Moving money in and out of Vietnam the right way
6 min read · Updated 2026-06-01
Bank transfers, purpose codes, owning through the right paper trail and how sale proceeds legally leave the country again.
On the way in
Vietnam has currency controls: dong is not freely convertible, and what the system cares about is documentation. Send your purchase funds by international bank transfer to a Vietnamese account (yours or, commonly, the developer's), with the property purchase stated as the purpose. Keep the credit advices — they are your future exit ticket.
Avoid the informal channels locals may suggest for small sums. For a property purchase, an undocumented arrival of funds can poison your ability to repatriate later.
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On the way out
When you sell, you may remit the proceeds abroad after taxes are settled — the transfer tax on sale is 2% of the sale price, filed before the transaction registers. The bank will ask for the SPA, the pink book, tax receipts and the original inbound remittance records. With clean paperwork this is routine; without it, it's painful.
Rental income can likewise be remitted after the ~10% rental tax is paid. A local accountant handles both filings for modest fees — worth every dong.
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