Country guide — Asia-Pacific

Expat insurance and health insurance in Vietnam

Alley in the old quarter of Hoi An, weathered ochre-yellow facades and colourful paper lanterns

In short

In Vietnam, no type of visa legally requires taking out health insurance as a condition for obtaining or renewing it, unlike Thailand or Australia. However, any foreign employee under a Vietnamese employment contract of at least 3 months must be enrolled by their employer in social health insurance (BHYT) and social insurance (BHXH) — a legal fixed-contribution scheme, not a choice. A medical examination is required for any work permit application. No fixed penalty directly targets a resident lacking personal insurance; the documented risk concerns the employer in case of failure to enrol the employee.

Source : France Diplomatie — Vietnam, Health

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Key figures

6,957 French nationals registered in 2025 (7,179 in 2024, -3.09%).
Life expectancy at birth: 74.59 years in 2023.
Health spending per capita: ≈USD 189 in 2022.

Local healthcare system

A mandatory social health insurance system, BHYT, funded by employee and employer contributions, with ≈80% cover for affiliates following the referral care pathway. This scheme primarily concerns Vietnamese citizens and employees on formal contracts. For a foreign resident, access to care in the vast majority of cases goes through the private sector and international clinics (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang), at rates significantly higher than the public sector but with English-language service. BHYT affiliation in practice only opens limited access to private/international facilities.

Legal and visa obligations

No visa (tourism, e-visa, business, LD work visa, DT investor visa) legally requires health insurance.
Work permit (LD1/LD2): requires a fitness certificate ("health check"), valid 12 months, distinct from insurance.
Mandatory BHYT for foreign employees (decree 146/2018/NĐ-CP): open-ended contract or one of at least 3 months. Contribution of 4.5% of the reference salary (3% employer, 1.5% employee).
Mandatory BHXH (decree 143/2018/NĐ-CP): sickness/maternity and workplace accidents/occupational diseases since 2018; retirement and death since 1 January 2022, for a contract of at least 1 year.
1 July 2025 reform (law no. 41/2024/QH15 on social insurance, detailed by decree 158/2025/NĐ-CP): extends the requirement to foreign employees under any employment contract of at least 12 months, whatever the type of permit held (previously limited to holders of a formal work permit); in case of multiple simultaneous employment contracts, mandatory affiliation is tied to the contract signed first.
No working holiday scheme between France and Vietnam (only Australia and New Zealand have one, with a limited quota).

Cost of some medical procedures

Orders of magnitude from specialised sources, not official fee schedules.

Cost of some medical procedures in Vietnam, public and private sector
Procedure	Public sector	Private sector
GP consultation	39,000 to 500,000 VND	450,000 to 4,000,000 VND
Specialist consultation	200,000 to 650,000 VND	690,000 to 6,000,000 VND
Emergency care (access)	Rate close to a standard public-sector consultation (39,000-500,000 VND), in practice reserved for life-threatening emergencies	500,000 to 1,800,000 VND for access/initial consultation, excluding tests and treatment; a deposit is often required before treatment (≈USD 200-500)
Night of hospitalisation	≈480,000 to 500,000 VND/night (≈USD 20), excluding care and procedures	Several million VND; full hospitalisation sometimes >50,000,000 VND
MRI / CT scan	≈500,000 to 7,000,000 VND depending on the source	3,000,000 to 20,000,000 VND
Blood test / Ambulance	Basic blood test ≈200,000 VND (≈USD 8); public ambulance 115: ≈20,000 VND/km in Ho Chi Minh City (official per-km rate of the 115 centre), ≈750,000 VND for a 5-10 km call-out in Hanoi (with nurse and paramedic)	Blood test 1,500,000 to 5,000,000 VND (≈USD 60-200, e.g. Vinmec); private ambulance ≈300,000 VND for the first 4 km then 10,000-25,000 VND/km (115 Saigon), up to 1.5-1.7 million VND per call-out depending on provider (e.g. 115 An Tam); some international providers (e.g. *9999/Family Medical Practice) offer an annual subscription (≈575,000 VND) giving unlimited access

Social security agreements with France

No social security agreement between France and Vietnam, neither in force nor signed and pending.

No coordination of schemes: BHYT/BHXH contribution periods are not taken into account by French schemes, and vice versa.
No cross-coverage: only voluntary CFE membership or private insurance provides cover recognised by a French system.
Periods worked in Vietnam are not automatically coordinated with French retirement.

Which insurance for my profile

General matrix — does not recommend any specific product or insurer.

Which insurance by profile, for Vietnam
Profile	Regulatory constraint	Points of attention
Working holiday visa	Not applicable (no France-Vietnam agreement)	Use a standard work visa (LD) and work permit
Student	No legal requirement tied to the visa itself	BHYT open to some foreign students under decree 146/2018; check with the host institution
Locally employed	Mandatory BHYT affiliation (≥3 months) and BHXH (≥1 year for retirement/death)	BHYT mainly covers the public network; supplementary cover useful for international clinics
Retiree	No dedicated retiree visa identified	Private cover essential; consider the CFE alongside it
Family	Status depends on the main holder's visa	Check TRC conditions case by case for each member

Hospitals and care network

FV Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) — founded by French doctors, JCI-accredited since 2016, French-speaking team.
Vinmec (national network) — Vinmec Times City (Hanoi), the first JCI-accredited Vietnamese hospital; Vinmec Central Park, a member of the Cleveland Clinic Connected network.
Hanoi French Hospital (Hanoi) — reference for the international community in northern Vietnam.

Practical steps

Before any stay: an assistance contract covering medical costs, hospitalisation and repatriation — recommended by France Diplomatie, as no cover is possible from the embassy.
Work permit (LD visa): a fitness medical examination valid 12 months.
BHYT/BHXH affiliation: the employer's responsibility from the hiring of an eligible employee.
Registration recommended with the roll of French nationals living abroad (Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City).
Voluntary membership of the CFE recommended absent a social security agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Is health insurance mandatory for all French nationals moving to Vietnam?

No. No requirement tied to the visa has been identified. Only foreign employees under a Vietnamese contract of at least 3 months are subject to mandatory BHYT/BHXH affiliation.

What is BHYT and am I affected as a French national in Vietnam?

Vietnam's social health insurance. An employee under a Vietnamese contract of at least 3 months is enrolled by their employer (4.5% salary contribution). Without a local contract, you are in principle not subject to it.

Does French social security continue to cover me in Vietnam?

Not automatically. Absent a social security agreement, no coordination of schemes exists; a CFE or private insurance is necessary.

Is there a working holiday scheme between France and Vietnam?

No. Only Australia and New Zealand have a Working Holiday Visa agreement with Vietnam, reserved for their nationals.

Does an employee's BHYT/BHXH give access to international clinics (FV Hospital, Vinmec)?

In a limited way: BHYT primarily covers a contracted network, mostly public. Access to private clinics generally relies on direct payment or supplementary cover.

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Written by Expavy

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