How to Send Money to Vietnam: The Complete 2026 Guide

Many providers advertise low fees on USD → VND while making 1.5-2.5% through the rate. Vietnamese banks (Vietcombank, BIDV, Techcombank) typically charge 2-4% in margin even when the headline 'fee' is zero.

Always compare 'recipient gets' in VND, not the headline fee. With VND quoted in tens of thousands per USD, even a 0.5% rate difference is millions of dong on a moderate transfer.

• Best for transfers $100-2,000: Wise, Remitly. Both have Vietnamese-language support and tight spreads on the USD/AUD/EUR corridors.
• Best for amounts above $5,000: Wise. Percentage fee scales best; OFX is competitive on AUD/EUR for amounts above $10,000.
• Best for MoMo/ZaloPay wallet: Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit. Funds typically arrive within 5-30 minutes.
• Best for direct bank deposit: Vietcombank, BIDV, Techcombank, MB Bank, ACB and Agribank are all widely supported as deposit destinations.
• Best for cash pickup: Western Union, MoneyGram. Coverage is decent in cities, sparser in rural areas.
• Best for USD payout (FCD): A few providers (Wise, OFX) support direct USD deposit to Foreign Currency Deposit accounts at Vietnamese banks.

• MoMo — Vietnam's largest mobile wallet (~30 million users). Direct credit from many international providers, instant settlement.
• ZaloPay — Mobile wallet built into Zalo (Vietnam's dominant messaging app, 70+ million users). Increasingly supported.
• ShopeePay — Wallet inside Shopee, the dominant e-commerce platform.
• Vietcombank, BIDV, Techcombank, MB Bank, ACB, Agribank — The major banks. Most providers support direct deposit; settlement typically within 1-4 hours during business days via NAPAS rail.
• FCD (Foreign Currency Deposit) accounts — Allow recipients to hold USD/EUR rather than convert to VND immediately. Useful for those saving for foreign expenses.
• Cash pickup — Western Union and MoneyGram. Available at most major bank branches and dedicated agent locations.

• No tax on inbound personal remittances. Personal gifts and family support are exempt under Vietnam's Personal Income Tax Law.
• No annual cap on inbound transfers. SBV encourages remittance flows.
• Provider must be SBV-licensed for cross-border transfers. Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, Western Union, MoneyGram all qualify.
• FX outflow is restricted (inflow welcomed). Vietnamese residents face tight controls on sending money out; inbound has none.
• Recipients can hold USD via FCD accounts. No requirement to convert immediately — useful if VND depreciation is a concern.

• [USD → VND](/send-money/usd-to-vnd): ~$8B/year, dominated by US-based Vietnamese diaspora. Wise, Remitly Express and PayPal Xoom lead.
• [AUD → VND](/send-money/aud-to-vnd): Australia hosts ~300,000 Vietnamese-Australians. Wise and OFX dominant; ANZ and CommBank are 3-4% more expensive.
• [EUR → VND](/send-money/eur-to-vnd): France has the largest Vietnamese community in Europe (~400,000). Wise and PayPal Xoom lead; banks like Société Générale and BNP charge significantly more.
• [CAD → VND](/send-money/cad-to-vnd): Growing fast. Wise dominant. CIBC Global Money Transfer is a competitive bank-channel alternative.
• JPY → VND: Japan has a sizeable Vietnamese worker population (~500,000). Wise, SBI Remit and Brastel lead.

1. Open the live comparison; enter your exact amount.
2. Look at 'Recipient gets' in VND — that's what lands in MoMo or Vietcombank.
3. Compare to mid-market: send amount × Google's USD/VND rate. Gap should be under 1.5%.
4. Confirm whether the recipient prefers VND credit or USD credit to an FCD account.
5. For amounts above $10,000 to one recipient in a year, confirm whether SBV reporting applies (rarely, but worth checking).

Live comparison: USD → VND, AUD → VND. Rates refresh every 5 minutes.

Vietnam received $19 billion in remittances last year — one of the top 10 recipient countries globally and roughly 4.4% of GDP. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has a well-established regulatory framework for inbound remittances.

• Recipient tax: Personal remittances from overseas relatives are not subject to Vietnamese income tax. This includes regular family support transfers and one-off gifts.
• Amount limits: There is no upper limit on the amount a Vietnamese national can receive from abroad as a remittance. Transfers above $10,000 USD equivalent are subject to enhanced KYC at recipient banks but there is no cap.
• Currency: The recipient will receive Vietnamese Dong (VND). Foreigners holding Vietnamese accounts can sometimes receive USD — Vietnamese nationals receive VND.
• SBV licensing: All international remittance providers serving Vietnam must be licensed by the SBV or partner with a licensed local bank. Major providers (Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, Western Union) all operate within SBV-compliant channels.
• Property purchases: Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) remitting money to buy property in Vietnam should consult a local lawyer — there are nationality-based property ownership rules that affect how the funds should be structured.

• NAPAS for fast bank credits: Vietnam's NAPAS interbank network provides real-time transfers between Vietnamese bank accounts. Providers that use NAPAS rails (Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit) credit accounts in under 30 minutes.
• MoMo wallet: MoMo is Vietnam's most widely used e-wallet with 31 million users. Several providers support direct MoMo wallet credit. Convenient for recipients who use MoMo for daily payments.
• Vietcombank, Techcombank, BIDV: These are the highest-volume recipient banks. All work well with international transfers.
• Ho Chi Minh City vs Hanoi senders: Most overseas Vietnamese are concentrated in the US (primarily California and Texas), Australia, and Canada. Currency conversion is straightforward from USD, AUD, and CAD.
• Rate comparison: Use ForexFee's USD→VND page. Rates vary 1-2% across providers — on a $1,000 transfer that's $10-20 left on the table if you use the wrong provider.
• Timing large transfers: The VND is relatively stable but has depreciated against USD over multi-year periods. If you're timing a large transfer (property purchase, business investment), check the 12-month trend before deciding.