Study abroad in Vietnam: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not apply there, so you need your own travel health insurance with repatriation cover. According to the Federal Foreign Office, visa-free entry is possible for up to 45 days. For other purposes and longer stays, a visa is required. For Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, RMIT University Vietnam cites guide values of 600 to 1,000 US dollars a month.
Study abroad in Vietnam at a glance
| Item | Information (as of October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The European Health Insurance Card does not apply. The Federal Foreign Office advises travel medical and repatriation insurance | European Commission, Federal Foreign Office |
| Visa | Visa-free for up to 45 days, for other purposes and longer stays a visa, e-visa for up to 90 days | Federal Foreign Office |
| Travel document | Passport, provisional passport and children’s passport, valid for six months from the day of entry | Federal Foreign Office |
| Living costs on site | 600 to 1,000 US dollars a month in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (guide value, no date) | RMIT University Vietnam |
| Study abroad grant (Auslands-BAföG) | Possible, responsible office according to the DSW allocation: Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim | German Student Services, leaflet January 2026 (in German) |
All information is general guidance and not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative in each case.
How are you health insured in Vietnam?
Whether your statutory or private insurance continues to work abroad depends on your contract. Vietnam lies outside the EU area covered by the health card. You therefore have to arrange cover for the stay yourself before you leave.
European Health Insurance Card and statutory health insurance
The European Commission’s FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card names the EU member states, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Vietnam is not on this list. The page carries no date. The card therefore does not help you in Vietnam.
Before you leave, ask your health insurer to confirm in writing what cover it provides during the stay. The card does not promise any benefits in Vietnam.
Social security agreement
We have not found a verified social security agreement with Vietnam that covers health insurance, so we do not name one. The German Liaison Agency for Health Insurance Abroad (DVKA) publishes information on the agreements.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The Federal Foreign Office advises travel medical and repatriation insurance and notes that otherwise the costs must be borne privately. The page also states that in many countries treatment costs must be paid or advanced before discharge. Unpaid bills can lead to a refusal to leave the country.
Background is in the guide Auslandskrankenversicherung für Erasmus, USA und Work and Travel (in German). If you are privately insured, the guide PKV für Studierende im Nicht-EU-Ausland (in German) helps.
Health care and vaccinations
For direct entry from Germany, the Federal Foreign Office names no compulsory vaccinations. It lists standard vaccinations, especially measles, and travel vaccinations against hepatitis A. Depending on the stay, the page adds dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies and Japanese encephalitis. Check your vaccination status with your GP or a travel medicine clinic a few weeks before departure.
Do you need a visa for Vietnam?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, entry is visa-free for up to 45 days, with the day of entry and the day of exit each counting as a full day. You must show a return or onward ticket. For other purposes and longer stays a visa is required. For stays beyond 45 days, the office names the e-visa. It is valid for up to 90 days and for multiple entries, and processing takes three days. An extension is possible only with a sponsor, and entry is possible only through 13 airports.
Whether and which visa you need for a course of study beyond this period is decided binding by the Vietnamese diplomatic mission. We do not repeat a general rule here, because we have not found an official statement on studying that we could verify. The Federal Foreign Office’s travel and safety information for Vietnam sets out the entry rules for German citizens.
For entry, keep these documents ready:
- Passport, provisional passport or children’s passport, valid for six months from the day of entry. Identity card and refugee travel documents are not accepted
- A return or onward ticket, which must be shown for visa-free entry
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning for Vietnam (page status 25 October 2026). The page does strongly advise against travel near military restricted areas and against stays close to borders. Demonstrations are prohibited and are dispersed. Social media posts critical of the government, including from Germany, are sometimes prosecuted. According to the page, drug tests in bars can lead to arrests lasting several days without contact to the outside world.
What does a semester abroad in Vietnam cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees the host university charges depends on your home university’s exchange agreement. We do not name a general amount, because we have not found an official figure we could verify. Ask your home university and the host university before you accept an offer. The National Economics University in Hanoi mentions an administrative fee for enrolment in its exchange programme in its fact sheet, but does not state the amount. This applies only to that university.
Living costs
We have not found an official figure for living costs in Vietnam. RMIT University Vietnam lists on its page “Living in Vietnam” guide values in US dollars for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, without a date: rent for shared or private accommodation 250 to 600, food about 250, utilities including electricity, water, gas, phone and internet 50 to 100, and transport 50 to 70, a total of 600 to 1,000 US dollars. The page stresses that the values can vary widely depending on housing and spending.
The National Economics University gives in its fact sheet for the academic year 2022 to 2023 living costs of 200 to 400 US dollars per person a month, depending on the furnishings, room size and occupancy. The document carries no publication date, and the figures are more than three years old, so they may differ now. As a worked example, the RMIT range for five months comes to 3,000 to 5,000 US dollars, excluding fees, visa and insurance. The total is a guide, not a promise.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
The EU’s Erasmus+ programme guide lists Vietnam in the Asia region among the third countries not associated with the programme. Participation is possible only for certain actions and subject to conditions. Before you plan, ask the International Office of your university whether Erasmus+ funding is an option for your stay. The guide Erasmus und Auslandssemester planen (in German) describes how an Erasmus stay works.
For Auslands-BAföG, the leaflet of the German Student Services (as of January 2026) places Vietnam in the allocation “Asien (ohne Armenien, Aserbaidschan, Kasachstan, Kirgisistan, Tadschikistan, Turkmenistan und Usbekistan)”. The responsible office is the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim, Amt für Ausbildungsförderung im Ausland. For a partial period of study outside the EU and Switzerland, funding covers at most two semesters, and the study abroad must last at least six months. A prior year of study in Germany is required. We have not found a verified supplement for living abroad for Vietnam, so we name no amount. All details are in the guide Auslands-BAföG: Voraussetzungen, Höhe und Zuschläge (in German).
How to prepare before you leave
- Check that your passport is valid for six months from the day of entry, and apply for a new one if needed.
- Ask the Vietnamese diplomatic mission whether you need a visa for your course of study. For the e-visa, allow three days for processing.
- Ask your health insurer to confirm in writing what cover it provides during the stay.
- Take out travel medical and repatriation insurance and plan money for advance payments.
- Have your vaccination status checked, especially hepatitis A and the standard vaccinations such as measles.
- Keep a return or onward ticket ready for entry.
- Submit your Auslands-BAföG application about six months before the start, to the responsible office, and clarify the details with the International Office.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card work in Vietnam?
No. The European Commission does not list Vietnam among the countries where the card applies. You need your own travel health insurance.
Do I need a visa for Vietnam?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, visa-free entry is possible for up to 45 days. For other purposes and longer stays, a visa is required. Whether this applies to your studies is decided binding by the Vietnamese diplomatic mission.
Which passport is accepted for entry?
The Federal Foreign Office names the passport, the provisional passport and the children’s passport. The passport must be valid for six months from the day of entry. The identity card is not accepted.
How high are living costs in Vietnam?
We have not found an official figure. RMIT University Vietnam gives 600 to 1,000 US dollars a month for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, on an undated page. Ask your host university for its budget for exchange students.
Is there a travel warning for Vietnam?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning for Vietnam. The page does strongly advise against travel near military restricted areas and against stays close to borders.
Which office is responsible for Auslands-BAföG for Vietnam?
According to the allocation of the German Student Services (leaflet January 2026), the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim, Amt für Ausbildungsförderung im Ausland, is responsible.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Vietnam: Travel and safety information (page status 25 October 2026, in German)
- European Commission, FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card (no date)
- European Commission, Erasmus+ Programme Guide Part A: eligible countries (no date)
- German Student Services, Auslands-BAföG leaflet (as of January 2026, in German)
- RMIT University Vietnam, Living in Vietnam (no date)
- National Economics University, Exchange Partner Fact Sheet 2022 to 2023 (no publication date, programme 2022 to 2023)
Sources accessed on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Related guides
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: What applies? (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Semester abroad in Malaysia (in German)
- Semester abroad in Indonesia (in German)
- All countries for your semester abroad (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
