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Bank certificate: what it is, why it matters, how to obtain it
What is a bank certificate for a Vietnam property purchase?
Bank certificate at a glance
Document- Also called
- Certificate of balance / account confirmation letter
- Vietnamese: giấy xác nhận số dư tài khoản
- Issued by
- Your bank — home-country or Vietnam-based
- Whichever bank holds the funds you need to prove
- Used for
- Proof of funds for your transfer into Vietnam
- Also requested for TRC financial-means files and, occasionally, by developers before a large deposit
- Typical cost
- €0–€30 (≈ VND 0–800,000)
- Set by each bank's own fee schedule; often free for existing clients
- Validity
- Usually treated as current for 30 days
- No fixed legal validity period — banks and counterparties simply expect a recent date
- Language
- Issued in your bank's own language
- A certified Vietnamese translation plus notarisation is generally required for local use
- Legally required to buy?
- No — but routinely requested
- Local mortgage financing is generally unavailable to non-resident foreigners, so proof of self-funded transfers matters more here than in many markets
- Who typically asks for it
- Your own bank, plus sometimes the receiving Vietnamese bank, developer or lawyer
- Ask early — a slow reply can hold up a reservation deadline that is already ticking
Specimen: a bank certificate of balance
How to obtain a bank certificate
⏱ A few days to about two weeks
A bank certificate is issued by your own bank, not by any Vietnamese authority — but getting one ready to use in a Vietnam property purchase usually takes a few extra steps beyond the initial request.
- 1
Decide which bank should issue it
⏱ Before you start◈ No direct cost
If your funds are still abroad, request the certificate from the bank that currently holds them — this is what proves the money existed before it was transferred. If you already hold a Vietnam-based account, a local bank can also issue one for funds already inside the country, though opening an account as a non-resident foreigner is generally harder here than at home. Most buyers end up needing the home-bank version first.
⚠Do not assume you can simply open a Vietnamese account to get a local certificate — non-resident account opening is not guaranteed and can take longer than your transaction timeline allows.
→ banks - 2
Confirm exactly what's required
⏱ Same day◈ No direct cost
Ask whoever is requesting the certificate — your lawyer, the developer, a Vietnamese bank or an immigration file — precisely what it must state: the account holder's full name exactly as it appears on your passport, the balance and currency, the 'as of' date, and the stated purpose. Requirements differ enough between a property purchase, a transfer instruction and a TRC application that guessing wastes a cycle.
DocumentsPassport (name must match exactly)
⚠A certificate with a mismatched name or no stated purpose is routinely rejected on submission — confirm the exact wording before you request it.
→ law firms - 3
Request the certificate from your bank
⏱ Same day – 5 business days◈ €0–€30 (≈ VND 0–800,000)
Most retail banks issue a certificate of balance on request, either instantly through online or mobile banking or within a few business days via a branch or your relationship manager. Some private-banking and business accounts route the request through a dedicated advisor, which can add time — start early if your bank is not known for speed.
DocumentsAccount details · Proof of identity
⚠Certificates issued too far in advance may already read as 'stale' by the time you submit them — order it close to when you will actually use it.
→ banks - 4
Have it translated and notarised for local use
⏱ 2–5 business days◈ €40–€120 (≈ VND 1.1–3.2 million)
If the certificate will be filed with a Vietnamese bank, developer, lawyer or immigration office, have it rendered into Vietnamese by a certified translator and notarised. Vietnamese-language paperwork is what local counterparties actually rely on — the original-language certificate alone is rarely accepted by itself.
DocumentsOriginal bank certificate · Certified Vietnamese translation
⚠Translating and notarising well ahead of use risks the underlying certificate's working validity lapsing before you actually submit the file.
→ notary - 5
Submit it with your transfer or your file
⏱ Immediate◈ Included above
Attach the certificate to your international transfer instruction, your proof-of-funds pack for the developer or your lawyer, or your TRC financial-means documentation — whichever request triggered it. Keep a dated copy: the same certificate is often reused across more than one step of a purchase.
⚠Do not assume one certificate covers every request — a developer, a receiving bank and an immigration file may each want their own recent copy.
→ money transfer
What a bank certificate costs, start to finish
Bank issuance fees are set individually by each institution; translation and notary fees below are indicative for a single one-page certificate. For the taxes and fees that apply to the purchase itself, see our <a href="/guides/taxes-fees">full guide to Vietnam property taxes and fees</a>.
| — | Min | Max | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank certificate issuance≈ VND 0–800,000; many banks issue it free for existing clients | €0 | €30 | flat fee, per certificateYou, at request |
| Certified Vietnamese translation≈ VND 670,000–1.6 million | €25 | €60 | flat fee, per documentYou, before submission |
| Notarisation≈ VND 400,000–1.6 million; varies by notary office | €15 | €60 | flat fee, per documentYou, before submission |
| Total | €40 | €150 |
Example: a typical proof-of-funds submission
- Bank issuance fee
- €15 · ≈ VND 405,000
- Certified translation
- €40 · ≈ VND 1.08M
- Notarisation
- €35 · ≈ VND 945,000
- Σ
- €90 · ≈ VND 2.4M
Indicative bank, translation and notary fee schedules — confirm current rates directly with your bank and notary office
Frequently asked questions
How can I get a bank certificate?
Contact your bank — by branch visit, phone or online/mobile banking — and ask for a certificate of balance or account confirmation stating your name, the balance and currency, and an 'as of' date. Most banks issue it the same day to within about a week; some offer instant download through online banking.
What counts as a bank certificate?
A short, official letter or PDF on the bank's letterhead, signed and usually stamped, confirming your identity and either an account balance on a given date or that you hold an active account. It is distinct from a full statement, which lists transactions over a period.
How is a bank certificate created?
The bank generates and signs it internally from your account records — you cannot draft or self-certify one. You only specify what it needs to confirm (balance, ownership, currency) and the date it should reflect; the bank produces and signs the final document.
Bank certificate vs bank statement — what's the difference?
A certificate is a one-off confirmation of a balance or account ownership on a specific date. A statement is a transaction history over a period, typically three to six months, showing money moving in and out. Vietnamese banks, developers and lawyers may ask for one, the other, or both, depending on what they need to verify.
Should I use a bank statement or a bank certificate for immigration purposes?
It depends on what the requesting office asks for. A temporary residence card file or a visa application may want a statement showing sustained funds over time, while a certificate only proves a snapshot balance. Check the specific request before choosing, or prepare both if the requirement is not stated clearly.
How long is a bank certificate valid in Vietnam?
There is no single fixed legal validity period. In practice, banks, developers and lawyers in Vietnam treat a certificate as current for about 30 days from its issue date. Request it close to when you will actually submit it, especially if translation and notarisation add extra days.
Can I get a bank certificate online?
Many banks let you request or download a certificate of balance instantly through online or mobile banking. Others require a branch visit or a short processing time of a few business days. Check your specific bank's process well before you need the document urgently.
Sources
- Housing Law 2023 (Luật Nhà ở, No. 27/2023/QH15) — sets out Vietnam's foreign-ownership framework for property purchases.
- Land Law 2024 (Luật Đất đai, No. 31/2024/QH15) — governs the land-use rights underlying foreign ownership.
- Decree 95/2024/ND-CP — implementing decree referenced for mortgage-financing conditions applicable to non-resident foreigners (no verified official English-language URL currently available; cited by name only).
Need help preparing your proof-of-funds file?
Our Hanoi advisory desk reviews bank certificates, statements and transfer paperwork before you submit them to a bank, developer or lawyer — ask for an independent second opinion and we will respond within 24 hours.