Hanoi

Hanoi’s sector is a fraction of HCMC’s. A KOTRA survey of Vietnamese education-ministry data counts roughly 18 foreign-curriculum schools in the capital against 33 in Ho Chi Minh City — including British, American, Korean, Japanese, French and Singaporean national schools. The expat base skews toward embassies, the UN system, NGOs and development agencies, which shapes both enrolment and the admissions calendar. ↗

Decree 86 applies here too. Since August 2018, foreign-invested schools in Vietnam may enrol Vietnamese citizens up to just under 50% of total enrolment — up from 10–20% under the old rules. As in HCMC, many schools branded “international” are legally Vietnamese-owned bilingual schools outside that cap, so the same classification question applies: foreign-invested under Decree 86, or Vietnamese private with an international programme? ↗

What compactness buys you: a genuinely short shortlist. Most expat families end up choosing between one IB school (UNIS), one British school (BIS), one American school (Concordia) and a small supporting cast — which makes the curriculum decision unusually decisive. Our curriculum guide is the right first read for Hanoi.

The United Nations International School of Hanoi is one of only two UN international schools in the world (the other is UNIS New York). Founded to serve the UN and diplomatic community, it now teaches the full IB continuum to nearly 1,200 students from more than 65 countries — and enforces a balanced intake in which no single nationality exceeds 20% of enrolment. ↗

Fees for 2026/27: VND 459.2 million (Kindergarten), VND 876.6 million (Grades 1–5), VND 926.0 million (Grades 6–8) and VND 1,048.6 million (Grades 11–12), plus a VND 46.0 million enrolment fee and a VND 15.8 million application fee. ↗

A genuinely unusual feature: UNIS runs a scholarship programme offering Vietnamese students from low-income families a 100% fee waiver from entry (Grades 7–10) through to graduation — part of the school’s UN mandate rather than a marketing line. The campus sits in the Ciputra/Tay Ho area, inside Hanoi’s main diplomatic enclave.

British International School Hanoi (BIS, Nord Anglia) opened in 2012 and teaches the English National Curriculum to IGCSE with the IB Diploma in the sixth form. Its published charge structure: a VND 4.5 million application fee, a registration fee of VND 23.6 million (Foundation Stage) or VND 70.8 million (Primary/Secondary), and a refundable VND 23.6 million security deposit. ↗ Note the campus location: Vinhomes Riverside in Long Bien district — across the Red River from Tay Ho, which matters for the daily commute.

Concordia International School Hanoi is the American-curriculum option (WASC-accredited, AP courses), and publishes its fees openly: 2026/27 tuition of VND 861.8 million (Grades 1–5), VND 912.2 million (Grades 6–8), VND 1,002.0 million (Grades 9–10) and VND 1,038.8 million (Grades 11–12). ↗

Around them: Hanoi International School (HIS, a long-established smaller school in central Ba Dinh district), British Vietnamese International School (BVIS, Nord Anglia’s bilingual British-Vietnamese model at lower fees than BIS), St Paul American School, Singapore International School (Ba Dinh), the Lycée Français Alexandre Yersin, and Hanoi Academy’s IB programme. The budget-to-mid tier runs roughly USD 6,000–22,000 a year against USD 18,000–30,000 at UNIS and BIS. ↗

Expat Hanoi clusters around West Lake. Tay Ho district — the lakeside peninsula and the Ciputra gated development at its northern end — holds most of the diplomatic housing, the international restaurants and UNIS itself. Families who live in Tay Ho or Ciputra get short, sane school runs to UNIS; that convenience is a major reason the area’s rents price above the rest of the city.

The river crossing is the decision. BIS Hanoi’s Vinhomes Riverside campus sits in Long Bien, on the far bank of the Red River. Families based there (Vinhomes Riverside is itself a popular expat compound) have a short commute; families in Tay Ho face the Nhat Tan or Chuong Duong bridges at rush hour. As in HCMC, the experienced advice is to pick the school first and rent second.

The centre is the third option. HIS and the Singapore International School sit in Ba Dinh, the governmental heart of the city — workable for families living in the French Quarter or around Hoan Kiem, and for parents working at central embassies.

The year starts in August. UNIS and BIS maintain waitlists at popular year groups — secondary guidance is to apply 12–18 months ahead where possible — while most of the rest of the market admits on a rolling basis through the year. ↗

Vietnam imposes no nationality restriction on international-school attendance, and children of work-permit holders enrol without a separate student-visa track. The practical paperwork is school-driven: records, assessments (usually available remotely for overseas applicants), and the enrolment and capital fees on acceptance.

The diplomatic-cycle wrinkle. Hanoi’s intake pulses with the embassy and NGO posting calendar — late summer is genuinely competitive at UNIS, while January arrivals often find more room but fewer choices. If your posting dates are flexible, an August start aligns with the market; if not, contact schools early and ask specifically about your year groups, because availability varies sharply by grade.

Recurring themes from expat forums and Hanoi parent groups — reported experience, not verified fact:

“UNIS is worth the waitlist — but have a plan B.” Families posted mid-cycle describe landing at HIS, Concordia or BVIS for a year and transferring into UNIS when a place opened. The smaller market makes this sequencing normal rather than exceptional.

“The BIS commute surprises people.” Parents based in Tay Ho report underestimating the Red River crossing in their first year; those who chose housing at Vinhomes Riverside report the opposite — a quiet compound life with a short school run, at the cost of distance from the West Lake social scene.

“Fees are quoted in dong but feel dollar-linked.” Several schools moved between USD and VND billing over the years; parents recommend confirming the billing currency and the historical uplift rate before signing a multi-year budget.

1. Pick the pathway first — IB vs British vs American — because in Hanoi the curriculum choice effectively names the school.

2. Map the commute honestly: Tay Ho/Ciputra for UNIS, Vinhomes Riverside for BIS, Ba Dinh/centre for HIS and SIS.

3. Apply early for UNIS and BIS — a full cycle ahead for August entry at popular year groups — and keep a rolling-admissions backup warm.

4. Model total cost including enrolment, registration and deposit charges, and confirm the billing currency and uplift history.

5. Compare the region: Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore — or browse the school directory and guides.