Is healthcare in Vietnam free?

No. Most people pay through state health insurance contributions and pay a share themselves at the time of care, and foreigners pay either directly or through insurance, such as the state card through work or a private plan.

How much does medical care cost in Vietnam?

Costs vary by facility, and patients pay a large share directly: out of pocket payments made up about 45 percent of health spending in 2017, according to a 2020 study. Under Article 110 of the 2023 law, private facilities decide their own charges and must display them.

Can foreigners use public hospitals in Vietnam?

Yes. Foreigners can be treated at public hospitals, but the 2023 law makes Vietnamese the language of treatment, so a foreigner who does not speak it may need an interpreter.

What are the three levels of healthcare in Vietnam?

Since 1 January 2025, medical facilities are grouped into three technical levels, called primary, basic and intensive in the LuatVietnam English text, under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment of 2023.

Is Vietnam healthcare good for expats?

Standards vary by tier, and UK government guidance points people who want care like the UK's towards private hospitals.

Healthcare in Vietnam: An Expat Guide to the Health System

Public, private and international

Vietnam's health system is mostly public. An industry report cited by The Investor in February 2024 counted 1,531 hospitals, more than 86 percent of them public, with most private hospitals found in the three biggest urban centres, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. The report did not state the year of the count, so read it as a past snapshot rather than a current total.

UK government guidance for British people living in Vietnam puts it this way: public hospital care in Vietnam is not the same standard as in the UK, so anyone wanting care closer to British norms should look at private hospitals.

Tier	What the sources say	Ask before you go
Public hospitals	Over 86 percent of hospitals in one count. The UK government says care differs from UK standards.	Is there an interpreter? Is the state card accepted?
Private hospitals and clinics	Mostly in the biggest cities. The UK government suggests them for a UK like standard.	What is the price list? Does my insurer bill you directly?
Embassy listed providers	The UK government keeps a list of medical providers where some staff speak English.	Which languages do your doctors speak?

Sources: The Investor, Vietnam health expenditure to reach $33.8 bln in 2030: analysts; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Living in Vietnam (updated 23 September 2025).

Why private care is growing

The same industry report cited by The Investor says public hospitals are overburdened and government funding is limited, so the private sector is getting more attention. Of the public hospitals, around 1,318 are classed as central, provincial and district or commune level facilities.

The same February 2024 report said the government offered incentives to new private healthcare providers, including a four year tax exemption and a 50 percent tax cut for the following nine years. The report says this has led to a rapid rise in private hospitals, most of them still in large cities. Foreign employees on fixed term contracts of 12 months or more also join the state health scheme through work, with some exemptions; our guide to social insurance in Vietnam explains it.

Sources: The Investor, Vietnam health expenditure to reach $33.8 bln in 2030: analysts; Viet Nam Social Security (Dak Nong office), New points of Law No. 51/2024/QH15 amending the Law on Health Insurance (Vietnamese).

Three technical levels since 2025

The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment of 2023 took effect on 1 January 2024, but its rules on technical levels (Article 104) only apply from 1 January 2025, under Article 120 of the same law. Those rules replaced the old four tier system, which followed government levels (central, provincial, district and commune), with three technical levels based on what a facility can do. The LuatVietnam English text calls them primary, basic and intensive; other translations say initial, basic and specialised.

If you use the state insurance card, ask the facility you register with how referrals to a higher level work for you.

Sources: Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, English text on LuatVietnam; KPMG Vietnam, Technical update, February 2023: Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023.

Who pays, and how much

Vietnam's state health insurance covers most of the population: Viet Nam Social Security projected, at the end of 2025, that about 97.57 million people, around 95 percent, would be covered that year. Even so, patients pay a large share directly. A 2020 paper in BioMed Research International measured what people pay at the point of care. It found the out of pocket share of all health spending rose from 37 percent in 2005 to 45 percent in 2017. WHO's suggested level is 15 to 20 percent.

For British nationals, UK guidance says the patient pays hospital and associated expenses and the UK government does not. Insurance can pay part of that cost, so the practical question for a foreigner is how the bill gets paid: the state card if you are employed, a private plan, travel insurance for a short stay, or cash.

Sources: Nhan Dan, Nearly 98 million people nationwide covered by health insurance, 31 December 2025; Impact of Health Insurance on Health Care Utilisation and Out of Pocket Health Expenditure in Vietnam, BioMed Research International, 2020; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Living in Vietnam (updated 23 September 2025).

Language

The 2023 law says the language used in medical examination and treatment must be Vietnamese, and it sets rules for when an interpreter is needed. A 2018 legal guide from the Vietnam Law and Legal Forum made the same point: foreigners who cannot speak Vietnamese may need their own interpreter, because staff might not speak other languages.

Sources: Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, English text on LuatVietnam; Vietnam Law and Legal Forum, Where can foreigners get health check ups in Vietnam?, 10 December 2018.

Medicines, mental health and emergencies

Medicines. A pharmacy that sells a prescription medicine with no prescription can now be fined up to VND 20 million for an individual and twice that for an organisation, under Decree 90/2026/ND-CP from 15 May 2026.
Mental health. The UK government says Vietnam has no Mental Health Act, so support for foreign nationals is very limited. See the mental health care section below.
Emergencies. The ambulance number is 115, but the line may not have English speakers.

Sources: UK FCDO travel advice for Vietnam, Health; Decree 90/2026/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the health sector, official Vietnamese text, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Justice; New Zealand Embassy in Viet Nam, Essential numbers; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Living in Vietnam (updated 23 September 2025).

Mental health care

The UK government says Vietnam has no Mental Health Act, so support for foreign nationals is very limited. It publishes a separate guide on mental health support in Vietnam, with a list of mental health hospital providers.

Our mental health picks show the kind of provider our editors noted.

Sources: UK FCDO travel advice for Vietnam, Health; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Living in Vietnam (updated 23 September 2025).

Air quality

The UK government says smog and other air pollution can be hazardous in urban areas, that farm burning can affect rural air, and that levels can change quickly. During bad spells it advises limiting outdoor activity, especially for people with breathing problems or existing conditions, and following local authorities' instructions.

Sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Living in Vietnam (updated 23 September 2025).

Setting yourself up

Choose a regular clinic near home for everyday care and register with it.
Find the nearest hospital emergency department and check whether your insurer bills it directly.
Sort your insurance: the state card through work, a private plan, or both.
Bring your vaccine record.
If you take regular medicine, read our medication guide before you fly.

Our 2026 picks group clinics, pharmacies, dental, physiotherapy and mental health providers our editors noted, and our note on what changed for expat healthcare this year explains what our editors looked for. Our methodology sets out how picks are made.

This is a description of the system, written for education. For your own health, talk to a doctor.

Common questions

Is healthcare in Vietnam free?: No. Most people pay through state health insurance contributions and pay a share themselves at the time of care, and foreigners pay either directly or through insurance, such as the state card through work or a private plan.
How much does medical care cost in Vietnam?: Costs vary by facility, and patients pay a large share directly: out of pocket payments made up about 45 percent of health spending in 2017, according to a 2020 study. Under Article 110 of the 2023 law, private facilities decide their own charges and must display them.
Can foreigners use public hospitals in Vietnam?: Yes. Foreigners can be treated at public hospitals, but the 2023 law makes Vietnamese the language of treatment, so a foreigner who does not speak it may need an interpreter.
What are the three levels of healthcare in Vietnam?: Since 1 January 2025, medical facilities are grouped into three technical levels, called primary, basic and intensive in the LuatVietnam English text, under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment of 2023.
Is Vietnam healthcare good for expats?: Standards vary by tier, and UK government guidance points people who want care like the UK's towards private hospitals.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources. Our method.