Key takeaways
- Full-service return economy fares to Ho Chi Minh City run roughly CA$1,000–$1,900 from Toronto and Vancouver on carriers like Air Canada, with much lower budget/multi-stop fares sometimes advertised — treat those as one-way or highly restricted quotes.
- Canadian passport holders must have a visa; the Vietnam e-Visa (single or multiple entry, up to 90 days) must be arranged before travel, entering only through the port of entry named on the approval notice — per the Government of Canada.
- Canadian provincial dental plans and private insurance are built around Canadian providers and do not extend to elective treatment received in Vietnam — plan a Vietnam trip as a self-funded, out-of-pocket expense.
- On a single implant, Picasso Dental's published price of 25,000,000–45,000,000 VND (roughly C$1,340–$2,410) sits well under the typical Canadian all-in price of CA$6,000–$7,000 — a gap referenced from our full Vietnam Dental Price Index.
- Picasso Dental accepts Visa/Mastercard, Vietnam bank transfer and cash in VND across its six branches in four cities.
Canada sits at the far end of the flight-time spectrum for Vietnam dental tourism — a longer trip than Australia or the UK — but the price gap on major procedures is still large enough that many Canadian patients find it worth planning around. This guide covers what a Canadian patient actually needs for a 2026 trip — flights, the e-Visa requirement, what Canadian dental coverage realistically does (and does not) pay for, currency and payment, and a sourced snapshot of how much you could save.
If you have not already compared clinics, our top 10 dental clinics in Vietnam for Canadian patients is the companion piece to this guide, and the Vietnam Dental Price Index 2026 underpins every price comparison below with full sourcing.
Flights from Canada to Ho Chi Minh City
Sourced return economy fares to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN):
- Toronto (YYZ): from around CA$1,519 return on Air Canada, based on 2026 sample dates.
- Vancouver (YVR): roughly CA$1,442–$1,555 return on Air Canada, based on 2026 sample dates.
KAYAK searches for the wider Canadian market have also shown fares as low as CA$492–$599, but this is a notably wide spread against the Air Canada full-service quotes, and those lower figures likely reflect one-way legs or highly restricted fare classes rather than a realistic booking. A more dependable planning band for a genuine full-service economy return is roughly CA$1,000–$1,900. Compare current fares directly and read the fare rules before booking, since Canada's routings often involve a connection through a Northeast Asian or Southeast Asian hub.
Visa rules for Canadian passport holders (2026)
Canadian passport holders must have a visa to enter Vietnam — there is no visa-free entry available for a dental trip. The standard route is the Vietnam e-Visa, applied for online, available as a single- or multiple-entry authorisation valid for up to 90 days. One detail specific to Canada is worth noting: entry is permitted only through the specific port of entry named on your visa approval notice, so double-check that it matches the airport you plan to arrive at. This is confirmed by the Government of Canada's official travel advisory for Vietnam.
Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your entry date and carry at least two blank pages. A digital pre-arrival form is currently encouraged, though not yet mandatory, for entry via Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City. Apply for your e-Visa well ahead of departure, and re-check the current position through official Government of Canada channels close to your travel date, since visa terms can change. Our general guide to getting a dental tourism visa for Vietnam covers how to match your visa length to a realistic treatment-plus-recovery timeline.
What your dental coverage actually pays for
Worth being direct about this: whether you rely on an employer plan, private insurance, or the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan, Canadian dental coverage is structured around Canadian providers and provincial fee guides. None of these mechanisms is built to reimburse elective treatment received in Vietnam. Standard travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected medical or dental emergencies that arise while you're travelling, not a planned course of implants, veneers or crowns you flew abroad specifically to receive; many travel policies explicitly exclude "planned" or "elective" treatment.
The realistic planning assumption is that a Vietnam dental trip is a self-funded, out-of-pocket expense. If you hold a specific plan or travel policy and want certainty, contact the provider directly and get a specific, written answer about overseas elective dental treatment rather than assuming either way.
Currency and payment at Picasso Dental
Picasso Dental prices and invoices in Vietnamese đồng (VND). At the clinic, you can pay by Visa or Mastercard at the point of sale, by Vietnam bank transfer, or with cash in VND — Canadian dollars are not accepted directly. For this guide, VND figures are converted to CAD using the fixed rate CAD ≈ VND ÷ 18,650, the same divisor used consistently across this site's Vietnam dental-tourism pages. Treat every CAD figure as an approximate guide, not the amount your card will actually be charged, since exchange rates move daily.
What you'll actually pay: a savings snapshot
The following compares Picasso Dental's published Vietnam prices with sourced Canadian figures for three commonly compared procedures. Full sourcing for every figure, and five more procedures, sits on the Vietnam Dental Price Index 2026.
| Procedure | Picasso Dental (Vietnam) | Canada (typical) | Source (Canada) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single implant incl. crown | 25,000,000–45,000,000 VND (~C$1,340–$2,410) | roughly CA$6,000–$7,000 all-in (ODA 2025 fixture-only base fee CA$4,165+ plus crown and lab) | KWC Dental (Ontario Dental Association Fee Guide 2025) |
| All-on-4, per arch | 125,000,000–220,000,000 VND (~C$6,700–$11,800) | CA$20,000–$35,000 per arch (secondary sourcing, no provincial figure found) | Canadian clinic cost-guide synthesis |
| Porcelain veneer, per tooth | 9,000,000–12,000,000 VND (~C$480–$645) | CA$800–$2,500 | The Junction Dental |
Both sides of this table are averages or published list prices, never a personal quote — your own price depends on your case, the implant or crown system used, and any additional work needed. For implant treatment specifically, see our complete patient guide to dental implants in Vietnam and the All-on-4 dental implants in Vietnam guide.
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Most international patients base themselves in District 1, close to the city's main hospitals, clinics and dining. Vietnamese hotel booking sites and most listings quote nightly rates in US dollars rather than Canadian dollars, so the figures below are shown in USD, as sourced: budget rooms run roughly US$25–$55 a night, mid-range hotels roughly US$55–$130 a night, and upscale properties roughly US$150–$340-plus a night, with landmark five-star hotels such as the Park Hyatt Saigon sitting above that band. These figures are drawn from The Wayfaring Soul's Ho Chi Minh City accommodation guide and corroborated by listings on Tripadvisor, Expedia and KAYAK.
Given how far Canada sits from Vietnam, a mid-range or upscale hotel with flexible cancellation is a worthwhile buffer, since dental appointments occasionally shift by a day and re-booking flights on short notice from this distance is far more disruptive than re-booking a room. Staying within a short taxi or ride-hailing trip of your clinic also makes follow-up appointments far less stressful, particularly in the days right after a procedure like an implant placement or extraction.
Planning the itinerary around treatment, not the other way around
The most common mistake Canadian patients make is letting the wide spread between budget and full-service airfares distort their planning — the CA$492–$599 fares that turn up in some searches are not what you will actually pay for a realistic return itinerary, and building a schedule around them leads to disappointment once you try to book. Get a written treatment plan from the clinic first, price real full-service fares second, and only then lock in dates. A single-visit trip — veneers, crowns, whitening, or a straightforward extraction — can often be handled comfortably within a week to ten days once you allow for a lab-fabrication wait on any crown or veneer work. Implant cases are different: the fixture needs roughly three to six months to integrate with the bone before the crown can go on, so most implant patients plan two separate trips rather than one long stay, flying home in between while healing happens. If you go this route, remember your e-Visa ties you to a specific port of entry, so book both flights through the airport named on your approval notice.
Build a buffer day or two into both legs of the trip rather than flying out the morning after your last appointment. A crown might need a same-trip adjustment, or your dentist may simply want to see you once more before you fly. If your treatment involves a surgical procedure, also read our guide to flying after dental surgery before you book your return flight, since waiting periods vary by procedure and your treating dentist has the final say on when you are cleared to travel — worth factoring in given how long the return journey to Canada is.
Aftercare once you're back in Canada
Arrange aftercare before you fly home. Ask the treating dentist at Picasso for a written summary of your treatment, the materials or implant system used, and any recommended follow-up, along with copies of imaging. If you have a regular Canadian dentist, share this record with them before or shortly after your trip so they have your history on file for any local check-up. For implant cases, full integration takes roughly three to six months, so a two-trip plan — placement on one visit, the crown on a return trip — is standard, not a sign anything went wrong; just remember each entry needs to go through the port named on your e-Visa, so check that detail again before booking your second flight. Given how far Canada sits from Vietnam, it is also worth asking Picasso directly what they recommend if a problem surfaces after you're home, rather than assuming a quick return visit is realistic. Read our guide to aftercare and guarantees when work goes wrong before you book, alongside what the data says about dental tourism safety.
Related reading: Top 10 dental clinics in Vietnam for Canadian patients, Vietnam Dental Price Index 2026, Dental implants in Vietnam: complete patient guide, and All-on-4 dental implants in Vietnam.
Plan your Vietnam dental trip
Our data-led planning set: verified prices, country-specific logistics and a savings calculator, all built on the same sourced figures:
- Vietnam Dental Price Index 2026
- Dental tourism from Australia
- Dental tourism from the UK
- Dental tourism from the USA
- Dental tourism from New Zealand
- Dental tourism savings calculator
This article is general information for people researching dental care abroad and is not medical, dental, financial, insurance or immigration advice. Flight fares, visa rules and prices change; always confirm current fares and e-Visa requirements through official Government of Canada channels, check your own insurance or dental plan directly with your provider, and confirm current treatment prices and terms in writing with any clinic before booking travel.
Frequently asked questions
Do Canadians need a visa to get dental treatment in Vietnam?
Yes. Canadian passport holders must have a visa to enter Vietnam; there is no visa-free entry available. The standard route is the Vietnam e-Visa, applied for online, available as a single- or multiple-entry authorisation valid for up to 90 days. Under this scheme you must enter through the specific port of entry named on your visa approval notice, so check that it matches your planned arrival airport. This is confirmed by the Government of Canada's official travel advisory for Vietnam. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your entry date with at least two blank pages, and a digital pre-arrival form is currently encouraged, though not yet mandatory, for entry via Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
How much does it cost to fly from Canada to Vietnam for dental work?
Full-service return economy fares to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) on Air Canada have been seen from around CA$1,519 from Toronto and CA$1,442–$1,555 from Vancouver, based on 2026 sample dates. Budget or multi-stop searches on aggregators like KAYAK sometimes show fares as low as CA$492–$599, but these figures likely reflect one-way legs or highly restricted fares rather than a realistic return itinerary. A more realistic full-service economy return band is roughly CA$1,000–$1,900. Always compare current fares directly and read the fare conditions carefully, since the spread between budget and full-service quotes is unusually wide on this route.
Will my Canadian dental plan or insurance cover treatment in Vietnam?
Generally, no. Provincial and employer dental plans in Canada are structured around Canadian providers and fee guides, and the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan is aimed at domestic coverage for eligible residents — none of these extend to elective treatment received overseas. Private travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected medical or dental emergencies while you're travelling, not a planned course of implants or veneers you flew to Vietnam specifically to receive. Budget your trip as a self-funded expense, and if you hold a specific policy and want certainty, contact the provider directly and get their answer in writing.
How much cheaper is dental treatment in Vietnam than in Canada?
The gap is largest on higher-cost procedures. Picasso Dental's published single implant price of 25,000,000–45,000,000 VND (roughly C$1,340–$2,410) compares with a realistic Canadian all-in price of CA$6,000–$7,000 (based on the Ontario Dental Association's 2025 Suggested Fee Guide plus crown and lab fees). On All-on-4 full-arch treatment, Picasso's 125,000,000–220,000,000 VND (roughly C$6,700–$11,800) compares with a Canadian clinic-guide range of CA$20,000–$35,000 per arch. Full sourcing for both sides sits on our Vietnam Dental Price Index.
What currency does Picasso Dental accept, and should I bring Canadian dollars?
Picasso Dental prices and bills in Vietnamese đồng (VND), not Canadian dollars. The clinic accepts Visa and Mastercard at the point of sale, Vietnam bank transfer, and cash in VND — it does not take CAD cash directly. Paying by card is usually the simplest option, since most Vietnamese POS terminals accept international Visa/Mastercard; đồng is also widely available from exchange counters and ATMs in the cities Picasso operates in.