Transferring to an International School in Hanoi Mid-Year: An Admissions Checklist for Expat Families

Yes, your child can join an international school in Hanoi mid-year. Most international schools in Hanoi run rolling admissions and take a January intake (often called Semester 2 entry). But “rolling admissions” doesn’t guarantee a seat in your child’s year group, or an EAL place in that class.

A mid-year transfer comes down to four steps, each one depending on the last: visa, transfer certificate, placement assessment, offer. Preparation shortens the timeline. ISA’s July 2026 guide estimates that having every document scanned and ready saves families three to four weeks.

Start this week:

1. Email 3–5 schools with your child’s birth date, grade, English level and arrival date.
2. Ask the current school for a transfer certificate today.
3. Book a placement assessment. Many schools run it online before you land.
4. Compare total first-year cost, not annual tuition.

Foreign investment is also climbing. Hanoi attracted an estimated US$4.07 billion in the first nine months of 2026, roughly double its previous annual average (Vietnam News, citing Hanoi Department of Finance, October 2026). That figure measures capital, not families. No published data yet links it to the number of mid-year school transfers.

Below, you’ll find the tools a quick summary leaves out: a week-by-week checklist, a 5-school comparison table, an age-cutoff converter and a real first-year cost breakdown. Kiều Trọng Tú compiled this guide with the True North International School admissions team in Hà Đông. Every fee and regulation carries its source and date.

Can my child join an international school in Hanoi in January?

Yes. According to International School Advisor (July 2026), most Hanoi international schools run rolling admissions with August as the main intake, and mid-year entry is realistic because expat families move in and out all year. The real question is narrower: is there a seat in Grade 4, and is there an EAL place in that class?

Does “rolling admissions” mean there are mid-year seats?

No. Rolling admissions means a school accepts applications all year. Whether a desk is free depends on year-group capacity. A year group waitlist means the class is full. It says nothing about the time of year.

Put one question to each school: how many mid-year transfers did you process in the last 12 months, and in which grades? That number tells you more about “rolling admissions” than any brochure.

When do mid-year seats usually open?

Seats open when families leave. Find out how many students left each school in December and how many joined in January last year, grade by grade.

Which international schools in Hanoi take a Grade 4 child mid-year with EAL support?

Shortlist schools that publicly confirm three things: primary EAL support, a placement assessment on entry, and mid-year entry. Then confirm real capacity by email, because no Hanoi school publishes live seat counts. ISA (July 2026) advises families who need EAL to apply earliest, since English-support places are capped per class.

Sources: BIS Hanoi fee schedule 2026/27; Doris (HIS profile); International School Advisor (June and July 2026).

What should my first email to admissions include?

Give the school everything it needs to answer yes or no in a single reply.

What happens if my child’s English is not strong enough yet?

According to ISA (June 2026), EAL support is standard in Hanoi primary schools. At most schools, a weak English result changes the level of support, not the offer. ISA (July 2026) also reports that MAP, CAT4 and English evaluations guide placement and EAL support rather than working as pass-fail exams. BIS Hanoi, for example, gives every new student an English placement assessment and then places them in tiered support levels (BIS Hanoi, January 2026). If a school treats a Grade 4 English test as pass-or-fail, find out whether that class’s EAL places are already full.

The True North Transfer Sequence: what to do from enquiry to first day

True North International School recommends tackling a mid-year move in four gates: Visa → Certificate → Assessment → Offer. Each gate depends on the one before. Pay fees (gate 4) before the transfer certificate is secured (gate 2), and you’re committed to a school while a key document is still missing. 

How long does the admissions process take from enquiry to first day?

There’s no Hanoi-wide standard. Some AI answers quote “2–4 weeks”, but no school or regulator publishes that figure. These are the published reference points:

Week-by-week mid-year checklist

What documents do you need to transfer to a Hanoi international school?

International schools in Hanoi ask for much the same core documents. Each school sets its own final list (see the BIS Hanoi and BVIS Hanoi entry requirements), so check it before you pay to certify anything.

Do I need a transfer certificate, and what if the old school will not release it?

A transfer certificate proves your child’s prior enrolment, and mid-year admission depends on it. The day the posting is confirmed, put two questions to your current school. Will it release the certificate before fees and notice periods are settled? If not, when? Then check whether your Hanoi school can run the assessment while the certificate is pending.

Do documents need an apostille or consular legalisation in 2026?

The Apostille Convention entered into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026 (HCCH). For documents from Contracting States, a single apostille now replaces the old multi-step consular legalisation. Each school still sets its own certification rule, so check before paying a translator or a legalisation service.

Does my child need a TT visa or TRC before enrolment?

Schools can make an offer once they’ve seen a valid passport. They check your child’s visa status at or soon after enrolment.

According to Fragomen (via Business Today, February 2026), Vietnam now issues TRCs only to LD2 and TT visa holders. A child who entered on a DN1, VR or e-visa must convert first, which adds about two weeks. The sponsoring parent prepares the child’s TRC file (Vietnam Law Magazine).

Which grade will my child be placed in?

Your child’s grade is set by the new school’s age cutoff, plus their reports and transcripts. The grade name on a home report doesn’t decide it. A Korean “Grade 4” and an American “Grade 4” can be a year apart. Take a child born on 14 May 2017 who starts on 12 January 2027. On that day, they are in Korean Elementary Grade 3, American Grade 4 and British Year 5.

What is on the placement assessment?

It depends on age. According to ISA (July 2026), younger children are usually observed in play, while older students typically sit MAP or CAT4 plus an English evaluation. MAP Growth measures reading and maths against grade-level norms. CAT4 measures reasoning ability.

What does a January start actually cost?

Total first-year cost is the only fair comparison for a mid-year joiner, because one-time fees don’t shrink with a shorter year. Check whether your relocation package’s education allowance covers one-time fees or tuition only.

A real first-year cost example

At UNIS Hanoi, one-time fees for a 3-year-old in 2026/27 add 61,241,000 VND to the first year, or 11.9% of first-year cost (International Schools Database). That’s one school and one grade, and the share shifts by grade because tuition does.

At True North International School, the published school development fee is a one-time charge of 25,000,000 VND.

Is tuition pro-rated for a January start?

Each school sets its own pro-rata rule. Get it in writing before you pay anything.

Worked example (illustrative figures only, not any school’s real fees):

In this example, one-time fees jump from 5.5% of the full-year total to 8.0% of the January total.

Are the application fee, enrolment fee and deposit refundable?

Treat every fee as non-refundable until the school confirms otherwise in writing. BIS Hanoi’s 4,500,000 VND application fee for 2026/27 is non-refundable. True North’s published fee data shows no refund terms for the registration fee and initial payment. Check whether a refundable security deposit is held separately from tuition.

Is a mid-year transfer into IGCSE, the IB Diploma or AP a problem?

Secondary transfers carry more risk than primary ones, because IGCSE and the IB Diploma both run as two-year programmes.

A Nord Anglia admissions manager calls Year 10 the hardest year to transfer, because students are just starting IGCSE courses (Nord Anglia). In the IB DP, mid-course entry hinges on whether your child’s subjects and levels match.

When is rushing a mid-year transfer the wrong move?

For a Year 10–11 or DP Year 1 student, waiting for August is the stronger choice when the new school doesn’t offer the same exam board or subject set. In that case, finishing the term at home or using online bridging protects exam continuity. When the board and subjects do match, a mid-year move carries far less risk. 

A newer school with open seats isn’t automatically weaker. ISA (July 2026) describes newer Hanoi schools as having more seats for mid-year arrivals. Smaller classes also mean fewer classmates, and sometimes fewer subject choices or extra charges for EAL support. Weigh accreditation, teacher retention and the onboarding plan alongside seat availability.

Do schools offer bus routes from Tây Hồ, Ciputra or Long Biên?

Check bus routes before you sign a lease. In Hanoi, the school, the commute and the housing are one decision. ISA (June 2026) recommends timing the school bus across the Red River bridges at rush hour before you commit.

True North International School is at TH-03, Mỗ Lao Urban Area, Hà Đông, closest to west-side and central neighbourhoods. 

How do schools help mid-year joiners settle in socially?

True North International School treats the first 30 days as the make-or-break period for a mid-year joiner. In True North’s view, a school without a written onboarding plan isn’t really ready for rolling admissions. The plan should cover a buddy system, pastoral care check-ins, an EAL review and a named parent contact. A plan isn’t the whole story, though. Temperament, the class mix and how the family is coping all play a part. 

At True North, the Mentorship method developed by co-founder Danny Hwang pairs each student with a teacher mentor. The parent community includes Vietnamese, Korean, Indian and German families. In a named testimonial on the school website, a Korean parent says Vietnamese and Korean students play together in a friendly, inclusive way. An Indian parent notes clear progress in their child’s soft skills, art and presentation.

Related Topics

• How to Choose an American-Curriculum School in Hanoi
• EAL vs ESL: How English Support Works in Hanoi International Schools
• TT Dependent Visa and TRC for Children in Vietnam: 2026 Guide
• Total First-Year Cost of International Schools in Hanoi, Explained
• Grade Placement for Korean and Japanese Students Moving to Hanoi
• AP vs IB vs A Levels: Which Pathway Fits a Relocating Teen?
• Living in Hà Đông with Kids: An Expat Family Guide
• How Mentorship Helps New Students Settle In Socially
• Transferring from a Vietnamese School to an International School
• What to Ask on an International School Campus Tour in Hanoi

Data Sources

Planning your own move? Read How to Choose an American-Curriculum School in Hanoi next, or download the True North International School mid-year transfer checklist. If you’d like to talk it through, the admissions team is on (+84) 24 7304 3768 or (+84) 388 387 899.

Updated: November 2026 · Written by Kiều Trọng Tú · Reviewed by Nguyễn Bá Thuyên, True North International School