Mike, a 26-year-old Russian tourist who has been working remotely for almost a month in Ho Chi Minh City, said the friendly visa policy is the most important factor for digital nomads like him.
“Vietnam is really a popular choice for digital nomads like me thanks to the 90-day tourist visa,” Mike said.
“I think if I went to Thailand, I could probably stay there for about 45 days, which is not a lot. So every 45 days I have to do visa procedures and it’s very complicated.”
Mike said Malaysia appears to be less secure while Indonesia has strict visa requirements for remote workers.
“In Vietnam, I can stay here for three months and have more flexible hours to work and travel without having to worry about not being able to balance my time. Vietnam has a lot of interesting things to visit and explore for digital nomads like us and everyone there. speaks English well, especially in Saigon.”
Renting an apartment in District 7, home to the largest expat center, and sitting in a cafe to work every day, the Russian spends 20 hours a week programming on the web.
The rest of the time, he explores the cuisine and culture of HCMC.
Vietnam started granting 90-day tourist visas to citizens of all countries and territories from August 15 this year.
Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are the only three countries in Southeast Asia that now offer visas specifically for digital nomads, albeit with strict requirements.
Indonesia requires visa applicants to have proof of funds of at least 2 billion Indonesian rupiahs, or $130,000, in their bank account, while Malaysia wants remote workers to have an annual income of at least $24,000.
Those wishing to apply for the digital nomad visa category must earn at least $80,000 per year and have a master’s degree. They must also be employed by a company that is publicly traded or has combined revenues of at least $150 million. three years before the visa application.
In addition to a convenient visa policy, the cheap cost of living in Vietnam’s tourist cities is also an advantage for digital nomads, those who come from Europe with higher expenses.
Andrey, a Serbian citizen, said he had traveled and worked in more than 10 countries and Vietnam was an ideal destination because of the low cost of living.
“I stayed in Phu Quoc for eight months, but because it was so beautiful, I spent most of my time traveling and not working. So I moved to Da Nang so I could meet more communities digital nomads,” he said.
“In Da Nang, I work seven hours a day and spend the rest of the time traveling and exploring everywhere.”
In Phu Quoc or Da Nang, he rented an apartment with a separate bedroom, kitchen and balcony swimming pool for VND6 million ($245) a month and spent about VND5 million ($204) on food.
“On average, I spent around $700 a month, much cheaper than the cost of living in Malaysia or Thailand,” he said.
Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City recently joined the list of 10 fastest-growing remote work hubs for digital nomads, according to Nomad List, the largest crowdsourced database of remote workers in the world.
The report shows that the monthly living cost of a nomad in Da Nang is $942.
The beautiful scenery and low crime rate have also been important factors contributing to Vietnam’s growing visibility in the digital nomad community.
Tim, a 40-year-old American who has been traveling and working in Da Nang for over a year now as a graphic designer, said his mother forbids him from traveling to Vietnam.
His mother warned him that he could be killed on the roads if he went to Vietnam to work remotely and he was afraid for a long time, thinking that Vietnam was dangerous.
After arriving in Vietnam, he was impressed by the beauty of the landscapes and the kindness of the people.
He said he spends five to six hours working online every day and the rest of his time he explores natural landscapes or participates in volunteer activities with local people.
“Vietnam is a modern and developing country. The technology sector is growing very quickly, especially in central Vietnam. I really fell in love with Vietnam from the first day I arrived there, the people, the landscape , life and everything,” he said.
Nguyen Tran Hoang Phuong, director of the Social Tourism Research Institute, proposed that Vietnam needs to compile statistics on the number of digital nomads in order to propose appropriate policies in the future and prevent people from cause social unrest.
Phuong said the population of digital nomads would increase rapidly in the coming times thanks to longer visas and Vietnam could take inspiration from Thailand to increase the group’s income.
For example, travel agencies in Thailand currently offer half-day or full-day tours for digital nomads to explore their country’s landscapes and culture and Thais also offer services specifically aimed at digital nomads to increase group income.
