The ultimate guide to healthcare in Vietnam

How much do you know about Vietnam’s healthcare system? Did you know that you can buy most of the common medicines without prescription at pharmacies in Vietnam. Expats and foreign travelers prefer international hospitals and clinics where they receive better health care services and the staff speak English, some French, Japanese, Korean and other languages well. Worms, dengue fever, malaria, Influenza B are still common in Vietnam at the current time. This beginner’s guide to healthcare in Vietnam provides the necessary information about the healthcare system, hospitals and clinics, pharmacies, common medical phrases, health insurrance plans, and many useful tips.

Must things to know about Vietnam’s healthcare system

1. The healthcare system in Vietnam is a combination of Western and Eastern medicine. Besides a large number of hospitals providing Western medical services, there are some Vietnamese traditional medicine hospitals. By the end of 2019, 89% of the population hold public health insurance. Poor people in affluent areas have access to a 80% benefit, fishermen and farmers with average living conditions have 30% paid.
2. The government is still working to develop a universal healthcare plan with basic medical care for all Vietnamese citizens.
3. At the current time (2020), most of the Vietnamese residents pay for medical services themselves at public and private hospitals, clinics and medical centers.
4. Big public hospitals can handle most of the serious cases, there is no shortage of talented and experienced doctors and nurses here. The staff in public places where to receive medical care speak limited English. They are poorly equipped, overcrowded, bed sharing is popular due to underfunding. The cost of the services at these places is relatively reasonable.
5. Private hospitals and clinics provide better healthcare services. Some are advertised to meet international standards. In fact, the equipment are modern, rooms are like higher-end hotel rooms. Especially, the staff at some international hospitals and clinics are professional, well-trained, good at speaking English, some German, Japanese, Korea, French, Spanish, etc. Many of them are from and have studied in developing countries.
6. Be careful with poor quality private hospitals and clinics which provide bad services which cost is very high. The staff may make your symptoms worse and find many ways to make you pay more money. I will list top private hospitals and clinics later.
7. Private providers are concentrated in outpatient care services. There is a large number of international clinics specializing in outpatient treatment. There are more and more providers invest in private hospital markets, the health sector is upgraded and expanded.
8. In order to stay away from the crowds at public hospitals, many Vietnamese people go to see a doctor at her/his home which is a small clinic and located near their places. Richer people go to bigger private clinics and hospitals.
9. The truth is, most of the expats and travelers from North America and Western Europe find that public hospital does not meet the standards as in their countries.
10. Rich people and expats opt to go to private international hospitals and clinics which provide them excellent services.
11. Most of the good and big public and private hospitals and clinics are located in major metropolitan cities, especially Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang.
12. In rural areas, the public healthcare system is poor. Serious cases are usually transported to provincial hospitals. If you get sick there, you should go to public hospitals because there is no international hospitals and clinics there. You should have a local person who speaks English well to help you at hospitals.
13. Buying medicines without a prescription is as not as difficult in many other countries.
14. In big cities and centers of provinces, you can find most of the medicine, first aid kits and medical tools you need. There is no need to bargain at drugstores and pharmacies in Vietnam.
15. At pharmacies in rural areas, you can buy the most common medicines for diarrhea, cold, fever, sore throat, runny nose, food poisoning, vitamins, bandage, absorbent cotton ball, mask, etc.
16. The staff at pharmacies in Vietnam speak limited English, with the exception of pharmacies attached to international clinics and hospitals.
17. In order to avoid overpriced, expired and fake medicine, you should go to reputable pharmacies that are listed later. Some trusted pharmacies are attached to private hospitals.
18. Health insurance is a must for travelers before arriving in Vietnam. Expats should seek for good health insurance for foreigners in Vietnam.

Top common diseases and sicknesses in Vietnam and some tips on preventing them

Most common diseases and illnesses in Vietnam include cold, diarrhea, seasonal flu including H1N1 flu, worms, rabies, diseases caused by mosquitos such as dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, B, C, HIV, food poisoning, sunstroke, sunburn, dehydration.

• Over 400,000 people infected with flu viruses were reported.
• In 2015, half of the Vietnamese people were infected with worms.
• Prior to 2020, rabies caused over 70 deaths in Vietnam each year.
• In the first 10 months of 2019, over 200,000 people were infected with the dengue virus, 50 of them were dead.
• Prior to 2020, there were about 30,000 Malaria cases each year.
• Vietnam is still one of 30 highest burden Tuberculosis countries in the world in 2020. In 2018, 174,000 new infected cases were reported and 11,000 patients died due to Tuberculosis.
• Prior to July 2019, Vietnam had 10 million Hepatitis B patients and 1 million Hepatitis C patients.
• Prior to the beginning of 2020, 230,000 HIV patients were reported in Vietnam, 70% of them were male. In the first nine months of 2019, there were 7,700 new cases and 1,428 deaths due to AIDS.
• In 2017, there were 139 food poisonings, 3,868 people had food poisoning, 3 of them died.

At the current time, there are no vaccines for rabies, dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya, Hepatitis C, HIV. The majority of people infected with tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, B, C do not know they are infected.

Read more about 10+ common diseases & illnesses in Vietnam and tips on preventing them.

Take the following tips, you can protect yourself from the listed diseases and illnesses:

• Travelers should receive vaccines for seasonal flu, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis A, B before your arrivals in Vietnam. Expats can take the vaccines while being in the country.
• Travelers should take anti-worm medicines before and after your trip to Vietnam. Expats should take anti-worm medicine every 3-6 months.
• Wear pale-colored and long clothes, use repellent, sleep under mosquito nets to avoid diseases caused by mosquitos.
• Although wearing masks is not a common practice in many countries, a mask can protect you from lots of things including cold, flu, tuberculosis, sunburn, air pollution.
• Stay away from stray animals that may carry rabies and bite you accidentally.
• Wash your hand regularly, a hand sanitizer is very useful because some restrooms do not provide hand wash.
• Clean toilet seats in public restrooms using anti-bacteria wet tissues.
• Tips on preventing the harm of strong sun:
  • Wear a hat (or cap), long clothing, thin jacket.
  • Use sunscreen with high UV index to protect yourself from the harmful strong sunlight.
  • Carry a bottle of water and drink water regularly when you go out and it is very hot.
  • Soup-like foods can help to prevent hydration.
  • Keep in mind that sudden change of temperature from cold to hot (or hot to cold) harms your health.
• Greatest tips on eating and drinking help you to avoid infected by viruses and bacteria causing flu, diarrhea, food poisoning, worms, Influenza A, C and other diseases which transmitted through eating:
  • Piping hot foods such as hot pots, soups, congees, noodle soups, fried pancakes are better than warm and cold foods.
  • Pho with rare beef is not safe.
  • Salads containing uncooked ingredients are not safe.
  • Seafood and snails which are not cooked well are not safe.
  • Eating beef, buffalo meat, pork, snails, chicken or duck blood, vegetables which are not cooked thoroughly enough to kill worm eggs and larvae, you can be infected with worms.
  • Peelable foods and fruits are better.
  • Ice creams are not safe to eat if they are not packed.
  • Drink only bottled water, do not brush your teeth with tap water if you do not stay in Vietnam for a long time because it is contaminated.
  • Ice cubes are not always safe so that cold bottles of drinks or a glass of hot drinks are better than iced drinks.
• In order to prevent Influenza A, B, C, HIV which may be transmitted commonly through shared tattoo and body piercing needles, unprotected sex with an infected person, used drug needles, you should:
  • Ensure they sterilize tattoo and body piercing equipment in proper ways.
  • Not have sex with a strang Vietnamese person or a local who you barely know.
  • Sneakers are the best choice because they help to protect you from used drug needles thrown on the ground.
  • Ensure there is nothing strange on benches in public places. Some HIV infected people would like to transmit the disease to other people.

What to do if I get sick in Vietnam?

The principle that prevention is better than cure has proven to be true here. Before continue reading about how to do if you are sick on your trip to Vietnam, you should read my article How to avoid getting sick on your trip to Vietnam? first.

You have two options if you get sick in Vietnam: self medicating and hospital (or clinic) visit. You can stay at home, take a rest, take medications for diarrhea, food poisoning, cold, flu, sunstroke if the symptoms are mild. You should go to see a doctor in the following cases:

• Fever for over 2 days.
• Right after you were bitten by a stray animal.
• Right after puncturing your skin with used needles thrown on benches in public places and the ground. Certainly, you should wash the wound with soap and plenty of water at first. The needles may be thrown by druggers infected with HIV and other diseases.
• Symptoms become more serious.

In case you need an ambulance, call 115. They will come and take you to an emergency room in a public hospital. Most of the ambulances do not meet Western European and North American standards. They are a little old and poorly equipped, the staff speak limited English and are not good at customer care service. However, you will not “die” on the public ambulance thanks to the experienced doctors and nurses.

Call directly an emergency number of an international clinic or hospital to get better ambulance services and healthcare services. I will provide these emergency numbers later.

Pharmacies and medicines

As mentioned above, foreigners usually find no difficulties in buying medicines used to treat many diseases and illnesses without prescriptions.

Some medicines can only be bought if you show them prescriptions. They include lots of medicines classified as addictive drugs, narcotic drugs, antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatory medicines, medications to treat TB, asthma, malaria, heart diseases, worms, anticancer medications, intravenous drugs and others. In 2018, 90% of pharmacies in Vietnam sell antibiotics without prescriptions due to poor management. 87% of Vietnamese citizens can buy antibiotics at pharmacies in the countries.

Tips on buying medications in Vietnam

• However, it is better to carry medicines from your countries in order to save your time finding the right medicines for your health issues, avoid fake, expired and poorer quality medicines. Medicines are not too heavy and bulky so that you can pack them easily in your luggage.
• It is recommended to carry the original prescription or its copy, a letter from the doctor confirming that the medication is for personal use.
• Check whether the medicines have expired before paying for them.
• You can not recognize fake and poor quality medicines and compare prices of medicines in Vietnam so that choosing trusted pharmacies is very important in Vietnam.
  • Pharmacies attached to trusted international clinics and hospitals. The staff speak English well there.
  • ECO Phamaceuticals (10 pharmacies), Phano (84 pharmacies), An Khang (20 pharmacies), Long Chau (75 pharmacies), Pharmacity (268 pharmacies) are top pharmacy chains in Vietnam. Their pharmacies are located in different provinces and cities in Vietnam. In most of the top tourist destinations in the country, foreigners can find them easily. They do not speak English fluently there. Read more about these pharmacies and locations HERE.

Top 5 retail pharmacy chains in Vietnam

ECO Phamaceuticals

• Highlights: Certificate: WHO – GSP, WHO – GDP, WHO – GPP, ISO 9001: 2008
• Website: https://ecopharma.com.vn
• Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00
• Location: (10 pharmacies)
  • 189 Truong Chinh Street, Khuong Thuong Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi. Tel: 024 32321 036
  • 7A Pham Viet Chanh Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: 028 62915455

Phano Pharmacy

• Website: https://phanopharmacy.com
• Opening hours: 7:00 – 21:00
• Hotline: 1800 6768
• Location:  (more than 84 pharmacies)
  • 76A-76B-78 Nguyen Cu Trinh Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: 028 3836 0034
  • 408 Hai Ba Trung Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: 028 3820 5056
  • 161 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Thac Gian Ward, Thanh Khe District, Danang. Tel: 0236 3654 436
  • 150 Nguyen An Ninh Street, Tan An Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City. Tel: 0292 3819 957

An Khang Pharmacy

• Website: https://www.nhathuocankhang.com
• Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00
• Location: (more than 20 pharmacies)
  • 989 Hoang Sa Street, Ward 11, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
  • 904 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 7, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Pharmacity

• Website: https://www.pharmacity.vn
• Opening hours: 6:00 – 23:30
• Hotline: 1800 6821
• Location: (more than 268 pharmacies)
  • 223 – 233A Pho Dang Tien Dong Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi
  • 83A Nguyen Cong Hoan, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
  • 1 Le Loi Street, Hai Chau District, Danang
  • 136 Hai Ba Trung Street, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
  • 173 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Long Chau

• Website: https://nhathuoclongchau.com
• Hotline: 1800 6928
• Location: 75 pharmacies
  • 637 – 639 Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Vinh Phuc Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
  • 93 Hang Ma Street, Hang Ma Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
  • 359 Trung Nu Vuong Street, Hoa Thuan Dong Ward, Hai Chau District, Danang
  • 375 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ward 8, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
  • 158A Co Giang Street, Co Giang Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
  • 406 Truong Cong Dinh Street, Ward 8, Vung Tau City
  • 312A-313 Nguyen Van Linh Street, An Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho

Top international hospitals and clinics in Vietnam

I have researched and listed Top 10+ International Hospitals and Clinics in Vietnam, including Vinmec Hospitals, SOS – Raffles Medical Clinic, St. Paul’s Hospital Ha Noi, Hong Ngoc General Hospital, Dr. Binh Tele_Clinic, FV General Hospital, Family Medical Practice, Hoi An Medical Services, Pacific Hospital Hoi An, Columbia Asia Saigon International Clinic – Saigon. Read more about total areas, buildings, locations, opening hours HERE. There the staff speak English fluently and are experienced on taking care of foreigners. Most of the hospitals and clinics are located in the centers of big cities. You can go there when you need to take medical care in Vietnam.

Hanoi

Vinmec Times City International Hospital

• Location: 458 Minh Khai Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
• Tel: 0243 9743 556.
• Brief information: 24,670 m2, 7 floors above ground, 2 basements, 18 hospital departments, 31 specialties, 600 beds.
• Opening hours:
  • Specialist and general outpatient clinics: 8:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 17:00 (Monday – Friday), 8:00 – 12:00 (Saturday).
  • Children’s clinic: 8:00 – 17:00 (Monday – Sunday).
  • Obstetrics and gynecology clinics: 8:00 – 17:00 (Monday – Friday), 8:00 – 12:00 (Saturday).
  • Emergency rooms, 24-hour clinics and services: 24 hours.
• Website https://www.vinmec.com/en

International SOS – Raffles Medical Clinic in Hanoi

• Location: 51 Xuan Dieu Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8:00 – 20:00 (Monday – Friday)
• Tel: +84 2436762222
• Website: https://www.internationalsos.com; https://rafflesmedical.vn/en

L’Hôpital Francais De Hanoi

• Website: https://www.hfh.com.vn
• Location: 1 Phuong Mai Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi
• Emergency: (84-24) 3574 1111
• Tel: (84-24) 3577 1100

St. Paul’s Hospital Ha Noi

• Location: 12 Chu Van An Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
• Customer care, booking: 19006155
• Emergency: 024.38.233.076
• Hotline: 0982.414127
• Website: http://bvxanhpon.vn

Hong Ngoc General Hospital

• Location: 55 Yen Ninh Street, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
• Emergency: 1900 636 555;
• Tel: +(84 24) 3927 5568 ext * 0
• Website: https://hongngochospital.vn

Hong Ngoc Clinic Keangnam

• Location: B1 and Level 10, Keangnam Landmark, 72 Pham Hung Street, Hanoi
• Tel: +(84 24) 3927 5568 ext * 8

Dr. Binh Tele_Clinic

• Location: 11 Tran Xuan Soan Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
• Hotline: 19009204
• Website: www.en.drbinh.com.

Family Medical Practice in Hanoi

• Location: 298 I Kim Ma Street, Van Phuc Compound, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8:30 – 17:30 (Monday – Friday), 8:30 – 12:30 (Saturday)
• Tel: +84 243 8430 748
• Emergency: +84 24 3843 0748

Hai Phong

Vinmec Hai Phong International Hospital

• Location: Vo Nguyen Giap Road, Vinh Niem Ward, Le Chan District, Hai Phong City
• Tel: 0225 730 9888

Danang

Vinmec Danang International Hospital

• Location: 30 Thang 4 Street, Residence No. 4 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Hai Chau District, Danang
• Tel: 0236 3711 111

Family Medical Practice in Danang

• Location: 50-52 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Hai Chau District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8:00 – 19:00 (Monday – Friday), 8:30 – 17:00 (Saturday), 8:30 – 12:30 (Sunday)
• Tel: +84 236 3582 699
• Emergency: +84 913 917 303

Hoi An, Quang Nam

Hoi An Medical Services

• Website: https://hoianmedicalservices.com/en
• Location: 503 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
• Tel: +84 913 457 219; +84 510 3862 257
• Working hours: 6:00 – 12:00; 15:00 – 18:30

Pacific Hospital Hoi An (Bệnh Viện Thái Bình Dương)

• Location: 6 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
• Tel: +84 235 3921 656
• Website: www.pacifichospital.com/tbdhoian

Nha Trang, Binh Thuan

Vinmec Nha Trang International Hospital

• Location: 42A Tran Phu Street, Vinh Nguyen Ward, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province
• Tel: +84 258 3900 168

Mui Ne – Phan Thiet, Ninh Thuan

Ho Chi Minh City

Vinmec Times City International Hospital

• Location: 208 Nguyen Huu Canh Street, Ward 22, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
• Tel: 0283 6221 166.
• Brief information: 38,643 m2, 7 floors above ground, 3 basements, 178 beds, 16 departments and some centers
• Opening hours: like Vinmec Times City International Hospital.

Vinmec Saigon International Clinic

• Location: 2-2Bis Tran Cao Van Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Tel: 028 3520 3388

Vinmec Royal City International Clinic

Royal City Clinic has an area of nearly 500 m2, modernly and synchronously invested.

• Location: Level 1, Building R2, Royal City Urban Area, 72A Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi
• Phone number: 02466646868

International SOS – Raffles Medical Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City

• Location: 167 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
• Tel: +84 28 38240777

FV General Hospital

• Location: 6 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Saigon South (Phu My Hung), District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
• Emergency: 028 54 11 35 00; Tel: 028 54 11 33 33
• Website: https://www.fvhospital.com
• Brief information:  South Vietnam’s first hospital accredited by JCI, more than 950 workers including 130 Vietnamese and foreign doctors, 220 beds.

FV Saigon Clinic

• Location: 3rd floor, Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Tel: 028 6290 6167

Family Medical Practice Diamond Plaza

• Location: Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Opening hours: 8:00 – 19:00 (Monday – Friday), 8:00 – 16:30 (Saturday)
• Children’s special health care service on weekends: 8:00 – 17:00 (Saturday), 9:00 – 17:00 (Sunday)
• Tel: +84 28 3822 7848

Family Medical Practice Thao Dien in Ho Chi Minh City

• Location: 95 Thao Dien Street, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
• Opening hours: 8:00 – 19:00 (Monday – Friday), 8:00 – 17:00 (Saturday)
• Tel: +84 28 3744 2000
• Emergency number: *9999 or +84 28 3744 9000

Family Medical Practice Binh Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City

• Location: 91 Nguyen Huu Canh Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
• Opening hours: 8:00 – 17:00 (Monday – Friday), 8:00 – 12:00 (Saturday)
• Tel: +84 28 3514 0757
• Emergency number: *9999 or +84 28 3744 9000.

Columbia Asia Saigon International Clinic – Saigon

• Location: 08 Alexandre de Rhodes Street, Ward Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• General Line: +84 28 3823 8888
  Emergency Room: +84 28 3823 8888
  Customer Care: +84 28 3823 8455
  Marketing: +84 28 3930 9855
  Japanese Desk:+84 28 3829 0485
  Contact from Mobile (VN): 028 3823 8888 / 028 3823 8455
• Website: https://www.columbiaasia.com

Phu Quoc, Kien Giang

Vinmec Phu Quoc International Hospital

• Location: Long Beach, Ganh Dau, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang.
• Tel: 0297 3985 588

Vung Tau

International SOS – Raffles Medical Clinic in Vung Tau

• Location: 1 Le Ngoc Han Street, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province
• Tel: +84 254 3858 776

Here is the list of 50+ Medical Clinics and International Hospitals in Vietnam, including international and government-owned ones in most of the cities and provinces in Vietnam.

Most common Vietnamese health and medical words and phrases

I would like to share the most common Vietnamese phrases that are useful when you talk to a Vietnamese person who does not understand English, call emergency, on an ambulance, at hospitals, pharmacies.

• Hospital: bệnh viện, benh vien.
• Pharmacy: nhà thuốc, nha thuoc.
• Clinic: phòng khám, phong kham.
• Ambulance: xe cấp cứu, xe cap cuu.
• Doctor: bác sĩ, bac si.
• Patient: bệnh nhân, benh nhan.
• Help me: Cứu tôi với, cuu toi voi.
• I get sick: Tôi bị bệnh, toi bi benh.
• I need an ambulance: tôi cần một xe cứu thương, toi can mot xe cuu thuong.
• I need to go to emergency room: tôi cần đến phòng cấp cứu, toi can den phong cap cuu.
• I need to see a doctor: tôi cần gặp bác sĩ, toi can gap bac si.
• I have a fever/cough/sore throat/diarrhea: tôi bị sốt/ho/đau họng/tiêu chảy, toi bi sot/ho/dau hong/tieu chay.
• I am injured at my head/hand/leg/shoulder: tôi bị thương ở đầu/tay/chân/vai, toi bi thuong o dau/tay/chan/vai.
• She is unconscious: cô ấy bất tỉnh, co ay bat tinh.
• I am having a heart attack/stroke: tôi bị đau tim/đột quỵ, toi bi dau tim/dot quy.
• I have had an accident: tôi bị tai nạn, toi bi tai nan.
• Where is the nearest pharmacy?: nhà thuốc gần nhất ở đâu, nha thuoc gan nhat o dau.
• I would like to buy medicines for fever/cough/sore throat/diarrhea: Tôi muốn mua thuốc trị sốt/ho/đau họng/tiêu chảy.
• How much?: bao nhiêu tiền, bao nhieu tien.
• Thank you: cảm ơn, cam on.
• The medication pasts the expiration date: thuốc bị hết hạn, thuoc bi het han.
• Here is my health insurance: đây là bảo hiểm, day la bao hiem.
• Where to pay the bill?: trả hóa đơn ở đâu, tra hoa don o dau.

Vietnam health insurance

No one expects to get sick to be paid by the insurance company. But purchasing Vietnam health insurance is always recommended. There is a certain number of options available for customers who would like to protect themselves from high medical costs, whether expected or not. Individual health plans are the most popular but plans for families are the favorite of many families. There are also available plans for couples, retirees. The plans are usually divided into three types: local, travel, and international.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is the most common for travelers who are in Vietnam for a short time. It is easy to purchase this type of insurance and the cost is not very expensive. Travel insurance for a foreigner in Vietnam costs about $8 USD/day, $70 USD/week.

The advantages of travel insurance include:

• The cheapest one;
• Ease of purchase;
• The best choice for short trips to Vietnam;
• Inclusion of travel benefits such as lost luggage;
• Coverage of many common health issues.

The disadvantages of travel insurance include:

• Limits for lots of health problems which are moderate and significant.
• Exclusion of pre-existing conditions.

Local insurance

Local insurance is provided by private health insurance providers in Vietnam. It is more expensive than travel insurance and includes more health benefits. The average cost of local insurance in Vietnam is $550 USD.

The advantages of local insurance include:

• Local providers understand more about local health system so that the plan researched carefully by them will bring you lots of benefits.
• Inclusion of optional coverage such as outpatient, vision, maternity, dental insurances.
• Inclusion of pre-existing conditions, usually coming with an extra fee.
• Perfect choice for expats who live in Vietnam for more than 12 months.

The disadvantages of local insurance include:

• There is no coverage relating to travel.
• It may restrict healthcare providers, for example certain hospitals and clinics.
• Coverage for treatment only in Vietnam.

International insurance

International insurance is perhaps the most comprehensive and expensive. If you travel to many countries on your vacation or while working, his plan is recommended. The average cost of international health insurance, including Vietnam is $7,775 USD/person.

The advantages of international insurance include:

• Convenience and portability: go anywhere in the world without worrying about different local health insurance plans you have purchased.
• Lots of health benefits.
• Availability of customizable options.
• Inclusion of pre-existing conditions.
• Chance to be treated at your wish at leading private hospitals and clinics where there are English speaking and experienced staff and modern equipment.

The disadvantages of international insurance include:

• Higher cost in comparison to other types.
• Coverage can be excessive for people who travel to only one country.
• Some countries sometimes do not recognize international plans as meeting visa/entry requirements.

Top 10+ Tips on Healthcare in Vietnam