It is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1988 with the support of the United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam (UNDP) with the aim of providing an education to the children of UN staff and others.

The school primarily caters to the children of diplomats, aid workers, businessmen, and other expatriates living and working in Hanoi.

[citation needed] Classes range from pre-school to high school, and the IB Diploma is available to students in grade 11 and 12.

In 2012, the school opened its sports center that included two full-sized covered basketball courts, weight/dance rooms, and several multipurpose classrooms.

UNIS now offers the full International Baccalaureate program, from the primary level to the Diploma Programme in high school—the first school to do so in Asia.

There is an extensive co-curricular programme of sports and activities and a strong commitment to service-learning, reflecting the spirit of the UN ideals and principles.