Under the Government’s Resolution No. 23/2026/NQ-CP, dated April 29, 2026, the Minister of Education and Training now has the authority to approve the establishment or dissolution of a foreign university branch in Vietnam.
Previously, only the Prime Minister had such an authority.
The decentralization of approval power is part of the Government’s effort to simplify administrative procedures in the field of education and training, the Government News remarked.
Foreign universities can only open branches in Vietnam if they are ranked in the global top 500, according to the Government’s Decree No. 124/2024/ND-CP on international cooperation and investment in the field of education and training.
Each branch project of a foreign university in Vietnam shall have the minimum investment capital of VND500 billion (over $19 million).
Currently, Viet Nam has five operational branches of foreign universities: RMIT University Vietnam, British University Vietnam, American University in Vietnam, Fulbright University Vietnam, and Tokyo Human Health Sciences University Vietnam.
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