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Transferring funds to Vietnam for a property purchase
How do you transfer money to Vietnam to buy property?
How the transfer works, from decision to Pink Book
⏱ 1–3 weeks for the initial transfer; ongoing through to resale for eventual repatriation
Moving six figures into Vietnam is straightforward once you follow the compliant route. The steps below take you from choosing a channel to holding the paperwork you will want years from now, at resale.
- 1
Choose your transfer channel
⏱ 1–2 days to decide◈ No direct cost at this stage
Two channels work reliably for a property-sized transfer: a SWIFT bank wire from your home bank, or a licensed international money-transfer platform such as Wise or Remitly. Banks are familiar and reassuring but usually apply a wider exchange-rate margin; specialist platforms are typically cheaper on the FX spread for a six-figure transfer, though not all of them pay out directly in VND to every receiving bank — check this before you commit. Whichever you choose, confirm upfront that the provider can route funds to a Vietnamese bank and ask for a written quote of the exchange rate and all fees.
DocumentsPassport · Quotes from at least two providers
⚠Choosing on the headline exchange rate alone — always compare the total landed amount after fees and spread, not the advertised rate.
→ money transfer - 2
Assemble your source-of-funds documentation
⏱ 3–7 days to prepare◈ No direct cost
Because this is a high-value, cross-border transfer, your bank or platform will run anti-money-laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) checks before releasing funds. Gather evidence of where the money comes from — payslips, a property sale contract, savings statements or a gift declaration — and make sure the sender's name matches your passport exactly. Transfers routed through a third party, such as a relative or a company, invite extra scrutiny and delay; where possible, send from an account already in your own name.
DocumentsBank statements · Proof of income or asset sale · Gift or loan declaration if funds are not entirely your own
⚠A mismatch between the sender's name and the buyer's name on the Sale & Purchase Agreement is the single most common cause of a held transfer.
→ law firms - 3
Send the wire to a compliant receiving account
⏱ 2–5 business days◈ €20–€50 wire fee, plus the FX spread (≈1–2.5% via a bank, ≈0.3–1% via a specialist platform)
Funds should land in a Vietnamese bank account — either a non-resident account opened in your own name, or, more commonly for a development purchase, the developer's or the escrow account named in your Sale & Purchase Agreement. Quote the SPA or invoice reference number in the wire's payment details so the receiving bank can match it to your contract. A standard SWIFT wire typically clears in two to five business days; specialist platforms can be faster for supported currency pairs. See our guide to financing a purchase and paying in instalments for how this fits your payment schedule.
DocumentsSWIFT reference / SPA number · Receiving account details from the developer or your bank
⚠Omitting the payment reference — unmatched incoming transfers can be held pending investigation, sometimes for weeks.
→ banks - 4
Obtain the confirmation of incoming foreign currency
⏱ Same day to one week after receipt◈ Usually free; some banks charge a small administrative fee
Once the funds are credited, ask the receiving Vietnamese bank for its official confirmation of incoming foreign currency transfer. This document — not the wire itself — is your proof that the money entered the country through the banking system, and it is what a Vietnamese bank will later ask for if you want to convert and repatriate sale proceeds after a resale. File it with your Sale & Purchase Agreement and keep a digital copy; do not rely on the developer or agent to hold it for you.
DocumentsConfirmation of incoming currency transfer (bank-issued)
⚠Losing this document is the most common reason foreign owners struggle to repatriate proceeds years later — keep both a paper and a digital copy.
→ banks - 5
Time further instalments to your payment schedule
⏱ Ongoing, over months or years for off-plan◈ €20–€50 per additional wire, plus the FX spread each time
Off-plan purchases are usually paid in instalments tied to construction milestones rather than in one transfer. Repeat the wire process for each instalment, and budget for exchange-rate movement between the signing of your Sale & Purchase Agreement and each due date — a currency swing of a few percent over a multi-year build is common. Some buyers ask their bank or platform about forward contracts or rate locks to manage this; ask before you need one, not after a payment is already due.
DocumentsUpdated payment schedule from the developer
⚠Missing an instalment deadline because a transfer took longer than expected — always send funds several business days ahead of the due date.
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Keep records for eventual repatriation
⏱ Ongoing until resale◈ No cost now; conversion and outbound fees apply at the time of transfer
When you eventually sell, Vietnamese banks will generally allow you to convert and transfer the net proceeds abroad — provided you can show the funds were legally earned, or that the original purchase was funded through a documented, legal transfer. Keep your Sale & Purchase Agreement, every incoming-transfer confirmation, and your tax filings together for the life of your ownership; a Hanoi accountant or lawyer can prepare the repatriation file when the time comes.
DocumentsSale & Purchase Agreement · All incoming-transfer confirmations · Tax filings
⚠Assuming repatriation is automatic — it depends entirely on the paper trail you built at the start.
→ law firms
What it costs to land funds in Vietnam
Worked example on a €530,000 apartment — the current Tây Hồ median (live data) — combining transfer costs with the legal rates due at registration.
| — | Min | Max | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| International wire fee (bank SWIFT)Correspondent/intermediary banks may deduct further 'lifting fees' en route | €20 | €50 | one-off, per transferBuyer, charged by the sending bank |
| FX conversion spread — bank wireRarely disclosed as a separate line item | 1% | 2.5% | % of amount convertedBuyer, embedded in the exchange rate |
| FX conversion spread — licensed platforme.g. Wise, Remitly — usually cheaper than a bank wire at this size | 0.3% | 1% | % of amount convertedBuyer |
| Receiving bank fee (Vietnam)Deducted before funds are credited to the receiving account | €10 | €25 | one-offBuyer, deducted on arrival |
| Registration fee (Pink Book)Legal rate — Housing Law 2023 / Decree 95/2024/ND-CP | 0.5% | 0.5% | % of declared valueBuyer, at title registration |
| Maintenance / sinking fundHeld by the building management board | 2% | 2% | % of valueBuyer, new-builds only |
| Total | ≈3% | ≈5% |
Example — €530,000 apartment (Tây Hồ median), transferred via a licensed platform
- FX spread (platform, ≈0.5%)
- €2,650 (~VND 73M)
- Receiving bank fee
- €20 (~VND 550,000)
- Registration fee 0.5%
- €2,650 (~VND 73M)
- Maintenance fund 2%
- €10,600 (~VND 292M)
- Σ
- ≈ €15,920 (~VND 438M) · about 3% of price
Housing Law 2023 · Decree 95/2024/ND-CP
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners transfer money into Vietnam to buy property?
Yes. There is no restriction on foreigners bringing funds into Vietnam to buy property, provided the transfer goes through the banking system — a SWIFT wire or a licensed platform into a compliant Vietnamese account. What matters is that the transfer is documented: keep the bank's confirmation of incoming currency, since this supports both your purchase and, later, the repatriation of any sale proceeds.
What happens if you transfer more than $10,000?
A property purchase typically involves transfers far larger than this, and that is normal. The $10,000 figure is a reporting threshold used by several countries — including the United States — under anti-money-laundering rules: banks flag or report transfers above it, they do not block them. Expect your sending bank or platform to ask for source-of-funds documentation once amounts reach this scale.
Can you transfer money from Vietnam to the USA?
Yes, in principle — Vietnam allows outbound transfers of legally earned income and documented sale proceeds through the banking system. In practice this depends on being able to show the funds' origin, which is far easier when the original purchase money entered Vietnam through a documented transfer in the first place. See whether Remitly can send money from Vietnam to the US for one practical route.
Is it easy to transfer money out of Vietnam?
It is manageable but not instant: Vietnamese banks apply compliance checks on outbound transfers, and you will typically need to show the source of the funds — a sale contract, dividend or salary documentation, or the original incoming-transfer confirmation. Buyers who kept clean records from the start generally find the process straightforward; those who paid in cash or through undocumented channels often do not.
What documents do I need to transfer money into Vietnam for a property purchase?
Expect to provide your passport, evidence of the source of funds (savings, salary, or a sale contract), and the receiving account details from the developer or your Vietnamese bank, quoted with your Sale & Purchase Agreement reference. Keep the receiving bank's confirmation of incoming foreign currency afterwards — it becomes a permanent part of your purchase file.
Can I use Wise or Remitly to send money to Vietnam?
Yes — licensed platforms such as Wise, which can send money from Vietnam, and its equivalents abroad are commonly used by foreign buyers alongside traditional bank wires, and are often cheaper on the exchange-rate spread for a large transfer. Confirm the platform pays out to Vietnamese bank accounts in VND and supports the transfer size you need before relying on it for a property purchase.
Is there a property transfer tax in Vietnam I should factor into the transfer amount?
As a buyer, budget for the 0.5% registration fee and, on new-builds, the 2% maintenance fund, in addition to the price. The 2% resale transfer tax is in law the seller's liability, not something you pay when buying. See our guide to what the property transfer tax in Vietnam for foreigners covers in full.
Sources
- Housing Law 2023 (Law No. 27/2023/QH15) — legal basis for the 0.5% registration fee due at title registration.
- Decree 95/2024/ND-CP — implementing decree detailing the registration fee and maintenance-fund rates cited in this guide (no official English-language text currently linkable).
Plan your transfer with a Hanoi-based adviser
Tell us the amount, your home country and your target payment schedule, and our advisory desk will map out the compliant transfer route — provider, documentation and timing — within 24 hours, with no obligation and no outbound referral.