This page contains health-related information for reference only. It is not medical advice. Read full disclaimer
VN
Vietnam
Quick Facts
- JCI hospitals
- 0
- Clinics in registry
- 0
- Regulatory body
- Ministry of Health (Vietnam)
- Visa
- Reference page scaffold; editorial sourcing pending
- Timezone
- ICT (UTC+7)
- Currency
- Vietnamese Dong
Practical information
Emergency numbers
- Police113
- Medical / Ambulance115
- Fire114
Language
Vietnamese
Local authorities
Sources CIA World Factbook — Vietnam (accessed 2026-07-05)
Regulation, recourse and logistics
Regulatory bodies
How to check a licence in Vietnam
- Ministry of Health (Vietnam): register not documentable — moh.gov.vn refused the connection on 2026-10-04
- National Medical Council (Hội đồng Y khoa Quốc gia): register not documentable — the site is a JavaScript shell with no register or complaint instructions visible to automated checks
Recourse mechanisms
- Complaint to the Ministry of Health (Vietnam)
Patients may raise concerns about care received in Vietnam with the Ministry of Health, the national health authority, which publishes patient-rights information on its website.
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of Mainland Southeast Asia. With an area of about 331,000 square kilometres and a population of over 102 million, it is the world's 16th-most populous country. One of two communist states in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is bordered by China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west; it lies along the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest and the South China Sea to the east, where it has shared and disputed maritime borders with other countries. Its capital is Hanoi, while its largest city is Ho Chi Minh City.
*Reference text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.*
The CIA World Factbook records a physician density of 1.11 per 1,000 population (2021), around 2.6 hospital beds per 1,000 (2017 est.) and current health expenditure of 4.6% of GDP (2021).
- Regulatory Body
- Ministry of Health (Vietnam)
- JCI-Accredited Facilities
- 0
- Visa Notes
- Reference page scaffold; editorial sourcing pending.
- Patient Rights
- Official resource
Malpractice Framework
Reference page scaffold; editorial sourcing pending.
Healthcare System
As a lower-middle income country according to the World Bank, Vietnam is currently striving towards a universal health care system through government-provided social health insurance. In 2024, as implemented under the Law on Health Insurance and as reported by Nguyen The Manh, the director general of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) agency, about 93.4% of the population had health insurance coverage, with nearly 13,000 public and private health facilities receiving over 174 million visits. The government fully covers the health insurance costs of the poor, ethnic minorities, children under 6, and elderly people over 80.
*Reference text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.*
Health system at a glance
National health-system indicators for Vietnam, from the World Bank.
- Physicians
- 1.1per 1,000 people · 2021
- Nurses and midwives
- 1.4per 1,000 people · 2016
- Hospital beds
- 2.5per 1,000 people · 2017
- Health spending
- 4.6%of GDP · 2023
- Health spending per person
- $197per person, current US$ · 2023
- Paid out of pocket
- 39.2%of current health expenditure · 2023
- Life expectancy at birth
- 74.7years · 2024
- UHC service coverage index
- 71index, 0–100 · 2023
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), latest year available per indicator as of 2026-10-04. These are country-level figures (densities, shares and averages for the whole country), not measures of any clinic. Other figures on this page may come from other sources and years. Where the text above quotes a different figure, it comes from another source or year; both are cited.
Practical Information
The US State Department advises that US citizens need a visa for Vietnam and must apply before travel, except for stays of 30 days or less on Phu Quoc island; applications can be made through Vietnamese embassies or consulates or via the government's e-visa interface. All travellers on non-Vietnamese passports entering by air must also complete a pre-arrival declaration form no earlier than 3 days before arrival. Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond the arrival date, with one blank page per stamp. Vietnamese dong over 15,000,000 VND, or foreign currency over 5,000 USD, must be declared on entry and exit. Both the UK Foreign Office and the US State Department recommend travel insurance, including medical and evacuation cover; riding a motorbike without a Vietnamese driving licence is illegal, and travel insurance may not pay medical bills after an accident without one. Care is delivered in Vietnamese, with English also used; dial 115 for an ambulance.
Official travel advice
Pointers to the official advice pages — this registry does not summarise or interpret them.
Latest update to the advice page (any section), 21 September 2026: “Addition of information about tropical storm season ('Warnings and insurance') page”
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Travelers’ Health
CDC destination page — VietnamContains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (GOV.UK). CDC content is in the public domain. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
Common Procedures
Vietnam — Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a visa to visit Vietnam for treatment?
The US State Department advises that US citizens require a visa and must apply before travelling, with an exception only for stays of 30 days or less on the island of Phu Quoc. Applications can be made through Vietnamese embassies or consulates or via the government's e-visa interface. Travellers on non-Vietnamese passports entering by air must also complete a pre-arrival declaration form no earlier than 3 days before arrival. Overstaying a visa, even by accident, brings fines and possible delays obtaining an exit visa.
Is Vietnam safe to visit?
The US State Department's travel advisory for Vietnam is Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, describing Vietnam as generally a safe destination for travellers. Petty crime is common, especially in popular tourist locations, so travellers should stay aware of their surroundings. Landmines and unexploded ordnance exist in Vietnam; the risk is low in urban and populated areas, including tourist destinations, but travellers should not pick up or approach unknown metal objects in the ground.
Can I bring my medication into Vietnam?
Travellers should check their medicines before travel. The US embassy notes that some ingredients of common prescription drugs, including treatments for conditions such as ADHD, may be illegal in Vietnam. Using narcotic drugs is illegal, and police sometimes test people's blood for drugs; having drugs in your system can lead to arrest and a long prison sentence, even if they were used in another country where they were legal.
Who regulates healthcare in Vietnam, and how is the system organised?
Healthcare falls under the Ministry of Health (Vietnam), which publishes patient-rights information on its website at moh.gov.vn. Vietnam is working towards universal health care through government-provided social health insurance: in 2024 about 93.4% of the population had health insurance coverage, and nearly 13,000 public and private health facilities received over 174 million visits. The government fully covers health insurance costs for the poor, ethnic minorities, children under 6 and people over 80.
What are the emergency numbers, and what money rules apply?
Dial 115 for an ambulance, 113 for the police and 114 for the fire service. The currency is the Vietnamese dong; amounts over 15,000,000 VND, or foreign currency over 5,000 USD, must be declared on entry and exit. The US State Department highly recommends buying travel insurance before travelling and checking with the provider about evacuation assistance, medical insurance and trip-cancellation coverage.