Vietnamese dong: exchange rate & money in Vietnam 2026

The Vietnamese dong runs to six zeros, and it throws off everyone holding a 500,000 VND note for the first time. As of July 2026, $1 buys about 26,000 VND, so 100,000 VND is roughly $3.85 and 1,000,000 VND is about $38.50. If you last checked a couple of years ago, the dollar has quietly gained ground — plenty of guides still print 24,000–25,000. Below: a conversion table, the best-to-worst places to change money, and the numbers that save you 5–10% of your trip budget.

Rates, ATM fees and card acceptance are current as of the publish date. Need a one-off conversion? Jump to the table. Prepping for the whole trip? Read it through.

The current Vietnamese dong exchange rate

The dong-to-dollar rate depends on two things: the interbank market rate and the real rate you get on the ground. The gap between them runs 3–5%, and that's normal — the market sets a mid-rate, while exchange counters build in a spread.

VND to USD — conversion table

Source: interbank VND/USD rate, July 2026 (~26,000 VND per dollar).

Over the past year the dong has drifted about half a percent against the dollar and now trades near its all-time low — so your dollars buy a touch more dong than a year ago. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) holds the currency in a tight band, so you won't see the wild swings of the Thai baht or Indonesian rupiah.

Mid-rate vs. the real exchange rate

The rate you see on XE or Google is the interbank mid-rate — a reference, not what you'll actually get. On the ground you hit a spread: the gap between the buy and sell price. In practice:

• Mid-rate: ~26,000 VND per $1 (reference)
• At a bank: ~25,700–26,000 VND per $1 (changing dollars to dong)
• At the airport: ~24,500–25,000 VND per $1 (the worst option)

The gap between the reference and the real rate is 3–10% depending on where you change money. That's exactly why the choice of exchange point matters.

Popular VND amounts at a glance

You don't need an app for everyday math. Drop three zeros and divide by 26 to get dollars: 500,000 VND becomes 500 / 26, about $19. Here are the amounts you'll meet most often.

Where to exchange money in Vietnam

The gap between the best and worst place to change money reaches 10%. On $1,000 that's up to 2,400,000 VND (~$92) gone for nothing. Here's the ranking, best to worst:

Decree 340/2025: what changed in February 2026

Since 9 February 2026, Decree 340/2025/ND-CP has made currency exchange between individuals or at unauthorised agents a punishable offence. A gold shop (Tiệm Vàng) may change money only with an exchange-agent certificate from the State Bank, and a tourist has no way to check it. Until 2026, gold shops were the most popular and best-value option — their rate ran 1–3% above the banks. Not anymore.

In practice: some gold shops still change money quietly, especially in the tourist areas. But without an agent certificate it's a legal risk for you too, and we don't recommend it. The bank rate is only marginally worse and the risk is gone.

Banks (Vietcombank, BIDV, Agribank, MB Bank)

Banks are now the main and safest way to change money. The rate is stable, you get a receipt, and there's zero risk of being shortchanged.

• Passport required (original, not a copy)
• Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00–16:30; some branches Saturday until 12:00
• The form takes 5–10 minutes to fill out
• The rate is set once each morning and may differ from the market by 0.5–1%
• Not every branch changes foreign currency — check before you go

Vietcombank is the largest state bank and has the best rate among banks. MB Bank and BIDV trail slightly (0.1–0.2%). Agribank has the widest network in the provinces.

Exchange counters and hotels

Licensed exchange counters (look for a "Licensed Money Exchange" sign) offer a rate close to the banks, with the upside of handy locations and longer hours — some are open until 22:00.

Hotels are the worst option after the airport, losing 3–5% off the market rate. Only change small amounts here — enough for a taxi or dinner right now if a bank isn't an option.

Why the airport is a bad place to change money

Cam Ranh airport (Nha Trang) is the outright champion of bad rates, with losses of 9–10%. For $100 you get ~2,360,000 VND instead of the bank's ~2,600,000 VND.

Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City) is a little better, around 4–5%. Noi Bai (Hanoi) is about the same.

Exchange in different cities

Ho Chi Minh City has the most banks and exchange counters in the country and the best rate. Counters in District 1 stay open until 20:00–21:00, and VPBank and MB Bank ATMs are everywhere.

Da Nang has solid banking infrastructure — Vietcombank, Techcombank and BIDV along the Bạch Đằng riverfront offer a good rate. In Hoi An (30 km away) the choice is smaller.

Nha Trang shifted its main exchange to banks after the new law (Vietcombank on Trần Phú, BIDV). Rates are fine, but change your money at a bank rather than a hotel.

Phu Quoc is an island with limited banking, and the rate is slightly worse than on the mainland. Bring dollars and change them as needed. ATMs are in Dương Đông and the larger resorts.

What currency to bring to Vietnam

Your choice of currency sets the rate before you even walk into an exchange counter. The gap between a good choice and a bad one is 3–10% of your whole travel budget.

US dollars — the best choice

The US dollar is the currency to bring. Every exchange point in the country takes it, and it always gets the best rate. The rules that save you money:

• Only $50 and $100 — large notes change at a rate 1–2% better than $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills
• Newer series (2009 or later) are preferred. Old $100 notes (pre-2006, without the blue security ribbon) are taken at a discount
• No damage — tears, stamps, stains, folds or staple marks can mean a refusal or a 3–5% worse rate
• No markings — notes with "specimen" marks, bank stamps or writing on them aren't accepted at all

Recommended cash: $500–1,500 depending on trip length. For two weeks for two people, $1,000 in cash plus a card is a good balance.

Euros and other currencies

Euros are accepted at most exchange points, but at a rate 1–2% below the dollar. Thai baht changes easily if you fly via Bangkok. Chinese yuan and Japanese yen are taken in big cities, but the rate is unpredictable.

Bottom line: bring dollars. It's the one currency that's accepted without question anywhere in Vietnam. If you only hold another currency, changing it to dollars at home first is usually better than a direct exchange in Vietnam.

ATMs in Vietnam: fees and limits

The ATM is the second most popular way to get dong after changing cash. But fees vary wildly: from zero to 55,000 VND (~$2.10) per withdrawal. The fees in the table come from traveller reports as of July 2026, not bank tariff sheets, so check the fee on the ATM screen before you confirm.

VPBank is the best choice. Travellers report no fee and the highest limit — 10,000,000 VND per withdrawal. Look for the green-and-blue VPBank machines.

ACB is the second free option. No fee, but a lower cap — 3,000,000 VND at a time. For a big sum you'll need several withdrawals.

Key points when withdrawing cash:

• Your home bank's fee. On top of the Vietnamese fee, your issuing bank may charge 1–3% for the currency conversion. Check your tariff before the trip
• Withdraw the max to minimise the fixed fee per transaction
• Time and place. Withdraw by day, from machines inside bank branches or malls. Street ATMs at night carry a skimmer risk
• Balance checks. Some machines charge a separate fee (11,000–15,000 VND) just to show your balance

Which cards work in Vietnam

Vietnam is card-friendly in the right places and cash-only in the rest. Know the split before you rely on plastic.

Visa and Mastercard

Visa and Mastercard are the best cashless option for foreign travellers in 2026:

• Accepted at POS terminals, hotels, restaurants and online services
• Cash withdrawals at any ATM (pick VPBank for zero fee)
• The rate is interbank, with no payment-network markup — as long as you decline DCC
• They work in the Grab, Shopee and Traveloka apps

A travel-friendly card with low or no foreign-transaction fees pays for itself over a trip. Combine it with cash and you're covered everywhere.

UnionPay and Amex

Vietnam accepts UnionPay widely, so a UnionPay card from your home bank generally works at terminals and ATMs. American Express is more limited — accepted in upscale hotels and restaurants, but not at most street-level shops. Treat both as a backup to Visa/Mastercard, not your only card.

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Mobile and QR payments: VNPay, MoMo, ZaloPay

Vietnam is one of the most advanced countries in Southeast Asia for mobile payments. Most city cafés and supermarkets have a payment QR code.

VNPay is the best pick for a traveller. Registration takes three minutes, you link a foreign Visa or Mastercard, and you pay by QR.

How to start with VNPay

1. Download VNPay from the App Store or Google Play
2. Register with a phone number (a Vietnamese SIM, sold at the airport in five minutes, works)
3. Link your foreign Visa or Mastercard
4. Scan the QR at the till — the payment comes off the linked card

VNPay is accepted at chain coffee shops (Highlands Coffee, Phúc Long), supermarkets (WinMart, Co.opmart), pharmacies (Long Châu), petrol stations and many restaurants.

The banknotes: how many zeros, and which notes

Vietnamese notes are polymer (plastic), waterproof and hard to tear — which is handy in the heat and rain. The confusion is the zeros: several notes look similar and differ by a factor of ten.

7 mistakes when changing money in Vietnam

1. Changing everything at the airport

Losses of up to 10% — changing $500 at Cam Ranh airport costs you up to 1,200,000 VND (~$46) versus a bank in the city. Change only your first costs at the airport: taxi, water, SIM. The rest in town.

2. Confusing the zeros

50,000 instead of 500,000, 10,000 instead of 100,000 — a mistake even seasoned travellers make. A vendor might "not notice" and pocket the difference. Count the zeros out loud. Every time.

3. Using unverified money changers

Informal "great rate" offers in traveller chats and on the street end the same way: fake notes, shortchanging, or the changer vanishing. Change only at banks or licensed counters.

4. Bringing small-denomination dollars

$1, $5, $10 and $20 change at a rate 1–2% worse than $50 and $100. On $500 in small bills you lose $5–10 on the spread alone.

5. Damaged or old dollars

Vietnamese exchange counters are fussy about note condition: a tear, a stamp or a stain and you're offered a rate 3–5% lower, or refused. Check every note before you travel.

6. Not counting the money

Got a stack of dong? Count it in front of the teller. It's normal practice, and no one will be offended. Finding a 200,000 VND (~$7.70) shortfall an hour later at the hotel is no fun.

7. Relying on a card alone

Street cafés, markets, small shops and massage places take cash only. Vietnam is a cash country. Keep at least two payment methods: dollars in cash plus a card.

Changing dong back before you leave

You can change dong back to dollars at a bank. Keep the receipt from your original exchange — the bank may ask for it. Before the flight, spend leftover dong at airport duty-free; if you're left with a big sum, change it at a city bank in advance, since the airport rate is 3–5% worse.

Tools for tracking the exchange rate

The main tip: download XE Currency before you fly. It caches the last rate and works with no internet. Straight off the plane, before a local SIM, XE is what tells you how many dong to ask for per $100.

FAQ — common questions about money in Vietnam

The strategy: how not to lose money on exchange

Putting it all together — a step-by-step plan that saves 5–10% of your budget:

1. Before the flight: bring cash US dollars ($50 and $100, new and undamaged). $500–1,500 depending on trip length
2. Card: carry a Visa or Mastercard with low foreign-transaction fees; UnionPay as a backup
3. App: download XE Currency — the rate works offline
4. At the airport: change ~$20–40 — just for a taxi and water. Do the main amount in the city
5. In the city: change at banks (Vietcombank has the best rate)
6. ATM: VPBank — no fee, limit 10,000,000 VND. ACB — no fee, limit 3,000,000 VND. Decline DCC
7. Mobile payments: install VNPay, link a card — for cafés and shops with QR
8. Count the zeros: sort notes by denomination, recount your change
9. Safety: change money only at trusted points. No street changers, no dubious offers