Vietnam’s healthcare market is growing quickly. Rising incomes, medical tourism and an ageing population are creating strong demand for high quality private care. For many foreign healthcare groups, opening a clinic in Vietnam is a natural next step in their regional expansion.
However, healthcare is one of the most regulated sectors in Vietnam. A clinic cannot simply rent a space, hire doctors and start seeing patients the next day. Investors must navigate investment rules, licensing procedures and ongoing compliance duties.
In this article, Healthcare Setup VN explains the key legal steps to open a foreign invested clinic in Vietnam and how a specialized health law team can support you along the way.
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1. Choose the Right Investment Model
Before deciding on a specific clinic model, some investors consider staring with a hopital. You can read more about the Differences between opening a clinic and a hospital in Vietnam here.
One of the most important at the begining that investors should be clear about what type of clinic they want to operate:
• General outpatient clinic
• Specialty clinic (e.g. cardiology, dental, aesthetics, rehabilitation)
• Diagnostic centre (imaging, laboratory)
• Combination model within a hospital campus or medical complex
Each model has different requirements in terms of premises, medical equipment, staffing and professional licenses. Defining your business scope from the beginning will help you:
• Pick the correct investment lines and business lines
• Estimate investment capital more accurately
• Avoid rewriting your licences later, which can be time consuming
At this stage, many investors also decide whether they will invest alone or in partnership with a Vietnamese hospital or medical group.
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2. Understand Foreign Ownership and Investment Capital
Vietnam allows 100% foreign owned clinics in many medical specialties, provided that investors comply with market access conditions and local planning policies.
In practice, authorities will review:
• Investment capital: the total capital committed to the project (equity and loan). For a clinic, this typically needs to be sufficient to cover premises, medical equipment, IT systems and the first years of operation.
• Professional capacity: experience of the investor in healthcare and the qualifications of the medical director and key staff.
• Location and planning: whether the proposed clinic is compatible with local healthcare planning and building regulations.
Because expectations can differ from one province to another, investors should seek early advice on capital planning and location strategy instead of relying on assumptions.
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3. Licensing Roadmap: From Company to Clinic
Opening a foreign invested clinic usually involves three main stages.
3.1 Investment Registration Certificate (IRC)
For most foreign projects, the first step is to obtain an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC). This document records:
• The investor(s)
• The project’s objectives and scope
• Investment capital and schedule
• Location and project duration
The IRC is issued by the competent investment registration authority (for example, the Department of Finance in many provinces).
3.2 Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC)
Once the IRC is granted, the investor applies for an Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) to officially establish the company that will operate the clinic.
Key tasks at this stage include:
• Choosing the company name and charter capital
• Drafting the company charter
• Appointing the legal representative(s)
• Registering the head office address
After receiving the ERC, the company can obtain its tax code, make the capital contribution and open a direct investment capital account (DICA) to receive and use capital in Vietnam.
3.3 Clinic Operating License
The core license for your business is the Clinic Operating License (sometimes called the medical examination and treatment license). To obtain this, the company must demonstrate that it already satisfies the conditions on:
• Premises and facilities
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Medical practice certificates of doctors and other practitioners
• Internal regulations on professional practice, infection control and patient records
• Appointment of a medical professional in charge of technical expertise
Only after the operating license is granted may the clinic legally provide medical services to patients.
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4. Key Legal Requirements for a Foreign Invested Clinic
While detailed requirements vary by specialty, foreign invested clinics in Vietnam generally need to pay attention to the following areas.
4.1 Premises and Facilities
The clinic must have:
• A lawful lease or ownership document for the premises
• Sufficient area for consultation rooms, treatment rooms, waiting areas and support functions
• Compliance with fire prevention, construction and environmental regulations
For some specialties, additional standards apply (e.g. radiation safety for imaging centers, sterilization areas for surgical clinics).
4.2 Medical Equipment
Authorities will review whether your equipment list is appropriate for the scope of services. This can include:
• Diagnostic equipment
• Monitoring and emergency equipment
• Sterilization and infection control devices
• IT infrastructure for patient records and reporting
Imported equipment may require specific registration or approvals.
4.3 Medical Staff and Practice Certificates
Every healthcare professional practicing in the clinic must hold a valid medical practice certificate and work within the permitted scope of that certificate.
In addition, the clinic must appoint:
• A person in charge of professional practice (often the medical director), who meets stricter experience and qualification standards
• Heads of specialized departments, where applicable
Foreign doctors face additional requirements on diplomas, professional experience and Vietnamese language or interpreter arrangements.
If you business model relies on international experts, you should also understand the Requirements for foreing doctors working in Vietnam in more details.
4.4 Internal Regulations and Reporting
Before licensing, the clinic must issue internal regulations on:
• Professional practice and patient care
• Referral, emergency and transfer procedures
• Infection prevention and control
• Management of pharmaceuticals and medical devices
After the license is granted, the clinic must comply with reporting obligations to health authorities and may be subject to regular inspections.
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5. Common Challenges for Foreign Healthcare Investors
Many foreign investors underestimate how detailed and documentation intensive the licensing process can be. Typical challenges include:
• Submitting an investment capital plan that does not align with local expectations
• Selecting premises that later fail to meet healthcare or fire safety standards
• Drafting an equipment list that is not consistent with the clinic’s registered scope
• Difficulties in recognition foreign medical degrees and experience for practice certificates
• Delays due to incomplete or inconsistent application dossiers
Early legal and regulatory planning can prevent costly redesigns and help investors reach the “go live” date faster.
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6. How Healthcare Setup VN Supports Your Clinic Project
Healthcare Setup VN is a project of TTVN Legal, a law firm that focuses on health law and foreign investment. We work with both international and Vietnamese healthcare providers, from single specialty clinics to multi hospital groups.
Our team can assist you through the full life cycle of your clinic project:
• Feasibility & structuring: analyze market access conditions, capital expectations and possible partnership models.
• Licensing strategy: design a step by step roadmap adapted to your specialty and target location.
• Document preparation: draft or review the investment application, company charter, internal regulations and agreements with partners and medical staff.
• Working with authorities: submit dossiers, follow up with licensing bodies and support you in meetings or inspections.
• Immigration & work permits: assist foreign doctors, managers and investors with visas, work permits and residence cards.
• Ongoing compliance: advise on changes of scope, renewal, reporting and regulatory updates affecting your clinic.
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7. Final Thoughts
Vietnam offers real opportunities for foreign invested clinics, but success requires more than just a strong medical brand. Investors need a clear legal roadmap, realistic capital planning and a deep understanding of regulatory expectations.
Many of the delays we see in clinic licensing from avaidable planning errors. We summarise the most frequent ones in our article on Key mistakes foreign healthcare investors make in Vietnam – and how to a avoid them.
If you are considering opening a clinic, diagnostic center or other healthcare facility in Vietnam, our team at Healthcare Setup VN / TTVN Legal would be pleased to discuss your project and propose a tailored licensing strategy.
Contact us for a confidential consultation:
📞 +84 34 966 1336
📧 tham@ttvnlegal.com.vn
