Can a US citizen live in Vietnam permanently?

A US passport needs a visa from day one, and every stay past 90 days rests on a Vietnamese sponsor.

Does Vietnam offer a long term visa?

Several, none without a sponsor.

Who can get permanent residence

Vietnam Briefing's guide of 8 July 2026 lists the four categories of the 2014 law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners: people recognised for meritorious service to Vietnam, foreign scientists and experts (with a formal proposal from the relevant minister), family members sponsored by a Vietnamese citizen, and stateless people who have lived in Vietnam continuously since 2000 or earlier. Every applicant needs a stable income and lawful accommodation.

The family route asks for at least three consecutive years of temporary residence before you apply. The Vietnam Law and Legal Forum explained the test in August 2015, when Circular 31/2015/TT-BCA was issued: at least three full years of temporary residence within the last four, read from your entry and exit stamps. The article dates from 2015, so confirm the test with a lawyer. Vietnam Briefing gives the application fee as USD 100 and the decision time as up to four months, extendable by two.

What that means for an American

1. Married to a Vietnamese citizen, or the child or parent of one: a family visa and a temporary residence card of up to three years, then permanent residence.
2. Married to a Vietnamese citizen but not living here full time: the five year exemption certificate. The Embassy of Vietnam in Washington asks for a passport with at least one year of validity and the marriage certificate, and the visa agency Tan Van Lang puts each stay at up to 180 days.
3. Employed or investing: a temporary residence card, renewed for as long as the work permit or the company lasts. We set out the steps in how to get a temporary residence card in Vietnam.
4. Retired or working remotely for a foreign employer: no category fits. Vietnam has no digital nomad visa, and none of the routes above covers retirement, so the stay is a cycle of 90 day e-visas.

Long stays also raise tax residency: see our Vietnam tax guide. Prepare a permanent residence file with a licensed Vietnamese immigration lawyer. The Vietnam visas guide compares every route.