Foreigners carrying cash to Vietnam: When can violations lead to prosecution?

Vietnam does not generally prohibit foreigners from bringing cash into the country. However, travelers carrying cash above the prescribed thresholds must declare it to customs, and failure to do so can result in administrative penalties or, in certain circumstances, criminal prosecution.

On September 7, the border guard station at the Lao Cai International Border Gate in northern Vietnam announced that it had initiated a criminal case against a Chinese citizen for allegedly transporting currency across the border without completing the required customs declaration.

At around 12:25 pm on September 3, provincial border guards and customs officers caught Zhao Fuyi, born in 1996 and a Chinese national, carrying a large amount of cash into Vietnam, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

The authorities seized VND355 million ($13,700) in cash, consisting of 602 VND500,000 banknotes, 120 VND200,000 banknotes and 300 VND100,000 banknotes, along with three mobile phones.

According to the initial investigation, Zhao was a businessman who regularly traded vegetables between Vietnam and China. Because he owed money for goods purchased in Vietnam, he brought VND355 million ($13,700) in cash into Vietnam.

He intended to deposit the money into his personal bank account to pay for goods and wages for workers handling and loading the goods. However, he did not declare the cash to Vietnamese customs when completing immigration procedures.

On September 5, the Lao Cai police's forensic examination division concluded that the entire VND355 million ($13,700) seized from Zhao was genuine.

The case remains under investigation.

When must cash be declared?

Under Vietnam’s prevailing regulations, individuals entering or leaving the country must declare cash in foreign currencies or Vietnam dong to customs when the amount exceeds $5,000 or its equivalent in other foreign currencies, or VND15 million ($578.8) in Vietnam dong.

These are declaration thresholds, not limits on the amount of cash a person is allowed to bring into Vietnam. In other words, carrying more than these amounts is not in itself prohibited, but the traveler must declare the money to customs.

The declaration requirement also applies in certain cases where a traveler carries $5,000 or less, or an equivalent amount in another foreign currency, if they intend to deposit the cash into their foreign-currency payment account at a bank in Vietnam.

In such cases, the traveler must declare the cash to customs and obtain the relevant customs certification.

Customs declaration does not mean that the money will automatically be taxed or confiscated. The requirement is intended to regulate and monitor cash brought across Vietnam's borders.

Administrative penalties for failing to declare cash

Failure to declare, or incorrectly declaring, cash above the prescribed threshold may result in administrative penalties under Decree No. 169/2026/ND-CP, which took effect on July 1, 2026.

The fine is VND1 million ($38.5) to VND2 million ($77) when the value of the undeclared amount is from VND5 million ($193) to under VND50 million ($1,926).

The fine increases to VND5 million ($193) to VND10 million ($385) when the value is from VND50 million ($1,926) to under VND100 million ($3,855). For an amount worth VND100 million ($3,855) or more, the fine is VND10 million ($385) to VND20 million ($771).

There are also penalties for declaring an amount greater than the actual amount of cash carried.

If the difference is worth VND5 million ($193) to under VND20 million ($771), the fine is VND2 million ($77) to VND5 million ($193).

For a difference worth VND20 million ($771) to under VND100 million ($3,855), the fine is VND5 million ($193) to VND15 million ($578).

If the difference is worth VND100 million ($3,855) or more, the fine is VND15 million ($578) to VND25 million ($964).

When is it a crime?

Failure to declare cash does not automatically result in criminal prosecution.

A violation can become a criminal case when the authorities determine that the conduct constitutes illegally transporting currency across the border and meets the conditions for criminal liability under Article 189 of Vietnam's Criminal Code.

Under Article 189, illegally transporting Vietnamese currency or foreign currency across the border, with the amount valued at VND100 million ($3,855) to under VND300 million ($11,570) can result in a fine of VND20 million ($771.2) to VND200 million ($7,712), up to two years of non-custodial reform, or imprisonment for three months to two years.

The same penalties may apply to cases involving less than VND100 million ($3,855) if the offender has previously been administratively sanctioned for the same or a related offense, or has an unexpunged conviction for certain relevant offenses.

For amounts from VND300 million ($11,570) to under VND500 million ($19,280), the offender may be fined VND200 million ($7,712) to VND1 billion ($38,540) or sentenced to two to five years in prison.

For amounts of VND500 million ($19,280) or more, the penalties increase to a fine of VND1 billion ($38,540) to VND3 billion ($115,700) or imprisonment for five to 10 years.

In addition, offenders may face an additional fine of VND10 million ($385) to VND50 million ($1,928) and may be prohibited from holding certain positions, practicing certain professions or performing certain jobs for one to five years.

The VND355 million ($13,700) involved in the case of the Chinese national in Lao Cai Province falls within the VND300 million ($11,570) to under VND500 million ($19,280) range.