Singapore vs Vietnam

Companies in Singapore register with ACRA via BizFile; a private limited company is standard and setup is fast and online. You need at least one locally-resident director and a company secretary.

Foreign investors usually set up a limited liability company; registration involves an Investment Registration Certificate and an Enterprise Registration Certificate via the provincial Department of Planning and Investment. Some sectors have foreign-ownership conditions.

Singapore is a major financial hub with strong local and international banks and advanced digital payments (PayNow). Foreigners can open accounts, usually needing a pass and proof of address. The Monetary Authority of Singapore regulates banks.

Vietnamese banking is modernising fast with strong mobile and QR payments. Foreigners can open accounts, usually needing a passport and often a work permit or residence card; the State Bank of Vietnam regulates banks.

Singapore is one of the world's most open economies for foreign investment, led by the Economic Development Board (EDB). There is no general foreign-investment screening and no exchange controls, so capital and profits move freely; generous tax incentives (such as the Development and Expansion Incentive) reward substantive activities.

Vietnam attracts foreign investment through the Foreign Investment Agency (Ministry of Planning and Investment). Most projects need an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) and then an Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC); some conditional sectors have limits. Incentives include tax holidays and industrial-zone benefits, and profits repatriate through banks.

Singapore has low taxes: progressive personal income tax, a competitive corporate rate, and GST on most goods and services (all administered by IRAS). It taxes on a broadly territorial basis — generally Singapore-source income and certain remittances.

Vietnam's taxes are run by the General Department of Taxation: personal income tax, corporate income tax and VAT. Tax residents (183+ days or a permanent residence) are taxed on worldwide income.

Foreign professionals work in Singapore on an Employment Pass (EP) for higher earners, an S Pass for mid-skilled roles, or a work permit for specific sectors. Passes are employer-applied through the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and are tied to a salary threshold and the employer.

Foreigners generally need a work permit plus a temporary residence card to work in Vietnam; the labour authorities issue work permits, usually via the employer. Some experts and intra-company transferees can be work-permit exempt with confirmation.

Full-time international students in Singapore need a Student's Pass from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. You do not apply directly: your institution registers and submits the application through ICA's SOLAR system, and you complete your part online. On approval you receive an In-Principle Approval letter used for entry, then complete formalities for the pass to be issued. Processing typically takes several weeks, so apply before the course begins.

Student entry to Vietnam is institution-led: secure admission first, then confirm the correct visa or temporary-residence route with your host university and coordinate documents through it. E-visas can support short entry, but degree study normally needs university sponsorship or institution-specific immigration guidance. One practical check people skip — confirm whether your programme is taught in Vietnamese, English or another language.

Singapore issues a visit pass on arrival for short social or tourist visits, typically up to 30 or 90 days depending on nationality. Nationals of many countries are visa-free; assessment-required nationalities must obtain an entry visa before travelling. All arriving travellers must submit the SG Arrival Card within three days before arrival. Visit-pass holders cannot work.

Vietnam's official e-visa is issued by the Immigration Department through the electronic visa system, for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry. Note the portal moved: the old evisa.immigration.gov.vn site states applications shifted to evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn from 11 November 2024. The e-visa covers entry and stay only — not local employment.

Singapore permanent residence is selective, granted mainly to established professionals (via the PTS scheme), investors (Global Investor Programme) and family of citizens or PRs. The ICA decides; approval depends on economic contribution and ties.

Vietnam’s permanent residence card (thẻ thường trú) is limited, granted mainly to those with special contributions to Vietnam, stateless persons long resident, or the spouse/child/parent of a Vietnamese citizen after several years. Most foreigners instead hold renewable temporary residence cards; permanent residence lets you stay without a visa.

Singapore citizenship generally requires being a permanent resident for at least two years (or being married to a citizen), economic contribution and intention to settle. Singapore does not allow dual citizenship for adults.

Naturalization in Vietnam generally requires about 5 years of residence, Vietnamese-language ability, a Vietnamese name, and lawful means of living. Vietnam follows a single-nationality principle, so applicants normally renounce their former nationality (the President may allow exceptions). Applications go through the Ministry of Justice and are granted by the President.

Singapore employment is governed by the Employment Act, administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). There is no general minimum wage (the Progressive Wage Model covers some sectors); the Act sets minimum leave, hours and CPF contributions, and requires Key Employment Terms in writing.

Vietnamese employment under the Labour Code sets region-based minimum wages, a 48-hour week, at least 12 days' annual leave, and compulsory social, health and unemployment insurance. Written contracts are required; termination follows set grounds and notice, and disputes go through conciliation and the People's Court.

Singapore's trade is run by Singapore Customs through the TradeNet single window. You register a UEN and activate a Customs Account, then apply for import/export permits. Most goods are duty-free — only liquor, tobacco, vehicles and petroleum are dutiable — but GST applies on imports. Controlled and strategic goods need competent-authority approval.

Vietnamese trade clears through the General Department of Customs using the VNACCS/VCIS electronic system. You classify goods by HS code for import duty plus VAT (usually 10%) and, on some products, special consumption tax. Certain goods need specialized import licences; Vietnam's FTAs (EVFTA, CPTPP, RCEP) cut duty with a certificate of origin.

Singapore trademarks are registered with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). You search the register, file an application classifying goods/services under Nice, and after examination it publishes for a two-month opposition period. A Singapore trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; IPOS also handles patents and registered designs.

Vietnamese trademarks are registered with the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam (IP Viet Nam). Vietnam is first-to-file, so registering early matters. You file under Nice classes; the mark undergoes formality and substantive examination before registration. A Vietnamese trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; Vietnam is a Madrid Protocol member.

MyCareersFuture, run by Workforce Singapore with the Ministry of Manpower, is the official job portal — and it is unusual in carrying legal weight rather than being only a search tool. Under the Fair Consideration Framework, employers must usually advertise a role on it before applying for an Employment Pass, which means the portal is a compliance step inside the hiring process. Foreign professionals need a work pass tied to salary thresholds, and MOM sets those rules.

Vietnam hiring runs mostly through direct employers, private platforms, recruiters and local networks rather than a dominant public job board. The structural point is that the work permit is an employer-side process with a step before it: the company normally has to get its use of foreign labour approved first, and only then files the permit — so a verbal offer from a company that has never done this is not the same as a job you can start. Working remotely for a foreign employer does not by itself create any Vietnamese status.

Singapore has no universal statutory minimum wage. Instead there are three distinct pay floors serving different purposes: the Progressive Wage Model mandates minimum pay for specified sectors and job roles; the Local Qualifying Salary sets a floor used for local-worker quota counts; and work passes such as the Employment Pass and S Pass carry their own minimum qualifying salaries. Knowing which of the three applies to your situation is the whole task, and the Ministry of Manpower administers all of them.

Vietnam has regional minimum wages rather than one national private-sector figure — official reporting sets separate monthly minimums for Regions I to IV, so the applicable floor depends on where the work is located. A distinct trap: the public-sector base salary is a separate concept and should not be mixed with the regional private-sector minimums, though the two are often confused. Use official wage rules first, and avoid proprietary salary tables for immigration or compliance decisions.

Singapore focuses funding on research and graduate study: the Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) funds international PhD students at A*STAR, NUS, NTU and SUTD, and A*STAR runs further research scholarships. The autonomous universities also offer their own awards. Explore options on the scheme and university sites and apply by their deadlines.

Vietnam offers scholarships to international students mainly through bilateral government agreements (administered by the Vietnam International Education Department, VIED), which allocate places to partner countries, alongside individual university scholarships. Check whether an agreement covers your country, explore the VIED and university sites, and apply by the deadline.

To study in Singapore you apply to one of the autonomous universities or another approved institution; on admission you receive an offer and, before enrolment, apply for a Student’s Pass through the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) using its SOLAR system. Teaching is in English. Explore options on the university sites and apply by the deadline.

To study in Vietnam you apply to the university, which sponsors your student visa (DH category); after arrival you obtain a temporary residence card for the duration of your studies. Some programs are in English; many require Vietnamese, and scholarships may include a language year. Explore the university sites and apply by the deadline.

Foreigners can rent freely in Singapore, but buying is restricted: non-residents may buy private condominiums but generally not landed property or HDB flats without government approval, and they pay a very high Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) on residential purchases. Purchases use a lawyer and are registered with the Singapore Land Authority.

In Vietnam, land is owned by the state, so foreigners cannot own land, but they can own apartments (and some houses) with a 50-year ownership certificate (renewable), subject to quotas — broadly up to 30% of units in a condominium building and a capped share in a landed project. You need a valid visa/entry. Renting is common and flexible; ownership is recorded on a 'pink book' certificate.

Singapore combines government subsidies, mandatory medical savings (MediSave), national catastrophic insurance (MediShield Life) and a safety net (MediFund) — but these schemes are for citizens and permanent residents only. Foreigners on work or other passes are not covered by them and rely on employer-provided group insurance or private cover. The Ministry of Manpower sets a minimum medical-insurance requirement for Work Permit and S Pass holders.

Vietnam combines public hospitals, private providers and social health insurance, and foreign workers under eligible labour contracts may contribute to health insurance through payroll — Vietnam Social Security states that foreign employees' compulsory insurance can include an employee health-insurance contribution. Public insurance matters, but many expatriates still hold private cover for provider choice, evacuation and international treatment. Before relying on any plan, check three things: hospital network, direct billing and language support.

Singapore's main social-security pillar is the Central Provident Fund, a mandatory savings scheme covering retirement, housing and healthcare — but it is for citizens and permanent residents, and foreigners on work passes generally do not contribute. So if you hold a work pass, retirement saving is largely your own arrangement. Employees are covered by work-injury compensation under the WICA framework, motor third-party insurance is compulsory, and private insurers are regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Vietnam's planning line runs between compulsory social and health insurance for eligible employees and private policies bought on top. Vietnam Social Security states that foreign workers with qualifying contracts participate in compulsory social insurance unless an exception applies — so the exception clause is worth checking rather than assuming either default. Private cover stays useful for exclusions, waiting periods and gaps, and employers should align insurance records with payroll, tax and work-permit records.