Student Visa to Study Vietnamese in Saigon: DH Visa Steps
The study visa is DH, issued to a foreigner who comes for an internship or to study. It is valid for a maximum of 1 year, and your school, as sponsor, files the request. A tourist visa cannot be switched to it after you arrive.
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Do not fly in on a tourist visa and plan to switch. The law lets you convert a visa’s purpose in only four cases, and study is not one of them. The school sponsors the visa before you board.
What the DH visa is
DH is the study visa. It is issued to a foreigner who comes for an internship or to study. It is valid for a maximum of 1 year.
The four cases are investors, relatives of the sponsor, workers invited to work who hold a permit or exemption, and e-visa entrants who hold a permit or exemption. A tourist stamp does not become a DH visa in Saigon.
Steps from school to visa
- Choose a school that sponsors. A DH visa goes through an inviting or sponsoring organisation. Get its yes in writing.
- Send the school your documents early. International University, for one, wants them at least 2 weeks before you leave, starting with a scan of a passport valid for 6 months.
- The school files the visa request at the immigration authority. A school inviting for the first time sends a one-time notice to immigration first; that is the school’s paperwork, not yours.
- Wait for the pre-approval, 7 working days at International University. Then take your passport, the printed pre-approval, the school’s Letter of Acceptance, the application form and the fee to the Vietnamese embassy.
- Pay the fee set by the visa type, from the table below.
- Arrive, then ask your sponsor to file for a residence card.
- If the course runs past the visa, your sponsor files the extension.
What the visa costs
A single-entry visa costs US$25; choose it for one course with no trips out of Vietnam. Choose multiple entry if you will leave and return, and match its validity to the course: US$50 up to 90 days, more beyond that.
| Visa | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single entry, any validity | US$25 |
| Multiple entry, up to 90 days | US$50 |
| Multiple entry, over 90 to 180 days | US$95 |
| Multiple entry, over 180 days to 1 year | US$135 |
The extension fee is US$10, and the authority decides within 5 working days of a complete file. See Vietnam immigration fees for every fee in one table.
The school to ask in Saigon
The Center for Vietnamese Language for Foreigners is at 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Sai Gon Ward. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30-11:30 and 13:00-19:30. Hotline and email: 028 38 225009 and vlc@hcmussh.edu.vn.
10 - 12 Dinh Tien Hoang, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Its regular courses cost VND 7,200,000 to VND 8,400,000. A regular course runs for 2 months, with 2 periods a day.
Its online courses cost VND 3,420,000 to VND 6,840,000. Register through the Register here form on its homepage; ask the hotline how to pay.
Course details and teachers are in learn Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City. Settle visa sponsorship with the Center by phone or email before you pay.
For a rough budget on a 2-month regular course: visa US$25 plus the course at VND 7,200,000 to VND 8,400,000. A residence card adds US$145 for up to 2 years.
Residence card and extension in Saigon
Holders of a DH visa are on the list that qualifies for a temporary residence card. A DH card is valid for a maximum of 5 years.
Fees by validity: US$145 up to 2 years, US$155 for over 2 to 5 years, and US$165 for over 5 to 10 years. The card is set at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of your passport.
Your sponsor files at the provincial police immigration office where the organisation has its seat. In Ho Chi Minh City that is the Immigration Management Division at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Xuan Hoa Ward.
196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Xuan Hoa, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Dossiers are received Monday to Saturday morning, except Tet and public holidays. The office is open Monday to Saturday, 7h to 11h30 and 1h30 to 5h, with Saturday morning only.
To extend the visa instead, the inviting or sponsoring organisation files the request; there is no self-filing route. See temporary residence card in Ho Chi Minh City and extend your visa in Ho Chi Minh City.
Family, work, health and tax while you study
Family comes next. A TT visa is issued to the spouse or a child under 18 of a foreigner holding a DH visa. The card side is in spouse visa and residence card.
A student internship is exempt from the work permit in one case. Foreign students and learners at schools and training institutions in Vietnam are exempt if they hold an internship agreement or a work offer letter from a Vietnam-based employer. The Center is part of a university.
A foreigner studying in Vietnam on a Vietnamese state-budget scholarship is in the state-budget-paid group for health insurance. Everyone else, see health insurance for foreigners.
Scholarship money is tax-exempt, both from the state budget and from an organisation under its study-support programme.
Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (HCMC immigration office on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Google Maps contributor, Tri Nh.
Step by step
- Choose a school that sponsorsA DH visa goes through an inviting or sponsoring organisation. Get the school's yes in writing before you pay.
- Let the school file the visa requestThe sponsor files the request at the immigration authority.
- Pay the visa feeA single-entry visa costs US$25. A multiple-entry visa costs US$50 up to 90 days.
- Apply for the residence cardYour sponsor files at the immigration office where the school has its seat. A DH card is valid for a maximum of 5 years.
- Extend if the course runs onThe sponsor files the extension request. The fee is US$10.
Not confirmed: Visa sponsorship at the Center for Vietnamese Language for Foreigners for short-course learners. Phone 028 38 225009 or email vlc@hcmussh.edu.vn and get the answer in writing before you pay.
Common questions
Which visa is for studying Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City?
DH, issued to a foreigner who comes for an internship or to study. It is valid for a maximum of 1 year.
Can I switch from a tourist visa to a DH visa after I arrive?
No. A visa's purpose can be converted in four cases only. They are investors, relatives of the sponsor, workers invited to work with a permit or exemption, and e-visa entrants with a permit or exemption. Study is not one.
Who applies for the DH visa?
The inviting or sponsoring organisation files the visa request at the immigration authority. That is your school, not you.
How much does the visa cost?
A single-entry visa costs US$25. Multiple-entry visas cost US$50 up to 90 days, US$95 over 90 to 180 days, and US$135 over 180 days to 1 year.
Can I get a residence card on a DH visa?
Yes. DH is on the list of visas that qualify for a card, and a DH card is valid for a maximum of 5 years.
Can my spouse or child come with me?
A TT visa is issued to the spouse or a child under 18 of a foreigner holding a DH visa.
Do I need a work permit for an internship?
Foreign students with an internship agreement or a work offer letter from a Vietnam-based employer are exempt from the work permit.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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