A foreign child entering primary school in Vietnam is normally asked for a passport with a valid visa, temporary residence card or exemption, a birth certificate showing the parents, proof of the family's address in the city, the vaccination and health record, and the reports from the previous school. Vietnamese schools usually also want key foreign documents translated into Vietnamese and, for some papers, consular legalisation. International schools ask for much the same list in English, plus their own forms and sometimes references from the preschool.
The list is longer than at preschool for a simple reason: primary school is the start of a formal education record. From grade 1 or Year 1 onwards, each school year leaves a trace that the next school, and later an examination board or university, may ask to see. Getting names, dates and documents consistent now saves trouble years later. This guide explains each item, how the two kinds of school use it, and where families most often get stuck.
The usual file, item by item
Requirements differ between schools and change from time to time, so confirm the current list with the school in writing. The table shows what is commonly requested and why.
| Item | Vietnamese school | International school | Why it is wanted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child's passport | Copy, often notarised | Copy | Legal name, nationality, date of birth |
| Visa, temporary residence card or visa exemption | Usually required | Usually required | Shows the child is lawfully resident for the school year |
| Birth certificate | Copy with Vietnamese translation; foreign certificates may need legalisation | Copy; translation if not in English | Parentage and who can sign for the child |
| Proof of address | Often required; links to the residence registration system | Usually a lease or utility bill | Admission area, emergency contact, bus planning |
| Health and vaccination record | Requested at many schools | Required, often on the school's own form | Infection control, allergies, medication |
| Previous school reports | Preschool completion is not formally required for grade 1, but schools may ask | Usually the last one or two reports | Placement and support planning |
| Parents' passports and work or residence papers | Usually copies | Usually copies | Identity of the people signing the contract |
| Photos | Several passport-size photos | Digital photo for the student card | Records and student card |
For a child who holds Vietnamese nationality as well as another, the position is different: inside Vietnam the child is treated as a Vietnamese citizen, and a Vietnamese school will expect Vietnamese civil records such as a Vietnamese birth registration and the child's personal identification number. If your dual-national child has never been registered in Vietnam, sort this out early, because it affects far more than school.
Names and dates: the detail that causes most delays
The most common problem is not a missing document but documents that do not agree. A child may have a long name on a European passport, a shorter one on a birth certificate from another country, and a Vietnamese name used by family. Vietnamese school records and the national education database expect one legal name, written the way it appears on the identity document. An international school's system may cut long names or rearrange the order of family name and given name.
Before you apply, decide which spelling is the legal one, usually the passport, and ask each school to record the name exactly in that form. If the child's preferred name is different, most schools can record it separately for daily use. Check dates of birth in the same way: day-month order differs between countries, and a 03/07 date read the wrong way places a child in the wrong year group.
Keep a single sheet with the child's full legal name, any other names in use, date and place of birth, passport number and expiry date, and residence card number and expiry date. Update it each time a document is renewed and send the update to the school, since an expired residence card on file can become an issue when the school reports its foreign pupils to the authorities.
Translation, notarisation and legalisation explained
Translation turns a foreign document into Vietnamese or English. For Vietnamese schools and offices, translations are usually done by a translation service and then certified, so that an official can rely on them. International schools often accept a plain translation for documents not already in English.
Notarised or certified copies are copies that a notary or authorised office has stamped as true to the original. Vietnamese schools commonly ask for certified copies rather than originals, which lets you keep the originals at home.
Consular legalisation confirms that a foreign document was issued by a real authority. It is done through the issuing country's foreign ministry and the Vietnamese embassy or consulate there, or through procedures in Vietnam. Not every school asks for it, and requirements change, so ask whether the birth certificate needs it before paying for the process.
Practical order is usually legalisation first, then translation, then certification of the translation. Doing them in the wrong order can mean repeating a step. If you are still abroad, it is often easier to handle legalisation there before you move.
What the previous school can give you
At preschool age, reports are informal, and in Vietnam completing preschool is not a formal prerequisite for grade 1. Even so, the preschool record is useful. An international school uses it to place your child in a class and to plan support. A Vietnamese school may use it less formally but still appreciates knowing how a foreign child has adjusted to Vietnamese in class.
Ask your child's preschool, a few weeks before the end of the final year, for a short summary in English and, if possible, Vietnamese. It should cover attendance dates, the class or age group, a description of the child's language use in each language, social and self-care skills, and any support or concerns. A letter on the school's letterhead, signed by the head of the school, carries more weight than a printout from a parent app.
If your child is moving from a primary school abroad into a school in Vietnam, the receiving school will usually want the last report and, for Vietnamese schools, a record of the grades completed. Different systems number years differently, so it helps to include a short note explaining which year was completed and at what age. A child who finished Reception in England at five, for example, has done the final year of the early years stage, not the first year of primary, and a Vietnamese school will read that very differently from a completed grade.
Where families get stuck
Most hold-ups come from a small number of situations. Knowing them in advance lets you prepare.
- Residence card renewals in the summer. If a parent's work permit or the child's temporary residence card is being renewed in July or August, the school may enrol on a provisional basis. Ask how they handle it and send the new card as soon as it is issued.
- One parent abroad. If only one parent lives in Vietnam, schools may ask for a consent letter from the other parent, particularly for travel, photos and medical decisions. Agree on what the letter should say before signing the enrolment contract.
- Children born in a third country. A child with parents of two nationalities, born in a third country, may have a birth certificate in a language neither school reads. Plan extra time for translation.
- Shipping containers. Originals packed with household goods are a recurring problem. Keep passports, birth certificates, vaccination records and school reports in hand luggage.
- Dual-national records. A child entered on a Vietnamese school list as a citizen and on an international school list as a foreign national can confuse later transfers. Decide which identity you use for school and keep it consistent.
- Custody and guardianship papers. Where parents are separated, or a relative or guardian is the main carer, schools need to know who may sign forms and collect the child. Bring the court order or guardianship document, translated if needed, and tell the school early rather than at the gate.
None of these situations stops a child from starting school. They slow things down when they surface late, usually in the last week before term when admissions offices are busiest. Raising them in your first email to the school, with a short explanation, usually turns them into routine paperwork.
A timeline that works
For a September start, the following timing gives room for the slow parts.
- Six to nine months before: confirm the target schools' document lists and whether any foreign documents need legalisation.
- Four to six months before: arrange legalisation and translations; ask the preschool for its summary report.
- Three months before: check that passports and residence cards will be valid for the whole school year; book renewals if not.
- Two months before: submit the application file; keep a scanned copy of every page you send.
- On enrolment day: bring originals so the school can check them against the copies, then take them home again.
- During the first month: check that the school has recorded the name, date of birth and nationality correctly in its system, and ask for a copy of the enrolment confirmation for your own records.
International schools with rolling admissions can move faster than this, and a public Vietnamese school follows the enrolment window set each year by the city, so adjust the timing to the school. The point of starting early is to give the slow steps, legalisation and renewals, room to happen without pressure.
Keep the scanned set in one folder you can reach from your phone. Schools sometimes ask again for a page that was already sent, and having it on hand turns a frustrating delay into a two-minute task.
Building a file that travels with your child
Many foreign children in Ho Chi Minh City change school more than once during primary, sometimes within Vietnam and sometimes between countries. Each move asks for the same documents again, plus the records of the school just left. Families who treat the school file as something they own, not something the school holds, find each move easier.
Keep originals of identity and civil documents at home and a complete scanned set in one place. Add to it at the end of every school year: the annual report, any assessment results, certificates for completed grades, letters from specialists and a few samples of your child's work. For a Vietnamese school, ask at the end of each year for the documents that confirm the grade was completed, since a later school, in Vietnam or abroad, may want them. For an international school, ask for the final report in a format you can download, not only a view inside the parent portal, because portal access often ends when your child leaves.
If your child receives speech therapy, occupational therapy or learning support, keep the specialist reports in the same folder. A short summary in English of what helped your child, written by the person who worked with them, is often more useful to the next school than a long assessment.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Does a foreign child need a Vietnamese preschool certificate to start grade 1?
No. Vietnam's education law sets the starting age for grade 1 at six, counted by year of birth, and does not require a preschool completion certificate. Schools may still ask for preschool records to understand your child, and international schools usually want them for placement.
Can a foreign child attend a Vietnamese public primary school?
Foreign children can study in Vietnamese schools under the ministry's rules for foreign learners, but admission to a public school is organised locally and depends on residence and available places. Ask the school and the ward office directly, and expect lessons, homework and parent meetings in Vietnamese.
Do we need originals or copies?
Most schools take copies and check them against originals once, usually at enrolment. Vietnamese schools often want certified copies. Never leave original passports or birth certificates with a school; if they insist on holding something, ask for a receipt and a return date.
What if our child's residence card expires during the school year?
Tell the school before it expires and send the renewed card as soon as you have it. Schools in Vietnam keep records of foreign pupils and may need current papers on file. An expired card rarely leads to a child being sent home, but it can delay reports and transfers.
Should the school record our child's Vietnamese name or passport name?
Use the name on the identity document the school is enrolling against, usually the passport for a foreign national and the Vietnamese civil record for a Vietnamese citizen. Ask the school to note a preferred name separately so teachers use the name your child answers to.
Who can translate documents for a Vietnamese school?
Use a translation service whose translations can be certified for use with Vietnamese authorities, and ask the school whether they need certification. A friend's translation may be accepted by an international school but is unlikely to be accepted by a Vietnamese public school or government office.