The Beauty Link team wrote this page in October 2026 from the sources listed under each part. No doctor has reviewed it, so please take questions about your own health to your surgeon.
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?
Hanoi is Vietnam's capital, in the north of the country. Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city, sits near the Mekong River delta. Beauty Link works in both, so you need not pick a city first.
- Help from home. Australia and New Zealand each have their embassy in Hanoi and a consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Weather. The rainy season usually runs from June to November. Smartraveller says typhoons mostly hit the coasts of the north and centre, and less often the south.
- Air. Air pollution in big cities can be high, most of all from January to March.
- Standards. Smartraveller says foreign private clinics in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang may not meet Australian standards, and that quality can vary between hospitals in one country.
Either way, check the specific hospital and surgeon. Our guide to plastic surgery in Ho Chi Minh City covers the south.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Smartraveller (Vietnam and medical tourism), SafeTravel New Zealand, Beauty Link team records
Checks to make before you choose a hospital
In October 2026, the Google Australia top 10 for this search included agency guides, a single hospital's own page, a surgeon profile, clinic directories and social media posts. A long list of names cannot tell you if a place suits your procedure. Beauty Link partners with hospitals only, never clinics, but a licence is where your checks begin, not a promise.
Smartraveller suggests asking whether the local authorities have accredited the hospital. It also says to confirm your surgeon is qualified and accredited, and that most countries list this on an official website. The NHS adds that it helps to learn how surgeons and clinics are regulated where you are going.
Then talk to the surgeon. Questions drawn from the NHS and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS):
- What training do you have in plastic surgery?
- Which professional groups are you a member of?
- How much experience do you have with operations like mine?
- At which hospitals are you allowed to do this?
- What could go wrong for me, and what happens then?
- May I look at before and after photos from your own patients?
- Will you explain things in a language I understand?
Smartraveller adds two tips: be careful if a hospital quotes risks far lower than you hear in Australia, and check that the surgeon and hospital carry indemnity and malpractice cover. Our page on Vietnam plastic surgery hospital checks goes into more detail.
Sources: Google Australia search results for this topic (October 2026), Smartraveller, NHS, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Beauty Link team records
Your consultation and your choice
The NHS advises two consultations, both with your own surgeon, before any operation, and not meetings with sales staff alone. Your surgeon should help you understand what the procedure involves, what it cannot do, the other options and the risks.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that cosmetic tourists often deal with staff who have no medical training, and are asked for payment early. So ask for time with your surgeon, and give yourself room to think before you agree. The NHS also warns against paying for a hospital before you have seen it.
Whether a procedure suits you, and which technique is used, is a medical decision. Ask your surgeon directly: am I a good candidate for this?
Sources: NHS, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Planning your trip to Hanoi
- Before you land. Smartraveller says people arriving at Hanoi's international airport are encouraged to complete a Digital Pre-Arrival Form online, within 72 hours of arrival.
- From the airport. SafeTravel New Zealand suggests booking your airport transfer ahead, or making sure you take a real taxi. Beauty Link arranges airport pickup in Vietnam.
- Bring support. Smartraveller suggests travelling with someone, since they may need to help you or decide things for you if something goes wrong.
- Phone numbers. The medical emergency number is 115, but Smartraveller says it runs in Vietnamese only and may be unreliable. The NHS suggests finding out what happens if there are complications, so ask the hospital who to contact.
The NHS says you will need to rest after surgery abroad. Its list of things to avoid includes alcohol, lying in the sun, going sightseeing and getting in the water. Ask your surgeon about aftercare for your own case. Read more on whether plastic surgery in Vietnam is safe.
Sources: Smartraveller, SafeTravel New Zealand, NHS, Beauty Link team records
Flying home and care after you leave
The NHS warns that a long flight adds to the blood clot risk that comes with major surgery, and that a clot can be life threatening. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons points out that this risk climbs when a large operation is followed by a long flight home. The NHS gives these general waits before flying:
- breast surgery or liposuction: 5 to 7 days
- a tummy tuck or a facial cosmetic procedure: 7 to 10 days
These are general guides only. Your surgeon in Hanoi will confirm the timing for your case.
Before you book, the NHS suggests asking what happens if there are problems, where your check ups will take place, and how easily you could travel back. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons says that if something goes wrong after cosmetic surgery abroad, it is likely to be treated by health services back in Australia. For breast implants, it describes an Australian Breast Device Registry form you can take overseas, have filled in at the hospital, and submit once you are home. Our breast augmentation in Vietnam guide covers this kind of trip.
Sources: NHS, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
How Beauty Link helps in Hanoi
Beauty Link is a concierge service. We are not a clinic, and we do no surgery. The hospital pays us, so Beauty Link is free for patients. Our Co-founder, Andrew Lam, runs Beauty Link.
- A short quiz tells us your goals and your timing.
- We set up a WhatsApp group for you, the team at a licensed hospital, and your Beauty Link advisor.
- Next, the hospital is asked to go over your options, send a personal treatment plan and quote, say what it includes, and share before and after photos from similar cases.
- Your advisor is in the chat too, for questions and translation.
- Someone meets you at the airport, and your advisor checks on you during recovery and once you are back home.
We help with facial surgery (such as a facelift or eyelid surgery), nose surgery or rhinoplasty, breast surgery, body contouring and non surgical treatments.
Sources: Beauty Link team records
Questions
Aesthetic or cosmetic surgery is any procedure that aims to improve how you look, healthdirect Australia says. Reconstructive surgery is different. It is done to help a damaged part of the body work or look better.
No source we used ranks procedures this way. As a general guide to flying, the NHS suggests a longer wait after tummy tucks and facial work than after breast surgery or liposuction. Your own surgeon decides what fits your plan.
That comes down to the hospital and the surgeon you pick. According to Smartraveller, plenty of overseas hospitals match the standard of Australian ones, but quality in some countries can be poor. Do your checks on the licence, the surgeon and the plan for aftercare before you commit.
We do not publish prices. Every hospital writes its own quote for your case. Smartraveller notes that fixing a complication can cost more, so ask what your quote covers. Our page on plastic surgery Vietnam cost looks at what goes into a quote.
Often not. The NHS says travel insurance does not normally pay out when surgery goes wrong. Medicare does not cover you overseas, Smartraveller says, and basic policies rarely include medical tourism, so look for a policy built for your procedure.
Yes. Smartraveller suggests sharing your plans with your doctor in Australia and having a health check 6 weeks or more before you travel. healthdirect Australia says your doctor can help later too, if something goes wrong.
Sources: healthdirect Australia, NHS, Smartraveller