Quick Summary: A relocation service quote in Vietnam typically bundles three main cost categories plus incidental expenses: the investment or contribution amount, foreign government fees, and service fees from intermediaries. Two quotes with the same total can differ completely in what work gets done, who does it, and when money leaves your account. Reading a quote correctly means separating these three categories and comparing line by line, not comparing totals.
You're holding two quotes for the same program, the same five-person family. One is tens of thousands of dollars lower than the other. Your natural reaction is to ask "why is the other one so expensive?"
A more useful question is: "Are these two quotes describing the same work?" In years of quoting, we've found that most differences between quotes don't come from advisor markups, but from scope of work, how fees are bundled, and when money leaves your account.
We're also a quote provider, so this article doesn't compare our price to anyone else's. The goal is to help you read any quote—including ours—using the same framework.
What cost categories are in a relocation quote?
| Category | Includes | Paid to | Negotiable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment or contribution | National fund contributions, real estate purchases, project equity | Foreign government or project developer | Fund: no. Real estate: depends on project |
| Government fees | Application fees, due diligence fees, passport fees, biometric fees | Foreign government agencies | No |
| Domestic service fees | Vietnam-based advisors, translation and notarization services | Intermediaries in Vietnam | Yes, depending on scope |
| Foreign service fees | Licensed agents, foreign lawyers | Intermediaries abroad | Partially, usually through your Vietnamese advisor |
| Incidental costs | Medical exams, police certificates, consular authentication, courier, travel, bank fees | Various providers | Partially |
First step when you receive a quote: ask the provider to separate the total by category exactly as shown above. A transparent advisor can do this in one meeting. If the answer is "it's an all-inclusive package, you don't need to worry," you still have the right to ask.
Government fees are the easiest to verify, because most investment citizenship programs publish official fee schedules. For example, our Grenada page links to the current fee requirements.
Three service tiers in Vietnam's market
Vietnam's relocation market can be described in three tiers. No tier is better than another; each suits a different type of client.
| Tier | What the provider does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Document support | Guides you on required documents, translation, pre-review before submitting through a foreign agent | People with time, document experience, straightforward finances |
| Full-service application | Handles everything from program selection to receiving citizenship certificate or residency card, works with foreign agents and lawyers | Most families, especially when source of funds needs explanation |
| Full-service plus aftercare | Adds support for bank account opening, document maintenance and renewal, adding dependents, next steps like E-2 visa or education planning | Families with multi-step plans, multiple members, complex finances |
Common confusion: higher tier doesn't mean higher approval rate. Approval decisions rest with foreign government agencies. What higher tier service buys you is better preparation quality, faster response time, and having someone support you if additional documents are requested.
What does "all-inclusive" usually include and exclude?
The term "all-inclusive" has no standard definition. Each provider uses it their own way. The most commonly misunderstood items:
- Due diligence fee for children above a certain age: many programs charge separately for dependents from age 16 or 18.
- Parents, siblings joining: usually an additional fee, not included in the standard family package.
- Translation and consular authentication: some include it in the package, others charge per actual page.
- International wire transfer fees and exchange spreads: almost never included in the quote.
- Costs if additional documents are requested: do you pay more to handle additional submissions?
- Future passport renewal and maintenance fees: typically outside scope.
A more detailed list is in the article costs that don't appear in your quote. For Caribbean applications, the real cost of a multi-generational Caribbean family application has worked examples.
Who's behind the quote: your Vietnamese advisor, the licensed agent, and the foreign lawyer
Caribbean citizenship programs require applications submitted through a government-licensed agent (also called authorized agent). Many Vietnamese advisors don't hold this license themselves but work with a licensed agent partner in the destination country. This is the common and legal model.
What you should know is that the licensed agent's name will appear on your application. Ask directly:
- What's the name of the licensed agent, and what's their license number?
- How is the service fee in this quote divided among which parties?
- If there's a foreign lawyer, who hires them and who do they work for?
- When the government agency requests additional documents, who receives it and responds?
- If the Vietnamese advisor stops operating, where does my file sit?
To our knowledge, Vietnam doesn't yet have a separate professional license category for investment relocation advisors the way some countries do. Therefore, the license and reputation of the foreign agent is an important verification layer. A complete set of questions for choosing an advisor is in ten questions to choose a relocation advisor.
Payment schedule says more than the total
Two quotes with the same total can carry completely different risk, simply because of when money moves.
In Caribbean programs, the main investment usually transfers only after receiving a letter of intent from the citizenship authority. Due diligence and application fees are due upfront and typically non-refundable. A reasonable payment schedule follows these milestones.
| Milestone | Amounts typically due | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Sign service agreement | Portion of service fees | If I stop before submitting the application, how much gets refunded? |
| Submit application | Government fees, due diligence fees, next portion of service fees | Which amounts are non-refundable if the application is rejected? |
| Receive letter of intent | Main investment or contribution amount | Who is the money wired to, and which account? |
| Receive citizenship certificate | Remaining service fees | What work remains after this milestone? |
| Receive passport | Passport fees, courier fees | Who holds the passport during delivery? |
If the payment schedule demands most fees before submitting the application, ask why and read the refund terms carefully. A detailed guide to reading service agreements is in reading a relocation service agreement.
The downside of comparing totals only
Quote in dollars, pay in local currency. The time between signing and wiring the main investment can be several months. The exchange rate at that time is what actually matters.
Quote doesn't show effective date. Government fees and investment minimums for many programs have changed in the past two years. A quote without a date is a quote with an unknown expiration.
Real estate pricing varies by project. With property-based programs, property or equity prices are set by the project developer and may come with different exit terms. Comparing two quotes using two different projects is comparing two different assets.
"Discounts" come with conditions. Reducing service fees in exchange for choosing a specific project is real-world practice. Nothing wrong with it, but you need to know so you can evaluate the project independently.
The cost of time. Rushing to meet a price deadline can mean multiple document resubmissions. Preparing source-of-funds documentation carefully upfront usually saves money; see mapping your cash flow before signing.
Checklist for comparing two quotes
- [ ] Both quotes are for the same program, same investment track, same number of family members and ages
- [ ] Total has been separated by category: investment, government fees, domestic service fees, foreign service fees, incidentals
- [ ] Each quote shows creation date and expiration date
- [ ] You know the name of the licensed agent that will appear on your application
- [ ] You have a payment schedule by milestone and refund terms in writing
- [ ] You're clear on what falls outside scope after receiving your passport
Next steps
Before meeting with any provider, you can create a rough cost estimate for your family using the investment cost calculator. This template already separates the investment portion from fees by family member and gives you a framework to lay quotes side by side.
Bring that template when you meet advisors, and ask them to point out which lines in their quote differ from your template and why.
