Student Visas in Vietnam
Studying there, and whether study leads to residency
Study in Vietnam runs on a DH student visa sponsored by the institution, covering degree programmes at Vietnamese universities, language study, and exchange places. Fees are low by international standards, but the route is a study permission rather than a pathway: graduating does not create a right to remain, and a graduate wanting to stay must move onto an employer-sponsored work permit like anyone else.
| Visa symbol | DH, for study and internship source |
| Sponsor | The admitting university, college or language institution |
| Typical duration | Commonly up to 12 months at a time, renewed with enrolment |
| Post-study status | No dedicated graduate route; a work permit is required to work |
How the route works
Admission comes first. The institution issues an admission decision and then acts as sponsor, filing for entry approval so that a DH visa can be issued at a mission abroad or on arrival under the approval letter. Once in the country, students on longer programmes commonly obtain a temporary residence card through the institution rather than extending the visa repeatedly.
Programmes taught in English exist at a number of universities and at international joint programmes, but the majority of degree teaching is in Vietnamese, and a preparatory year of language study is a common first step.
What it costs and what it does not include
- Tuition at public universities is low relative to Anglophone countries, and international joint programmes cost considerably more.
- Health insurance is normally required by the institution and is not provided by the state.
- Working while studying is not an entitlement attached to the student visa; paid work requires the ordinary permit or an exemption.
- Scholarships exist through bilateral government agreements, administered through the relevant ministries rather than applied for directly by most students.
Where the route ends
There is no graduate stay-back visa. A student who wants to remain must find an employer willing to obtain approval for a foreign position and then a work permit, and the experience condition attached to the permit is awkward for a new graduate with no post-qualification record.
In practice the graduates who stay tend to move into teaching, into the foreign-invested manufacturing sector, or into a family-based status rather than converting the degree directly into a skilled work permit.
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Official sources
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.