Need Help With Bringing Currency to HCMC, Vietnam

[MikeStang886 0]

Hello, I am a new member and need some help with bringing currency to HCMC airport. I will be coming from the USA and will be staying there for 2 months. 

 

I plan on taking about 63,000,000 VND with me. Which equals to $2,700 USD. My local credit union in the USA wants to offer me 63,000,000 for $3,000 USD. That is the BEST exchange rate I could find.

 

I plan on only using GRAB app for taxi and only pay in cash. I will also mostly eat at food carts, which they only take VND cash. Not all places accept credit cards.

 

Also, using ATM or credit cards is pointless because ATMs charge a fee and my credit cards will charge a foerign transaction fee. I only have $1,000 in credit card limit anyway..

 

However, when I went to vietnam customs site, they said Amounts exceeding VND 15,000,000.- must be declared on arrival. 

 

If you do the math, that is $642 USD. I am bringing in more than that. So, if I do take 63,000,000 VND  with me and DECLARE it, will I have to pay a fee or will they confiscate it?

 

Has anyone personally taken more than the VND 15,000,000 to the airport??

 

Thanks

Edited June 13, 2019 by MikeStang886

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*country-specific question moved to Vietnam forum*~*~* 

[AndrewF 69]

That exchange rate is a bit of a rip off.  I just arrived here at HCM about a week ago and got an exchange rate at the airport of 23,300 vnd per USD or about 69,000,000 VND for $3,000.  Just bring US cash and exchange it at the HCM airport.  There are 3 - 5 currency exchanges that all offer very very good rates.  Do not exchange it in the US or you will get massively ripped off.  There are 2 currency exchange booths literally right after you clear the passport station.  I've taken up to $1,200 USD before and never declared it.  You have to put your luggage through a scanner when you leave the airport but its not like they are patting you down for cash at the airport.  

 

 

Edited June 14, 2019 by AndrewF

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

I have taken a lot more than that. But I’m dual citizen so when I get to Vietnam, I use my Vietnamese passport to get through customs and no one ever asked me anything. I’ve been back and forth between US and VN probably 5-6 times in the last two years and literally no custom officials ever said a word to me. They just stamped my passport and waved me in. I did have to slip the guys at the final X-ray machine before you walk out $10 a couple times because they were clearly asking for “coffee money” and I didn’t want to argue with them.

 

If you are taking $2000-$3000, I would just put them all in your wallet and get through. I think the rate at the airport is still high. The best rate you can get is with the “black market” people, but as a foreigner, you probably won’t be able to do that. So the next best thing is those gold jewelry stores, like the ones outside Ben Thanh market. Then your next best rate is just at a bank, any bank. I would exchange like $100 at the airport to have taxi/Grab money to the city. The rest you can exchange when you’re in the city. I would only change what you need as you go.

 

Tip: the new US $100 bill gives you better rate than the “old” $100, so try to bring all the “new” bill. Beats me,  but it’s a Vietnamese thing.

 

PS: By “new”, I mean the new style $100 AND if the paper appear new and unwrinkled, you’d get the best rate. If the bill appears old, wrinkly and of the old style, you get worse rate!

[MikeStang886 0]

13 hours ago, USS_Voyager said:

 I did have to slip the guys at the final X-ray machine before you walk out $10 a couple times because they were clearly asking for “coffee money” and I didn’t want to argue with them.

 

WHAT??!!!

 

did they do this every single time? did anyone else on here experience this?

 

how did you know they wanted money? did they say "give me money or i wont let you go"?

 

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

15 minutes ago, MikeStang886 said:

WHAT??!!!

 

did they do this every single time? did anyone else on here experience this?

 

how did you know they wanted money? did they say "give me money or i wont let you go"?

 

 

It happens fairly often with Vietnamese nationals, not so much if you're foreigner. They know the dead spots of the cameras and position themselves just right. The first time, the guy gave me a hard time about my CPAP machine (I have sleep apnea). He said it needed a "special permit" to bring in the country. It clearly states on the website of the airline that CPAP machines and the likes are allowed as a check-in piece free of charge. But I didn't want to argue with him. They would take me into a different room, and try to give me a hard time but would have to let me go eventually. My mom was waiting for me outside, so I figure it's worth the $10 buck so I gave it to him, and voila, suddenly no more "special permit" required. 

 

The second time, same story, except it was Pediasure for my kid. The guy was swearing up and down that "the Vietnamese government specially ban Pediasure because it contains certain "poison" or some such thing". He even went as far as "it says on the label that the Vietnamese Government doesn't allow this" and so I went: "Really? Show me!" which of course it took him 15 minutes and still couldn't show anything. However, at this point, my kid started crying, and again, I figure $10 just to get the heck out of there. 

 

There you have it. 

Edited June 14, 2019 by USS_Voyager

[MikeStang886 0]

2 minutes ago, USS_Voyager said:

 

It happens fairly often with Vietnamese nationals, not so much if you're foreigner. They know the dead spots of the cameras and position themselves just right. The first time, the guy gave me a hard time about my CPAP machine (I have sleep apnea). He said it needed a "special permit" to bring in the country. It clearly states on the website of the airline that CPAP machines and the likes are allowed as a check-in piece free of charge. But I didn't want to argue with him. They would take me into a different room, and try to give me a hard time but would have to let me go eventually. My mom was waiting for me outside, so I figure it's worth the $10 buck so I gave it to him, and voila, suddenly no more "special permit" required. 

 

The second time, same story, except it was Pediasure for my kid. The guy was swearing up and down that "the Vietnamese government specially ban Pediasure because it contains certain "poison" or some such thing". He even went as far as "it says on the label that the Vietnamese Government doesn't allow this" and so I went: "Really? Show me!" which of course it took him 15 minutes and still couldn't show anything. However, at this point, my kid started crying, and again, I figure $10 just to get the heck out of there. 

 

There you have it. 

damn!!

 

thanks for the heads up. i am a white person, but i will take a few extra small bills just in case.

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

1 minute ago, MikeStang886 said:

i am a white person, but i will take a few extra small bills just in case

They won't do it to you. Even if they do, just pretend you don't understand anything. If they start speaking English, then your start speaking Spanish or something "Si senor, mucho caliente" and they'll let you go. 

[JasonGG 267]

I'm white...I've never had a problem with customs in Vietnam.  My wife (Vietnamese) has had to pay to get through customs if I am not with her or I am not nearby.  I have shown up just as my wife was about to pay, said "Is there a problem?"  We were quickly waved through without having to pay.

 

I have also never had an issue carrying VND in or out of Vietnam.  I keep it all in my pocket/wallet and in envelopes in my carry on bag.  My wife has not had a problem either.  From our experience,  they are looking for Vietnamese carrying electronics, jewelry, and medicine/supplements.

 

If you are stopped by customs, they will want more than small bills.  They will be upset if you try handing them 20k!

 

Good luck -  Jason 

 

 

 

 

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

US dollars will work. $5, $10, whatever. 

 

They won’t do it to foreigners, just Vietnamese. I think next time I will put away my Vietnamese passport after customs, then get my US passport out and carry it in my hands and see what happens.