The procedure for establishing International School

• Vincent Tran
• March 22, 2023

The international school model is increasingly engrossed in Vietnam, where many parents orient their children to study. Therefore, the establishment of an international school in Vietnam needs to meet a certain process that will be presented to readers through the article below.

Procedures in establishing International School 

According to the provisions of Articles 2 and 28 of Decree 86/2018/ND-CP, a “Foreign-invested educational institution” refers to institutions financed by foreign invested business entities which operate in accordance with the laws of Vietnam and are allowed to use their own seals and accounts.

• Short-term training institutions.
• Pre-school educational institutions. 
• Compulsory educational institutions (elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, universal schools). 
• Higher educational institutions.
• Branch campuses of foreign-invested higher education institutions in Vietnam.

To be able to establish a foreign-invested educational institution (also known as an international school) in Vietnam, investors need to follow these 4 steps:

Step 1: Apply for an Investment Registration Certificate.

Step 2: Apply for a Business Registration Certificate.

Step 3: Apply for a decision to permit the establishment of a foreign-invested educational institution in Vietnam (not applicable to short-term training and retraining institutions) with the following documents:

• An application form for permission to establish an international school in Vietnam and a certified copy of the Investment Registration Certificate.
• The project of establishing an international school in Vietnam.
• A certified copy of the written approval for land lease of the People’s Committee of the province in the case of construction of facilities, or agreement on the principle of renting available facilities and relevant legal documents.
• Plan on facilities or investment project on construction of facilities, including explanation and detailed design of the foreign-invested educational institution.
• Documents proving financial capacity according to the prescribed level.

Investors need to pay attention to the authoritative issue of the decision allowing the establishment of an international school to submit the right application to the competent authority. According to regulations, the competence to issue decisions on permitting the establishment of foreign-invested educational institutions is as follows:

• For establishment of higher education institutions: Prime Minister/Ministry of Education and Training.
• For the establishment of educational institutions by foreign diplomatic missions or international intergovernmental organizations for approval: Ministry of Education and Training/Ministry of Education and Training.
• For the establishment of other educational institutions: Chairman of Provincial People’s Committee/ Department of Education and Training.

Step 4: Apply for a decision to allow the operation of foreign-invested educational institutions. Required documents include:

• An application form, using form No. 16 in the Appendix according to the Decree 86/2018/ND-CP.  
• A certified true copy or a copy enclosed with an original of the decision on approving the establishment of the foreign-invested educational institutions; as for the short-term training institution, submit a certified true copy or a copy enclosed with an original of the investment registration certificate or the company registration certificate. 
• Regulation on organization and operation of the foreign invested educational institution.
• Report on the progress of the project investment, capital contribution, capital loan and the entire capital invested.
• Report explaining that the educational institution has met the necessary and sufficient conditions to establish an international school in Vietnam, and enclosed with the following documents:
  • List of principal (director), deputy principal (deputy director), deans, department managers and chief accountant. As for the application documents for licensing the operation of the branch campus of higher educational institutions, a list of persons in charge of the branch campus and its organizational structure is required. 
  • List of the employees, teachers and lecturers (full time or visiting lecturers) and their resumes.
  • A description of grades, training levels and disciplines.
  • Programs, teaching plans, learning materials, lists of textbooks and primary reference materials. 
  • The subjects, regulation and period of enrollment. 
  • Training regulation
  • Training scale (students).
  • Regulations on tuition fees and other relevant fees. 
  • Regulations on inspection, assessment and certification of the completion of the programs, modules and grades. 
  • The forms of qualifications to be issued.

Similar to Step 3, investors also need to pay attention to the authority to issue decisions to allow the operation of foreign-invested educational institutions as follows:

• For higher education institutions: Minister of Education and Training.
• For other educational institutions: Director of the Department of Education and Training.