The Ho Chi Minh school landscape
Ho Chi Minh City's flagship is Saigon South International School (SSIS), a non-profit American school founded in 1997. Other top schools include International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC), British International School Ho Chi Minh City (BIS HCMC), European International School Ho Chi Minh City (EIS), and Australian International School (AIS Saigon).
Vietnam's Decree 86 limits the proportion of Vietnamese nationals at international schools (typically 50% at primary, 20% at secondary). This works in favour of expat families since schools must prioritise foreign-passport admissions to maintain their international license.
Comparing HCMC vs Hanoi for family relocation?
HCMC has more international schools but Hanoi has UNIS, the country's heritage IB school. Our guide compares both.
Most popular neighbourhoods for families
District 2 (Thao Dien) is the heart of expat family life and home to ISHCMC, AIS Saigon, EIS and BIS HCMC primary. District 7 (Phu My Hung) is the planned expat community where SSIS and BIS HCMC secondary are based. District 1 appeals to families wanting central living. District 3 and Tan Binh are increasingly popular family options at lower cost.
