Vietnam
Currency in Vietnam: what to use and how to exchange
Vietnam uses the đồng (VND). Bring clean, untorn USD or EUR notes to change at banks or gold-shop counters, withdraw from bank ATMs, and keep a cash float: cards work in hotels and city restaurants but not at markets, small cafés or rural stops. Change money in the city before you head to the mountains or the delta.
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GuideVietnam
Key facts
- Currency
- Đồng (VND); notes ₫1,000 to ₫500,000, coins not in use
- Cash or card
- Cash for markets, small cafés, taxis, rural areas; cards in hotels and city restaurants
- Best valuecheck
- Bank or gold-shop exchange in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang; ATM withdrawal as backup
- ATM feescheck
- Most Vietnamese banks charge a withdrawal fee; foreign card fees add on top (check)
- Notes to bring
- Clean, untorn USD or EUR; low-value notes are easier to change
- Tipping
- Not expected; round up, tip spa and tour staff
- Time zone
- UTC+7 all year, no daylight saving
Details
The đồng is a cash currency. Notes run from ₫1,000 to ₫500,000 and coins are not in circulation, so you will handle a lot of paper. The ₫500,000 and ₫200,000 notes look similar at a glance and both are common; check before you hand one over, especially in a dim bar or a taxi at night.
Prices in Vietnam are usually quoted in thousands: a bowl of phở might be "50" meaning ₫50,000, and a hotel rate might be "1.2" meaning ₫1,200,000. Ask which unit if it is unclear. For a rough mental conversion, ₫100,000 is a few US dollars; check the current rate before you travel and again on arrival, because it moves.
Cash still runs daily life outside the big hotels and city restaurants. Markets, small cafés, street food, local buses, motorbike taxis and most rural shops take notes only. Cards work in mid-range and up hotels, many city restaurants, larger shops and some tour operators; smaller places may add a card surcharge or refuse under a minimum spend. Keep a cash float of a few hundred thousand đồng for the day and top it up in town.
Change money where you can compare rates: bank branches and licensed gold-shop counters in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are the usual stops, and airports are convenient but usually give a worse rate. Bring clean, untorn USD or EUR notes; torn, marked or very old notes are often refused or given a lower rate. Ask about commission before you hand over the cash, and count your đồng before you leave the counter.
ATMs are widespread in cities and tourist areas and thinner in the mountains and the delta. Most Vietnamese banks charge a withdrawal fee, and your own bank may add a foreign transaction fee and a markup on the rate, so a single larger withdrawal often costs less than several small ones. Choose to be charged in đồng, not in your home currency, to avoid a poor conversion rate at the machine.
Before you leave a city for Sa Pa, Hà Giang, the Central Highlands or the Mekong Delta, take enough cash for two or three days. ATMs there can be empty, offline or limited to small withdrawals, and card acceptance drops sharply.
Summary table
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Currency | Đồng (VND); notes ₫1,000–₫500,000, no coins |
| Cash needed for | Markets, street food, small cafés, local buses, motorbike taxis, rural shops |
| Cards accepted | Hotels, city restaurants, larger shops, some tours; surcharge or minimum spend possible |
| Best exchange | Bank or licensed gold-shop counter in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang (check) |
| Airport exchange | Convenient, usually a worse rate (check) |
| ATM fees | Vietnamese bank fee plus your own bank's fee and markup (check) |
| Notes to bring | Clean, untorn USD or EUR; low-value notes change more easily |
| Tipping | Not expected; round up, tip spa and tour staff |
Tips
Carry a mix of denominations so you can pay close to the exact amount; small vendors rarely have change for a ₫500,000 note early in the day.
Keep your cash in two places, and use a money belt or a zipped bag in crowded markets and on overnight buses.
Photograph your notes and your bank card before you travel, so a lost card or a disputed withdrawal is easier to sort out.
If a card machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in đồng.
Check the rate on the day you change money; rates at gold shops and banks can differ by a few percent.
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Vietnam?
The đồng (VND). Notes run from ₫1,000 to ₫500,000 and coins are not in use. Prices are often quoted in thousands, so "50" usually means ₫50,000.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Vietnam?
Bank branches and licensed gold-shop counters in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang usually give the best rates. Airports are convenient but often worse. Bring clean, untorn USD or EUR notes and ask about commission first.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Vietnam?
Bring both. Cards work in hotels, city restaurants and larger shops, but markets, small cafés, local transport and rural areas are cash only. Withdraw from bank ATMs and keep a cash float for the day.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialState Bank of Vietnam
- officialVietnam National Authority of Tourism
- secondaryWikivoyage – Vietnam