AFS in Vietnam

Once you have submitted your pre-application our team will assess your pre-application to determine if you are eligible to continue the process. Please also carefully review the scholarship application criteria and program details for each country, available in the upper section of this website and on the respective country pages.. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted directly via email and receive further notice at that time.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Finalists will be contacted directly and invited to a virtual Zoom interview. Admissions decisions for the AFS Scholarships will be announced on February 9 via email. Please note that although applicants can rank their destination preference, AFS will select all scholarship winners’ destinations.

• Have Vietnamese citizenship or legal residence in Vietnam
• Being born between 09 December 2008 – 01 March 2011
• Speak English (ability to communicate/interact) and basic language communication skills of the destination country language.
• Have an interest in global citizenship competencies. Curiosity and willingness to interact with new cultures
• Ability and willingness to travel abroad, unaccompanied, to any of the four scholarship destinations: France, Germany, Italy, and Thailand.
• Talented young people from all backgrounds who reflect the diversity of the population, particularly young women, underrepresented populations, and students with financial need, are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Be attending a high school (not graduated)
• Have a valid and current passport or be able to issue one after applying for the scholarships

AFS will determine the scholarship winners and the country of destination. After reviewing if the candidates are eligible for the scholarship based on the eligibility requirements, AFS will invite pre-selected candidates to an online interview (group and individual). The panelists will be composed of AFS Staff and Alumni. If the selected winner does not accept the scholarship destination, AFS will replace the candidate with another one.

No. AFS in the country of destination of your scholarship will determine the city, school, and host family you are staying with based on your application form.

An official transcript of grades cannot be guaranteed, though it is often provided. It will depend on the ability to participate in classroom activities and other factors depending on each country and local school. The school can provide a certificate of participation upon satisfactory program completion in France, Germany and Italy.

Please provide the grades from the most recent two and a half academic year you have completed (2023 – 2024, 2024 -2025 and 1st semester of 2025 – 2026).

• Assistance with the application process
• Selection and preparation
• International Airfare
• Domestic transportation to the airport of departure
• Travel and Medical insurance
• Visa application assistance
• Language learning resources
• Airport pick-up
• Domestic transportation while abroad
• Placement with a host family vetted by AFS or boarding school according to your program
• Meals at home
• Enrollment in a high school
• School transportation and books
• Pre-departure and post-return orientations in Vietnam
• Arrival, Midstay and End of Stay orientations in the hosting country
• 24/7 emergency support
• Certificate of participation from school upon satisfactory program completion

• Issue of your passport
• School uniform (if required)
• Meals at school (if not provided)
• Visa application costs
• Resident permit costs
• Pocket money during the study abroad exchange (AFS will inform the estimated amount for each destination)
• Vaccinations, immunizations, and other disease-preventing medications
• Any necessary pre-trip doctor visits
• Excessive baggage fees
• Excursions, school trips, holidays

You will live with host families vetted and selected by the AFS organization in that host country. AFS is committed to diversity of all kinds, and our host families come from all backgrounds that reflect the diversity of the populations of each country where we operate. All host families are carefully vetted and approved by AFS before being selected to host students. Local AFS volunteers and staff will also be available to help you acclimate to your new living environment abroad.

Our students’ health, safety, and well-being are our top priority. AFS volunteers and staff are committed and trained to support students and their families throughout the AFS experience. AFS has consistent guidelines that apply to all AFS organizations. Local AFS volunteers and staff will also be available to help you acclimate to your living environment abroad. All AFS organizations also have a local 24-hour emergency contact number that is always monitored.

Yes. AFS will make every effort to update you on regulations regarding vaccination and requirements in your assigned host country. Please be aware that vaccination and travel requirements can change quickly or unexpectedly, outside of AFS’s control. Once AFS learns about changes and understands how these changes will impact you and your program, we will inform you and your emergency contact immediately. If you hear about potential changes before we notify you, please contact us – we may seek further clarification from government officials or others involved in determining such regulations.

By going abroad in high school, you can change your world in ways that are both visible to you personally, and visible to your friends, family, teachers, and future peers and colleagues. Many AFSers say that their experience was “transformational”. They gain new maturity and independence, and develop a better understanding of what their passions and long-term goals are. They also share that they’re better prepared than many of their peers for the college application and interview process.

There are practical benefits to going abroad in high school too, like gaining language fluency, developing critical intercultural communication skills, and forming lifelong connections that span the globe and often last a lifetime.

The impact of going abroad is different for everyone.

For most AFS programs, you’ll live with a carefully-screened, volunteer host family. AFS families come in all different shapes and sizes, but every one of them has a connection to a local AFS volunteer, and has gone through an orientation that helped them prepare for hosting a student. Most families live in towns or cities with small to medium populations. Because your host family selection will be based in part on your personality and interests, we’re not able to accept requests for placement in a specific city or region. This is why it’s important to be flexible!

On most dorm-based programs, you’ll live together with other students from around the world, and will have a program leader on-duty 24/7. Each dorm experience is different; check out the specific program page for more details.

Your academic experience will vary greatly based on your host country. Either way, going to school abroad is an immensely effective way to learn another language. Most classes will be taught in the local dialect, and sure, you might be confused at first! But if you’re like most AFSers on year or semester programs, by the midpoint of your program or even sooner, you shouldn’t have much of a problem following along. Just remember: it’s all a part of the immersion experience.

Your specific school placement will depend on a lot of factors, including where your host family lives. You may or may not attend the same school as your host siblings, if you have any. No matter what, you won’t have to pay extra for your schooling – that’s all included in the program fee (though you may need to buy a uniform, which is not included).

Upon arrival, you’ll see AFS staff or volunteers waiting to greet you at the airport. In some cases, you’ll be brought directly to a welcome orientation that may last anywhere from a day to a week depending on your program. In other cases, you’ll go straight to your host family upon arrival and attend a welcome orientation at a later date. The trip to your host community could be by car, train, bus, or even airplane depending on the distance, but you’ll likely travel with fellow AFSers who will also be living in your community. Alternatively, your host family could come pick you up and you’ll all travel together.

As a volunteer-based organization that has been implementing exchange programs for over 75 years, AFS has an extensive support network for you, your family in Vietnam, and your host family abroad. There are local AFS staff and volunteers in every host country, as well as a support staff here in Vietnam – there will always be someone on-call, 24/7.

While you’re abroad, your first level of support will be your host family or group leader. You’ll also have an additional volunteer “liaison” who will serve as your personal bridge to your new host family, community and culture.

Even if you’re already insured under your family’s medical plan, your program fee includes secondary medical insurance. As part of our commitment to your health and safety, this plan ensures that you can get medical treatment as soon as possible in the case of an emergency.

Travel to other areas in the region may be allowed with permission from your parents and AFS in your host country, especially if it’s at the end of your program. Too much travel can keep you from really immersing yourself in the local culture, but short trips can be a great way to learn more about the area. You might also have the opportunity to go on organized trips with your school or other AFSers. Travel back to Vietnam, however, is only allowed under very rare circumstances.

If you have friends or family who want to visit, the visit must be approved by AFS and we strongly recommend arranging it for the end of your program so that it’s not disruptive to your experience.

Yep. Because your health and safety is our #1 priority, there are a number of country-specific rules that you’ll need to respect. Each one is designed based on cultural norms and sensitivities. There are also three global rules that all AFS students must follow: 1) no drugs, 2) no driving, and 3) no hitchhiking.

If you break those rules or do anything to purposefully behave out-of-line, you can be sent home early. Going abroad is a big deal; we want to help you represent your country well and stay safe while doing so.

The application is our way of learning about you. There are two main parts: one is personal information that you can fill out on your own or with the help of your parents; the other involves information that you’ll need to gather from people who know you, like your doctor and teachers.

We recommend giving yourself about 2-3 weeks to complete the application, but that time varies student-by-student.

When reviewing applications, our study abroad team is looking for students who are open-minded, resilient, compassionate, and adaptable. Applicants must demonstrate these qualities in essay questions and an interview when applying for our prestigious scholarships and programs. We also expect students to reflect on and share with us the learning they experience while abroad and contribute to the AFS mission when they return home.

AFS offers a wide range of program experiences, locations, and durations. Each program will offer unique eligibility guidelines that are included within our program pages. Program eligibility ranges from country to country, but basic requirements include age, GPA, medical prescriptions, or medical histories and conditions. Our overseas partners will evaluate your application while keeping in mind their own cultural realities – visit our program pages for specific eligibility requirements by country.

Based on differences in culture, strict government regulation of medications, and other local customs, it has been our experience that not all of our international AFS partners are able to support students with certain diagnoses, including but not limited to, severe allergies, strict dietary restrictions, ADD/ADHD, and those currently taking or who have taken psychotropic medications and/or received counseling for mental/psychological issues within the past year. If this applies to you, please get in touch with AFS Study Abroad Specialist early so that we can determine the right experience for you.

Different programs are right for different people. For example, you may need prior language experience or a higher GPA for some school-based programs, while for others there won’t be any academic or language skills requirements. You can find eligibility requirements on each program’s page. Across the board, AFS experiences are designed for students who are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy, open-minded and flexible, and willing and able to try new things.

Maybe, but we can’t guarantee it since it’s ultimately up to your hosting school to decide. We suggest talking with your teachers and guidance counselors as early as possible, so that you can all do your best to fit an international experience into your high school plans. We recommend keeping records of the classes you take while abroad to show your school after you return. While we’re happy to talk you through the process, AFS can’t work directly with your school at home or abroad to ensure credit.

No matter which program you go on, you’ll definitely need a passport. In fact, you’ll need to have one in order to secure your spot on most programs, so we recommend taking care of it sooner than later since it can take 3-4 weeks to arrive.

The other document you may need is a visa. A visa is a stamp or document placed in your passport that allows you to enter and live temporarily in your host country. It’s required for all year and semester programs, and some summer programs. It is your responsibility to obtain your visa, but we’ll help you through the process. We recognize that obtaining a visa can be time consuming, but please do not begin applying for your visa until you are notified by AFS.