After years of working and paying social insurance (BHXH) in Vietnam, many foreign nationals prepare to return home with the same question: how much will my lump-sum social insurance payment actually be, and am I being short-changed? Miscalculating this figure can lead you to file with the wrong expectations, or to accept less than you are truly entitled to.
You have paid social insurance for a few years in Vietnam, but which years actually count toward the lump-sum payment? Which salary is used to calculate it, your final month’s pay or the average across your whole contribution period? Why do two people with the same seniority receive different amounts? These doubts make many people hesitate to file, or trust a figure heard by word of mouth only to be disappointed by the result. This article shows you how to estimate your own figure using the exact formula in the 2024 Social Insurance Law now in force, so you know the ballpark before you put pen to paper.
Which foreigners can withdraw, and what the amount is based on
A foreign national working in Vietnam is subject to compulsory social insurance when holding a labor contract of 12 months or more with an employer in Vietnam, except in certain cases such as intra-corporate transfers or having reached retirement age at the time of signing. Once you have participated, you may withdraw a lump-sum social insurance payment in the cases prescribed by law. For most foreigners about to leave the country, the most common qualifying case is termination of the labor contract, or expiry of the work permit without renewal.
One point to grasp from the outset: the lump-sum payment is calculated on the time you contributed to the retirement and survivorship fund, not the entire time you were present and working in Vietnam. Foreign workers only began contributing to the retirement and survivorship fund from 01 January 2022. Therefore, even if you worked in Vietnam before 2022, the time counted toward your lump-sum payment usually starts only from that milestone. This is also why many people arrive at a figure higher than reality: they add in years during which they never contributed to the retirement and survivorship fund.
The formula and the three factors that determine the amount
The core formula is compact: each year of contribution is converted into a number of months of the average monthly salary on which social insurance was paid. For foreign workers, because their entire contribution period falls from 2014 onward, each year of contribution is counted as 2 months of the average salary.
In other words, your amount depends on three factors. Understand all three and you can estimate it quite closely.
Factor 1: The number of years contributed (and how odd months are rounded)
This is the number of years you contributed to the retirement and survivorship fund, counted from when you became subject to contribution (usually from 2022 for foreigners) until you stopped. If the contribution period has odd months, the law allows rounding under a fixed rule.
For example, 4 years and 4 months counts as 4.5 years, while 4 years and 8 months counts as 5 years.
Factor 2: The average monthly salary on which contributions were paid
Because a foreign worker’s salary is decided by the employer, the average is taken over the entire contribution period, not just the final few years.
Two points cause many people to miscalculate at this step. First, the salary used as the basis for contribution is capped: it is at most 20 times the reference level (mức tham chiếu) at the time of contribution (Article 31 Clause 1 of the Social Insurance Law 2024). The reference level currently equals the statutory base salary (mức lương cơ sở), that is 2,530,000 VND per month from 01 July 2026, so the contribution cap is now 50.6 million VND per month. If your actual salary exceeds this figure, the excess is not used in the calculation. Second, if your contractual salary is in foreign currency, the salary used as the basis for contribution is converted into Vietnamese dong at the exchange rate announced by the banks, so the figure used for the calculation is the converted amount.
Factor 3: The salary adjustment coefficient (indexation)
The salary contributed for each year is multiplied by an adjustment coefficient to offset inflation, so that the value of past contributions is not eroded over time. This coefficient is published annually, based on the consumer price index, and is at least 1. For foreigners who have contributed only in recent years, the coefficient for 2025 and 2026 is 1.00, while the earlier years are only marginally above 1, so the adjustment barely changes the result. This is what lets you estimate quickly: you can take it as roughly equal to the average of your actual contributed salary.
A step-by-step trial calculation
Suppose Mr. M (name changed), a foreign national, works for a company in Ho Chi Minh City. He became subject to contribution to the retirement and survivorship fund from January 2022, and his labor contract ends on 30 April 2026 with no renewal of his work permit as he prepares to return home. His salary serving as the basis for contribution is stable at 40,000,000 VND per month (below the 50.6 million cap, so it is counted in full). The trial calculation goes as follows:
- Determine the number of years contributed. From January 2022 to the end of April 2026 is 4 years and 4 months. The four odd months are rounded up to half a year, so the number of years counted is 4.5 years.
- Determine the average monthly salary on which contributions were paid. Averaged over the whole period, after applying the adjustment coefficient of roughly 1.0 for recent years, about 40,000,000 VND.
- Apply the formula of 2 months per year. Because every year of contribution falls from 2014 onward: benefit = number of years × 2 × average salary.
- Arrive at the estimated result. 4.5 years × 2 × 40,000,000 = 360,000,000 VND.
Thus, Mr. M’s lump-sum amount is around 360 million VND. This is only an illustrative figure of the method; the actual amount received depends on the specific contribution history, the salary in each period, and the adjustment coefficient at the time of settlement. Once you have estimated, the file for a lump-sum social insurance payment is fairly simple in terms of paperwork: the social insurance book and a written request for the benefit, submitted to the social insurance agency (Article 78 of the Social Insurance Law 2024). The obstacles usually lie not in the application form, but in the preparation before filing.
Mistakes that skew the figure, and risks to be aware of
When calculating on their own, foreigners often arrive at the wrong figure due to a few recurring errors:
- Adding in years worked before 2022, a period not yet contributed to the retirement and survivorship fund, which overstates the number of years.
- Forgetting the contribution cap (currently 50.6 million VND per month), so for high earners the calculated figure is inflated compared with the amount actually used.
- Using the most recent month’s salary instead of the average over the whole contribution period, which distorts the result if the salary changed over the years.
- Overlooking months for which no social insurance was payable (for example, months of unpaid leave), which are not counted toward the contribution period.
Beyond miscalculation, a misunderstanding is circulating that causes many people unnecessary worry: that after withdrawing a lump-sum social insurance payment, one is barred for a period from returning to work in Vietnam, or may even be asked to repay the money. Based on our review, current law contains no such provision. You can still return to Vietnam to work and participate in social insurance again as normal after withdrawing.
There is, however, a real consequence you should weigh before deciding to withdraw: the period already counted toward a lump-sum payment can no longer be added back later.
That is, if you later intend to return to Vietnam to work long-term and aim for a pension, the period already withdrawn will not be used toward the cumulative total. For those who have decided to return home for good, this is not an issue; but for those keeping open the possibility of coming back, it is a consideration worth weighing.
DEDICA accompanies foreign nationals in withdrawing social insurance
At DEDICA, we usually begin by advising on and estimating the amount you may receive based on your actual contribution history, so that you have a reliable figure before deciding. From there, we review and standardize the file: reconciling the information in the social insurance system against your passport, assisting with finalizing your book at both your most recent employer and former employers (including where a former company is entangled in legal issues), and handling urgent situations when you have only a few days left before your flight.
If you have already left Vietnam, we guide you through executing a power of attorney at a Vietnamese representative mission abroad and then carry out the entire procedure on your behalf, working with the social insurance agency and receiving the outcome. Should you no longer hold a bank account in Vietnam, we assist in opening an account to receive the funds and advise on transferring the social insurance payment to your account in your home country, so that you need not fly back just for a formality.
Conclusion
To estimate your lump-sum social insurance amount before filing, follow four steps: (1) determine the number of years contributed to the retirement and survivorship fund, which for foreigners usually starts from 2022, and round the odd months under the rule that 1 to 6 months is half a year and 7 to 11 months is one year; (2) calculate the average monthly salary on which contributions were paid over the whole period, keeping in mind the cap of 50.6 million VND per month and the adjustment coefficient of roughly 1.0 for recent years; (3) multiply 2 months of the average by each year of contribution, because your entire period falls after 2014; (4) check your withdrawal eligibility against Article 70 Clause 2. The three things most likely to delay a file or skew the figure are: an unfinalized book at a former employer, information in the system that does not match the passport, and overstating years not yet contributed to the retirement and survivorship fund. If you are about to fly or have already left, the safest step is to have a lawyer review your contribution history and standardize the file from the outset, rather than discovering errors once you are abroad.
Every foreign national’s social insurance file has its own particulars regarding contribution time, salary in each period, and residency status. DEDICA Law Firm can estimate the specific amount for your case, review your eligibility, and complete the procedure on your behalf, even when you cannot be present in Vietnam. Contact DEDICA for a lawyer’s advice tailored to your own situation.
This article is for reference based on the law in force at the time of writing. Each case depends on the file, the contribution history, and residency status; please consult a DEDICA lawyer for accurate advice on your situation.
