By ECOVIS Vietnam Law | Last reviewed: 30 July 2026
There Is No Single “University Licence” for Entering Vietnam
International institutions often begin a Vietnam project with one of two questions: “Can we open a campus?” or “Which Vietnamese university should we partner with?” Both questions may be premature.
The correct starting point is the activity the institution wants to conduct. Is it recruiting students for overseas study, providing short executive courses, delivering academic credit, awarding a foreign degree in Vietnam, investing in an existing institution or establishing a permanent higher education presence?
Those activities do not follow the same legal route. They differ in how programmes are approved, which institution enrols the students, who awards the degree, how tuition is collected, what facilities are required and which party is responsible if the programme cannot continue.
The six routes below are commercial entry models rather than formal statutory labels. A specific project may combine several routes, and its final classification must be confirmed against Vietnam’s education, investment, enterprise, tax and foreign-exchange rules.
“The best Vietnam entry structure is rarely the one with the fewest documents. It is the one that gives the institution the control it needs at the capital level it can justify, while preserving a credible path to expand.” — Attorney Vu Manh Quynh, Founder & Managing Partner, ECOVIS Vietnam Law
Route 1: Executive Education and Non-Degree Programmes
Executive education, corporate academies and professional short courses can provide an early route into the market. They allow an institution to build employer relationships, test pricing and identify subject areas with repeat demand before launching a degree programme.
This route is most suitable where the institution wants to:
- serve corporate or professional learners;
- test teaching demand without immediately awarding a degree;
- build relationships with FDI employers;
- develop an alumni and faculty network in Vietnam; or
- validate a discipline before making a larger investment.
The description “non-degree” does not place an activity outside regulation. The parties must still determine the correct Vietnamese operating entity, the status of any certificate, the permitted venue, tax treatment, marketing claims, faculty work authorisations and personal-data arrangements.
Primary risk: allowing a commercial training arrangement to be marketed in a way that implies an approved academic degree or recognised qualification.
Route 2: Pathway, Articulation and Student-Transfer Arrangements
A pathway or articulation structure allows students to complete part of their preparation or academic study in Vietnam and continue at the foreign institution overseas. Commercial formats may be described as foundation, 1+3, 2+2 or another transfer structure, but the legal analysis depends on what is actually delivered in Vietnam.
Key questions include:
- Does the Vietnam component carry academic credit?
- Who admits the student?
- Is progression guaranteed or conditional?
- Who approves equivalence and transfer of credits?
- Which institution receives tuition?
- What happens if a student does not obtain a visa or meet progression requirements?
This route can be capital-light, but it creates significant conduct and student-protection risk if marketing materials do not accurately describe admission, progression, degree-awarding and refund conditions.
Primary risk: treating the pathway as a recruitment arrangement when its teaching and credit features may require a broader education approval analysis.
Route 3: Joint Training or a Foreign-Degree Programme Delivered in Vietnam
Under this model, a Vietnamese higher education institution and a foreign institution cooperate to deliver an approved programme in Vietnam. Delivery may involve faculty from both institutions, an international curriculum and a degree awarded by one or both parties, depending on the approved structure.
Decree No. 124/2024/ND-CP, which amended Vietnam’s framework for foreign cooperation and investment in education, requires foreign programmes delivered in Vietnam to meet defined approval and quality conditions. The precise requirements should be verified for the institutions, qualification and delivery model concerned.
This route is often attractive because it combines:
- the local partner’s campus, student access and operating knowledge;
- the foreign institution’s curriculum, quality system and brand;
- a lower initial capital requirement than an independent university; and
- the ability to test demand across one or more disciplines.
Its weakness is structural dependence on the partner. The agreement must deal with academic control, admissions, assessment, faculty approval, tuition, scholarships, intellectual property, student data, quality failures, termination and teach-out.
Primary risk: signing a broad memorandum of understanding before defining the legal programme model and the non-negotiable academic-control rights.
Route 4: Strategic Investment in an Existing Private Institution
An international education group or financial investor may consider acquiring shares, contributing capital or forming a strategic relationship with an existing Vietnamese private university. This route can provide access to an established student body, management team, campus and operating history.
It is not equivalent to buying a normal services company. Due diligence should cover:
- the institution’s legal status and history of investor capital;
- governance and appointment rights under higher education law;
- land, buildings, leases and restrictions on education assets;
- the authorised programmes and actual delivery practices;
- institutional and programme accreditation;
- student commitments, scholarships and refund exposure;
- related-party contracts and extraction of value;
- ownership of curriculum, brands, platforms and data; and
- the approvals required for the proposed ownership change.
Law on Higher Education No. 125/2025/QH15 and Decree No. 91/2026/ND-CP form part of the current governance framework. The transaction must also be reviewed under the applicable investment and enterprise rules.
Primary risk: valuing the target on enrolment and property while underestimating restrictions embedded in its governance, licences or use of education assets.
Route 5: Establishing a Foreign-Invested Higher Education Institution
A foreign investor may seek to establish a higher education institution in Vietnam with foreign investment. This offers a higher degree of organisational control but requires substantial capital, facilities, academic resources and regulatory execution.
Published Ministry of Education and Training procedures applying the foreign-investment framework state that a project to establish a foreign-invested higher education institution must generally have total investment capital of at least VND1,000 billion, excluding land-use costs, with more than VND500 billion implemented by the establishment appraisal stage. A reduced threshold may apply where existing facilities are leased or contributed, subject to the detailed conditions.
The minimum legal capital is not the investment budget. A viable plan must separately account for:
- land or long-term premises;
- construction and specialist facilities;
- programme development and approval;
- faculty recruitment and relocation;
- student recruitment and scholarships;
- technology and academic systems;
- working capital before enrolment reaches scale; and
- student protection and teach-out reserves.
Primary risk: treating the regulatory minimum as a reliable estimate of the cash required to reach sustainable enrolment.
Route 6: Establishing a Branch of a Foreign University
A qualifying foreign university may establish a branch in Vietnam. This route provides the clearest institutional connection to the foreign university but also carries significant eligibility, capital, quality and operational requirements.
Under the current published framework, a foreign university seeking to establish a branch must satisfy the applicable quality and ranking criteria. Government information on Resolution No. 23/2026/NQ-CP states that the foreign institution must be within the global top 500 and that each branch project requires minimum investment capital of VND500 billion. The Resolution transferred approval authority for foreign university branches to the Minister of Education and Training during its effective period.
Eligibility is only the first gate. The institution must align:
- investment approval;
- branch establishment;
- permission for education operations;
- programme and curriculum requirements;
- premises, land and construction;
- faculty and immigration planning;
- admissions and national recruitment procedures; and
- degree, accreditation and student-protection arrangements.
Primary risk: assuming that institutional eligibility or establishment approval automatically authorises student recruitment and delivery of every proposed programme.
Comparison of the Six Routes
| Route | Initial capital | Academic control | Partner dependence | Best strategic use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive education | Lower | Moderate to high | Variable | Test employer demand |
| Pathway/articulation | Lower | Moderate | High | Build recruitment and progression pipeline |
| Joint training | Low to medium | Shared | High | Deliver degrees without an independent campus |
| Investment in existing institution | Transaction-specific | Depends on governance rights | Medium | Access operating platform and enrolment |
| Foreign-invested institution | High | High | Lower | Build an independent long-term platform |
| Foreign university branch | High | High | Lower | Extend an eligible university’s institutional presence |
The table is a strategic comparison, not a statement of legal eligibility. Classification, approvals and capital requirements must be confirmed for each project.
A Practical Selection Sequence
- Define the product. Specify the learner, qualification, delivery location and degree-awarding institution.
- Define required control. Identify non-negotiable rights over academics, brand, data, faculty and admissions.
- Set the capital boundary. Distinguish the board’s test budget from its long-term campus budget.
- Compare regulatory routes. Map approvals, competent authorities and dependencies.
- Validate counterparties. Conduct academic, legal, financial and reputational due diligence.
- Design the expansion option. Ensure the first-stage contract does not prevent later investment or independent presence.
- Plan for failure. Put teach-out, refund, data and brand-protection arrangements in place before recruiting students.
Common Mistakes
- Choosing a partner before choosing a legal and academic model.
- Using “2+2”, “4+0” or “joint degree” as if each term had one automatic legal treatment.
- Assuming an MOU provides sufficient rights to launch a programme.
- Allowing the local party to control all student data and recruitment channels.
- Failing to distinguish brand licensing fees, academic service fees, tuition and dividends.
- Committing to campus expenditure before programme and operational dependencies are mapped.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest route for an international university to enter Vietnam?
There is no universally fastest route. A short-course or partnership model may involve less capital, but its legal treatment depends on the activity. Speed should be assessed only after the institution defines the programme, qualification, delivery model and required control.
Can a foreign university deliver its degree through a Vietnamese partner?
Potentially, through an appropriately structured and approved cooperation model. The programme, foreign institution, Vietnamese institution, degree-awarding arrangement and quality status must satisfy the applicable requirements.
Does a joint programme require the foreign institution to invest capital in Vietnam?
Not necessarily in the same form as establishing an independent institution. However, the parties must agree and document financial contributions, facilities, faculty, tuition, taxes and responsibility for programme delivery.
Can a foreign investor buy a Vietnamese private university?
A proposed investment may be possible in certain circumstances, but it requires transaction-specific review of foreign investment conditions, higher education governance, investor rights, land, licences and approvals. A university should not be treated as an ordinary corporate acquisition.
What is the minimum capital for a foreign university branch?
Current government information states a minimum of VND500 billion, excluding relevant land costs under the applicable framework. The institution must also satisfy eligibility and operational conditions. The minimum is not a complete estimate of project cost.
Should an institution begin with a campus or a programme?
Where the board has not yet validated demand, a compliant staged programme may preserve more option value. A campus-first approach may be justified where the institution has strong existing demand, a strategic government or local partner, specialist facility needs and sufficient long-term capital.
Market-Entry Checklist
- Target learner and programme defined.
- Degree and credit arrangements confirmed.
- Entry routes compared.
- Capital and working-capital limits approved.
- Partner due diligence completed.
- Regulatory sequence mapped.
- Academic-control matrix agreed.
- Tax, foreign-exchange and payment flows reviewed.
- Student-protection and teach-out plan prepared.
- Expansion and exit rights documented.
Comparing education market-entry structures for Vietnam? For a complimentary 30-minute consultation on partnership, investment or branch-campus options, contact Attorney Vu Manh Quynh at [email protected].
This material is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or professional advice. Investors should seek specific advice based on their business sector, ownership structure and investment location in Vietnam. Legal and regulatory references reflect the position as reviewed on 30 July 2026.
Attorney Vu Manh Quynh is the Managing Partner of ECOVIS Vietnam Law, advising international investors on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), corporate governance, and regulatory compliance in Vietnam. Email: [email protected] | Website: ecovislaw.vn
