The Dong
Local Currency Of Vietnam

The official currency is Dong which is non-convertible. The US dollar, preferably crisp clean bills, is widely accepted among major shops and restaurants. Travellers cheques can be cashed at authorized foreign exchange outlets and banks and require presentation of a passport. There is normally a 2 to 5 percent transaction fee for cashing Travellers cheques. Visa and Mastercard are becoming more accepted in many of the larger hotels and restaurants, especially in the major cities. Make sure that the Vietnamese notes you receive are not torn, because many shops and restaurants will not accept them. The largest denomination is currently 500,000 dong (approx. US$33). The government introduced new 500,000 and 50,000 notes made from plastic rather than the regular paper notes. In 2004 Vietnam introduced coins for smaller transactions. These are in the form of 200; 1,000 and 5,000 Dong. Other paper denominations include 2,000; 5,000; 10,000 and 20,000. Most are clearly identifiable by colour.

There are a number of international banks operating in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with 24hour cash withdrawal facilities, including ANZ Bank in Hanoi and the HSBC in Ho Chi Minh City. Here cash can be withdrawn on Visa and Mastercards as well as other cards such as Cirrus.

Please note that the Vietnamese Dong is non-convertible outside Vietnam.

 Your personal expenses, souvenirs, evening out, alcoholic drinks etc can be cost from 10 to 50 USD/ Day,  US dollars cash is more widely accepted than pounds sterling and the US dollars cash are needed to pay for visas on borders. it is often a good idea to have a small amount of the currency of the country you are visiting prior to arrival. This will cover you for any initial expenses at or from the airport. ATM’s are now available at arrival airports.

Banks in Vietnam are open at 0.800 Am to 04.30 Pm from Monday to Friday and some are open on Saturday morning. In the main cities such as Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang your travellers’ cheques can be exchanged at banks and some exchange bureaux, but this can be very difficult in small towns, specially in the mountain provinces.

+ Bank addresses in Hanoi or Saigon, Please click here!
+ To update the exchange rates, Please click here!