Open a Bank Account in Ho Chi Minh City as a Foreigner

A foreigner opens a payment account with a passport or another foreign identity document and, if residing in Vietnam, an entry visa, a visa-replacing document or proof of visa exemption. A temporary residence card is valid in place of a visa. Permission to reside 12 months or longer makes you a resident.

By Vincent Nguyen

On this page
  1. What the bank asks for
  2. How to open the account
  3. Banks in Ho Chi Minh City
  4. Using the account
  5. ATM and card fees
  6. Before you go
  7. Step by step
  8. Common questions

Does a bank in Ho Chi Minh City treat you as a resident or a non-resident? A foreigner permitted to reside in Vietnam 12 months or longer is a resident.

A foreigner in Vietnam to study, receive medical treatment or travel is not a resident, whatever the length of stay. Any entity outside the resident definition is a non-resident. A visitor permitted to stay under 12 months therefore falls outside the resident definition.

What the bank asks for

Shinhan Bank branch interior with blue service counters and waiting seats.
The service counters inside a Shinhan Bank branch.

A foreign individual’s file must contain a passport or another identity document issued by a foreign authority. A foreigner residing in Vietnam must also have one of these:

  • An entry visa.
  • A document with visa-equivalent value.
  • Proof of visa exemption.

A temporary residence card is issued to a foreigner permitted to reside for a fixed period, and it is valid in place of a visa. See temporary residence cards in Ho Chi Minh City.

The bank records your phone number, passport details and, if you reside in Vietnam, your address in Vietnam and abroad. A bank may set additional documents beyond the legal list, but it must notify customers and give specific guidance. A person aged 15 or older who is not legally restricted in capacity to act may open a payment account.

How to open the account

Teller counters with red chairs and numbered signs at a Techcombank branch.
The teller counters at a Techcombank branch.
  1. Pick a branch from the list below.
  2. Bring your passport and visa papers.
  3. If you are outside Vietnam, a bank may verify your identity through a third party.

Banks in Ho Chi Minh City

Five offices are pinned below: Vietcombank, BIDV, Techcombank, HSBC and Shinhan.

Vietcombank Tower seen from the street, a tall glass tower with low trees at its base.
Vietcombank Tower, the head office pinned on the map below.
Vietcombank Tower, Ho Chi Minh City
5 Cong truong Me Linh, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
BIDV - Transaction Office 2 (So Giao Dich 2)
4-6 Vo Van Kiet, P. Nguyen Thai Binh, Quan 1, TP Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Thai Binh, 1, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Techcombank entrance with a large red and white advertising banner above the doors.
The Techcombank entrance on Le Duan Street.
Techcombank 23 Le Duan
Mot phan tang 1, toa nha, 23 Le Duan, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Ground-floor entrance of the HSBC building with red HSBC signs above glass doors.
The HSBC entrance on Dong Khoi Street.
HSBC Metropolitan, 235 Dong Khoi
235 Dong Khoi, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Lit Shinhan Bank glass entrance at dusk with warm wall lights.
The Shinhan Bank entrance at MPlaza Saigon.
Shinhan Bank Vietnam - Saigon (MPlaza)
nha MPlaza Saigon Phuong, 39 Le Duan, Sai Gon, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Using the account

HSBC office building with tree-lined pavement and red HSBC signs on the ground floor.
The HSBC office building seen from the pavement.

A non-resident, and a resident who is a foreigner, may use a Vietnamese-dong account to receive lawful dong income in Vietnam, including salary, bonus, allowance and fees. The same account may be debited to pay or withdraw cash for spending in Vietnam. It may also be debited to buy foreign currency at a licensed credit institution to transfer abroad.

When your papers expire

The bank must notify you at least 30 days before an identity paper expires. It must suspend payment transactions and withdrawals once the papers have expired. Renew the visa or card first, then update the bank.

ATM and card fees

BIDV autobank ATM set into a red wall under a green canopy.
A BIDV ATM kiosk.

Only the card-issuing organisation may charge its own cardholder, under a fee schedule it has published. That schedule must be posted publicly and given to the cardholder before use and when it changes. A fee change takes effect at least 07 days after notice.

Vietcombank’s debit-card fee schedule dated 12.05.2025 lists these fees for a domestic debit card:

Cash withdrawal Fee
At a Vietcombank ATM VND 1,000 per transaction
At an ATM outside its system VND 3,000 per transaction

A cash withdrawal at a counter outside the Vietcombank system costs 3.64% of the amount on its international debit card schedule. This is the newest schedule found; fees change, so read your own bank’s current schedule.

Before you go

Dark glass tower rising above older buildings under a blue sky.
The Vietcombank Tower skyline in daylight.
  • Passport, plus a visa, residence card or other residence paper.
  • Proof of how long you may stay, since the 12-month test decides resident status.
  • Extra papers: a bank may ask for more than the legal list.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Shinhan Bank Vietnam on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Techcombank on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Vietcombank Tower on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), HSBC Metropolitan on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), BIDV on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Jaewon Kim, Nguyen Chau, Hoang Van, Andy Deck, Hao, Alex Nguyen Thang Long, James Huang, Lars Lekken, Pham Thanh Nam.

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Step by step

  1. Check your statusPermission to reside 12 months or longer makes a foreigner a resident.
  2. Bring your documentsBring your passport and, if you reside in Vietnam, an entry visa, a visa-replacing document or proof of visa exemption.
  3. Verify from abroadA foreigner abroad can be verified through a third party.

Not confirmed: No official page was found for foreign-card ATM fees at Ho Chi Minh City banks.

Common questions

Do I need a visa to open an account?

A foreigner residing in Vietnam must have an entry visa, a document with visa value or proof of visa exemption beside the passport or other foreign identity document. A temporary residence card is valid in place of a visa.

What happens when my visa or card expires?

The bank must suspend payment transactions and withdrawals once your identity papers have expired. The account is not closed automatically; the bank must give 30 days' notice before expiry.

How old must I be to open an account?

A person aged 15 or older who is not legally restricted in capacity to act may open a payment account.

Who sets my ATM withdrawal fee?

Only the card-issuing organisation may charge its own cardholder, under a fee schedule it has published.

What does Vietcombank charge for an ATM cash withdrawal?

On its debit-card schedule effective 12.05.2025, a withdrawal at its own ATM costs VND 1,000 and at another bank's ATM VND 3,000.

Places in this guide

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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