Part of our Nursing Councils of the World series. Last checked: November 2026.
Vietnam is rewriting the rules for every nurse who wants to practise. Under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (Law No. 15/2023/QH15), which took effect on 1 January 2024, practice certificates became practice licences that must be renewed every five years, and a new National Medical Council will test the competence of new practitioners. Doctors face the national competency assessment from 1 January 2027. Nurses, midwives and assistant doctors follow on 1 January 2028.
This guide explains who regulates nursing in Vietnam, how the licence works under the new law, what the competency assessment means for students graduating in 2026, 2027 and 2028, the role of the Vietnam Nurses Association, the nursing shortage, and the routes Vietnamese nurses take to Japan, Germany and beyond.
Imagine you are in your final year of a nursing degree in Hanoi. Your older cousin, who graduated in 2022, simply finished her supervised practice, applied to the provincial Department of Health and received her practice certificate. You hear something different: from 2028, new nurses must pass a national competency assessment before they can be licensed. Your graduation date suddenly matters a great deal. Will you apply before the deadline, or will you sit the new assessment? This guide is written for you, and for every nurse who wants to understand what Vietnam is changing and why.
Who regulates nursing in Vietnam?
Vietnam does not have a stand-alone nursing council in the style of the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Nursing is regulated through the health system as a whole:
- The National Assembly passes the main law: the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, which replaced the 2009 law and has applied since 1 January 2024.
- The Government issues decrees that put the law into effect, including detailed rules on licensing and supervised practice.
- The Ministry of Health sets professional standards, the scope of nursing practice, continuing training requirements and the circulars that explain the law in detail (for example Circular 32/2023/TT-BYT).
- Provincial Departments of Health (and the Ministry for some facilities) issue and renew practice licences for most practitioners.
- The National Medical Council, created under the 2023 law, conducts independent competency assessments for new practitioners in eight professional titles, including nurses.
The Ministry of Health’s scope of nursing practice is detailed: according to the Vietnam Nurses Association, it covers 1,251 nursing techniques, including emergency techniques, techniques performed on medical instruction and frequent routine procedures.
What changed under Law 15/2023/QH15?
The new law is the biggest change to health professional regulation in Vietnam in more than a decade. For nurses, the key changes are:
| Area | Before 2024 | From 2024 onwards |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the document | Practice certificate (chứng chỉ hành nghề) | Practice licence (giấy phép hành nghề) |
| Validity | No fixed expiry | Renewed every five years |
| Route to first licence | Diploma plus supervised practice, then application | Diploma plus supervised practice, then (for nurses from 2028) a national competency assessment |
| Who assesses competence | Employer and licensing authority | Independent National Medical Council |
| Continuing training | Required, but weakly linked to the certificate | Linked to licence renewal |
Practice certificates issued before 1 January 2024 were converted into licences, which must now be renewed every five years from the date of conversion. That means many experienced nurses will be renewing for the first time around 2029. If you hold an old certificate, do not wait until the last month: check the renewal rules with your provincial Department of Health and keep a record of your continuing training.
The national competency assessment: the 2027 and 2028 deadlines
The headline change is the competency assessment run by the National Medical Council. It is being introduced in stages:
| Professional title | Assessment starts | Last date to apply without the assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | 1 January 2027 | 31 December 2026 |
| Assistant doctor, nurse, midwife | 1 January 2028 | 31 December 2027 |
| Medical technician, clinical nutritionist, out-of-hospital emergency practitioner, clinical psychologist | 1 January 2029 | 31 December 2028 |
What this means for nursing students:
- If you complete your diploma and supervised practice and apply for a licence on or before 31 December 2027, you are expected to be licensed under the transitional rules without the national assessment.
- If you apply from 1 January 2028, you will need to pass the national competency assessment first.
- The detailed format, fees, frequency and pass standard are set by the National Medical Council and the Ministry of Health. Follow official announcements rather than social media rumours.
Vietnam is not alone. Many countries are moving from “graduate and register” to “graduate, then prove competence”. Nigeria, Ghana, the Philippines, Japan and Korea already use national licensing examinations, and our guide to the hardest nursing exams in the world shows how widely the standard varies.
Why is Vietnam introducing a competency assessment?
There are three main reasons.
- Quality and consistency. Nursing education in Vietnam has expanded quickly, with programmes at college, university, master’s and doctoral level. A national assessment checks that every new practitioner meets the same minimum standard, whichever school they attended.
- International recognition. Countries that recruit Vietnamese nurses, and regional agreements such as the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Nursing Services, look for independent, transparent licensing. A national assessment makes Vietnamese qualifications easier to trust.
- Patient safety. Linking licence renewal to continuing training means nurses must keep their knowledge up to date across a whole career, not just at graduation.
Nursing education in Vietnam
Over the past three decades, Vietnamese nursing education has moved from mainly intermediate (secondary vocational) training to four higher levels: college, university (bachelor’s), master’s or specialist, and doctoral. The trend is clear: the system is phasing out the lowest-level qualifications and expects more nurses to hold at least a college diploma or a bachelor’s degree.
Typical routes include:
- College diploma in nursing (around three years).
- Bachelor of Nursing (around four years) at universities of medicine and pharmacy and private universities.
- Bridging programmes that let college-level nurses upgrade to a bachelor’s degree while working.
- Master’s and doctoral programmes for nurse educators, managers and researchers.
After graduation, new nurses complete a period of supervised practice in a health facility before applying for a licence. Check the current length and documentation with your training institution and the facility where you will practise.
Continuing training and licence renewal
Under the new law, licence renewal depends on evidence that you have kept your knowledge and skills up to date. Continuing training can include accredited short courses, conferences, scientific research, writing for professional journals, and teaching. Practical advice:
- Keep every certificate in a single folder (paper and scanned).
- Check that each course is provided by an organisation accepted by the Ministry of Health or your Department of Health.
- Spread your training across the five years rather than rushing at the end.
- If you change provinces or employers, carry your records with you.
Our guide to nursing licence renewal by country compares Vietnam’s five-year cycle with renewal rules in 19 other countries.
The Vietnam Nurses Association (Hội Điều dưỡng Việt Nam)
The Vietnam Nurses Association (VNA) is the national professional association for nurses. It represents nurses to the Ministry of Health, contributes to professional standards and codes of ethics, organises conferences and continuing education, and celebrates the profession each year. It has branches in provinces and large hospitals.
The association has been outspoken about the pressures on Vietnamese nurses. In 2024, its chairman, Phạm Đức Mục, said Vietnam has one of the lowest ratios of nurses to population in the region and that nurses make up a smaller share of the health workforce than the global average. Ministry of Health statistics show nurses as about 39% of health workers, while globally nurses make up a much larger share. The association has called for nurses to spend more time on direct patient care, for their professional capacity to be strengthened, and for nurses to be recognised as essential partners in clinical teams.
Why join? Membership gives you access to conferences and training (which help with licence renewal), professional networks, and a voice in national policy debates such as the competency assessment and workload standards.
The nursing shortage in Vietnam
Vietnam has trained large numbers of nurses, yet many hospitals, especially in rural provinces and in fast-growing Ho Chi Minh City, report shortages. The reasons are familiar to nurses worldwide:
- Heavy workload: Vietnamese studies have reported more than 100 tasks per nurse per day in some settings.
- Pay: public-sector nurses’ salaries are modest compared with the private sector and with jobs abroad.
- Night shifts and stress: long hours and limited staffing lead to burnout.
- Career switching: some graduates leave the profession, while others move abroad.
- An ageing population: demand for chronic disease, elderly and long-term care is growing quickly.
The World Health Organization has warned that Vietnam could face a shortfall of tens of thousands of nurses and midwives by 2030 without further investment. For a wider view, see our guide to the global nursing shortage.
Working abroad: Japan, Germany and beyond
Vietnamese nurses are increasingly visible in international recruitment:
- Japan: Vietnam is one of three countries in Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) programme for nurses and care workers, alongside Indonesia and the Philippines. Candidates must eventually pass Japan’s national nursing examination in Japanese. Read our full guide to nursing in Japan.
- Germany: nursing and care training and recruitment programmes recruit Vietnamese candidates, who learn German and complete recognition of their qualifications.
- Taiwan and Korea: mostly through care-worker routes, with professional nursing licensure requiring local examinations. See nursing in Taiwan.
- English-speaking countries and the Gulf: require English tests and national registration. Our registration routes guide explains each country.
A Vietnamese practice licence, and in future a passed national competency assessment, is a strong foundation for any of these routes. Most destination countries ask for proof of registration and good standing in your home country.
Can foreign nurses work in Vietnam?
Yes, but the bar is high. Foreign practitioners need a recognised qualification, a Vietnamese practice licence and, usually, a work permit. The law includes language requirements: practitioners must be able to communicate with patients in Vietnamese or work with a qualified interpreter, depending on the rules in force. Most foreign nurses in Vietnam work in international hospitals and clinics in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Contact the employer and the provincial Department of Health early, as document legalisation can take months.
A checklist for Vietnamese nursing students and new graduates
- Write down your expected graduation date and the end date of your supervised practice.
- Compare it with the 31 December 2027 deadline for nurses to apply without the competency assessment.
- If you will apply in 2028 or later, follow the National Medical Council’s announcements about the assessment format.
- Keep copies of your diploma, transcripts, practice confirmation, health certificate and identity documents.
- Start a continuing training folder on your first day of work.
- Consider joining the Vietnam Nurses Association.
- If you are thinking about working abroad, start language learning early (Japanese, German or English).
Frequently asked questions
Does Vietnam have a nursing council?
Not a separate one. Nursing is regulated by the Ministry of Health and provincial Departments of Health under Law 15/2023/QH15, with the National Medical Council responsible for competency assessments.
When do nurses in Vietnam have to take the competency assessment?
From 1 January 2028. Nurses who apply for a licence by 31 December 2027 are covered by the transitional rules.
How long is a nursing licence valid in Vietnam?
Licences are renewed every five years. Converted certificates issued before 2024 are renewed five years from the date of conversion.
What is the Vietnam Nurses Association?
The national professional association for nurses, which represents nurses, supports training and contributes to standards and policy.
Can Vietnamese nurses work in Japan?
Yes, through the EPA programme or other routes, but they must pass Japan’s national nursing examination in Japanese.
But will the new assessment help or hurt Vietnamese nurses?
In the short term, it adds a hurdle and some uncertainty, especially for students graduating around the 2027 deadline. In the long term, an independent competency assessment and regular renewal should raise standards, protect patients and make Vietnamese nurses’ qualifications more respected at home and abroad. The real test will be whether pay, staffing and working conditions improve at the same pace, so that well-qualified nurses choose to stay in the profession.
Your next step: Check your expected graduation and supervised-practice dates against the 31 December 2027 deadline today, and set up a folder for your diploma, practice records and continuing training certificates.
Related: Nursing councils of the world · Nursing in Japan · Licence renewal by country
Sources: Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15; Circular 32/2023/TT-BYT (Ministry of Health); LuatVietnam legal updates on the 2027–2029 competency assessment timeline; Viet Nam News (May 2024) reporting the Vietnam Nurses Association; Ministry of Health Health Statistics Yearbook; World Health Organization. Rules change; check official sources.
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