Start the admissions process for a preschool in Saigon as soon as you know roughly when you want your child to begin, ideally a few months ahead: Vietnam's school year starts in early September, but many private preschools, including bilingual ones, admit children during the year when there is a place in the right age group. The timing that matters most is not the calendar but availability in your child's class, and the earlier you enquire, the more choice you have about campus and start date.
This guide explains how the school year works in Vietnam, why availability is tied to age groups, how to plan a realistic timeline backwards from your start date, what waiting lists usually involve, and how to choose a start date that gives your child the best chance of settling. Arriving in the city mid-year has its own logistics, which our section on moving to Ho Chi Minh City covers in detail.
How the Vietnamese school year works
Vietnamese schools follow a school year that begins in early September and ends in late May or early June. The fifth of September is the traditional national opening day, marked by opening ceremonies at schools across the country, and the year is divided by a holiday period around Tết, the Lunar New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February depending on the lunar calendar. Exact dates for each school year are set by the authorities and by each school, so ask for the current year's calendar.
Private preschools often operate for more of the year than the formal school calendar suggests. Many run a summer programme between June and August, because families still need care while parents work. Ask whether the summer weeks are part of the standard enrolment, an optional programme, or billed separately, and how they affect the move up to the next class.
For admissions, the start of the school year matters mainly because it is when children usually move up a class together. A child who starts in September joins a group at the same moment as many others. A child who starts in February joins a group that has already formed its routines. Both work, but they feel different for the child, and they can affect which class has space.
Why availability depends on your child's age group
A preschool does not have places in general; it has places in particular classes. Each class has a set number of children, linked to the size of the room, the number of teachers and the rules that apply to the age group. When the Tiny Star room is full, it does not help that there is space in Super Star.
Several things affect whether a class has a place when you want it. Children move up in September, which can open places in younger classes and fill older ones. Families leave the city during the year, which opens places at unpredictable times; this is more common in schools with many expatriate families, whose postings end at different times. Siblings of current pupils may be given some priority, depending on the school's policy. And the youngest classes, with more adults per child, often have the fewest places.
Places also change through the year in ways that are hard to predict from outside. A family posting that ends in December can open a place in January; a cluster of new arrivals after the summer can fill a class that looked open in June. Admissions teams usually have a sense of these patterns at their own campus, so it is worth asking not only whether there is a place today but how the class tends to change across the year.
The practical lesson is to give admissions your child's exact date of birth and your ideal start month at the very first enquiry, and to ask directly whether there is space in that class at the campus you prefer. If there is not, ask when the next opening is likely, whether another campus has space, and how the waiting list works.
A realistic timeline, working backwards from the first day
There is no fixed rule, and many families move faster. But if you have the luxury of planning, this rough sequence lets you see more than one campus, try a trial week and gather papers without rushing.
| Before the start date | What to do |
|---|---|
| About three months | Send an enquiry with your child's date of birth and preferred start month; ask about availability. |
| Two to three months | Book tours at one or two campuses; test the commute at drop-off time. |
| Four to eight weeks | Arrange a trial week, ideally in the class your child would join. |
| Three to six weeks | Gather the enrolment file, read the agreement at home, ask your questions in writing. |
| Two to four weeks | Sign, pay what is due, and agree the first-day plan with the teacher. |
| The final week | Install the parent app, label clothes and bottles, and talk to your child about the new school. |
If you are relocating, the first two rows can usually be done remotely by message and video call, with the visit and trial week fitted into your first weeks in the city.
The timeline compresses easily when a place is open and your papers are ready; it stretches when you are waiting for a class to have space or for a document from abroad. The two steps worth protecting, even when time is short, are a visit in person and a careful reading of the agreement at home. Everything else can be done faster if it has to be.
Choosing a start date that suits your child
Some start dates make settling in easier than others. Starting in September has the advantage that many children are new at the same time and teachers expect a period of adjustment. Starting mid-year can also work well, especially in a smaller group where a new child gets more individual attention, but the child joins routines that others already know.
Be careful with dates just before a long break. A child who starts two weeks before the Tết holiday may settle a little, then have a long break and need to settle again afterwards. If you can, start a few weeks earlier or wait until school resumes. The same applies before a long family trip: it is usually kinder to start after you return than to begin, disappear for three weeks, and begin again.
Think, too, about what else is happening in your child's life. A house move, a new sibling, a parent starting a demanding new job or a long-haul flight are each big changes for a young child. Some families prefer to separate school from these changes by a few weeks; others find that a stable school routine helps during a turbulent period. There is no single answer, but it is worth discussing with the class teacher, who has seen many children start in many different circumstances.
How waiting lists usually work
If there is no place in your child's class, the school may offer to put your child on a waiting list. Waiting lists are common for the youngest classes and at times when many families want the same start date. Ask how the list is organised: by date of enquiry, by date of application, or with some priority for siblings or for children moving from another campus.
Ask, too, what joining the list requires. Some schools put a name on a list after an enquiry; others require a completed application or a payment to hold a position. If a payment is involved, find out exactly what it covers, whether it is refundable if no place becomes available, and whether it is deducted from fees if you do enrol.
Being realistic about a waiting list helps. A school cannot always say when a place will open, especially when it depends on other families leaving. Rather than waiting indefinitely, consider whether another campus has a place now, whether your child could start there with the option to transfer, or whether a short-term arrangement could bridge the gap. Ask the school to tell you, in writing if possible, how they will contact you when a place opens and how long you will have to confirm.
Planning further ahead: siblings and the years after preschool
Families with more than one child, or planning another, can save themselves trouble by thinking about timing a little further ahead. If a younger sibling will reach the minimum age for the youngest class in a year or two, mention it when you enrol the older child. Ask how sibling applications are handled and how far in advance you can enquire. Having both children at the same campus usually makes the daily routine simpler, and it is easier to plan if the school knows your intentions early.
It is also worth knowing how the preschool years connect to primary school. In Vietnam, children enter grade one in the calendar year they turn six, as set by the Law on Education 2019. If your child starts preschool late, or arrives from a country with a different school year, the number of years they spend in kindergarten here may be shorter or longer than you expect. Ask admissions how your child's start date and class placement line up with the year they would leave the Super Star class.
You do not need to choose a primary school now. But a rough sense of whether you are likely to stay in Vietnam, move to an international primary school in the city, or return home helps you choose a start date and class with fewer surprises later. Our section on next steps after preschool covers those choices in detail.
If you need a place quickly
Sometimes families need a preschool place within days: a sudden posting, a nanny who leaves, a parent starting work sooner than planned. It is still possible to make a good decision quickly if you focus on the essentials.
Send your enquiry to more than one campus at once, with your child's date of birth, the start date you need and the area you will be travelling from. Ask each campus the same three questions: is there a place in my child's class, can we visit this week, and can my child start with a short trial? Prepare the core of the enrolment file in advance: passport or birth certificate copies, parents' identity documents, photos, the vaccination record and a written summary of health information and allergies. These are the items that most often hold up a fast start.
Be honest with your child about the speed, too. Even a toddler notices when the household is rushing. A simple, repeated explanation of where they are going, who they will meet and when you will come back helps more than a long talk, and it can begin the evening you confirm the place.
Even in a hurry, read the enrolment agreement before you sign, especially the notice and refund terms, and keep the first days gentle for your child. A rushed decision is easier to live with when you know the exit terms and the first week has been planned with the teacher, rather than simply happening.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Can we enrol in the middle of the school year?
Often, yes. Many private preschools admit children during the year when there is a place in the right age group. Ask the campus about availability for your child's class in the month you want, and how a child who joins mid-year is helped to settle into a group that has already formed.
How early is too early to apply?
It is rarely too early to make an enquiry, especially for the youngest classes. What may not be possible is fixing a place or a fee a long time in advance. Ask how far ahead the school can confirm a place, and whether the fee sheet you receive applies to your actual start date.
Does the school year start on the same date every year?
The traditional national opening day is the fifth of September, but the exact first day of classes and the holiday dates are set each year. Private preschools may also run summer programmes. Ask the school for the calendar of the year your child will start, and plan travel around it.
Is September the best month for a child to start?
Not necessarily. September means many children start together and teachers expect adjustment, but mid-year starts can work well too. More important is avoiding a start just before a long break such as Tết or a long family trip, and talking with the teacher about timing.
Do siblings get priority for places?
Policies vary. Some schools give siblings of current pupils some priority, others treat all applications in order. Ask admissions how siblings are handled at your campus, especially if you are planning for a younger child to join in a year or two.
What should we do while waiting for a place?
Ask whether another campus has a place now, with the option of transferring later, or whether a shorter day or trial arrangement is possible. Some families use a nanny or a short-term arrangement in the meantime. Keep in touch with admissions in writing so they know you are still interested.