Home Blog What to Know about Foreign Investment in Vocational Institutions in Vietnam Uncategorized What to Know about Foreign Investment in Vocational Institutions in Vietnam InCorp Editorial Team 23 October 2019 4 minute reading time Table of Contents Capital of Investment Size of Establishment Representative Office in Vietnam Branches in Vietnam Training Modules Start Your Business in the Vocational Education Sector with Assistance from Cekindo Decree No. 15/2019/ND-CP or Decree 15 was announced effective on March 20, 2019 by the government regarding foreign investment in the vocational education sector in Vietnam. This recently issued regulation has introduced new requirements for foreign investors with detailed instructions on Vocational Education and Training (LOVET). This regulation is expected to bring in more foreign investments in vocational education institutions. Previously without Decree 15, foreign investments in vocational education sector were not easy due to the lack of regulations laying out conditions on foreign-invested vocational training institutions in Vietnam. In Decree 15, the new conditions for foreign investors consist of investment capital size of establishment size, training modules, and representative offices or branches setup. In this article, you will learn more about Decree 15 and how you can invest in vocational education sector in Vietnam. Capital of Investment VND 5 billion (~US$217,000) is the minimum amount in order for a foreigner to start a vocational training center. The minimum investment capitals are different for a secondary vocational institution and vocational college: they are VND 50 billion (~US$ 2.1 million) and VND 100 billion (~US$4.2 million) respectively. Size of Establishment Decree 15 stated that in order to set up a basic vocational training center, a foreign investor must acquire a land with a size of 1,000 square meters. For urban-area secondary vocational training centers, suburban schools or rural-area schools, a foreign investor needs at least 10,000 square meters of land (urban areas) and 20,000 square meters of land (suburbs and rural areas). For urban-area and non-urban area vocational college, lands with 20,000 square meters (urban areas) and 40,000 square meters (non-urban areas) are compulsory. Representative Office in Vietnam Decree 15 allows foreign vocational educational institutions to set up representative offices to enhance the collaboration between foreign institutions and Vietnamese partners. Through the partnership, they can organise seminars and provide counseling services. However, a representative office is prohibited to participate in profit-generating commercial activities. It is also not allowed to open branches in Vietnam. The requirements for a foreign institution to open a representative in Vietnam are as follows: It has a legal entity status overseas It must have already operated for no fewer than five years in its own country abroad Related article: Restrictions for Representative Office in Vietnam Branches in Vietnam A new branch of a foreign-invested secondary vocational school or college is possible when investors fulfill the below conditions: The investor has a detailed development plan indicating why the new branch or campus is necessary The plan must also include the name, the entity’s scope, and detailed training subjects and fields Investors have to provide a minimum 5-year lease agreement of the infrastructure and facilities The capital of investment capital is 25% of the minimum capital requirement for establishing a vocational training institution Training Modules The training modules should comply with Article 34 in the Vocational Training Law and must include all the compulsory subjects. Contents that threaten public interest or national defense, misinterpret history of the country, publicise religions, or impair customs, ethics and culture are strictly prohibited. Start Your Business in the Vocational Education Sector with Assistance from Cekindo Cekindo is a professional business consulting company that can help smoothen your entrepreneurial journey in vocational education sector in Vietnam. Our experts will guide you through the business setup by providing their know-how to make the entire process much easier for you: Give advice on the ideal type of legal entity Provide accurate instructions on documents preparation and submission Submit the application on your behalf Offer legal assistance Apply for relevant business licenses and work permits Contact Cekindo now to be part of the booming economy in the heart of Southeast Asia. Start by filling in the form below and reap the benefits of foreign investment in Vietnam. Read Full Bio Pandu Biasramadhan Senior Consulting Manager at InCorp Indonesia An expert for more than 10 years, Pandu Biasramadhan, has an extensive background in providing top-quality and comprehensive business solutions for enterprises in Indonesia and managing regional partnership channels across Southeast Asia.