License to conduct private English Classes

"I need to obtain some license" likely a business licence and maybe some kind of something for teaching-there I am not sure. Business Licence requires some kind of resident status - not tourist - as well work permit/investment. The property owner needs to agree for business utilization, which can be, depending on ownership status, not permitted.

You seriously should speak to someone, who just passed an inspection. Some month ago there was a lot about "private schools", not approved curriculum, insufficient qualification,.....

After that, I would use a lawyer office to assist in paperwor(k)s(e), as this is for sure one of the monitored business lines.

Things are a little different in the Big City. They have a different set-up than in the country.

A lot depends on how you aim to run the place: a home with a school or a school with a home. Will your teaching area be equipped with desks or simply tables and chairs?

How many students at a time; class after class; etc.

The education department doesn't usually chase down 'home' schools unless the school has high profile - complaints from neighbours or crowds in the area.

1 know of two 'home schools' that have operated for several years. One is in a downtown area (La Thi Riang) and the other in an apartment building.

Obviously the apartment building is a choice location as a multiple unit building has 'cover'.

Many school teachers run 'home schools' without problems and without 'tips' to Cong An (Peoples Police).

Condominiums are better than rental buildings as the property owners are absent. If you have door security a tip to the senior guard should minimise problems.

I, and my partners, run a 'homework club' between 17.30 until 'last call' at 21.30H in our offices in BMT. Not once have we been challenged on an official basis. The chief of police occasionally sat in as his daughter did her homework.

Personally, in TP HCM, I would go ahead but hold the class size down to around ten children.

If you get a 'visit' from officialdom emphasise that you are trying to give children a learning experience they couldn't otherwise get. They are usually OK with people trying to help Vietnamese.

If you set up a formal school with a dedicated single use building you run smack into red tape. Leasing for a business requires a Business Licence (there are Work Permit waivers for business owners) but the overall effect of setting up a 'business' is a downer.

On top of that you require a permit / inspection from the education department.

And landlords make sure they get their share. A mid-town Australian school has a monthly rent bill of USD$50,000.

Hi Jaitch,

Many thanks for your advises and information as above. Greatly appreciated. Well the house that I am renting is a 4 floored house in the small alleys and not on the main street. Besides that I know that there is another house just 2 blocks away that holds private home classes for Vietnamese classes for Mathematics and Science.

The main idea is that I am only going to have abut 10 students for each class and I will be conducting 2 separate classes for the two different age group. And for the class, the only furniture there will be is those fold-able chairs with a small table attached to it.

I am planning to put up some advertisements at the house and also in the neighboring area in Vietnamese and English language. Do you have any advises on what to avoid as well when putting up these ads? Thanks so much for your help.

Hi dathancna,

Giving such tutor lesson at home is neither difficult nor risky. You do not need any licenses or something like that. All you need is a legal place (like a rental house or flat) where you can legally teach them.
But, if you want to make some advertisements things will become more problematic. The police will visit you and they will cause some trouble to you. All they want is a bit of money, but not only 1 time, they want you to give it to them monthly or occasionally as you are running some kind of a business. It is like a 2nd tax in Vietnam.
Whenever I come to Vietnam I usually group up some of my students and give them some kind of extra lessons to practice English. Until now I never got any problems with any one. But in case the police will visit me, just tell them that they are your friends and you help them, it is just not a "free" help.

Hope I could help you. Wish you a nice day,
Leon

House on a Hiem should be safe.

As for advertising, no posters. Better to look for teachers of the appropriate grades (at nearby schools) and offer them a finders fee for each student! It's what they do.

Word of mouth works like crazy. BTW, watch out for children with colds, etc. - better to make them wear masks, sit apart from other students.

If neighbours complain, maybe you can offer them a job as teachers help, or cleaner!

If you've been living here a while, then you know there are no rules, there is no law, other than what the police officer decides to enforce at any given moment.  Obtaining a license is easy.   Just do what you have to do, when the police come to your house, they don't really want a license, they want the license with Uncle Ho's picture on it. Give them a few and continue...

cybrscot wrote:

... Obtaining a license is easy. ...

Obviously someone who has not dealt with bureaucracy on VietNam.

Jaitch wrote:

cybrscot wrote:

... Obtaining a license is easy. ...

Obviously someone who has not dealt with bureaucracy on VietNam.

Obtaining a license was a figure of speech for "give them money" mate.  I meant forget the license, no need to try to do things the "right way" because it's only going to complicate things, so just do it, and pay them when they come.  That's what I meant.

If you open a school the sort of regulations are illustrated by the one below. They have hundreds of these things covering every aspect of operating a school or business.

This is why many VNese prefer to pay off the enforcers,

People often think of as VietNam as a 'developing' country. By way of example of why VN is not a developing country consider:

Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BGDDT of September 14, 2012, promulgating the list of outdoor equipment and toys for early childhood education.

Which would apply to even to schools. (Not your proposal)

Developing countries don't have time for this sort of regulation!

i think that if you open a class with a little of student, its not problem.i am finding an english class. if you open a class please inform to me, this is my email : truong.12h@gmail.com

thank you!

Me thinks where (space) is the hardest part.

Two chums and me are looking down here in Ha Tien for a spot to give English teaching and so far the park iis the best we can do. We really need an area with a roof.

So you are being lucky having a house.

Jaitch wrote:

People often think of as VietNam as a 'developing' country. By way of example of why VN is not a developing country consider:

Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BGDDT of September 14, 2012, promulgating the list of outdoor equipment and toys for early childhood education.

Which would apply to even to schools. (Not your proposal)

Developing countries don't have time for this sort of regulation!

Hey mate, how can we read this circular?  In your post it's not a link.  Is there somewhere to read it online?

cybrscot wrote:

Jaitch wrote:

People often think of as VietNam as a 'developing' country. By way of example of why VN is not a developing country consider:

Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BGDDT of September 14, 2012, promulgating the list of outdoor equipment and toys for early childhood education.

Which would apply to even to schools. (Not your proposal)

Developing countries don't have time for this sort of regulation!

Hey mate, how can we read this circular?  In your post it's not a link.  Is there somewhere to read it online?

Okay, never mind. I just Googled the circular and it came up.  Haha very interesting, they've got it regulated to a "t", size, type, everything about some simple playground equipment!

Jaitch wrote:

If you open a school the sort of regulations are illustrated by the one below. They have hundreds of these things covering every aspect of operating a school or business.

This is why many VNese prefer to pay off the enforcers,

People often think of as VietNam as a 'developing' country. By way of example of why VN is not a developing country consider:

Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BGDDT of September 14, 2012, promulgating the list of outdoor equipment and toys for early childhood education.

Which would apply to even to schools. (Not your proposal)

Developing countries don't have time for this sort of regulation!

They were initially taught by the French and then America came along and showed them how to do it in triplicate.

I know many people do various classes at home with no license. As some said, go ahead and just not making too much noisy or too big class. As long as you keep certain size that you can make excuse as private gathering, it will be ok.

Good luck!