Education investors usually ask about the ‘latest decree’ expecting the framework to have just changed. The accurate answer today: Decree 86/2018/ND-CP, as amended by Decree 124/2024/ND-CP, still governs foreign cooperation and investment in education; the replacement decree is at public-consultation draft stage and is not yet applicable law.
Founding a school: capital by education level
Article 35 of Decree 86/2018/ND-CP sets clear minimum investment rates, excluding land-use costs: preschool at least VND 30 million per child; general education at least VND 50 million per student with total capital not below VND 50 billion; short-term training at least VND 20 million per trainee; a university at least VND 1,000 billion in total, with over VND 500 billion actually invested by the establishment appraisal; a foreign university branch at least VND 250 billion, with over VND 150 billion invested by appraisal. Where no new campus is built and premises are leased or contributed by the Vietnamese side, minimum total capital must reach 70% of the corresponding levels. Alongside capital sit staffing conditions by level, including a demanding doctorate ratio for university lecturers.
Foreign programmes: appraisal and home accreditation
A foreign-invested institution may teach a foreign programme or the Vietnamese programme, but the foreign programme must meet the core condition: it is quality-accredited in its home country or recognised by that country’s competent authority, and its content does not displace Vietnam’s compulsory national subjects (for Vietnamese citizens studying at international schools, Vietnamese language, history and geography under the Vietnamese programme are compulsory as prescribed). The education authority appraises programme, staffing and facilities before enrolment is allowed — investors should budget programme appraisal as its own timeline item, not fold it into the investment procedure.
University joint training with foreign partners
Joint training between a Vietnamese institution and a foreign institution is a separate cooperation form that must be approved by the competent level before enrolment: conditions include the foreign partner’s programme being accredited at home, the Vietnamese institution’s staffing and facilities for the joint major, and diplomas issued by the authorised side as approved. The most-sanctioned errors in this segment are enrolling joint programmes without approval, or advertising foreign diplomas beyond the approved scope — both lead to enrolment suspension and risk for already-enrolled students. Policy direction under Resolution 71-NQ/TW on education breakthroughs favours more autonomy and a pre-check to post-check shift, but until a new decree issues, Decree 86/2018 as amended applies in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum investment capital for each education level?
By level under Article 35 of Decree 86/2018/ND-CP (excluding land costs): preschool at least VND 30 million per child; general education at least VND 50 million per student with total capital of at least VND 50 billion; short-term training at least VND 20 million per trainee; a university at least VND 1,000 billion total, with over VND 500 billion actually invested at establishment appraisal; a foreign university branch at least VND 250 billion. If premises are leased ready-built, the minimum is 70% of those figures.
What conditions apply to investing in an international school?
Two layers: the investment registration certificate for the project and the decision permitting establishment of the education institution, then the education-operation licence after appraisal of facilities, teaching staff and programme. Capital follows Article 35 of Decree 86/2018, the foreign programme must hold home-country accreditation, and the Vietnamese-student ratio and compulsory Vietnamese-programme subjects must follow current rules.
How are foreign education programmes appraised?
A foreign programme brought into teaching must be quality-accredited or recognised by the competent authority of its home country, and is appraised by the Vietnamese education authority when considering the operation permit. For Vietnamese-citizen students, compulsory contents of the Vietnamese education programme (Vietnamese language and national subjects by level) must still be ensured as prescribed and cannot be wholly replaced by the foreign programme.
What conditions apply to university joint training with a foreign partner?
Joint training must be approved by the competent level before enrolment, with conditions: the foreign partner’s programme is accredited at home, the Vietnamese institution meets staffing and facility conditions for the joint major, and advertising and diplomas stay within the approved scope. Enrolling without approval or advertising beyond scope is a violation that can bring enrolment suspension.
FLAT Law Firm — FLAT Law Firm advises on foreign-invested education: capital and school-founding conditions under Decree 86/2018, foreign-programme appraisal and joint-training approvals.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council