Schools and Kindergartens in Vietnam: An Expat Family Checklist

These two institutions publish conditions that can start your shortlist. They are not a complete directory of neighbourhood preschools. For additional recommendations from parent chats, request the programme and admission process directly. Check particularly carefully if your school-age child needs all subjects in English from the start.

TopMind: English-medium or bilingual preschool

The TopMind page for international families lists English-medium daVinci for ages 3–6 and bilingual groups for ages 1–6 using Vietnamese with daily English. It states that foreign children are accepted and requests a passport with a valid visa or residence card. Its address is Mỹ Gia Gói 2, LK06+07, Nam Nha Trang. A Russian website does not imply Russian classes: Russian-speaking staff are not offered.

The TopMind admissions page offers an arranged free trial morning in a regular group. There is no school bus. Tell staff your child’s language before visiting and ask to see the proposed group: who will help them ask for water, explain an activity and contact a parent? Year-round admission does not confirm a vacancy on your date.

SVIS: Vietnamese school curriculum plus English

The SVIS Nha Trang programme page describes Vietnamese Ministry of Education subjects and Cambridge English. This does not establish English-medium teaching across all subjects. The campus is on B2 Street in Vĩnh Điềm Trung. Before choosing it for a child without Vietnamese, ask about the language of maths, reading and assessment, and the language level required for entry.

The SVIS admission rules bases class placement on age, test results and vacancies. Preschool items in a general document checklist do not establish that such a group operates at this campus. Request separate confirmation for a preschooler; for a schoolchild, obtain the programme name, class and language adaptation plan.

SIS and APU offer different educational routes. Saying one school is cheaper means little until you specify the programme and age group: a shared address does not make teaching or fees the same.

SIS: International and Integrated

The SIS Da Nang admission policy states admission for foreign and Vietnamese students. Integrated combines the Vietnamese curriculum with selected subjects in English; placement depends on age, assessment and availability. The campus is at Phú Mỹ An, Vùng Trung 3, Ngũ Hành Sơn. Request your class timetable, requirements in both languages and additional English conditions.

For younger children, the SIS International Kindergarten fee sheet lists Pre-Nursery, Nursery, Kindergarten 1 and 2, and Preparatory. Preparatory does not automatically equal first grade in your home country. Ask admissions to specify the age cut-off, day length and next transition for your child.

APU: confirm the division and proposed learning route

The APU Da Nang campus page lists International and Bilingual at 299 Trần Đại Nghĩa, with separate preschool/elementary and middle/high-school contacts. The APU admissions process describes an online application, appointment and campus visit; applications are accepted throughout the year. This does not promise a place without assessment or available capacity.

The APU tuition page publishes fee documents for the 2026–2027 school year. Request a quote specifically for Da Nang, your programme and grade: another campus or programme’s table cannot be applied to your child. Establish the minimum age, subject language, entry assessment and available support before paying an application fee.

Obtain two figures: the full cost of the study period and the amount due before the first day. A refundable deposit still needs funding initially, but should not be treated as a final expense without its conditions. Request refund rules for unsuccessful admission, relocation and withdrawal, along with the notice period.

Compare the same grade and day length. Dividing annual tuition by twelve does not create a monthly payment option: substantial advance payment may be required and refunds may not follow your timetable. These are specific published examples rather than an average price of education in Vietnam.

The SVIS fee sheet lists meals, transport, uniform and insurance separately without amounts: tuition alone is not the total bill. The SIS International Kindergarten fee sheet separately lists uniform, materials and transport. International Year 1–3’s four payments total 581 112 000 VND, above yearly tuition. The SIS school fee sheet also lists EFL at 38 700 000 VND yearly; establish whether your child requires it.

The TopMind admissions page quotes tuition individually, with four meals at 55 000 VND per day and a uniform, hat and backpack kit at 550 000 VND. Twenty payable days mean 1 100 000 VND for food: an illustrative calculation, not a fixed monthly rate. Request the small yearly charges and rules for missed days.

Have the quote separate tuition, registration, deposit, language support, meals, transport, books, uniform, insurance and trips. Two children need two calculations: a sibling discount may not cover transport or food. Establish price validity and what happens to a paid period if the start is postponed.

Class names do not automatically translate into grades in a Russian or other overseas school. Record the birth date, completed school year and intended next transition. Ask the admissions team to explain its decision: which subjects and languages were assessed, which class is offered and what catch-up work is needed.

Documents for the first conversation

Describe your child first, then assemble the selected institution’s checklist. The SVIS admission rules lists photos, the child’s passport copy, previous reports/transcripts, a health certificate and a foreign parent’s passport. The SIS Da Nang admission policy differs on original reports and birth certificates between International and Integrated.

Request a list specifying original or copy, translation language, certification and health-certificate validity. One preschool’s passport, visa and medical requirements are not nationwide rules for every school. Compare the family relocation pack with the foreign resident document guide and keep the school pack separately. Avoid sharing scans in an open chat: request an official admissions channel.

When your child needs additional help

Discuss practical arrangements early for language difficulty, developmental needs, allergies or regular medication. Who provides support, for how long, and is it included? What is the response to a food reaction, who stores medication and how is the parent informed? A broad assurance that children are cared for does not settle these arrangements.

For a schoolchild, request a sample activity and an explanation of support during regular lessons. For a younger child, ask about gradual adaptation and teacher contact. If the institution cannot provide the required help, change the shortlist before paying rather than relying on a solution after the first day.

Checking the institution itself

Request its official Vietnamese name, legal entity, educational operating permission and permitted levels at that address. A language-centre licence alone does not establish a full school programme. For verification, approach the education department in Da Nang or Khánh Hòa province, according to the campus location.

Da Nang’s department provides a education institution directory, but an empty result in an updating directory does not prove that permission is missing. Request clarification using the exact name and address. Published programmes and fees help build a shortlist; establish operating permission and your child’s admission eligibility separately.

Before signing, request the relevant school-year calendar: term dates, holidays, non-teaching days and after-school hours. Compare it with parental shifts and family trips. SIS provides a calendar on its school website; one school’s calendar does not define everyone else’s schedule.

Try the journey at drop-off and collection times

Travel from your proposed home in the morning and at dismissal. Check where a vehicle can stop, the walk to the entrance and waiting in rain. At 20 minutes each way over 20 school days, a child spends 13 hours 20 minutes travelling; this is hypothetical, not a journey-time claim for either city.

For a bus, establish the stop, boarding time, supervisor, seat belts, handover and lateness procedure. For a preschool without a bus, nominate a backup adult and establish their collection authorisation. Compare journeys from several neighbourhoods in the Da Nang housing guide before a long-term rental.

Food, naps and the hours after lessons

Request a weekly menu and allergy arrangements: whether own food is allowed, how excluded ingredients are avoided and who supervises serving. For preschoolers, see sleeping areas, toilets, drinking water and help with changing clothes. Establish whether illness days are charged and whether a certificate is required to return.

A full school day may still end before a parent’s working day. Record the latest collection time, late charges, holiday opening and shorter-day options. For siblings, compare both start and finish: two awkward journeys can outweigh a tuition saving.

Arrange a visit during ordinary teaching if the institution allows it. Establish beforehand whether a parent stays, who is responsible for the child and how long the trial lasts. A free introductory visit, a trial day and paid short-term care are different offers.

What to observe on site

Ask to meet the future teacher and see the proposed classroom. Listen to the language used for instructions and help when a child does not understand. Note the actual number of children and adults that day, outdoor access, entry control and collection arrangements.

Afterwards, discuss specific things with your child: could they ask for help, was the activity understandable, where did they want to play or study? One successful hour does not guarantee easy adaptation. Agree on contact during the first weeks and a point to review whether the routine suits them.

A message that produces comparable replies

“My child is … years old, currently in grade … and speaks …; we would like to start … . Please confirm the programme, subject language, foreign admission eligibility and availability. Send the document checklist, calendar, complete quote with extras and refund terms. Can we visit the proposed group and discuss adaptation?” Use the same fields when translating for a different-language admissions team.

Save the reply, offer and payment terms. If the final contract differs from correspondence on language, grade or price, resolve it before transferring money. School confirmation then lets you choose housing around a workable daily journey and time for adaptation.