Can Foreigners Access Dental Care in Vietnam?

By Dr. Emily Nguyen, Founder & Principal Dentist, Picasso Dental Clinic

The short answer is yes, completely and without restriction. Vietnam places no legal barriers on foreigners receiving dental care. You don’t need a visa category that specifically permits medical treatment, you don’t need to register with any authority, and you don’t need a local sponsor or referral. You book an appointment, you show up, you get treated. It really is that straightforward.

But “can you access it” and “will you have a good experience” are two different questions. Let me answer both honestly.

No Legal Barriers, But Practical Ones Exist

Vietnam’s healthcare system is open to foreign nationals. Private dental clinics, which is where the vast majority of international patients go, operate outside the public system entirely and are structured to serve whoever walks through the door. Many have been doing this for years, building their entire business model around international patients.

The practical barriers are different from legal ones. They come down to three things: language, standards, and trust.

Language is the most immediate. Vietnam has thousands of dental clinics. Most serve local patients, operate entirely in Vietnamese, and have no infrastructure for foreign visitors. Walking into one of these clinics without Vietnamese language skills creates obvious problems during diagnosis, treatment planning, and post-care instructions. This doesn’t mean the clinical quality is poor. It means the communication is.

Standards vary more than the marketing suggests. Some clinics targeting international patients genuinely operate at Western-equivalent levels with internationally trained dentists, imported materials from recognized brands, and sterilization protocols that match what you’d expect at home. Others have invested primarily in their website and their front desk English, not their clinical infrastructure.

Trust is the hardest one to verify from the outside. Who actually did their qualifications? What brand of implant are they putting in your jaw? What happens if something goes wrong after you fly home? These are answerable questions at the right clinic. At the wrong one, you’ll get vague reassurances.

What Foreigners Actually Need to Bring

Practically speaking, to access dental care in Vietnam as a foreigner you need very little. A passport for identification at registration. Travel insurance documentation if you plan to claim, though most dental tourism patients pay out of pocket given the prices. Any existing dental records, X-rays, or treatment histories are helpful but not always required for straightforward procedures.

For complex treatment, sending your records ahead of time for a remote consultation is strongly recommended. A reputable clinic will review your X-rays, propose a treatment plan, and give you a written estimate before you book flights. This is standard practice at Picasso Dental Clinic. Patients email us their records from Australia, New Zealand, the US, or the UK, and we provide a detailed response with options, timelines, and costs. No surprises when you arrive.

The Language Question in Detail

English proficiency at Vietnamese dental clinics ranges from genuinely fluent to purely functional to essentially nonexistent. For routine treatment like cleanings, fillings, or simple extractions, basic functional English is probably enough. For implants, full-mouth rehabilitation, orthodontics, or any multi-appointment complex case, you need a team that can communicate clearly about treatment options, risks, alternatives, and aftercare.

At Picasso Dental Clinic, English fluency isn’t a front desk feature. It runs through the entire clinical team. Our dentists explain procedures, discuss tradeoffs, answer questions, and handle informed consent conversations in natural, clear English. This matters more than most patients expect until they’re actually sitting in the chair trying to understand what’s about to happen to their mouth.

Costs Foreigners Should Expect

Dental treatment in Vietnam costs 60-75% less than equivalent procedures in Australia or New Zealand. These aren’t discounted quality procedures. They reflect Vietnam’s economic structure, lower overhead, lower labour costs, and lower operational expenses, while using the same internationally sourced materials and technology.

To give real numbers: a single dental implant with crown costs roughly AUD 4,000-6,000 in Australia. At Picasso Dental Clinic, using Nobel Biocare or Straumann implants, the equivalent procedure runs significantly less. A full arch All-on-4 procedure that costs AUD 40,000-55,000 in Australia costs a fraction of that at our clinics. Patients routinely save more than the cost of their flights and accommodation combined, often by a wide margin.

Payment is straightforward at established clinics. We accept major international credit cards, bank transfer, and cash. Written receipts and itemized invoices are provided, which matters for patients seeking partial reimbursement from private health insurance at home.

Why Picasso Dental Clinic Is the Right Choice for Foreign Patients

I founded Picasso in 2013 with one specific purpose: to give international patients a clinic they could genuinely trust in Vietnam. Not a clinic with impressive marketing. A clinic with a real track record, verifiable outcomes, and the infrastructure to serve people who are far from home.

Twelve years later, we’ve treated over 52,000 international patients from 62 countries across our four Vietnam locations. The majority of our new Australian and New Zealand patients come from personal referrals, someone at home who came to us first and told their family or colleagues. That pattern tells you more about trust than any award or accreditation.

Here’s what foreign patients specifically get at Picasso that matters.

Consistent clinical standards across all locations. Whether you’re treated in Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City, the protocols, the materials, and the quality benchmarks are the same. Patients sometimes split treatment between our locations, for example starting in Hanoi and finishing in Da Nang, and the handover is seamless.

Internationally sourced materials, named and specified. We use Nobel Biocare and Straumann for implants, Ivoclar Vivadent for ceramic restorations. We tell every patient exactly what’s going into their mouth, where it’s manufactured, and what the warranty covers. We’ve never found a reason to be vague about this.

Clear warranties. Implants are guaranteed for 10 years. Crowns and bridges for 7 years. Whitening and cosmetic work for 3 years. These aren’t informal promises. They’re written commitments.

Post-treatment international support. When patients return home, they don’t disappear from our care. We respond to follow-up questions, liaise with local dentists if needed, and maintain patient records for future visits. Patients from Australia and New Zealand who return to Vietnam come back to us specifically because the relationship continues.

No dual pricing. Foreign patients pay the same prices as Vietnamese patients for identical procedures. We’ve never believed a person’s nationality should determine what they pay for healthcare.

Our Vietnam Locations

Picasso Dental Clinic Hanoi 16 Châu Long Street, Ba Đình District, Hanoi

Our original clinic, operating since 2013 in central Hanoi. Well-positioned for patients who want to explore the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, and northern Vietnam while completing treatment. The full range of services is available here, from preventive care through to full-mouth rehabilitation and implants. Our English-speaking patient coordinators manage every step of the process for international visitors.

Picasso Dental Clinic Da Nang 420 Hoàng Diệu Street, Hải Châu District, Da Nang

Five minutes from My Khe Beach and ten minutes from Da Nang International Airport. Da Nang is increasingly the preferred destination for dental tourists who want a more relaxed setting. Patients structure their stay around morning appointments and afternoons at the beach or in Hoi An. The same clinical scope as Hanoi, with a team specifically experienced in treating international patients from English-speaking countries.

Picasso Dental Clinic Ho Chi Minh City Thảo Điền, District 2 (Thu Duc City), Ho Chi Minh City

Located in the Thao Dien expat neighbourhood, the natural home base for Western visitors and long-term residents in southern Vietnam. Ideal for patients who prefer a major city environment and need easy access to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Our Ho Chi Minh City team has extensive experience with Australian and American patients and handles some of our most complex full-mouth rehabilitation cases.

The Practical Bottom Line

Foreigners can access dental care in Vietnam freely, easily, and affordably. The real work is choosing the right clinic. A good clinic for an international patient isn’t just one that speaks English at reception. It’s one with a documented history of treating patients from your country, transparent materials and pricing, qualified dentists whose credentials you can verify, and a post-treatment support structure that works across borders.

If you’re considering dental treatment in Vietnam and you want to talk through your options honestly before committing to anything, contact us. We’ll review your records, give you a written treatment plan with exact costs, and answer every question including the ones about whether the trip makes financial sense for your specific situation.

Not every patient should be traveling to Vietnam for dental work. But for the ones who should, we want to make sure they arrive prepared and leave with a result they’re genuinely happy with.

Dr. Emily Nguyen is the founder and principal dentist of Picasso Dental Clinic, with locations in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Lat. She trained at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City and has been treating international dental patients since 2007.