Vietnam to offer apartments and vehicles to lure tech talent

The government will pay housing and transportation allowances or provide apartments and vehicles to scientists working for it, a new decree has said.

They would also receive annual bonuses of up to four months’ salary, and could earn incomes by leasing or selling their technology, the decree on attracting highly qualified personnel in technology, innovation and digital transformation said.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has said government incentives for scientists and tech talent are uncompetitive compared to those in developed countries. It proposed paying larger salaries and assist with housing and transportation to attract them.

On signing a contract with the government, the scientists will get a relocation allowance equal to a month’s salary to cover housing, transportation and other essential needs.

They will be entitled to a healthcare package of up to 1% of their annual salary.

In the case of foreign nationals, the government will provide them and their family with airfares once a year to visit home.

Family members will also be entitled to healthcare allowance of 1% of annual salary besides multiple-entry visas and temporary residence cards.

Those wishing to apply for Vietnamese citizenship will be eligible under recently eased requirements.

The decree spells out conditions for recruitment. Eligible candidates can be inventors or co-inventors of patented innovations that have resulted in products, professionals with great expertise and substantial experience who have worked at reputed research institutes, universities or enterprises abroad or authors of outstanding research that has won international awards or been widely used with proven impact.

Doctorates from universities ranked among the world’s top 200, and authors of at least 10 international papers published in renowned journals will also be considered.

By Vu Tuan -VnExpress.net – September 23, 2025