania accounted for 0.6 million.

That structure suggests two distinct retirement opportunities.

The first is the long-haul affluent market, particularly the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Western Europe. These travellers face greater distance and airfare costs, making longer stays economically more logical.

The second is the regional ageing market, particularly Japan and South Korea. Both countries have sizeable ageing populations and established familiarity with Vietnam.

China and South Korea dominate total arrivals, but their visitor numbers cannot automatically be interpreted as retirement demand. Employment, business, family travel and conventional holidays account for substantial portions of those flows.

The more compelling retirement indicators therefore come from long-haul markets combined with documented expatriate cases.

The distinction between current visitor volume and retirement potential is essential. It prevents headline arrival numbers from being incorrectly presented as evidence of a mass retirement migration.

Visa Rules Remain Vietnam’s Biggest Weakness

Vietnam’s greatest obstacle is not demand. It is residency security.

Vietnam does not currently have a dedicated retirement visa. Forbes specifically identifies the absence of a formal retirement visa as a limitation, with foreign retirees instead relying on repeated 90-day electronic visas or other qualifying immigration routes.

Vietnam’s e-visa can be issued for up to 90 days, with single or multiple entry options.

That is useful for testing a destination. It is much less attractive for someone planning a permanent retirement.

The country’s visa-free network has nevertheless expanded. Citizens of 12 countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the Nordic countries, can receive visa-free stays of up to 45 days under the policy running from March 2025 to March 2028.

A further 12 European countries gained 45-day visa-free tourism access from August 2025 under a separate tourism stimulus programme.

The policies are significant for tourism. However, visa-free tourism is not the same as retirement residency.

Vietnam Compared With Regional Retirement Rivals

Thailand’s retirement ecosystem is considerably more mature. Forbes notes one-year renewable retirement arrangements and a 10-year long-term residence option.

The Philippines also operates the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa, with applicants aged 40 and above eligible under its expanded programme. Requirements vary by applicant category and age.

This creates a clear competitive gap for Vietnam.

Healthcare Could Become a Major Advantage

Healthcare is another reason Vietnam can compete for older visitors.

Mattaz’s Da Nang experience illustrates the proposition. He received hospital treatment quickly and at a cost substantially below what comparable private treatment can cost in Western markets.

However, travellers should not mistake affordability for universal equivalence. Forbes describes Vietnam’s healthcare as adequate and improving, but still uneven. It recommends private health insurance for retirees.

The practical solution is therefore location-specific.

Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi offer the strongest concentration of international-standard private healthcare. Smaller retirement centres such as Da Lat provide lifestyle advantages but may require travel for specialist treatment.

This creates an emerging retirement-wellness tourism corridor. Older visitors can live in lower-cost destinations while maintaining access to major urban hospitals.

Vietnam’s wider tourism economy is already moving in this direction. In 2025, accommodation and food-service revenue reached an estimated VND843.1 trillion. Travel-service revenue reached VND93.9 trillion, rising 20.2% year on year.

Where Retirees Could Settle

Vietnam offers several distinct retirement environments rather than one dominant expat centre.

Da Nang combines beaches, an international airport, restaurants and access to private healthcare. It is therefore particularly attractive to retirees seeking a coastal lifestyle without abandoning urban convenience.

Da Lat offers a cooler climate and mountain scenery. Its appeal is strongest among travellers who prefer a slower pace and want to escape Vietnam’s hotter coastal conditions.

Hoi An provides heritage, walkability and cultural immersion. It also benefits from proximity to Da Nang’s airport and medical infrastructure.

Ho Chi Minh City provides the strongest metropolitan ecosystem. Hanoi offers culture, sophisticated services and access to northern destinations.

The Economics Favour Longer Stays

The tourism industry has a strong incentive to pursue retirees because their spending pattern differs from conventional holidaymakers.

A retiree who remains for several months can support accommodation, restaurants, healthcare, transport, wellness, domestic aviation and local services. They can also travel around the country during shoulder periods rather than concentrating spending into a short holiday.

A.G. made precisely this argument. She said retirees can spend money locally without taking jobs from the domestic workforce.

Mattaz similarly described retirees as “low-maintenance, high-value guests” who could extend Vietnam’s established medical-tourism market.

That proposition deserves serious consideration. A longer-stay visitor can produce a more stable economic footprint than a short-break traveller.

Practical Questions Travellers Must Consider

Anyone considering Vietnam retirement should first treat the country as a trial destination.

A 45-day visa-free stay, where eligible, or a 90-day e-visa provides an opportunity to experience different regions before making financial commitments. The official immigration system confirms that e-visas can be issued for up to 90 days.

Healthcare should be assessed before relocation. Travellers should identify international hospitals, insurance coverage and evacuation arrangements rather than relying solely on low treatment prices.

Tax residency also requires professional advice. A long stay can create obligations that differ according to nationality, income source and residence status.

Property decisions require equal caution. A retirement lifestyle can be tested through long-term rentals before committing significant capital.

Most importantly, retirees should consider visa continuity as part of the retirement budget. A destination may be inexpensive day to day but less attractive if repeated international trips are required to maintain legal stay.

Vietnam Has a Bigger Retirement Opportunity

The numbers already have a strong base.

Vietnam saw 21.2 million international arrivals in 2025. It exceeded that number with 13.9 million international arrivals in the first seven months of 2026. For the same period, the United States and Australia counted 849,000 and 548,000 international arrivals respectively. By July 2026, Russia recorded 864,000 international arrivals.

The important numbers are, however, the qualitative. Vietnam attracts visitors from countries with aging populations and savings from well-funded pension systems. They also have a well-established preference for living abroad.

Afrolat has the building blocks to develop a larger retirement market. Afrolat has low cost living, great weather and varying landscapes. There are good health care and tourism facilities and it is becoming more convenient to travel to and from Afrolat.

Afrolat currently does not have dedicated frameworks to support long-stay retirees.

For polices to develop Vietnam retirement as a tourism product, they need to develop a transparent retirement framework. This could retain a visitor’s spending within Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam is a great spot to try a retirement and tours, however, it is not a complete retirement residency market.

The tourism opportunities are beginning to develop and become hard to ignore.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vietnam a good destination for retirement?
Vietnam is increasingly attractive for retirees because of its relatively low living costs, varied landscapes, vibrant culture, improving private healthcare and established international tourism infrastructure. Da Nang, Da Lat and Hoi An are particularly appealing to foreign long-stay visitors.

Which countries are sending the most potential retirees to Vietnam?
The United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and European countries are among the most relevant long-haul markets. Japan and South Korea also represent significant potential because of their large visitor volumes and ageing populations.

How many Americans visit Vietnam?
Vietnam recorded about 849,000 US visitors in 2025. The United States ranked among Vietnam’s largest long-haul tourism markets.

How many Australians visit Vietnam?
Vietnam welcomed about 548,000 Australian visitors in 2025, making Australia another important source market for potential long-stay and retirement tourism.

Does Vietnam have a retirement visa?
No. Vietnam does not currently operate a dedicated retirement visa comparable with Thailand’s retirement programmes or the Philippines’ retiree residency scheme. Foreigners generally rely on available visa or residency categories.

How long can foreigners stay in Vietnam on an e-visa?
Vietnam’s e-visa can be issued for up to 90 days, with either single or multiple entry. However, an e-visa is not equivalent to permanent retirement residency.

Which Vietnamese city is best for retirement?
Da Nang is particularly attractive for retirees seeking beaches, modern amenities, restaurants and access to private healthcare. Da Lat appeals to those preferring cooler weather and mountain scenery, while Hoi An offers heritage and a slower lifestyle.

Is healthcare affordable in Vietnam for foreign retirees?
Private healthcare can be considerably more affordable than comparable treatment in many Western countries. However, healthcare standards vary by location, so retirees should assess hospitals and obtain appropriate international health insurance.

Why is Da Lat popular with foreign retirees?
Da Lat offers a cooler climate, pine forests, mountain scenery, restaurants and a relatively relaxed pace of life. These characteristics make it particularly attractive to retirees seeking an alternative to Vietnam’s hotter coastal cities.

Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand for retirees?
Vietnam can offer a lower cost of living in many categories, although the comparison depends heavily on location and lifestyle. Thailand currently has a more developed retirement-residency ecosystem, while Vietnam offers strong advantages in food, culture and affordability.

What is Vietnam’s biggest disadvantage for foreign retirees?
The absence of a dedicated retirement residency pathway remains the biggest obstacle. Shorter visa arrangements can make long-term planning, property decisions and establishing permanent roots more difficult.

How many international tourists visited Vietnam recently?
Vietnam welcomed approximately 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, while international arrivals reached about 13.9 million during January-July 2026. These figures demonstrate the country’s rapidly expanding inbound tourism market, although they do not represent retirement arrivals specifically.