MBBS in Vietnam for Indian Students (2027–28): English MD Programmes, Fees and NMC Rules

Is MBBS in Vietnam a good option for Indian students?

Vietnam is an emerging, unproven destination: its medical schools are long-established, but English-taught programmes for foreigners only began in 2025. The standard qualification is a six-year Doctor of Medicine (bác sĩ y khoa). At Hanoi Medical University — founded in 1902 and widely regarded as Vietnam's leading medical school — it is a national-standard programme taught in Vietnamese, with English studied as a foreign-language subject and clinical training at hospitals such as Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Bach Mai and Viet Duc.

What is new is a small number of English-taught programmes aimed at foreign students, including Indians. Dai Nam University in Hanoi held the opening ceremony of its first international medical course on 10 October 2025, attended by about 200 new Indian students. That makes Vietnam worth watching — and worth extreme caution, because none of these students has graduated, sat FMGE or applied for a licence yet.

How much does MBBS in Vietnam cost?

Published fees for foreigners range from about $5,000 a year at Dai Nam University to about $31,000 a year at VinUniversity. Fees in Vietnam are set in dong; 4MBBS converts at about 26,300 VND per US dollar (bank rates of 26,128–26,408 on 10 June 2026).

Notes on each:

• Dai Nam quotes "5,000 USD/year (125 million VND)" for a six-year programme: two years of theory, then four years of clinical training at major Hanoi hospitals. The university says it is promoting construction of its own hospital. It does not name its partner hospitals or any accreditation in its announcements.
• Phan Chau Trinh lists 44 million VND per semester for Vietnamese Medicine students and says international students pay double. Its page does not confirm that Medicine is taught in English, so ask before applying.
• VinUniversity charges the same rate to Vietnamese and international students. On-campus dormitory rooms cost 3.2–4 million VND per student per month, and health insurance is compulsory for international students.

Over six years, tuition ranges from about $30,000 (Dai Nam) to about $186,000 (VinUni), before accommodation and living costs. Use the cost calculator to compare with other countries.

Which universities teach medicine in English in Vietnam?

Very few, and all are recent.

VinUniversity was set up by Vingroup with government approval in March 2018, and the University of Pennsylvania agreed to support its medical training. Its MD specification lists 228 credits over six years, English delivery, IELTS 6.5 at entry, and the possibility of applying for Vietnamese national medical licensure under Ministry of Health rules or sitting the USMLE.

Is MBBS from Vietnam valid in India? (FMGL fit)

Compliance with NMC's FMGL 2021 regulations is unproven, so 4MBBS rates Vietnam poor for now. FMGL 2021 requires:

1. At least 54 months of study in English for the whole course.
2. A 12-month internship in the same foreign institution.
3. The whole course at one institution.
4. Eligibility for a licence to practise in Vietnam, on par with Vietnamese citizens.
5. FMGE (until NExT is implemented) and a 12-month internship in India.

The six-year length is not the problem. The open questions are points 2 and 4. The new English programmes describe four years of "clinical internship" in city hospitals, but not a distinct 12-month internship at the university. And Vietnam's 2023 Law on Medical Examination and Treatment says foreigners who want to practise long term must be proficient in Vietnamese, with licences granted after capacity tests organised by the National Medical Council. An Indian graduate would need to show that path is genuinely open to them.

NMC does not publish a list of approved foreign universities. Before you pay, get written answers from the university on the internship and licence questions — our FMGL rules guide lists everything to ask.

FMGE record for Vietnam

There is none yet. In the NBEMS FMGE performance reports for 2024 and for the June and December 2025 sessions, no Vietnamese university appears among the institutions with Indian candidates. Dai Nam's first Indian cohort began in October 2025 and would not complete a six-year programme before 2031.

For comparison, the all-country FMGE pass rate was 23.9% in December 2025, about 12–13% in June 2026 and about 23% in October 2026. Choosing a country with no record means you cannot check whether its graduates pass. Read our FMGE exam guide.

Eligibility and admission process

Indian applicants need NEET-UG and Class 12 PCB with English, plus each university's own requirements.

1. Qualify NEET-UG — mandatory for Indian citizens who want to practise in India; valid for three years. See NEET for MBBS abroad.
2. Class 12 — at least 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Biology (40% SC/ST/OBC), English as a subject, age 17 by 31 December.
3. English proficiency — VinUni asks for IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0 (or equivalent such as PTE Academic 58); those below the bar can be placed in pathway English classes.
4. Vietnamese — VinUni requires A2 Vietnamese on enrolment and B2 speaking/listening plus B1 reading/writing before the clinical phase in year 4.
5. Apply directly to the university and ask for the official fee schedule, the hospital agreements and the year-by-year teaching plan.
6. Student visa through the university once admitted.

Our admission process guide covers documents on the Indian side.

Language, climate and life in Vietnam

Even in English programmes, you will need Vietnamese to talk to patients. VinUni builds this into its rules; other universities may not, so ask how much Vietnamese teaching is included and who interprets on the wards.

Vietnam has a tropical climate with hot, humid summers and a rainy season; Hanoi in the north also has a cool winter. Living costs are low: Numbeo (November 2026) estimates about $454 a month for a single person excluding rent in Hanoi, a cheap restaurant meal at $1.94 and a monthly transport pass at about $11. Students in shared accommodation who cook spend less; 4MBBS uses $250–$500 a month for planning.

Ask seniors (if any) about Indian food and vegetarian options near campus, and register with the Embassy of India in Hanoi on arrival. Our guide to life as an Indian medical student abroad covers money, insurance and safety.

What does a six-year budget look like?

The total depends almost entirely on which programme you pick: roughly ₹55–80 lakh at the low-fee English programme, and about ₹2 crore at VinUniversity.

The frontmatter totals on this page ($40,000–$195,000) cover tuition plus accommodation only, as on every 4MBBS country hub. Add flights, visas, insurance and the cost of a year-long internship back in India. Fees in Vietnam are set in dong, so exchange-rate moves change the rupee cost each year.

How does Vietnam compare with Malaysia?

Both are Southeast Asian options with English-taught programmes, but Malaysia has a long track record and Vietnam does not.

Neither is a safe default for a student who wants to practise in India. Read our Malaysia hub and is MBBS abroad worth it before choosing.

Questions to ask any Vietnamese university

1. Which Ministry of Education and Training decision authorises this programme for international students?
2. Which hospitals will I train in each year, and is there a 12-month internship at the university?
3. How much Vietnamese is taught, and what level must I reach before the clinical years?
4. Can foreign graduates sit the National Medical Council capacity test and obtain a licence?
5. Is the fee fixed in dollars or dong, and is it fixed for all six years?

How to verify a Vietnamese medical programme

• Confirm the university and programme on its official website and in the World Directory of Medical Schools — see our WDOMS guide.
• Ask for the Ministry of Education and Training decision authorising the international programme.
• Get the names of the teaching hospitals and the internship arrangement in writing.
• Ask how foreign graduates obtain a Vietnamese practising licence, given the Vietnamese-language rule.
• Pay only into the university's account and keep receipts.

Red flags

• "NMC-approved Vietnam MBBS" — NMC publishes no such list, and no Vietnamese programme has an FMGE record yet.
• "No Vietnamese needed" — VinUni's own rules require B2 before clinical training, and the licence law requires proficiency.
• Package prices far above the university's published fee ($5,000 a year at Dai Nam).
• Promises of a guaranteed Vietnamese licence or easy transfer later.

Read our agent scams guide and compare Vietnam with MBBS in Malaysia and MBBS in the Philippines.

Pros and cons of MBBS in Vietnam

Advantages

• Six-year Doctor of Medicine, longer than many five-year programmes elsewhere.
• Low published fee for the new English programme at Dai Nam University ($5,000 a year).
• VinUniversity offers an English-delivered MD with a stated route to Vietnamese national licensure and USMLE preparation.
• Low living costs in Hanoi: Numbeo puts a cheap restaurant meal at about $1.90 (November 2026).

Drawbacks

• English-medium MD programmes for foreigners are brand new; no graduates and no FMGE track record.
• Patient-facing clinical training needs Vietnamese — VinUni sets B2 Vietnamese before year 4.
• Vietnam's licence for foreigners practising long term requires Vietnamese proficiency, a key FMGL 2021 question.
• Big fee gap between programmes: about $5,000 a year at Dai Nam versus about $31,000 at VinUni.
• Few published details on internships, hospital agreements and accreditation for the new programmes.