Guidance

Vietnam: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Updated 29 September 2026

If you have been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek appropriate medical advice and attention
• report to local police
• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas and what to expect

First steps

The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. If you contact us, we will listen to you, support you and provide you with as much information as possible to help you decide what to do.

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. It offers practical advice and information specific to local customs, processes and procedures.

If possible, have photographs taken of your injuries and retain the clothing you were wearing. You may decide not to proceed with a criminal investigation however having photos and retaining evidence can be useful if you change your mind at a later date.

You can contact us 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week on +44(0)20 7008 5000 or by dialling the local numbers provided below during office hours. As soon as we can one of our Embassy staff and/or Consular Team based in Vietnam will contact you.

British Embassy Hanoi

Central Building, 4th floor
31 Hai Ba Trung
Cua Nam Ward
Hanoi
Tel: +84 (0) 2439360500
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 4pm
Friday: 8.30am to to 3pm

British Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City

25 Le Duan Street
Sai Gon Ward
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 (0) 2838251380
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 4pm
Friday: 8.30am to 3pm

Contact us online

Consular staff will be empathetic and non-judgmental. They can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence.

They can contact:

• your family or friends for you if you wish
• your tour operator if you are travelling with one

If you wish to speak with an experienced support worker, you can speak in confidence to: Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Live Online Support. Live Online Support is an online service that gives British survivors of sexual violence access to UK-based real time support from anywhere in the world.

The local authorities rarely speak good English, are difficult to contact and not experienced in dealing directly with foreigners. If you wish, we can support you when contacting them.

For information on support available in the UK, see rape and sexual assault: returning to the UK.

Getting medical treatment

Your safety and health are paramount. Even if you decide not to report what has happened to the police, you should see a doctor.

They can determine if you have been injured in any way and give you advice regarding emergency contraception and sexually transmitted infections. Vietnam is a high-risk country in terms of sexually transmitted diseases.

You can find information about medical facilities in Vietnam and choose a medical provider close to you.

Medical attention is available at public hospitals and private clinics or hospitals. Please note that at public hospitals the medical staff may not speak English. A private hospital or clinic is more likely to offer an environment like what you might expect at home. We will do our best to provide Consular staff to accompany you if you would like us to, and where possible. This may not be possible outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Try not to wash or change your clothes immediately after a sexual assault. This may destroy forensic evidence that could be important if you decide to report the assault to the police.

Where to go for medical treatment

There are no dedicated rape or sexual assault referral centres in Vietnam. While many hospitals and medical facilities can provide emergency medical treatment, not all hospitals will have staff trained in responding to rape and sexual assault cases, nor will all facilities be able to provide forensic examinations or evidence collection.

We recommend referring to our Vietnam hospital pack, which contains information on hospitals and medical facilities that may be able to assist.

If you are unsure where to seek treatment, consular staff may be able to provide general information on available medical facilities in your area. However, we cannot guarantee the services available at any particular hospital or clinic.

HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) medication

If it is possible that you may have been exposed to the HIV virus, you should go to a hospital/clinic urgently to obtain advice, Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) check-up and as indicated Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) treatment. More information on PEP is available on the NHS website.

PEP medication must be started within 72 hours of the assault for it to be effective.

Not all public and private hospitals have PEP medication readily available.

PEP medication is strictly regulated in Vietnam. You will need to have a consultation with a doctor/HIV AIDS specialist before you can obtain the PEP from big pharmacy chain like Long Chau. In Vietnamese PEP medication is “thuốc phòng bệnh sau phơi nhiễm/tiếp xúc với HIV”.

PEP medication consists of 28 days of treatment that may reduce your risk of contracting HIV, you can continue the treatment with the NHS on your return to the UK.

You will need to pay for treatment and tests at both public, private hospitals and clinics. We can help you reach out to family or friends for their financial support if needed.

Emergency contraception (morning after pill)

Emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours (3 days) of the incident for it to be effective.

Emergency contraception is sold over the counter at most pharmacies. In Vietnamese emergency contraception is “thuốc tránh thai khẩn cấp”.

We suggest that you seek medical guidance as the dose, frequency, side effects and efficacy all depend on using the medication properly.

If you have any medication administered in Vietnam, you may wish to keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you let your local health provider know when you return home.

Insurance

If you received medical treatment abroad, your travel insurance may cover you for any personal injuries resulting from a crime and any belongings you lost at the time of the assault. It is likely that for the claim to be valid the crime is reported to the closest police station to where the assault took place. Check your policy, which may cover other costs incurred as a victim of crime, including legal fees.

If insurance will not cover/you do not have an active policy, you will be required to cover all medical expenses. Please note that, depending on the facility, payment is usually required up front at private hospitals until the claim is approved.

Consular support

We can support you:

Immediately: listen without judging, provide details of where you can get medical treatment, and accompany you to the police or medical centre if practically possible. If you are a long way from the Embassy or Consulate-General and we cannot get to you, we will try to liaise with local police and tour operator via telephone. We are able to support with relaying information between you and the police, however we are unable to provide any formal interpretation or sign on any documents as a witness or interpreter.

Over the first few days: help you to contact friends or family, provide details of support agencies, and explain the reporting process.

In the longer term: support you through the process should you decide to report to the police and signpost you to organisations in the UK who can help you on your return home.

Before you go to the police station

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in an area where there is a British embassy, high commission or consulate, they will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate on +44(0)20 7008 5000  so you can get consular support.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained.

Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, take those you were wearing at the time of the incident to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts.

Potential risks

If you are considering reporting a rape or sexual assault to the police in Vietnam, you should be aware that, depending on the circumstances of the investigation, the police may request alcohol or drug testing.

Vietnam has strict drug laws (including cannabis), and a positive drug test may lead to legal consequences, regardless of whether the substances were taken voluntarily or prior to the assault. In some circumstances, a positive result may lead to questioning by the authorities, administrative penalties, or further investigation. Foreign nationals may also face additional immigration consequences, including impacts on their visa status.

If you believe you may have been drugged as part of the assault, it is important to tell medical staff and police as soon as possible. You should be aware that reporting an assault and seeking forensic evidence may also reveal the presence of illegal substances. The British Embassy/Consulate cannot prevent local authorities from enforcing Vietnamese law, but consular staff can provide information about local procedures, support services, and how to access legal representation if required.

Reporting the incident to the police in Vietnam

If you choose to report the crime in Vietnam, make sure you do it at the nearest police station to where the incident occurred.

You may want to ask a friend or someone you trust to go to the police station with you – many people find it helpful not to be alone. The police may not speak English so, if possible, take a Vietnamese speaker with you. You can find a list of English-speaking translators.

The police will arrange for the collection of forensic evidence and medical examination. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence.

If you change your clothes, think about taking those items you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts. Tell the police if you think you have been drugged. If you want the crime to be investigated, you will need to report it in Vietnam and undergo a medical examination at a public health facility or forensic centre chosen by the police.

Few Vietnamese police officers have received special training in handling rape and sexual assault cases, and you are likely to experience some confusion when reporting an incident to the police. Some victims have found the process of reporting the assault difficult and quite different from what they would expect of UK police proceedings.

The reporting procedure is likely to be time consuming. If you need an interpreter, the police may provide one (either an English-speaking police officer or a professional interpreter). Please note that there is no guarantee of the quality of the interpreter. You will make your statement in English and it will be translated into Vietnamese by the translator.

Insist you get a copy of the police report and if you are asked to sign on documents, make sure you understand and agree with the content, if not don’t sign. Let us know if you have any difficulties and we will speak with the police if we are not with you at the time.

If you approach the police directly, you can ask them to contact either the British Embassy in Hanoi on 024 3936 0500 or the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City on 028 3825 1380 so that we can facilitate and support you. If you are in an area where we can reach you, we will try to send a consular officer to support you.

You will normally be asked to make your initial report at the police station closest to where the incident took place. The police officer at this police station will file your report and it is likely they will later transfer your case to another office at a higher level of city level. When reporting the incident to the police you can state your preference for a female or male officer, but there may not always be female officers available.

According to Vietnamese Penal Code, rape is an extremely serious crime. The penalties extend to life imprisonment and even death penalty in the case of victims under 16 years of age. There is no gender discrimination, i.e., it is applied equally to both male and female offenders. Also, there is no distinction made between Vietnamese and foreign offenders. There are also several provisions on sexual abuse or assault with different penalties based on the level of violation.

Reporting the crime: what happens next

You will be required to make a statement giving all details of the incident and may be asked to repeat it several times. Expect questions which you may think irrelevant e.g.: have you been drinking, did you invite the person to your room, etc. You may find officers can lack empathy.

After your statement has been taken, the police will make an appointment for you at a local forensic centre to collect evidence which would be accepted in court. The evidence would be used if you wish to bring a case against a perpetrator. Evidence collected elsewhere will not be accepted in court. The staff at the forensic centre may not speak English and there may be little privacy and information of the process they carry out at the forensic centre.

Please note however any forensic evidence must be collected at a police approved health facility or forensic centre for it to be considered for a prosecution. Public hospitals will only treat any obvious life-threatening physical injuries but are not able to collect any forensic evidence. It is your choice whether to report the crime, but if you don’t report it, your case will not be investigated.

The forensic medical examination: what to expect

Public hospitals and medical centres will treat obvious injuries. More comprehensive medical attention is available at private clinics or hospitals. They may report the incident or results to the police, but any forensic evidence collected anywhere other than a police approved centre cannot be used in court.

The medical examination at the forensic centre will be conducted by a doctor. Please note that the purpose of this examination is solely to collect evidence, not as a medical check-up or to test for STDs or HIV. Where possible and if you wish us to, we will go with you.

The examination may involve a pelvic exam, vaginal/penile/anal swabs, fingernail scrapings, and blood samples. These samples will be used as forensic evidence. If the police have a suspect, they may also order them to be examined. The police may also take pictures of places on your body where there is evidence of violence such as cuts or bruises which may be at risk of being shared/or published, and they may keep some of your clothing as evidence.

You might also be required to pay for the examination fee. Most establishments accept card payments and local QR payments. Additionally, there may not be any female doctors available to carry out your examination.

Police investigations in Vietnam: what to expect

After a statement is given, the police may require you to identify the scene where the attack happened either by going back there or reviewing a CCTV record. If they detain someone, they may ask you to identify them. It is possible that you and the suspect will be put in the same room to recount the incident.  Depending on the location we will try to come with you if you want us to, and if the police allow us to.

Once someone is detained, the police have up to 20 days to do an initial investigation and collect evidence. In complex cases this time limit may extend up to 2 to 4 months maximum.

When the police have enough evidence, they will submit the case to the Prosecution Office for a decision on a formal arrest. Once the attacker is formally arrested the police will be allowed more time to continue the investigation. If an investigation must be extended due to the complexity of the case it can be subject to a number of extensions.

When the police believe they have enough evidence for a prosecution, they will present the case to the Prosecution Office again. If the case is suitable for prosecution, it will be submitted to a court, who will arrange a trial. If it is not, it may be sent back to the police for further investigation or may be suspended without further action.

From detention to trial normally takes 2 to 4 months. A more complex case could take even longer. You don’t have to appoint your own lawyer, but you do have the right to, especially if you want to attach a civil claim to the criminal case. The Embassy/ Consulate has a list of English-speaking lawyers.

A lawyer can make a statement in front of the public prosecutor when the prosecution is decided. At this stage the lawyer is entitled to have access to the victim/case notes. The law in Vietnam does allow lawyers to do pro bono work in the case of individuals on low incomes. Whether a lawyer would offer a pro bono service is totally up to them. It is extremely unlikely pro bono services would be provided to a foreign national.

You can leave Vietnam after the case is filed. You must inform the police or prosecutor before you do and there may be some paperwork you need to sign. If you leave Vietnam, we can keep you updated on the progress of the case if you wish.

Court procedures: what to expect

If the police and prosecutor decide there is sufficient evidence, the case may be referred to court for trial. Once a court hearing has been scheduled, the court will normally notify the British Embassy or Consulate-General. This notification can sometimes be given at very short notice. We will contact you as soon as we receive any information.

Under Vietnamese law, victims are entitled to be informed about the progress of their case. However, most communications from the authorities will be in Vietnamese. Many victims therefore choose to appoint a lawyer to help them obtain information and navigate the legal process.

If the authorities decide that further investigation is required, you may be asked to provide additional statements or evidence.

Once criminal proceedings have commenced, the decision on whether to continue the case rests with the authorities. While a victim may submit a written request to withdraw their complaint, the authorities may proceed with the case if they believe a crime has been committed.

Trial procedures

If a suspect is ordered to stand trial, the court will decide whether your attendance is required. Your lawyer or the authorities should advise you whether you need to provide evidence in court.

Court proceedings are conducted in Vietnamese. If required to attend, you should be provided with interpretation assistance through the court process.

Victims are not necessarily required to attend every court hearing. Whether you need to attend, and at which stages, will depend on the circumstances of the case and any requests made by the court.

If you have returned to the UK before a trial takes place, you should discuss with your lawyer and the investigating authorities whether your attendance will be required. Requirements vary depending on the circumstances of the case.

The Vietnamese authorities do not provide financial assistance for travel, accommodation or related expenses incurred by victims who return to Vietnam to attend court proceedings.

The length of time between a report being made and a trial taking place varies significantly depending on the complexity of the case and the investigative process. Similarly, the length of any trial and the time taken for a judgment to be issued will vary from case to case.

The defendant has the right to appeal a conviction or sentence in accordance with Vietnamese law. Your lawyer can advise you further on any appeal proceedings.

Hiring a lawyer

Victims are not required to appoint a lawyer, but many choose to do so.

A privately hired lawyer can:

• explain the Vietnamese legal process
• communicate with police, prosecutors and courts on your behalf
• help you obtain updates on the progress of the case
• assist with translations and interpretation of legal documents
• accompany you during interviews and court proceedings where permitted

See our list of English-speaking lawyers in Vietnam.

Legal aid and compensation

Vietnam does not have a government compensation scheme for foreign nationals covering physical or psychological injuries resulting from rape or sexual assault.

However, it may be possible to seek compensation from the defendant through the criminal proceedings by attaching a civil compensation claim to the criminal case. Compensation may cover losses or injuries arising from the offence.

In some cases, where the court determines that additional evidence is needed regarding compensation, the civil aspect may be considered separately from the criminal proceedings.

A lawyer can advise you on the options available and the likelihood of recovering compensation.

Receiving updates about your case

The investigating authorities are responsible for communicating developments in the case. If you appoint a lawyer, they can receive updates on your behalf and help explain court documents, procedural decisions and correspondence from the authorities.

If you are no longer resident in Vietnam, you should discuss with the authorities and your lawyer how future communications will be managed. A lawyer may be able to act as your local point of contact.

If you choose not to appoint a lawyer, you are still entitled to receive updates on the progress of your case. However, any communications from the authorities will generally be provided in Vietnamese.

Getting further help in Vietnam

CSAGA is a non-governmental organisation based in Hanoi offering a dedicated psychological counselling service for victims throughout Vietnam. Call advice line: 024 3333 55 99. More information can be found on their website.

British nationals can use the Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Centre live online support a service that gives survivors of sexual violence access to UK-based real time support from anywhere in the world, via Skype, FaceTime, instant messenger and email. More information including the live online support is available on their website.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Vietnam

The British Embassy or Consulate will be able to support you by helping you to contact your insurance company, your family, travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support in the UK. We can provide you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators. We may also be able to accompany you to the local hospital (location dependent).

If you are travelling with a tour operator, you can report the incident to them and ask for their assistance. Where possible and if you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital. Do not allow non-official authorities such as the hotel management or tour operator to persuade you to manage the issue internally.

It’s your choice whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case may not be investigated. You should still be able to access medical services without reporting the crime.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you and your access to justice may depend on where you report the crime.

You may need to report the crime before you leave Vietnam if you want it to be investigated and police to obtain important evidence.

If you live in, or are staying in, Vietnam and the crime took place there, you should report it to the local authorities. If you need help to report the crime, you can contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.

If you do not report the crime in Vietnam and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to the local UK police.

The UK police should send the information you provide to Vietnam. However, foreign police forces decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in Vietnam. This might be necessary to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

When you return to the UK

If you think there is a risk that you have contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country where the assault took place.

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) know what has happened to you. You can talk to them about your experience, and they can help you get further support and advice where you live.

England

Help after rape or sexual assault

Rape Crisis England and Wales

NHS Choices

Scotland

NHS Inform Scotland: Help after rape or sexual assault

Wales

New Pathways: Life Beyond Sexual Violence

Ynys Saff SARC

Rape Crisis England and Wales

Northern Ireland

The Rowan (SARC)

Nexus NI

Timeline of a rape and sexual assault reporting process

This infographic outlines the typical process for reporting rape or sexual assault and the steps that may follow.

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK government officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither the UK government nor any official of British embassies, high commissions or consulates accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (2 February 2022).