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HDBank review: services, fees, pros and cons
Is HDBank a good bank for a foreign property buyer in Hanoi?
HDBank at a glance
Bank- Full name
- Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank)
- Founded
- 1990
- 4 January 1990, as Ho Chi Minh City Housing Development Bank — one of Vietnam's first joint-stock commercial banks
- Headquarters
- Ho Chi Minh City, District 1
- Not Hanoi-headquartered; its Vikki Digital Bank subsidiary has been based in Hanoi since February 2025
- Listing
- Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE), ticker HDB
- Listed since January 2018
- Ownership
- No foreign strategic shareholder · Sovico Holdings ≈14.4% · Permanent Vice Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo ≈16.6% personally
- Foreign-ownership ceiling raised to 49% under Decree 69/2025/ND-CP; current foreign ownership ≈17%
- Scale
- VND 931 trillion in consolidated total assets (≈€35bn)
- FY2025, up 33.5% year-on-year; pre-tax profit VND 21.3 trillion (≈€800m)
- Network
- 600+ branches, ≈26,500 financial service points nationwide
- All 63 provinces/cities; part of the HD Financial Group ecosystem alongside HD Saison, Vikki Digital Bank, HD Securities and HD Insurance
- Languages
- Vietnamese (branch level); English used in investor relations and corporate/institutional banking
Our editorial rating
- Foreigner accessibility
- 2.8 / 5
- English support
- 2.4 / 5
- Mortgage access for foreign buyers
- 1.0 / 5
- Track record & reliability
- 4.0 / 5
- Fees & transparency
- 2.6 / 5
Accounts open to passport + visa holders at any of HDBank's 600+ branches; paperwork eases with a Temporary Residence Card, but no dedicated foreigner onboarding process is documented.
Branch-level service runs primarily in Vietnamese; English is used mainly in investor relations and corporate/institutional banking, not confirmed at the retail counter.
No dedicated non-resident mortgage programme identified, consistent with Vietnam's domestic banking sector as a whole.
One of Vietnam's largest private banks, HOSE-listed since 2018, assets up 33.5% in FY2025 and a Moody's outlook upgrade to Positive in May 2026 — though a fast-growing balance sheet (NPL ratio 1.66%) warrants normal monitoring.
Fee schedules are published but Vietnamese-language first, with no dedicated foreigner rate card publicly available.
Who is HDBank?
HDBank — the Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank — was established on 4 January 1990, one of Vietnam's first joint-stock commercial banks, originally named the Ho Chi Minh City Housing Development Bank. Headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, it has grown into one of the country's largest privately-controlled lenders, with shares trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange under ticker HDB since January 2018.
The bank has no foreign strategic shareholder as of mid-2026, though Vietnam's Decree 69/2025/ND-CP raised its permitted foreign-ownership ceiling to 49%, and HDBank has said it is in discussions with prospective partners from South Korea, Europe and the United States. Its largest institutional shareholder is Sovico Holdings (≈14.4%), part of the conglomerate led by Permanent Vice Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, who also chairs VietJet Air and personally holds roughly 16.6% of HDBank's charter capital.
HDBank closed FY2025 with consolidated total assets of VND 931 trillion (≈€35 billion), up 33.5% year-on-year, and a pre-tax profit of VND 21.3 trillion (≈€800 million). In May 2026, Moody's upgraded the bank's rating outlook to Positive, citing its planned capital increase and profitability.
HDBank for foreign property buyers in Hanoi
For a foreign buyer, HDBank's relevance sits mainly in domestic banking rather than financing the purchase itself. Non-resident foreigners holding a valid passport and visa can open an account at HDBank as at any Vietnamese bank, though transfer and withdrawal limits improve once you hold a Temporary Residence Card and move to resident status. We found no evidence of a dedicated mortgage programme for non-resident foreign buyers at HDBank — in line with the rest of Vietnam's banking sector, where local bank lending to non-residents remains, in practice, largely closed; most purchases are funded from overseas savings routed through a proper currency transfer into Vietnam rather than a VND loan (see our financing guide).
As one of Vietnam's fastest-growing private banks, HDBank is also active in project finance and can be the issuing bank behind a developer's pre-sale bank guarantee (bảo lãnh) — always verify the specific guarantee for your unit as part of standard due diligence, since not every project banks with HDBank. After handover, its 600-plus branch network is a practical option for settling the maintenance fund and ongoing service charges.
+ Strengths and points to verify
- +One of Vietnam's largest private banks by assets — VND 931 trillion (≈€35bn) at end-FY2025, up 33.5% year-on-year, with Moody's upgrading its outlook to Positive in May 2026.
- +Extensive nationwide network — 600+ branches and roughly 26,500 financial service points across all 63 provinces — useful for everyday banking after handover: maintenance-fund and service-charge payments, utility bills, local transfers.
- +Diversified HD Financial Group ecosystem (HD Saison consumer finance, Vikki Digital Bank, HD Securities, HD Insurance) spanning retail, consumer credit, securities and insurance beyond core banking.
- +Room and stated intent to bring in a foreign strategic investor — ownership ceiling raised to 49% under Decree 69/2025/ND-CP — which could strengthen governance and international standards over time.
- +Listed on HOSE since 2018 (ticker HDB), with the public disclosure obligations that come with a listed entity.
−
- −No dedicated mortgage product identified for non-resident foreign buyers — the same limitation as Vietnam's other domestic banks.
- −No foreign strategic shareholder as of mid-2026, and no dedicated international/expat banking desk comparable to HSBC Vietnam or Standard Chartered in Hanoi.
- −Headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, not Hanoi — its retail branch culture is HCMC-centric first, distinct from its Hanoi-based Vikki Digital Bank subsidiary.
- −Publicly available English-language detail on retail account terms for foreign passport holders is limited; policies should be confirmed in person or through a bilingual adviser.
- −A private bank growing quickly (assets +33.5% in a single year) — its NPL ratio ticked up slightly to 1.66% in FY2025, worth normal monitoring rather than alarm.
✓ Who should choose HDBank
- ✓TRC-holding expats in Hanoi who want a mainstream Vietnamese bank with a large branch network for settling service charges and the maintenance fund after handover.
- ✓Buyers whose developer's project bank guarantee happens to be issued by HDBank (verify per project).
- ✓Investors comfortable banking with a fast-growing private lender primarily in Vietnamese, rather than a state-owned giant or an international private bank.
- ⚠Non-resident foreigners hoping to secure a mortgage directly from HDBank to fund the purchase — not offered.
- ⚠Buyers who need a dedicated English-speaking international or expat banking desk.
- ⚠Anyone specifically wanting a Hanoi-headquartered primary bank — HDBank's head office and retail culture remain Ho Chi Minh City-centric; its Hanoi-based Vikki Digital Bank is a separate digital-only entity.
Other banks working with foreign buyers in Hanoi
Standard Chartered Bank (Vietnam) Ltd
★Banque internationale; Priority Banking & wealth management (The Good Life), Priority Private; comptes, cartes, prêts/hypothèques, FX; clientèle expatriée/HNW.
Hanoi · EN, VN
Woori Bank Vietnam Ltd
★Filiale coréenne (Woori Bank); détail, dépôts, cartes, prêts non garantis et hypothécaires, assurance, remises; offres dédiées aux expatriés coréens (dont garantie études en Corée).
Hanoi · EN, VN
HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd
★1re banque étrangère incorporée au Vietnam; banque internationale pour expatriés; HSBC Premier (wealth), comptes, prêts immobiliers/home equity, cartes, remises & Global Transfers, investissement/assurance.
Ho Chi Minh City · EN, VN
Shinhan Bank Vietnam Ltd
★1re banque étrangère de détail au Vietnam (groupe coréen Shinhan); comptes, prêts (dont hypothécaires), cartes, remises; forte clientèle expatriée coréenne.
Ho Chi Minh City · EN, VN
Our verdict
2.6 / 5HDBank is one of Vietnam's fastest-growing private banks — total assets up 33.5% in FY2025 to VND 931 trillion (≈€35bn), a HOSE listing since 2018, and a Moody's outlook upgrade to Positive in May 2026. That momentum makes it a credible mainstream choice for domestic banking once you are settled in Hanoi, and it can occasionally enter a purchase file as the guarantee-issuing bank behind a developer's pre-sale bank guarantee. What it is not, today, is a foreign-buyer specialist: there is no dedicated mortgage route for non-residents, no international or expat banking desk, and its head office and retail culture remain firmly Ho Chi Minh City-centric even though its Vikki Digital Bank subsidiary is now based in Hanoi. Treat HDBank as a solid secondary account for local payments, not your first stop for financing or English-language banking support.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners open a bank account at HDBank?
Yes. Foreigners holding a valid passport and a visa or Temporary Residence Card can open an account at HDBank, as at other Vietnamese banks. Visa-only 'non-resident' status typically comes with lower transfer and withdrawal limits than TRC-holder 'resident' status.
Does HDBank offer mortgages to foreign property buyers?
We found no evidence of a dedicated mortgage programme for non-resident foreign buyers at HDBank. As with the rest of Vietnam's banking sector, local bank lending to non-residents remains, in practice, largely closed — most foreign buyers fund a Hanoi purchase from overseas savings or an international lender; see our mortgage guide for what's realistically possible.
Is HDBank a safe, reliable bank?
HDBank is one of Vietnam's largest private banks by assets, listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange since 2018. In May 2026, Moody's upgraded its rating outlook to Positive, citing its planned capital increase and strong profitability — a favourable signal, though it remains a private bank rather than a state-owned institution.
What is Vikki Digital Bank, and is it the same as HDBank?
Vikki Digital Bank is a separate, wholly HDBank-owned digital bank created in February 2025 when HDBank took over DongA Bank under a State Bank of Vietnam-mandated restructuring. It is headquartered in Hanoi and operates as an independent legal entity, not consolidated into HDBank's own financial statements.
Are there reliable customer reviews of HDBank for foreigners?
We have not found independently verifiable, foreigner-specific customer-review data for HDBank's retail banking, so we do not cite star ratings or testimonials. The assessment above is an editorial one based on HDBank's public track record — see our methodology.
Is HDBank state-owned or privately owned?
HDBank is a private joint-stock bank, not one of Vietnam's state-controlled banks (Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank, Agribank and MB). Its largest institutional shareholder is Sovico Holdings, alongside Permanent Vice Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo's personal stake of roughly 16.6%.
Is my deposit protected if I bank with HDBank?
Yes, in the same way as at any licensed Vietnamese bank: deposits are covered by Vietnam's national deposit insurance scheme, currently up to VND 125 million (≈€4,700) per depositor per institution for VND deposits. Foreign-currency deposits are not covered — an economy-wide rule, not an HDBank-specific one.
Sources
Legal references used in this review: the Housing Law 2023 (foreign ownership quota and 50-year tenure referenced across our guides) and the Law on Real Estate Business 2023 (pre-sale bank guarantee requirement for off-plan projects). Corporate facts about HDBank — founding date, HOSE listing, ownership structure, network size, the Vikki Digital Bank transfer and FY2025 results — are drawn from HDBank's own public disclosures, Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange listing records and Moody's public rating actions, cited here by name only, in line with our policy of linking exclusively to official government and legal sources.
Weighing your banking options in Hanoi?
Our Hanoi desk works with foreign buyers on financing and everyday banking questions every week — including where a fast-growing bank like HDBank fits alongside larger state-owned and international names. Get an independent second opinion before you commit funds.