InsuranceExpat GuideAug 2026

Health Insurance in Vietnam

Health insurance in Vietnam comes down to three routes, and most expats end up using more than one. BHYT, the compulsory public scheme run by Vietnam Social Security, is very cheap and becomes mandatory once you work here on a long enough contract, but it is built around public hospitals and covers roughly 80 percent of costs on the correct route. Domestic private plans widen the network. International, or expat, plans are the priciest, and they are the ones that actually pay at the international hospitals most foreigners use. This guide explains what each really covers, who has to join BHYT, and how a newcomer decides. It is general information, not financial, insurance, or medical advice.

Quick Facts

Layer, do not pick one

Public scheme: BHYT (Bảo hiểm y tế), run by Vietnam Social Security
Who must join: Foreign employees on a Vietnam labor contract of 12 months or more, since 1 July 2025
Contribution: 4.5% of salary, split employer 3% and employee 1.5%
Standard coverage: Around 80% of covered costs on the correct route for most insured workers, you pay the rest
The catch: BHYT is built for public facilities and generally does not pay at international hospitals
Private and international plans: Priced individually by age and cover, with no single published rate

This page is general information, not financial, insurance, legal, or medical advice. It explains how health insurance works in Vietnam and does not recommend any specific policy, insurer, or facility. Rules change, so confirm current BHYT details with Vietnam Social Security and confirm any plan directly with the insurer before you rely on it.

The Three Routes, In Plain Terms

There is no single expat health insurance in Vietnam. There are three separate things people mean by the phrase, and they solve different problems. Understanding the split is most of the battle, because the mistake newcomers make is treating one of them as the whole answer.

BHYT (public)

The compulsory state scheme. Very cheap, near universal, and built around public hospitals and a referral route. Your baseline once you are employed here.

Domestic private

Plans from Vietnamese insurers that widen your network to include many private hospitals, at a mid range premium.

International (expat)

Foreigner focused plans that cover the international hospitals most expats use, often across a region or worldwide, at the highest cost.

For most working expats the honest answer is a combination: BHYT as a cheap, compulsory floor, plus a private or international plan sized to how you actually want to be treated. The rest of this guide is how each piece works so you can decide what to add on top.

How BHYT, the Public Insurance, Works

BHYT, short for Bảo hiểm y tế, is the compulsory social health insurance scheme in Vietnam. It is run by Vietnam Social Security, the state body that also handles pensions and social insurance, and it is the backbone of how most people in the country pay for care. Coverage is close to universal among residents, and the scheme is deliberately cheap, because it is funded mainly through payroll contributions rather than private premiums.

For a foreigner, the point to grasp is that BHYT is a public-system product. It is designed around public hospitals, a registered primary facility, and a referral route between the levels of the system. It is not the private, English-speaking, international-hospital experience many expats picture when they hear the words health insurance. Think of it as a national safety net you are enrolled into when you work here, not a premium plan.

Who Must Join BHYT

Since 1 July 2025, the revised Health Insurance Law put foreign employees on the same footing as Vietnamese staff. In practice, if you work in Vietnam under a fixed-term labor contract of 12 months or more, you are generally required to join BHYT, and your employer handles the enrollment. This was a real change: the earlier rule used a 3-month threshold, so older guides and even some HR teams may still quote the old number. When in doubt, confirm your own situation with your employer or directly with Vietnam Social Security.

A few situations sit outside the requirement, including intra-company transferees who are in Vietnam on that basis, people already at retirement age when they sign, and cases covered by an international social-security treaty. Because these carve-outs are specific, treat them as something to verify for your case rather than assume.

What it costs

The contribution is 4.5 percent of salary, split between the employer at 3 percent and the employee at 1.5 percent. It is calculated on your contract salary, and the salary base is capped rather than unlimited, so very high earners do not pay a percentage of the full amount. At the time of writing the cap was set at 20 times the government reference level, which put the ceiling around 46.8 million VND, but that figure moves with the reference level. The number to trust is the one your payroll or Vietnam Social Security gives you, not a figure from an old article.

What BHYT Covers, and What It Does Not

Two features decide what BHYT is worth to you: how much of the bill it pays, and where it pays it.

On the amount, most insured workers are covered at about 80 percent of covered costs when they use the correct route, and pay the remaining share themselves. Some groups are covered at 95 or 100 percent, for example certain pensioners, young children, and people in priority categories, but the standard employed rate is the 80 percent tier. Those percentages, and the list of what counts as a covered cost, are set by Vietnam Social Security. On the route, BHYT rewards using the facility you are registered at, or moving up the system with a proper referral. Going to a different or higher-level hospital on your own, off route, can reduce what BHYT pays. The exact off-route percentages were changed in the 2025 reforms and depend on the facility level, so check the current rule rather than an old figure.

Covered at your level: treatment at your registered public facility, or on a proper referral, at the benefit percentage for your group.
You still pay a share: the standard employed rate covers about 80 percent of covered costs, so a co-payment remains.
Route matters: turning up at a different or higher hospital without a referral can cut what BHYT pays.
Public tier only: BHYT generally does not pay at international hospitals or most private clinics.
Not everything is on the list: cosmetic, wellness, and many elective or self-requested treatments sit outside covered care.

The most common surprise for expats: BHYT is excellent value for public-hospital care, but the international hospital you would actually choose for English-speaking treatment is usually outside it. That gap is exactly what private and international plans exist to fill.

Private vs International Insurance

Once you understand that BHYT stops at the public tier, the second decision is what, if anything, to add on top. There are two broad options, and they are not the same thing. Domestic private health insurance is sold by Vietnamese insurers. It generally widens your network to include many private hospitals and smooths the paperwork, at a mid-range premium. International, or expat, health insurance is built for foreigners: it usually covers the international hospitals we describe in our healthcare in Vietnam guide, frequently extends across a region or worldwide, and tends to be more portable if you change country. It is also the most expensive.

Aspect	BHYT (public)	Domestic private	International
What it is	Compulsory social health insurance	A Vietnamese commercial health plan	An international, or expat, medical plan
Where it pays	Public facilities, on the correct route	A wider network, including many private hospitals	The widest access, including international hospitals, often regional or worldwide
Cost to you	Lowest, a fixed 4.5% payroll split	Mid, premium varies	Highest, premium varies widely
International hospital billing	Generally not covered	Sometimes, check the network	Usually covered, often billed directly
Best suited for	A cheap baseline for anyone employed here	Residents wanting private care without full out of pocket bills	Expats who want English-speaking, international-hospital care and portability

Premiums for both are priced individually, mainly by age and the level of cover, and there is no single published rate to quote, so anyone giving you one exact number for private insurance in Vietnam is guessing. Get quotes for your own situation, and read what each plan actually covers, especially the hospital network, outpatient care, maternity, and the exclusions. The exclusions are where most disappointment comes from.

Travel Insurance Is Not Health Insurance

Travel policies are built around trips. They focus on emergencies, accidents, and medical evacuation or repatriation, and they usually exclude routine care, pre-existing and ongoing conditions, maternity, and anything that looks like living here rather than visiting.

That is fine for a holiday. It is a real gap if Vietnam is home for a year. A lot of newcomers arrive with travel insurance and assume it doubles as health insurance, then discover the difference the first time they need everyday care. If you are staying, the cleaner setup is a BHYT baseline if you are employed, plus a private or international plan sized to how you want to be treated. Whatever you hold, read the policy document for what is genuinely included.

How a Newcomer Decides

Put together, this is less about finding one perfect policy and more about layering. Start with what is compulsory. If you are employed on a qualifying contract, you are in BHYT regardless, so treat it as your cheap baseline rather than a choice. Then add a layer that matches how you actually want to be treated. If your instinct in a health situation is to head to an international hospital for English-speaking care, that is exactly the bill BHYT will not pay, so an international or strong domestic private plan is what earns its cost. If you are comfortable in the public system and cost is the priority, BHYT may cover most of what you need, with private cover kept lean.

None of this is investment or insurance advice, and the right mix depends on your budget, your visa and work situation, your health, and where you want to be treated. Compare cover and price directly with insurers, and confirm the current BHYT rules with Vietnam Social Security before you rely on any single figure here.

This guide is about paying for care

For where foreigners actually go, public versus private versus international hospitals, English-speaking clinics, prescriptions, and emergencies, see the companion guide. Insurance and access are two halves of the same question.

Healthcare in Vietnam for Foreigners

Frequently Asked Questions

Do foreigners have to have health insurance in Vietnam?+

If you work in Vietnam on a fixed-term labor contract of 12 months or more, you are generally required to join BHYT, the compulsory public health insurance scheme, and your employer enrolls you and shares the contribution. This threshold changed on 1 July 2025, when the revised Health Insurance Law aligned foreign employees with the same conditions as Vietnamese staff, up from the older 3-month rule, so confirm your own status with your employer or Vietnam Social Security. Short-term visitors are not enrolled in BHYT and rely on travel or private insurance instead.

What is BHYT and does it cover expats?+

BHYT (Bảo hiểm y tế) is the compulsory social health insurance scheme in Vietnam, run by Vietnam Social Security. It does cover eligible foreign employees, not only Vietnamese citizens. It is inexpensive and useful as a baseline, but it is built around public facilities and a referral route, and for most insured workers it covers about 80 percent of covered costs rather than the whole bill. It is not designed for the international hospitals many expats prefer.

How much does BHYT cost?+

For employees, BHYT costs 4.5 percent of salary, with the employer paying 3 percent and the employee 1.5 percent, calculated on your contract salary up to a cap. Because it is a payroll contribution rather than a private premium, it is far cheaper than private or international cover. The exact amount depends on your salary and the capped salary base, both of which are set by regulation, so trust the figure your payroll or Vietnam Social Security gives you rather than an old article.

Does BHYT cover international hospitals in Vietnam?+

Generally no. BHYT is a public-facility scheme, and the international hospitals foreigners often use for English-speaking care usually sit outside it. To have those bills covered, or billed directly, most expats use a domestic private plan or an international expat plan. Networks and direct-billing arrangements differ, so check with the specific hospital and your insurer.

What is the difference between private and international health insurance in Vietnam?+

Domestic private plans are sold by Vietnamese insurers and typically widen your network beyond public hospitals at a mid-range premium. International, or expat, plans cost more but are built for foreigners: they usually cover international hospitals, often include care across a region or worldwide, and tend to be more portable if you move country. The right one depends on where you want to be treated, your budget, and whether you travel.

Is travel insurance enough for living in Vietnam?+

Not for the long term. Travel insurance is designed for trips and usually focuses on emergencies and medical evacuation, not routine care, ongoing conditions, or maternity. Many newcomers arrive covered only by travel insurance and find the gap when they need everyday care. If Vietnam is home for a while, a BHYT baseline plus a private or international plan fits better. Read the policy document for what it actually includes.

Does health insurance in Vietnam cover GLP-1, peptides, or wellness treatments?+

Usually not. Elective, cosmetic, and wellness treatments, and much of what people ask about such as GLP-1 weight-loss medicines, peptide therapy, or IV drips, generally fall outside both BHYT and standard private cover, so they are typically paid out of pocket. Our guides on GLP-1 access, peptide legality, and IV therapy in Vietnam cover how those are obtained and priced.

How does a newcomer choose a health insurance plan in Vietnam?+

Start with what is compulsory: if you are employed on a qualifying contract, you are in BHYT anyway, so treat it as your cheap baseline. Then match a second layer to how you actually want to be treated. If you rely on international hospitals and English-speaking care, an international or strong domestic private plan is what pays those bills. If cost is the priority and you are comfortable in the public system, BHYT may cover most of what you need. Compare cover, network, and price directly with insurers, and confirm current BHYT rules with Vietnam Social Security.