How Much Cash Can You Bring Into Vietnam? Declaration Thresholds and Fines (2026)
You can bring up to US$5,000 (or the equivalent) or VND 15,000,000 into Vietnam without declaring it. Above either amount, entering or leaving by passport, you must declare it to customs. Gold jewellery of 300 grams or more in total also needs declaring. Gold bars and raw gold can't be carried by passport travellers at all.
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If you carry more than US$5,000 in cash, or the equivalent in another foreign currency, through an international border checkpoint by passport, you must declare it to customs. The same goes for more than VND 15,000,000 in Vietnamese-dong cash. Gold jewellery or fine-art gold of 300 grams or more in total also needs declaring. Gold bars and raw gold can’t be carried by passport travellers at all.
Declaration Thresholds for Cash and Gold
The circular’s exact wording is below.
Cá nhân khi xuất cảnh, nhập cảnh qua các cửa khẩu quốc tế của Việt Nam bằng hộ chiếu mang theo ngoại tệ tiền mặt, đồng Việt Nam tiền mặt trên mức quy định dưới đây phải khai báo Hải quan cửa khẩu: a) 5.000 USD (Năm nghìn Đôla Mỹ) hoặc các loại ngoại tệ khác có giá trị tương đương; b) 15.000.000 VNĐ (Mười lăm triệu đồng Việt Nam).
A person entering or leaving Vietnam through an international border checkpoint by passport, carrying foreign-currency cash or Vietnamese-dong cash above these amounts, must declare it to customs: (a) US$5,000 or the equivalent in another currency; (b) 15,000,000 VND.
Thông tư 15/2011/TT-NHNN, Điều 2 khoản 1.
The gold circular’s exact wording for jewellery is below.
Cá nhân Việt Nam và cá nhân nước ngoài xuất cảnh, nhập cảnh bằng hộ chiếu mang theo vàng trang sức, mỹ nghệ có tổng khối lượng từ 300g (ba trăm gam) trở lên phải khai báo với cơ quan Hải quan.
A Vietnamese or foreign individual exiting or entering Vietnam by passport carrying gold jewellery or fine-art gold articles with a total weight of 300 grams or more must declare it to customs.
Thông tư 11/2014/TT-NHNN, Điều 2 khoản 2.
Its rule for gold bars and raw gold reads:
Cá nhân Việt Nam và cá nhân nước ngoài xuất cảnh, nhập cảnh bằng hộ chiếu không được phép mang theo vàng miếng, vàng nguyên liệu. Trường hợp cá nhân nước ngoài nhập cảnh vào Việt Nam mang theo vàng miếng, vàng nguyên liệu phải làm thủ tục gửi tại kho Hải quan để mang ra khi xuất cảnh hoặc làm thủ tục chuyển ra nước ngoài và phải chịu mọi chi phí liên quan phát sinh.
A Vietnamese or foreign individual exiting or entering Vietnam by passport isn’t allowed to carry gold bars or raw gold at all. If a foreign individual enters Vietnam carrying gold bars or raw gold, it must be deposited at a customs warehouse to take out again on exit, or sent abroad, at their own cost.
Thông tư 11/2014/TT-NHNN, Điều 2 khoản 1.
| What you’re carrying | Threshold that triggers declaration |
|---|---|
| Foreign-currency cash | More than US$5,000, or the equivalent in another currency |
| Vietnamese-dong cash | More than VND 15,000,000 |
| Gold jewellery or fine-art gold | 300 grams or more |
| Gold bars or raw gold | Not allowed to carry; a foreign national who arrives with them must deposit them at a customs warehouse or send them abroad |
How to Declare It
- Work out whether your cash or gold is over a threshold in the table above.
- If it is, declare it to customs at the border checkpoint.
- If you’re leaving with cash over the threshold, or more than you declared on your most recent entry, get the right proof first (see below).
Leaving Vietnam With Cash Over the Threshold
If it’s no more than you declared on your most recent entry
If the cash is over a threshold, present your entry-exit declaration certified by border-gate customs, showing what you brought in on your most recent entry, instead of a bank certificate. This works as long as you’re not carrying more than that amount and it’s your next exit within 12 months of the date on the declaration.
If you’re leaving with more than that
Show customs either a certificate from a licensed credit institution allowing you to carry that cash abroad, or a written approval from the State Bank of Vietnam. This applies when the cash is over the threshold or over what you declared on your most recent entry, unless the entry declaration above covers it.
An authorised credit institution issues that certificate, including to an individual acting for an organisation, for the purposes listed in Decree 70/2014/NĐ-CP. The institution decides the amount from the law and the actual, reasonable need for each purpose. It must issue the certificate, or reply in writing if it won’t, within 3 working days of getting a valid application with the right paperwork.
Depositing foreign currency into a bank account
To deposit foreign-currency cash you brought in into your own foreign-currency payment account at a licensed credit institution, show it your customs-endorsed entry-exit declaration. The declaration is valid for this only within 60 days of the date on it. If you enter with US$5,000 or less, or the equivalent, and want to deposit it, you must declare it to customs too, so you have that declaration.
Fines for Not Declaring or Declaring the Wrong Amount
| Value counted, after subtracting what didn’t need declaring | Fine for entering without declaring, or declaring less than you carry |
|---|---|
| VND 5,000,000 to under 50,000,000 | VND 1,000,000–2,000,000 |
| VND 50,000,000 to under 100,000,000 | VND 5,000,000–10,000,000 |
| VND 100,000,000 or more | VND 10,000,000–20,000,000, if the case isn’t prosecuted as a crime |
| Value counted, after subtracting what didn’t need declaring | Fine for leaving without declaring, or declaring the wrong amount |
|---|---|
| VND 5,000,000 to under 30,000,000 | VND 1,000,000–3,000,000 |
| VND 30,000,000 to under 70,000,000 | VND 5,000,000–15,000,000 |
| VND 70,000,000 to under 100,000,000 | VND 15,000,000–25,000,000 |
| VND 100,000,000 or more | VND 30,000,000–50,000,000, if the case isn’t prosecuted as a crime |
The fines decree also lists confiscation of the item involved in a violation as an extra penalty. These amounts are the fines for an individual, and the value used to pick the tier is calculated after subtracting whatever portion of the cash or gold didn’t have to be declared in the first place.
These fines are under Decree 169/2026/NĐ-CP, in effect from 1 July 2026, which replaced Decree 128/2020/NĐ-CP and Article 2 of Decree 102/2021/NĐ-CP.
Step by step
- Check the thresholdsWork out whether you carry more than US$5,000 (or the equivalent) or more than VND 15,000,000 in cash. Gold jewellery or fine-art gold of 300 grams or more in total also counts.
- Declare it to customsIf you're over a threshold, declare it to customs at the border checkpoint.
- Get proof before leaving with extra cashIf you're leaving with cash over the threshold, or more than you declared on your most recent entry, get a credit institution's certificate or a State Bank written approval first. If it's no more than you declared, your entry declaration is enough on your next exit within 12 months of the date on it.
Not confirmed: Whether foreign currency and dong are counted together against the limits, and which exchange rate customs uses for "equivalent". Whether airport customs has a separate lane for cash or gold. If you are declaring, ask a customs officer at the checkpoint.
Common questions
How much cash can I bring into Vietnam without declaring it at customs?
The limits are US$5,000 (or the equivalent) for foreign-currency cash and VND 15,000,000 for Vietnamese-dong cash. Cash above a limit must be declared to customs at the border checkpoint when you enter or leave Vietnam by passport.
Do I need to declare gold jewellery in Vietnam?
Yes, if your gold jewellery or fine-art gold weighs 300 grams or more in total, you must declare it to customs. Gold bars and raw gold can't be carried by passport travellers at all. A foreign national who arrives with them must deposit them at a customs warehouse or send them abroad.
Can I take out more cash than the amount declared on entry?
Leaving with cash over US$5,000 or VND 15,000,000, or more than you declared on your most recent entry, needs a certificate from a licensed credit institution. A written approval from the State Bank of Vietnam works instead. If it's no more than you declared, your customs-endorsed entry-exit declaration covers you on your next exit within 12 months of the date written on it.
What's the fine for not declaring cash or gold in Vietnam?
It depends on the value, and declaring less than you carry counts too. Entering Vietnam, fines run from VND 1,000,000 to 20,000,000; leaving, from VND 1,000,000 to 50,000,000. The top tier, whether entering or leaving, applies only where the case isn't prosecuted as a crime. The fines decree also lists confiscation of the item involved in a violation as an extra penalty.
How long is my entry declaration valid for taking cash back out?
The customs-endorsed entry-exit declaration covers carrying cash back out only on your next exit, within 12 months of the date written on it.
Can I deposit foreign currency I brought in at a Vietnamese bank?
Yes, into your own foreign-currency payment account, if you show your customs-endorsed entry-exit declaration, within 60 days of the date on it. If you enter with US$5,000 or less, or the equivalent, and want to deposit it, you must declare it too, so you have that declaration.
Read next
Sources and reader comments
Official legal texts (Gazette, government portals):
- vanban.chinhphu.vn (Cổng thông tin điện tử Chính phủ) — full text of Circular 15/2011/TT-NHNN on carrying foreign-currency cash and Vietnamese-dong cash of individuals on exit/entry (opens in a new tab)
- Consolidated text 01/VBHN-NHNN of Circular 11/2014/TT-NHNN on carrying gold across the border - Official Gazette PDF (opens in a new tab)
- datafiles.chinhphu.vn — primary signed PDF (scan, 54 pages) of Nghị định 169/2026/NĐ-CP, read page-by-page as images: Điều 6 (hình thức xử phạt bổ sung), Điều 11 (khai hải quan của người xuất/nhập cảnh đối với ngoại tệ/VND/vàng), Điều 38 (hiệu lực thi hành) (opens in a new tab)
- congbao.cdnchinhphu.vn — Official Gazette (Công báo số 13+14, 12-01-2023) PDF of Circular 20/2022/TT-NHNN, Điều 18 khoản 4 điểm b (opens in a new tab)
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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Comments (4)
iamrichbitch010
Cash limit into Vietnam?
3 replies
WeAllWantToBeHappy
Take as much as you want, but you need to declare it one entry if you have over the equivalent of $5000 or over 15,000,000 dong.
WeAllWantToBeHappy
> Upon entry or exit via Vietnam’s international border gates with passports, persons who carry foreign-currency or Vietnam-dong cash in excess of the following amount shall be required to declare to border-gate customs offices: 5,000 USD (Five thousand US dollars) or cash amounts in other foreign currencies of equivalent value; and VND 15,000,000 (fifteen million Vietnam dong).
kbullet
There's no limit to how much you can bring in. Though for amounts exceeding $5k you will need to declare it and bring some evidence like a bank statement/bank letter/payslips that you can prove the money you're carrying was not illicitly obtained (i.e. savings, income from salary etc). It is always a good idea to declare large sums of currency when you come to any country, not just Vietnam. It will be easier for you when you leave if you want to take a large amount out of the country (i.e. you did not spend it all etc.). Saves you the trouble of going through the whole process to prove the legality of the money. As the money was yours that you brought to the country legally in the first place.