Short answer: who sets the IELTS fee in Ho Chi Minh City
In Ho Chi Minh City you book IELTS with IDP Vietnam or British Council Vietnam, and each publishes its own fees and session calendar. Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service: we do not register candidates or set any exam fee, so this page gives no amounts or test dates, only where to read them.
Fees can change, and IDP's test day page says its IELTS fee applies nationwide.
What the fee pages list, test type by test type
What the fee pages listed on 21 October 2026, without the amounts:
| Test | IDP Vietnam | British Council Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Academic and General Training | One fee for both. IDP's Writing on Paper page says the Academic and General Training fees are the same. | One row: “IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training - in centre”. |
| Computer or Writing on Paper | The fee row reads simply “IELTS tests” (“Lệ phí thi IELTS” on its Vietnamese page), with no separate Writing on Paper line; ielts.org's District 3 page lists Writing on Paper at the same fee. | A single “IELTS test fee” line, with no separate line by format. |
| Paper-based IELTS | IDP says it has stopped running IELTS on paper. | Paper only in two cases: Special Arrangements, and very limited cases at partner educational institutions. |
| IELTS for UKVI | Its own line, at a higher fee than standard IELTS. | Its own line, at a higher fee than standard IELTS. |
| One Skill Retake | Its own line, plus a separate line for the UKVI retake. IDP says the fee is the same whichever skill you retake. | Its own line, plus a separate line for the UKVI retake. |
On that day the amounts for standard IELTS, IELTS for UKVI, Life Skills, One Skill Retake and the UKVI retake were identical on the two providers' fee pages. IDP notes that its figures apply with VAT at 8% for a period ending in late 2026, and that VAT policy may change. British Council says it accepts payment only in Vietnam Dong.
Where exactly to look on each provider's page
- IDP: the IDP fee and payment page has a table headed “Lệ phí thi IELTS và các loại phí khác” (IELTS fees and other fees). In the Ho Chi Minh City session list each session shows a fee before the button “Chọn và tiếp tục” (choose and continue); when we checked, it matched the fee page.
- British Council: the IELTS and other services fees page, and the table under “How to do your IELTS exam booking online in Vietnam?” on Book your IELTS test.
IELTS test dates in Ho Chi Minh City: how far ahead sessions are listed
IDP. The Ho Chi Minh City list showed 1,304 sessions on 21 October 2026. Each session shows the date, start time, venue, format, One Skill Retake availability and fee. IDP's 2026 schedule table shows Ho Chi Minh City as “7 days a week” in every month column and notes that computer test days include Academic and General Training. Its registration guide warns that the schedule can change with candidate numbers and venue. We could not see the last date in the list, so we cannot say how far ahead IDP releases sessions.
British Council. The dates, fees and locations page has two date sections. Its month table for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is out of date: on 21 October 2026 the latest month it listed was April 2026, already past, though the table still points to the booking portal for each venue's detailed schedule. The same page also has a list of upcoming sessions, each with its test type, location and fee, and a “See more dates and book” button that links to the booking portal. The portal refused our automated check, so we could not see how far ahead its sessions run.
How to register for IELTS in Ho Chi Minh City
With IDP Vietnam
- Online: choose the test, location and date, log in or create an account (one per candidate, with your own email), fill in your details and pay by card, QR code or bank transfer.
- In person: IDP's registration offices in Ho Chi Minh City are at 161-161A Hai Bà Trưng, Xuân Hòa ward (former District 3); 14th floor, 77 Trần Nhân Tôn, An Đông ward (former District 5); and 2 Nguyễn Thị Thập, Tân Hưng ward (former District 7). IDP also takes registrations through partners.
- Confirmation: IDP emails a registration confirmation within 3 working days of registering and paying, and confirms the time and venue by email within 2 days before the written test. If nothing arrives, call IDP's hotline, 1900 6955.
With British Council Vietnam
- Online or through partners: book in the portal or through an authorised registration partner, with a valid ID card or passport; candidates under 18 must be registered by a parent or guardian.
- Payment: online by credit card, local ATM card or QR code, or offline by bank transfer or at the point of sale in British Council's exams services department, 1st floor, Viettel Building, 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam Road, Hoa Hung ward.
- Confirmation: you are registered once payment is complete, and British Council emails a booking confirmation. On the computer test, Speaking may fall on the same day or within seven days before or after the main test date.
British Council says you can book as late as one day before registration closes, depending on location and date; book early if you have a deadline.
Changing or cancelling: where the Vietnam policies are
IDP's transfer and cancellation page says a valid cancellation, made in writing on IDP's form at an IDP office 15 days before the test date, refunds 75% of the fee, and that no refund is made without the original VAT invoice. British Council's policy for Academic and General Training gives a 75% refund for cancellations 15 or more days before the test and none within 14 days; transfers 15 or more days ahead carry no admin fee, transfers 5 to 14 days ahead carry a 25% admin fee, and none are allowed under 5 days. Both providers have separate rules for IELTS for UKVI.
When the provider pages disagree
Four mismatches we found on 21 October 2026:
- British Council's month table is out of date (it stops at April 2026), while the list of upcoming sessions on the same page is current.
- British Council's booking page says you have 24 hours to complete registration and payment or the registration is cancelled automatically; a notice lower on the same page says the system holds a registration for 72 hours and asks you to pay within the first 24. Pay within 24 hours.
- IDP's registration guide says computer results come out within 2 days, while its Ho Chi Minh City sessions show “Results in 1 to 5 days”.
- IDP's Ho Chi Minh City session list puts IDP Lê Văn Sỹ under video-call Speaking, but IDP's own Lê Văn Sỹ centre page says Speaking there is in person, and IDP's Vietnamese article on computer-delivered IELTS also lists it among the in-person sites. Confirm the Speaking format with IDP before you pay.
What to do: trust what the provider's own booking system shows when you pay, keep a screenshot, and ask the provider first if anything differs. Do not rely on a figure copied onto another site, including this one.
Test venues in Ho Chi Minh City
IDP's venue list includes IDP Hai Bà Trưng, IDP Lê Văn Sỹ and IDP Nguyễn Thị Thập alongside other venues. IDP's Ho Chi Minh City page says Speaking is face to face at IDP Hai Bà Trưng and IDP Nguyễn Thị Thập, and by video call at the locations named in its note, including IDP Lê Văn Sỹ; IDP's own Lê Văn Sỹ centre page says otherwise (see the mismatches above), and IDP's Speaking page (in English and in Vietnamese) says all Speaking tests are face to face with an examiner, while its English announcement of IELTS tests in Vietnam allows a secure video-conference platform in certain situations and its Vietnamese announcement says candidates can take Speaking face to face or online with an examiner at an official test centre. IDP's Vietnamese page says its Writing on Paper option runs at three sites, one each in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang; its English page carries the note "selected countries from mid-2026" and says IDP Vietnam candidates can still take IELTS on computer or on computer with Writing on Paper, but names no site or city. British Council publishes its venue list on its venue page (summarised in our venues guide, linked next); we could not read its booking portal, so we cannot say which venue offers which test or Speaking format. See IELTS test venues in Ho Chi Minh City (in Vietnamese: địa điểm thi IELTS tại TPHCM).
Planning a One Skill Retake? Both providers require the full test on computer at a centre that offers the retake. Both providers set a 60-day limit but word it differently, and IDP's own pages differ: IDP's Vietnamese page says to register within 60 days of the original test, while its English page says to sit the retake within 60 days of the full test; British Council says to sit the retake within 60 days of the full test, with registration deadlines that apply. Confirm the exact limit with your provider. See One Skill Retake or full retake and IELTS Academic vs General Training.
Coaching with Mike: a separate price, set by us
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA, is based in Hanoi and teaches every session himself, one-to-one and live on Google Meet in English. In Vietnam a 60-minute session costs 500,000 ₫, and the paid 30-minute trial costs 150,000 ₫, once per student. The booking calendar shows each time in your own time zone, payment options are shown on the booking page, and you can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before a session. No band is promised.
See also: online IELTS tutor in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese version), the Hanoi fees and dates guide, the computer-delivered test, about Mike and the Vietnamese version of this page.