Retirement in VN - married to VN - visa status?

Either get a 5-year Spousal Visa, requiring either an extension filing or a Border Run (no need for another countries visa) every 90 days.

OR

Get a Residence Permit. All you need do is gather up your essential documents (birth, marriage, etc) AND a Criminal Record from your State police authority (clean, hopefully) and come on over.

The Resident Permit should be a breeze for you being married to a VN citizen - processing time varies from weeks to months depending on Immigration  work load.

Having been here several times, with your visas, will help your processing as they 'know' you.

Enjoy your Golden Pond Years.

Garyvey,

Which Portland is that?  Nonetheless, when you guys go buy your plan tickets, look for a Vietnamese-owned travel agency in your area.  Ask around first because a good, connected travel agent will get your paperworks done faster and cheaper.  Then, just get your tickets and visas there.

You will need the Visa Exemption Certificates (Giay Mien Thi Thuc).  Your wife will need to provide a copy of her Vietnamese birth certificate.  As for you, you will need a copy of your marriage certificate.  To avoid unnecessary stress, go with your wife.  Brief her on these things and let her handle it; that will get you your certificates much faster.  You just need to smile .

Howie

Thanks for all the information. I live near Portland, Oregon. If anyone knows of a vietnamese owned travel agency that can assist I would be grateful. It's been 6 years since we lived in HCMC and I see lots of changes have been made. Motorcyclists now wear helmets (finally!) and there appears to be high speed internet as opposed to the slow dial-up I had to use there. I used to live on LeVanSy and taught at many schools there, including the Bu Dien telecommunications college. I never mastered the language but enjoyed my life there and am ecstatic to return. I run a web site (viewzone.com) -- check it out -- and can work from anywhere... can't wait to be back among the beautiful people again. Thanks for everyone's help.

Garyvey,

That Portland hey?  Beaverton?  There should be a sizeable Vietnamese community in one of those places.  I forgot exactly which, it has been a while.  But if not, you might want to take a look in Seattle.  That is where you guys fly out, right?

Hi Gary,

You could get the spouse 5 years visa. My husband from the state and he got one.

All you need is marriage cert.

How does one get, say, social security while retiring in vietnam? Is there a good bank there to use? How does that work... anyone?

You need a bank with a presence in VietNam preferably. The alternative is a US bank with discount or free ATM access.

I would have recommended HSBC but they have become real a*seholes with their new Secure(sic)Key which isn't. This is needed with every InterNet banking transaction as well as every ATM transaction.

eventually it is a code generating device into which you key a number provided by the SK computer and displayed on whatever screen.

You then watch the magic SK device spit out a new number which you may or may not be able to read as the font size is too small or cannot be read as the ambient light is too low, which is keyed like a PIN.

Three attempts and you are locked out and requires a phone call to your HSBC to answer some inane questions and, eventually, they reset your account.

One of my HSBC accounts is now in it's 23rd day of lock-out as they try to sort the problem. Basically they could care less about customers these days.

So be careful what bank you select.

The way I arrange my ATM accounts is to have a savings account in to which deposits go. This has no ATM access and is used simply as a medium from which to transfer money to the ATM account or make electronic payments.

The associated banking account has ATM access. Before making a withdrawal I look at XE.com and have it calculate how many US dollars I need to buy X-amount of VND. I transfer that amount rounded up by USD$5 to ensure any exchange rate differences occur.

I then make my withdrawal leaving a minimal amount for hackers.

This damn stupid Secure(sic)Key will be used throughout the HSBC system, so now is the time to get a bank that doesn't use it.

This stupid Secure(sic)Key can only be used for one account, unless it is a business account when, magically, their computer can handle more that one Secure(sic)Key. This means shared accounts have to arrange access to the Secure(sic)Key. If you are in Seattle and your favourite squeeze is in Sacramento, one of you will have no access to money.

A brilliant scheme. Is not actually secure from hackers but it does effectively prevent customers from accessing their money easily.

Some countries have two levels of pension payments, a bonus paid upon where you reside. This can easily be circumvented by having the receiving account of the pension transfer the amounts to your double savings/banking account. Not exactly impervious to investigators but answers casual inquirers information, including credit bureaus.

If you wish to transfer lump sums of money in to VietNam use a SWIFT transfer. This system provides documentation sufficient to satisfy the State Bank of VietNam you actually brought the money in.

Just remembered another reason to avoid HSBC. They claim they can only disburse transfers in VND, which means they screw you on the exchange rate and steal your dollars. They also say the State Bank of VietNam requires this.

They lie.

Other banks in VietNam will give you USD$ or AUS$, in cash, when you pick the money up. ANZ allegedly hands out hard currency.

But why would anyone trust HSBC given they had a big laundry operation washing Mexican drug money in the USA or they were one of the banks allegedly (!) fiddling the Euribor overnight interest rate.

Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for the bank information. NEXT-- what is the tax situation... I read that US citizens must pay taxes on social security and other income (like google ad revenue for me)... but I have also seen services advertised where they claim you pay next to nothing (with a $300 fee). Anyone have experience with this. I have about 22k jointly with my wife annually. This "retirement in vietnam" thing seems complicated!!! Social Security also says they will not sent payments to Vietnam... geez.

Jaitch , I'm afraid I cannot agree with any of your comments about the HSBC Bank, I have been a customer of theirs for around 6 years now holding accounts Offshore Jersey , UK mainland along with three accounts in Vietnam , Sterling , VND and USD and I have never had any problems in any of the countries.
Very easy to transfer  from one account to the other and if you do some research you shall find that if you use their currency exchange between your accounts in VN you shall receive very good rates.
You also mention the Secure Key Device and you mention that this is needed for every ATM transaction ??? I'm afraid you are wrong in what you are saying as I have never required it for any ATM  transactions , you only require this for internet banking. If you have different accounts in different countries then you only have to log into one of your accounts and you have access to all of your other account by using a facility known as Global View.
My own personal opinion is that no matter where you are in the world the HSBC is the way to go.

Hi Geoff1 - please note that this thread is dated 2012

Hi Garyvey,

I am curious how your situation worked out? Did you retire in VN? I am in the same situation you are in... Do you have an update for us?