Yes, foreign children can attend Vietnamese public schools, and many children of mixed Vietnamese and foreign families do. Admission is handled locally: the family usually applies to the school for the area where it is registered as living, with the child's passport and residence papers, a legalised and translated birth certificate and previous school records, and the school or local education office decides placement. There is no single national procedure written specifically for foreign children, so practice varies between localities and schools.
Public school is the most immersive way for a child to grow up in Vietnam, and it is also the option families research least, partly because most information about it is in Vietnamese. This guide explains how the national system is structured, how admission and placement typically work for a foreign child, what a school day looks like, and what parents need to keep on top of. It is guidance, not legal advice. The education office for your area and the school's own leadership are the authorities to confirm details with.
How the Vietnamese school system is structured
Vietnam's general education is organised in three levels after preschool, following the national general education programme adopted in 2018 and introduced grade by grade from 2020.
| Level | Grades | Usual starting age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool | Nursery and kindergarten | From a few months to five | The final kindergarten year prepares children for grade 1 |
| Primary school | Grades 1 to 5 | Six | English becomes a compulsory subject from grade 3 |
| Lower secondary school | Grades 6 to 9 | Eleven | Leads to a lower secondary completion certificate |
| Upper secondary school | Grades 10 to 12 | Fifteen | Entry to public schools is often by local exam; ends with the national graduation examination |
Ages are calculated by calendar year of birth in Vietnam, which can surprise foreign parents: a child usually enters grade 1 in the year they turn six, regardless of the month of birth. A child born late in the year may therefore be among the youngest in a class, while the same child in a system with a different cut-off date would have started a year later.
Primary education is compulsory for Vietnamese children under the Education Law, the state works towards universal completion of lower secondary school, and the system is designed around continuous progression from grade 1 to grade 12. Since the reform, schools follow a common programme with some choice of subjects in the upper secondary years. Private schools teach the same national programme, often with longer days and additional subjects, which is worth knowing if a public school place is not available in your area.
How admission works for a foreign child
Public school places for primary and lower secondary are allocated mainly by residence. In large cities, each school has an enrolment area, and families living there apply during the admissions period, which normally runs in the early summer before the September start. The process is increasingly handled online for Vietnamese families, but foreign children often need to apply directly at the school because their identification does not fit the online system.
For a foreign child, schools commonly ask for the child's passport and visa or temporary residence card, a birth certificate that has been legalised and translated into Vietnamese, proof of the family's address, and school reports from previous years with translations. Some schools ask for a health record or vaccination history. If the child has a Vietnamese parent and holds Vietnamese nationality, the process is closer to that for any Vietnamese child, using the child's Vietnamese personal identification number.
Because the system is designed around Vietnamese citizens, staff at a school may simply not have handled a foreign application before. Approach the school leadership in person, with a Vietnamese speaker if possible, bring complete copies of every document, and ask politely what they need. If the school is unsure, the local education authority can advise it. Patience and courtesy help far more than insistence.
Placement: which grade and why
Placement is the most important practical question. A child arriving from abroad at eight may be placed in grade 3 by age, but if they cannot yet read Vietnamese, the school may suggest a lower grade, a trial period, or extra tutoring. Schools sometimes assess the child informally in maths and Vietnamese before deciding. There is no shame in a child repeating a grade's content while learning the language; for many children it is the kindest option.
Discuss placement openly with the school and decide together. Ask what the class teacher will expect in the first term and whether the child's results will be recorded normally from the start. If your child has studied in a system with a different school-starting age, bring a short explanation of the previous curriculum so the school can compare levels.
Entry to public upper secondary school is different. In big cities, places at public high schools are allocated largely through a grade 10 entrance examination set locally, which is competitive at popular schools. A foreign student arriving at fourteen or fifteen without strong Vietnamese will find this route very difficult, which is why most such families choose a private or international school for the upper secondary years.
What a school day and year look like
Early starts. Public schools typically begin early in the morning, and many primary schools run a full day with a lunch break and nap time on site, while others operate shorter sessions. Ask about the exact schedule, since it varies between schools and cities.
The homeroom teacher. Each class has a homeroom teacher who follows the children closely, communicates with parents and handles most issues. Building a good relationship with this teacher is the single most useful thing a foreign parent can do.
Uniforms and routines. Uniforms are standard, often with different sets for ordinary days, sport and ceremonies. A flag-raising assembly takes place at the start of the week. Children learn routines quickly by following classmates.
Assessment. Pupils are assessed through regular tests and end-of-term evaluations under the current programme, with written comments in primary school. Results and notices are shared with parents through the teacher and digital school systems.
Extra classes. Extra tutoring outside school hours is widespread in Vietnam, although rules have tightened on teachers tutoring their own pupils for payment. Decide for your child whether extra classes help, and do not feel obliged to follow every trend.
Supporting your child through the first year
The first months in a Vietnamese classroom are tiring for a child who is still learning the language. Expect them to come home exhausted and sometimes frustrated. A Vietnamese tutor for a few sessions a week, focused on reading and on the vocabulary of current lessons, can make a large difference. Many families find a university student who speaks some English and is patient with children.
At home, keep the child's first language alive by reading together, especially if they will later return to a school abroad. Talk about what they learned in class, even if you do not understand all of it; children often enjoy teaching their parents Vietnamese words.
Watch for signs of isolation. Most Vietnamese children are curious and welcoming towards a foreign classmate, but a child who cannot yet join conversations may feel left out. Inviting a classmate home, joining a weekend activity with children from the school, or attending class events helps your child become part of the group.
Communication with the school when you do not read Vietnamese
Public schools communicate mainly in Vietnamese, through class messaging groups on popular chat apps, a digital contact book and regular parent meetings at the start of the year and at the end of each term. Join every group the teacher sets up and turn on notifications. Translation apps handle routine messages reasonably well, but for anything about health, deadlines or your child's behaviour, ask a Vietnamese speaker to check.
Parent meetings also elect a class parents' representative group, which organises small contributions for class activities and occasions. Customs vary between schools, and practices on voluntary contributions are regulated, so ask the homeroom teacher or another parent what is expected rather than assuming.
If something worries you, speak to the homeroom teacher first, calmly and in private. Escalating straight to the principal is seen as a loss of face for the teacher and usually makes things harder. If the matter is not resolved, ask the teacher to arrange a meeting with the school leadership together, which keeps everyone's dignity intact.
A documents checklist for enrolment
Requirements vary by school and locality, but families applying for a foreign child commonly prepare the following. Bring originals and several copies of each.
- The child's passport, with the current visa or temporary residence card.
- The parents' passports and residence documents, showing the family's lawful stay.
- The child's birth certificate, consular-legalised where required and translated into Vietnamese with a certified translation.
- Proof of the family's address, such as the lease and confirmation of the residence declaration made with the local police.
- School reports for the previous one or two years, with translations, and a short description of the previous curriculum.
- A vaccination record and any relevant medical information, translated if the school asks.
- Passport-sized photographs, which Vietnamese schools still use on many forms.
If the child holds Vietnamese nationality, the school will ask for the child's Vietnamese identification details instead of a visa, and the process follows the standard procedure for Vietnamese pupils. Keep a scanned folder of everything; the same documents will be requested again when you renew residence cards or change schools.
Children with a Vietnamese parent
Many foreign-passport children in public schools have one Vietnamese parent, and their experience is usually smoother. The Vietnamese parent can handle communication, the child often already speaks some Vietnamese at home, and extended family can help with homework and school customs. If the child holds Vietnamese nationality and has been registered with a personal identification number, enrolment generally follows the online procedure used for every other child in the area.
Even so, children of mixed families sometimes feel pulled between two worlds, particularly if they look different from classmates or carry a foreign name on the class list. Teachers are generally supportive, and a quiet word with the homeroom teacher at the start of the year about the child's background helps them handle questions from other children kindly. Some families also find it useful to agree which name the child uses at school, since a child may be known by a Vietnamese name at school and a foreign name at home, and consistency on official records avoids confusion later.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Do foreign children pay to attend Vietnamese public schools?
Arrangements on tuition and other charges for foreign pupils are set by the authorities and can differ from those for Vietnamese pupils, and policy on public school fees has changed recently. Ask the school or the local education office what applies to your child before enrolling, and keep receipts for anything you pay.
Can my child attend a public school on a tourist visa?
Schools generally expect children who enrol to be living in Vietnam lawfully on a long-term basis, usually with a family visa or temporary residence card. A tourist visa does not reflect that purpose and can cause problems later. Settle your child's residence status first, then apply to the school.
At what age should a foreign child start in a Vietnamese public school?
The younger the better if the goal is fluency. Children who start in kindergarten or grade 1 usually learn to read and write Vietnamese alongside their classmates. From about ten upwards, joining a Vietnamese-medium class without prior Vietnamese becomes considerably harder.
Will a Vietnamese school record be accepted if we move abroad later?
Usually it can be used, but the receiving school will need translated reports and an explanation of the grading system, and it will assess your child's level itself. Keep certified translations of each year's results and a brief description of the national curriculum to make the transfer easier.
Are there public schools that teach in English in Vietnam?
Public schools teach in Vietnamese. Some public schools in major cities run additional programmes with more English or with subjects taught partly in English, often with an extra charge. These programmes vary by city and school, so ask locally.
Can my child sit the national graduation examination as a foreigner?
The national upper secondary graduation examination is designed for students who complete the Vietnamese programme. Foreign students who complete it at a Vietnamese school may be able to sit it, but arrangements depend on current regulations, so confirm with the school well before grade 12.