Health Insurance for Foreigners in Vietnam: Costs, Coverage and Options

Health-insurance costs for foreigners in Vietnam vary with the type of cover, eligibility, age, benefits and policy terms. Published prices can also be hard to compare when the insurer’s own tables disagree or do not state the payment period.

Those costs vary because the products are very different. A local plan designed mainly to cover hospitalisation in Vietnam is not equivalent to an international expat policy with outpatient treatment, cancer care, evacuation and access to private hospitals across Asia.

For most foreigners, the useful question is therefore not simply "How much does health insurance cost in Vietnam?" but what level of healthcare do you want the policy to pay for, and what exactly does the quoted premium cover?

How much does health insurance for foreigners in Vietnam cost?

There is no useful single market figure without matching the product, benefits and premium period. Local inpatient policies, local plans with outpatient cover and international policies can differ substantially. A public price table may be a useful starting point, but it is not necessarily a current quotation, and the payment period should not be assumed if the insurer does not state it.

Your age, deductible, hospital network, geographic coverage and medical history can materially change the premium.

Pacific Cross publishes two different Foundation price schedules

Pacific Cross's current Our Prices and Health Premiums pages show matching Foundation Series price tables. Its current Foundation Series product page displays a different schedule for the same plan levels and age bands. The tables label their unit as VND 1,000, but none states whether the listed premium is monthly, annual or for another payment period.

For example, the Standard inpatient row shows:

These are conversions of the displayed table units, not confirmed bills or quotations. The pages do not explain why the figures differ, so neither schedule should be treated as definitive. The same issue appears in the Standard outpatient row for ages 31–35 (VND 3,297,000 versus VND 3,600,000) and Dental Benefit 1 (VND 2,100,000 versus VND 2,293,000).

Before comparing a table with a quotation, ask the insurer:

• Which Foundation Series schedule and version applies to the policy being quoted, and when was it issued?
• What period does each amount cover, and how often is payment due?
• Does the quote use the applicant's age at application, policy start or renewal?
• Which plan tier, inpatient and outpatient options, deductible, co-payment and treatment area are included?
• Are discounts, taxes, fees or underwriting adjustments reflected in the displayed amount?
• Can the insurer provide a written quotation alongside the matching benefit schedule and policy wording?

Use the same answers for each insurer and each plan. Do not combine figures from conflicting tables to estimate a total premium.

Inpatient-only cover has a narrower scope

Inpatient insurance focuses on larger medical expenses such as:

• Hospital admission.
• Surgery.
• Intensive care.
• Certain diagnostic procedures associated with hospitalisation.
• Other covered inpatient treatments.

Some buyers compare this narrower cover with paying routine outpatient costs directly. Those consultations, medicines and tests then remain outside the policy's protection unless the contract says otherwise.

The trade-off is that visits to doctors, specialists, medicines and outpatient tests may come out of your own pocket.

Adding outpatient cover changes both the price and what is covered

Outpatient insurance pays for some or all eligible healthcare that does not require admission to hospital.

Depending on the plan, that can include:

• GP consultations.
• Specialist appointments.
• Blood tests.
• X-rays and imaging.
• Prescription medication.
• Physiotherapy.
• Follow-up care.

Pacific Cross lists inpatient and outpatient amounts separately, but its two Foundation schedules disagree and do not state a payment period. Ask for a single written quote showing the total for the selected benefits and how often it is due; do not add table rows and assign a payment period that the insurer has not stated.

Compare the outpatient add-on's covered services, visit limits, cost-sharing and quoted payment period; a public table alone cannot show whether it fits a particular person's needs.

Compare higher-tier plans by their benefits as well as price

A low-cost plan should not be compared with a higher-tier plan by its displayed price alone, especially when the source tables disagree or omit the premium period.

Pacific Cross, for example, publishes three levels within its Foundation series: Standard, Executive and Premier.

The Foundation Series schedules show Standard, Executive and Premier levels, but displayed prices differ between the pages. Compare the specific benefit schedule—such as room limits, surgery, intensive care, and other major benefits—alongside a written quote for the same payment period.

When comparing policies, check more than the maximum benefit. Look at sublimits for hospital rooms, surgery, intensive care and other major benefits.

A cheaper policy can become inconvenient if its room allowance is substantially below the daily rate at the hospital you want to use.

What does international health insurance cost in Vietnam?

International policies are more difficult to price publicly because insurers usually generate individual quotations.

Premiums depend on factors including:

• Age.
• Country of residence.
• Geographic coverage.
• Deductible.
• Outpatient benefits.
• Dental and vision cover.
• Maternity.
• Pre-existing conditions.
• Medical underwriting.
• Whether US treatment is included.

An international premium should be compared only after the insurer confirms the amount's payment period, currency, benefits and renewal terms. Age and underwriting can affect the quote, but public estimates are not a substitute for an individual written offer.

Providers commonly considered by foreigners in Vietnam include Pacific Cross, LUMA, APRIL International, Bao Viet, PVI and other regional or international insurers.

For a shortlist focused specifically on lower premiums, see Cheap Health Insurance in Vietnam: 6 Affordable Options for Expats and Travelers.

Local insurance and expat insurance solve different problems

A Vietnamese insurance policy is often much cheaper because it may be designed primarily around healthcare costs within Vietnam.

International health insurance can provide benefits such as:

• Treatment in Vietnam and other countries.
• Much higher annual limits.
• International private hospitals.
• Medical evacuation.
• Repatriation.
• English-language claims support.
• Regional or worldwide direct billing networks.

The relevant comparison depends on where a policyholder expects to seek care and travel. Compare the covered treatment area and hospital network with the locations listed in the written quotation.

Age is one of the biggest drivers of cost

Health insurance normally becomes more expensive as you get older because expected healthcare use increases.

Pacific Cross's two current Foundation schedules show higher listed Standard amounts in older age bands, but the figures differ between pages and neither page identifies the premium period. Treat the age grids as an indication that age bands matter, not as a reliable price progression for a particular applicant. Request a quote using the age that the insurer will apply at the policy start date and renewal.

Older foreigners should also check maximum entry age and renewal conditions because some insurance products stop accepting new applicants above a certain age.

Your choice of hospital can determine how much insurance you need

Vietnam has several different layers of healthcare.

A foreign resident might use:

• Public hospitals.
• Vietnamese private hospitals.
• International-facing private hospitals.
• Specialist clinics.

Hospital costs differ substantially.

The hospital type affects which networks, direct-billing arrangements, room limits and benefit sub-limits are relevant to a comparison. Mainstream Vietnamese private hospitals and premium international hospitals can have different costs.

For a like-for-like comparison, check the policy terms against the hospitals and treatment locations being considered.

Vietnam Clinic’s comparisons of hospitals in Da Nang, hospitals in Hanoi and hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City can help you understand the type of providers available in each city.

A high annual limit does not guarantee everything is covered

One of the easiest mistakes is comparing only the headline annual maximum.

A plan with VND 2 billion of total coverage could still impose much smaller limits for individual benefits.

Check items such as:

• Hospital room per day.
• Intensive care.
• Surgery.
• Cancer treatment.
• Outpatient visits.
• Diagnostic imaging.
• Prescription medicines.
• Rehabilitation.
• Emergency dental treatment.
• Medical evacuation.

For expensive illnesses, sublimits can matter as much as the total annual maximum.

This is particularly important for treatments such as cancer care. Our guide to cancer treatment in Vietnam explains why treatment costs can accumulate across surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and modern systemic medicines.

A deductible can affect the premium and your claim costs

A deductible is the amount you agree to pay yourself before the insurer begins paying eligible claims.

Higher deductibles can reduce premiums, but they leave more of an eligible claim to be paid by the policyholder. Check whether the deductible applies per person, claim or coverage period, and how it interacts with co-payments and sub-limits. The policy wording controls those details; the amount that suits one person cannot be inferred from a public price table.

Geographic coverage can dramatically change the price

A Vietnam-only or Southeast Asia plan usually costs less than worldwide insurance.

The premium may rise further when the policy includes:

• Singapore.
• Europe.
• Australia.
• North America.
• The United States specifically.

US medical coverage can have a particularly significant effect on international insurance premiums because healthcare costs there are high.

Compare the geographic area with the places where care may be needed. Check how the policy treats planned care, emergency treatment, evacuation, and exclusions in each location.

On the other hand, someone who regularly spends several months abroad should check that treatment outside Vietnam remains covered.

Medical evacuation matters more outside the major cities

Vietnam can provide a broad range of healthcare in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but specialist services are less evenly distributed nationwide.

A serious illness or injury in a remote province may require transfer to a larger Vietnamese hospital.

In unusual cases, international evacuation to another country may be considered when specific specialist care is unavailable locally.

Medical evacuation can be extremely expensive, which is why many international health insurance policies include it.

Local low-cost policies may offer much more limited evacuation benefits or none at all.

If this matters to you, read the benefit definition carefully rather than assuming that ambulance coverage and international medical evacuation are the same thing.

Pre-existing conditions can change both price and eligibility

A pre-existing condition is generally a health problem that existed before the policy began, although each insurer defines the term in its own policy wording.

An insurer may:

• Exclude the condition.
• Apply a waiting period.
• Charge an additional premium.
• Impose a specific limit.
• Decline coverage.
• Offer full coverage under certain underwriting conditions.

This can be one of the biggest differences between two otherwise similar policies.

Do not hide relevant medical history to obtain a cheaper premium. Failure to disclose information requested during underwriting can create serious problems when you later make a claim.

Does health insurance cover cancer treatment?

Some policies do, but the level of protection varies considerably.

Cancer treatment can involve:

• Surgery.
• Repeated chemotherapy.
• Radiotherapy.
• Targeted medicines.
• Immunotherapy.
• Imaging.
• Laboratory testing.

A policy with a low annual maximum or restrictive sublimits may provide only partial protection against these costs.

If cancer coverage is important, ask specifically whether the policy covers inpatient and outpatient oncology, expensive medications and long-term treatment.

Do not rely on a general statement that hospitalisation is covered.

What about maternity, dental and mental health?

These benefits are frequently optional, limited or excluded from cheaper health insurance.

Maternity

International plans often require a waiting period before maternity benefits begin. Adding maternity can substantially increase premiums.

Dental

Basic dental care may be available as an optional module. Pacific Cross's two current Foundation Series schedules list different prices for Dental Benefit 1 (VND 2.100 million and VND 2.293 million), and neither identifies the payment period. Confirm the option's availability, price and benefit limit in the same written quote as the main plan.

Mental health

Mental healthcare benefits vary widely between insurers. Some policies provide outpatient psychological or psychiatric treatment, while others limit mental health coverage substantially.

If one of these benefits is important to you, compare the specific allowance rather than assuming comprehensive insurance automatically includes it.

Are foreigners covered by Vietnam's public health insurance?

Vietnam's amended Health Insurance Law includes foreign workers employed by a Vietnam-based employer on a fixed-term contract of at least 12 months. It lists exceptions for intra-company transferees, workers already at statutory retirement age when signing the contract, and cases where an applicable international treaty provides otherwise.

That is different from simply arriving in Vietnam and buying the public system as an expat.

For an eligible employee, this statutory cover is funded through payroll rather than quoted as a retail expat-plan premium. Under Decree 188/2025, the contribution is 4.5% of the monthly salary used as the compulsory social-insurance contribution base, split two-thirds to the employer (3%) and one-third to the employee (1.5%).

For example, if the applicable contribution base were VND 30 million a month, the employee share would be VND 450,000 and the employer share VND 900,000. This is a fictional arithmetic example, not a premium quote; the contribution base and eligibility rules are defined by law. Statutory cover is separate from private insurance, so check its covered facilities and benefits before treating it as a substitute for a private policy.

Many foreigners who have access to statutory insurance still buy private insurance because they want:

• Private hospitals.
• Easier English-language communication.
• Shorter administrative processes.
• International treatment.
• Higher benefit limits.

Understanding how Vietnam's healthcare system works can help clarify how public and private care fit together.

Health insurance or travel insurance?

Short-term visitors often compare travel insurance with long-term health insurance, but the products are designed for different situations.

Travel insurance normally focuses on emergencies during a trip and may also include:

• Trip cancellation.
• Lost luggage.
• Travel delays.
• Medical evacuation.

Health insurance is designed for people living in Vietnam and can provide ongoing access to medical care.

If you are visiting rather than relocating, see Travel Insurance for Vietnam: 7 Best Options and What Travelers Should Know.

Digital nomads and people staying for several months should check each policy's trip-duration, residence and planned-treatment terms before comparing products.

Build a budget from a written quote

A useful budget starts with a quote for the exact applicant, coverage and payment period. Keep the premium separate from the costs the policy may leave with you, such as deductibles, co-payments, excluded services or amounts above a sub-limit.

Local inpatient cover

Record the quoted payment amount and period, then check the room, surgery and intensive-care limits, hospital network, deductible and exclusions. A table that does not name its payment period cannot establish your monthly or yearly budget.

Local cover with outpatient benefits

Ask for one quote that includes the chosen outpatient option. Confirm visit limits, covered consultations, tests and medicines, and how those benefits sit alongside inpatient cover. Do not total rows from two conflicting price pages.

International cover

Record the currency and payment schedule, geographic area, deductible, renewal terms, and whether evacuation or treatment outside Vietnam is included. Compare the same assumptions across quotations before comparing totals.

What should you check before relying on a policy?

A premium alone cannot show whether a policy fits a particular person's situation. Review the written terms for eligibility, exclusions, benefit limits, renewal rules and the hospitals where cover applies. Consider how the policy would respond to costs such as:

• Emergency surgery.
• A week in hospital.
• Cancer treatment.
• Specialist care in another city.
• Medical evacuation.

These examples are questions to discuss with the insurer or an appropriately qualified adviser; they do not determine which policy is suitable for you.

Eight things to compare before buying

Before choosing a policy, compare:

1. Annual medical limit.
2. Hospital room limit.
3. Inpatient coverage.
4. Outpatient coverage.
5. Deductible and co-payment.
6. Geographic coverage.
7. Pre-existing condition rules.
8. Direct billing network.

Then check optional benefits such as dental, maternity, evacuation and mental health according to your situation.

The broader guide How to Choose Health Insurance in Vietnam explains these policy features in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers below cover common questions about health insurance costs for foreigners in Vietnam. Premiums and policy terms change according to age, health, coverage and insurer, so obtain a current quotation before purchasing.

Conclusion

Health-insurance prices for foreigners in Vietnam cannot be compared from a headline amount alone. Pacific Cross's two current Foundation price schedules disagree, and neither states the payment period; the same quote-comparison questions matter for any insurer. Ask for the applicable written quotation, matching benefit schedule and policy wording, then compare the payment period, exclusions, limits, deductible and geographic coverage. This guide provides general information, not a personal insurance recommendation.

Sources

1. Pacific Cross Vietnam: Health Premiums
2. LUMA: Health Insurance in Vietnam
3. APRIL International: MyHEALTH Vietnam
4. Pacific Cross Vietnam: Our Prices
5. Pacific Cross Vietnam: Foundation Series
6. Government of Viet Nam: Law 51/2024/QH15 amending the Law on Health Insurance
7. Government of Viet Nam: Decree 188/2025/ND-CP on Health Insurance