Bilingual Schools in Hanoi: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

Quick answer: what are the bilingual school options in Hanoi for expat families? Hanoi has English-medium international schools, such as UNIS Hanoi and BIS Hanoi, and "international bilingual" schools combining the Vietnamese MOET programme with English. Expat children mostly attend the first group, where profiles list monthly costs of about USD 1,000 to 2,000 (roughly VND 25 to 50 million).

Last reviewed: October 2026 by David from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

If you search for bilingual schools in Hanoi, you will find dozens of results, and most of them are aimed at Vietnamese families. That is not a flaw in the search: it reflects how the Vietnamese system is organised. For a foreign family, the useful question is not "which school is bilingual" but "which school will teach my child well in English while giving real contact with Vietnamese, or keeping our home language alive".

This guide explains the two kinds of school you will meet, the rules that shaped them, and four English-medium international schools on International School Advisor that handle languages in different ways, from a strong mother-tongue programme to a broad menu of Asian and European languages.

Hanoi for expat families: where the schools are

Hanoi draws diplomats, development agency staff, manufacturing and technology managers and a large Korean and Japanese business community. The city is more spread out than its old quarter suggests, and the river shapes daily life: bridges over the Red River are pinch points at rush hour, and motorbike traffic means a 10 kilometre journey can take 40 minutes.

Expat housing clusters in Tay Ho and the Ciputra area in the north west, in newer developments in the south such as Hoang Mai and around the city's south western districts, and across the river in Long Bien and Dong Anh. The four schools in this guide sit in quite different spots: UNIS Hanoi in Ciputra, Tay Ho; BIS Hanoi in Phuc Loi on the Long Bien side; Dwight School Hanoi at The Manor Central Park in Hoang Mai; and Concordia in the Van Tri golf area of Dong Anh, north of the river. Choosing a school and choosing a neighbourhood are, in practice, the same decision. All four profiles list school transport, which most families use.

International versus "international bilingual" schools in Hanoi

Vietnam's rules explain why the bilingual sector is so large. Decree 86/2018/ND-CP caps Vietnamese students at 50% of enrolment in foreign-invested primary and secondary schools. Because places for Vietnamese children at fully international schools are limited, many Vietnamese families choose "international bilingual" schools instead. These usually teach the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) programme in Vietnamese for core subjects and add an English stream, often with Cambridge or another international programme, for maths, science and English.

English-medium international schools: all subjects in English, an international curriculum, a mixed nationality student body, and Vietnamese taught as a language and culture subject. This is where most expat children study.
International bilingual schools: MOET programme plus an English stream. Most pupils are Vietnamese, the school calendar and exams follow national rules, and non-Vietnamese speakers may struggle in the Vietnamese half of the timetable.
IB: offered by UNIS Hanoi and Dwight from the early years, and in the final two years at BIS Hanoi. The IB requires a second language throughout.
British curriculum, IGCSE: the route at BIS Hanoi, followed by the IB Diploma.
American style: Concordia teaches in English with a US-style programme from preschool to high school.

For expats, "bilingual" in Hanoi therefore usually means an English-medium school with a serious language programme on the side: Vietnamese for children who will stay several years, mother-tongue support for Korean, Japanese or European families, or a foreign language such as French or Spanish.

Four English-medium schools and how they handle languages

British International School Hanoi (BIS Hanoi)

BIS Hanoi, in Phuc Loi, has around 1,000 students, and its profile notes that half are international students. It follows a blend of British and international curricula, with IGCSE followed by the IB Diploma, and holds Cambridge and IB programmes. Its language list is the broadest of the four: Vietnamese, Korean and Spanish at a high level, French, and Japanese listed as a language of instruction. Facilities include a pool, gym, music rooms, a maker space and courts for several sports, and it offers scholarships. Our tip: if you are a Korean or Japanese family, ask how home-language lessons are timetabled against core subjects in Key Stages 2 and 3, and whether they lead to IGCSE or IB qualifications.

United Nations International School of Hanoi (UNIS Hanoi)

UNIS Hanoi opened in 1988 with 12 students and now welcomes more than 1,100 students from nearly 70 nationalities and 40 mother tongue groups to its Ciputra campus. It is an English-language, coeducational IB school from Discovery (age 3) to Grade 12, accredited by CIS, WASC and the IB, and authorised by the Ministry of Education. Its profile lists learning support including an educational psychologist and speech therapist. It has the largest review base here, 4.5 from 142 ratings. Our tip: with so many mother tongues represented, ask how the school supports home languages that are not taught as timetabled subjects, for example through after-school or self-taught IB literature options.

Dwight School Hanoi

Dwight School Hanoi is part of the Dwight network, whose first school opened in 1872, and teaches the IB in English with a focus on personalised learning. It is in Hoang Mai, which suits families in the south of the city, and it has its own kitchen and bus service. It holds 5.0 from 5 reviews. Our tip: because the IB requires an additional language, ask Dwight which languages it offers at each stage and how it groups beginners in Vietnamese versus heritage speakers.

Concordia International School Hanoi

Concordia is a non-profit, coeducational day school teaching in English, founded in 2011, with its first high school graduation in 2017. It is a sister school of Concordia International School Shanghai and Hong Kong International School. Fluency in English is required for entry, although EAL support is available, and the campus is in the Van Tri golf compound in Dong Anh. It holds 5.0 from 6 reviews; one review mentions a deliberately limited share of local students. Our tip: the English entry requirement matters for younger siblings, so check whether each child meets it before you commit to a single school for the family.

Fees at English-medium schools in Hanoi

Each of the four profiles lists a monthly cost band of USD 1,000 to 2,000 per student, roughly VND 25 to 50 million a month. Schools usually invoice per year or per term, and published annual tuition generally rises with grade, so treat these as rough indications:

Early years and preschool: roughly USD 12,000 to 20,000 a year.
Primary: roughly USD 15,000 to 25,000 a year.
Secondary and IB Diploma years: roughly USD 20,000 to 30,000 or more a year, with the final years often above the monthly band shown on profiles.

Extras to plan for:

Application fee and, at many schools, an assessment fee.
One-off enrolment or registration fee for new students.
A deposit to hold the place, sometimes refundable when you leave.
Capital or development levy at some schools.
Bus transport, priced by zone.
Lunch, uniform, trips and residential weeks.
IGCSE and IB exam fees, and laptops for one-to-one programmes.
Extra language tuition, for example private Vietnamese or home-language lessons.

Some schools price in US dollars and others in dong. If your employer pays a fixed education allowance, check which currency it covers and whether the allowance includes the one-off fees as well as tuition.

Practical advice on languages and admissions

Decide what the second language is for. If you will be in Hanoi for two or three years, conversational Vietnamese is a fine goal and any of these schools can provide it. If you need your child to keep Korean, Japanese, French or Spanish at native level for a return home, look closely at timetabled home-language lessons and IB or IGCSE options in that language.

Be realistic about bilingual MOET schools. They can be excellent for Vietnamese families, but a child who does not speak Vietnamese will find half the curriculum inaccessible, and the national exam path may not transfer easily abroad. For most expat families, an English-medium international school with good Vietnamese lessons is the safer choice.

Apply early and check the nationality balance. Because of the 50% cap on Vietnamese students in foreign-invested schools, some year groups fill unevenly. Ask about waiting lists by grade, the nationality mix in your child's class and whether mid-year entry is possible, which it often is for expat arrivals.

See the wider Hanoi ranking

To compare more schools, reviews and curricula, see our ranking of the best international schools in the Hanoi area.

More guides to schools in Hanoi

Frequently asked questions

What is an international bilingual school in Vietnam?

It is usually a private school that teaches the Ministry of Education and Training programme in Vietnamese for core subjects and adds an English stream, often with an international curriculum for maths, science and English. Most pupils are Vietnamese, and the format grew partly because Decree 86/2018/ND-CP limits Vietnamese students to 50% of enrolment in foreign-invested schools.

Do international schools in Hanoi teach Vietnamese?

Yes. English-medium schools such as BIS Hanoi list Vietnamese as a taught language, usually with separate groups for native speakers and beginners. Expat children typically reach conversational level after a few years. Ask how many lessons a week your child's grade receives and whether Vietnamese can continue into IGCSE or IB courses.

How much does an English-medium international school in Hanoi cost?

The four schools in this guide list a monthly cost band of about USD 1,000 to 2,000 per student, roughly VND 25 to 50 million. Annual tuition rises with grade, and final IB years can sit above that band. Add enrolment fees, a deposit, bus transport, meals and exam fees to your budget.