How to send money to Vietnam in 2026: dollars or dong to an account in 1-3 business days, to family and for a flat
Money reaches a Vietnamese account in 1-3 business days and is spent in dong: in October 2026 a dollar costs about 25,966 dong. The recipient chooses crediting in currency or in dong, a foreigner opens an account on a passport with a visa, and the bank confirms an online transfer above 10 million dong ($390) with a face check.
The simplest way to send money to Vietnam in 2026 is a bank transfer in dollars to your own account or a relative's account at a Vietnamese bank: from abroad the money takes 1-3 business days. Within the country everything is paid in dong, so the recipient keeps dollars in a currency account or exchanges them at the bank at the day's rate. A foreigner opens an account on a passport with a visa or a temporary residence card, and the bank confirms an online transfer of more than 10 million dong ($390) at a time with a face check. A foreigner buys a flat in a new residential complex for 50 years and pays the developer through a Vietnamese bank.
Dong are converted into dollars at 25,966 dong per dollar in October 2026, rounded up. What works in 2026:
| Method | Works | Currency for the recipient | Timing | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a bank transfer to your own account | yes | dollars in a currency account or dong | 1-3 business days | an account at a Vietnamese bank and the payment purpose |
| a transfer to a relative's account | yes | dollars or dong, as the recipient chooses | 1-3 business days | the name as at the bank, the account number, the bank code |
| a money transfer system to a card or account | yes | dong | from a few minutes | the recipient's card or account number |
| a transfer within Vietnam by code from a phone | yes, around the clock | dong | seconds | a face check for sums from 10 million dong |
| paying the developer for a flat | yes | dong | on the contract schedule | the developer's account at a Vietnamese bank |
The dong within the country and dollars in a currency account
In Vietnam prices, rent, salaries and housing deals are stated and paid in dong. The State Bank of Vietnam announces the central dong-dollar rate every morning, and commercial banks buy and sell currency within 5% of it, so the rates of different banks differ only slightly.
A foreigner keeps dollars that came from abroad in a currency account and changes into dong the part needed for the month's expenses. That way you choose the rate yourself, not the bank on the day of crediting.
For a large sum the rate is agreed with the bank before crediting: on a flat a tenth of a percent turns into hundreds of dollars. We will tell you how best to send money to Vietnam, in which currency to send and when to change into dong.
A transfer to a Vietnamese account: passport, phone and face check
An account is opened for a foreigner at a branch on a passport with a valid visa or a temporary residence card, as State Bank circular No. 17 of 2024 requires. The bank will ask for a Vietnamese phone number registered to your passport, a residential address, and for those who work an employment contract or a work permit. A dong account is opened on the day of the visit, a currency account on documents on the origin of the money.
Since 1 July 2024 an online transfer of more than 10 million dong ($390) at a time or more than 20 million dong ($780) a day is confirmed with a face check in the bank app. Since 2025 online operations work once the face has been matched with the passport biometrics, so the check is done right after opening the account. The bank also sees the visa expiry date: update your documents before it ends, and the account works without pauses.
Money to family in Vietnam: currency at the recipient's choice
Cash help to relatives is not taxed in Vietnam, and the personal income tax law expressly exempts transfers from abroad. The recipient chooses how the transfer is credited: in dollars to a currency account or in dong. The sender only needs the recipient's full name as recorded at the bank, the account number and the bank's 8- or 11-character international code.
For regular help to parents or paying for studies it is more convenient to write the same payment purpose each time, for example family support: the recipient's bank quickly recognises such transfers and credits them with no extra questions.
A flat in Vietnam: 30% of the flats in a building and 50 years of ownership
Under the 2023 housing law a foreigner who entered Vietnam legally buys a flat or a house in a commercial residential complex outside defence and security zones. Foreigners together own no more than 30% of the flats in one building and no more than 250 houses in one ward. Ownership lasts 50 years from the date of the certificate and is renewed once for up to another 50 years, and a foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen owns housing on the same terms as citizens.
Since 1 August 2024 a developer accepts payment only to its own account at a Vietnamese bank, so money for a flat goes in a chain: a transfer from abroad to your account, exchange into dong and payments to the developer on the contract schedule. The bank will check the sum against the contract and ask where the money came from.
A manager will tell you which documents on the origin of the money a Vietnamese bank accepts and will check the contract before the first payment. Choosing a flat is covered in the article how to buy a flat in Vietnam.
What papers to prepare for the sum: from family help to a flat
- up to $10,000: rent, studies, help to family; for a Vietnamese bank the payment purpose and a recipient name matching the account are enough;
- $10,000-$100,000: savings, a first payment for a flat; the bank will ask for a contract or an invoice and a statement showing where the money comes from;
- from $100,000: a whole flat or a business investment; a full package on the origin of the money over several years; a contribution to the capital of a foreign-invested company goes only through its direct investment account at a Vietnamese bank.
The package for a large sum is put together in advance so that it suits both the sender's bank and the Vietnamese bank: how to do this is in proof of source of funds and sending a large sum abroad, and moving capital end to end on the capital relocation page. Discuss your sum with a manager: the manager will choose the route, the bank and the currency.
Vietnam tax resident: 183 days and deposits with no tax
A Vietnamese tax resident is someone who has spent 183 days in the country in a calendar year or in 12 consecutive months from first entry, as well as someone with registered housing here or a lease for 183 days or more. A resident pays tax on worldwide income, a non-resident only on Vietnamese income. Your own savings transferred to your own account are not income, and interest on deposits at Vietnamese banks is exempt from personal income tax. Details are on the Vietnam taxes page.
We will help you send money to Vietnam
Mistakes cost more than fees: dollars exchanged into dong at an unfavourable rate on the day of crediting, an account without a face check from which online transfers do not go, a visa that expired before the documents at the bank were updated, and paying for a flat without checking the contract and the developer. We will help you avoid them: we will build the route and currency of the transfer around your visa, put together documents on the origin of the money and make the payments to the developer on schedule.
Details and the cost are with a manager in the chat: it all depends on the amount, the purpose of the transfer and your visa.
A transfer from Vietnam to other countries: legal income and documents
A foreigner transfers legal income from Vietnam abroad: a salary, dividends, money from selling a flat. The Vietnamese bank will ask for an employment contract or a sale contract and proof of tax payment, and then the money goes to Thailand, South Korea, China or Kazakhstan as an ordinary international transfer.
Sending money to neighbouring countries
- How to send money to Thailand
- How to send money to China
- How to send money to Laos
- How to send money to Cambodia
- How to send money to Japan
- How to send money to the Philippines
All destinations are in the capital relocation section.
FAQ
How many dong do you get for a dollar in October 2026?
From what sum does a Vietnamese bank ask for a face check for a transfer?
What share of the flats in a new building in Vietnam is open to foreigners?
For how many years does a foreigner own a flat in Vietnam?
Does Vietnam tax money that relatives send from abroad?
Can a relative in Vietnam receive a transfer in dollars?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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