🔄 Last updated: 21 July 2026

Moving the whole family to Vietnam: three big things to sort

Coming solo, you only handle your own visa. Bringing the family means three problems at once: how the whole family stays legally, where the kids go to school, and healthcare for children.

🔑 This guide goes straight at those three — plus a truth few state plainly: not every family can sponsor a dependent (TT) visa.

🛂 Thing 1 — Keeping the whole family legal: two scenarios

How the family stays depends on whether someone in the household qualifies to SPONSOR.

🟦 Scenario A — A qualifying sponsor exists → the TT (dependent) visa

The TT (dependent/family) visa lets a spouse and children under 18 live with a relative, if the sponsor is one of:

• A foreigner working legally in Vietnam (with a work permit, LD1/LD2 visa, DT investor, etc.)
• Or a Vietnamese citizen (sponsoring spouse, children, parents) — see marrying a Vietnamese citizen

→ A TT visa is usually 3–12 months; for more stability, apply for a dependent TRC, valid up to the sponsor's duration (often 1–3 years). The family can enter on an E-Visa and then convert to TT inside Vietnam (no forced exit).

🆕 From 1 July 2026: a UĐ1 (digital-tech talent) visa holder can sponsor a UĐ2 visa for spouse & children under 18, valid up to 5 years — a new option for tech families.

🟥 Scenario B — No qualifying sponsor → each on their own E-Visa

This is where many hit a wall. If both parents only work remotely for foreign employers (no Vietnamese work permit) and there's no Vietnamese family member, you can't sponsor a TT visa. Then each member (children included) stays on their own 90-day E-Visa, and the family renews periodically together — usually via a Visa Run Tour (the whole family on one trip).

💡 For families with young children, a Private Visa Run Tour (private tour, route on request) is often more comfortable. The price is a reference price; the travel unit sets the final price.

🏫 Thing 2 — Where do the kids go to school?

Foreigners usually choose international schools (British/American/IB curricula) — concentrated in HCMC, Hanoi, and Da Nang.

Some international schools often mentioned (for reference): BIS, ISHCMC, SSIS, SAS (HCMC), UNIS Hanoi, plus schools in Da Nang.

Tuition (2025–2026 year, indicative, USD/year):

• Ranges widely by school and grade, roughly ~$9,000 to ~$38,000/year
• Excludes one-time registration fees, application fees, annual development fees, uniforms, transport, meals, extracurriculars

💡 Tuition is the biggest cost when relocating with children — budget carefully and pick a city with a school that fits. → Full cost of living

(Note: TT visa holders may also study at Vietnamese schools/universities without a separate study visa — depending on category.)

→ Choose a city by school: HCMC for first-time foreigners · Da Nang or Nha Trang?

🏥 Thing 3 — Healthcare for kids & daily life

• Foreigners aren't covered by public health insurance → get private insurance for the whole family (especially with young children)
• International hospitals in HCMC/Hanoi have paediatric departments and English-speaking doctors; costlier than public hospitals → Healthcare & insurance
• Vaccinations and check-ups for children: ask the international hospital in advance about schedules and paperwork

🧾 Documents usually needed for a dependent visa/TRC

• Passport of the dependent (valid ≥6 months, with a blank page)
• Marriage certificate (spouse) or birth certificate (children)
• These usually must be consular-legalized and notarized/translated into Vietnamese
• Sponsorship documents from the relative/employer (by category)

🔔 A family = several visa expiries to track at once

Each member has their own passport and visa — it's easy to miss one. Overstaying can mean fines of tens of millions of VND per person.

👉 Use free Visa Tracker to track each person's expiry — alerts at 30 / 21 / 15 / 7 days. Free, no account needed.

⚠️ Common misconceptions

❌ "Once we move, I can sponsor a family visa for my spouse/kids." → No. You need a qualifying sponsor (work permit / investor / Vietnamese citizen). Without one, each stays on their own E-Visa + Visa Run Tour.

❌ "Kids automatically get free public school like locals." → Foreigners usually choose fee-paying international schools; budget for it.

❌ "The family is covered by public health insurance." → No. Get private insurance for the whole family.

❌ "One Tracker for the whole family is enough." → Track each passport/visa separately — expiries differ per person.

❌ "Taking the family on a Visa Run Tour is a family bus ticket." → No. It's registering to join a border-gate day tour run by a travel unit; ViEntry connects you and takes none of your money.

Sources

• The TT (dependent) visa under Law 51/2019/QH14 & the Immigration Law: for spouses & children under 18 of legally working foreigners or relatives of Vietnamese citizens; usually 3–12 months, with a dependent TRC option; documents consular-legalized + translated
• From 1 July 2026: adds the UĐ1 (digital-tech talent) & UĐ2 (spouse/children under 18 of UĐ1) visas, up to 5 years
• International school tuition (2025–2026) is indicative, varying by school/grade/time

Note: This article compiles publicly available information as of the update date and is not legal or immigration advice. Dependent visa/TRC conditions and tuition vary by case — verify with official sources or a professional. ViEntry is a technology platform; it supports E-Visa, Visa Run Tour, and Visa Tracker services and connects you with licensed operating/travel units; it is not an immigration authority and does not process dependent-visa/TRC applications. The border-gate tour is quoted and paid to the travel unit directly; ViEntry takes none of the customer's money and operates no passenger transport.

Planning to bring the whole family to Vietnam? Message us — free advice in your language on the E-Visa & renewals for everyone, and we'll connect you with a travel unit when needed.

🔗 Marrying a Vietnamese citizen → TT visa & residence: Read the guide 🔗 Healthcare & insurance for families: Read the guide 🔗 Visa Run Tour (renew the family's E-Visas): Visa Run Tour 🔗 Track each person's visa expiry: Visa Tracker

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