Where to exchange money in Hanoi: the best rates around the Old Quarter

The short answer: where to change money in Hanoi

Match the option to your situation.

• Best cash rate: licensed gold and jewellery shops on Ha Trung street and Hang Bac street, for clean USD or EUR in large notes.
• Safest and most formal: a bank counter (Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank) on a weekday, with your passport.
• Arriving at night: exchange USD 20 to 50 at a Noi Bai counter or withdraw once from an airport ATM. That covers a taxi or Grab to the Old Quarter (roughly VND 250,000 to 400,000, about USD 10 to 15).
• No cash at all: use an ATM, withdraw the maximum per transaction and always decline the conversion offered by the machine.

Option	Typical rate vs bank	Fees	Hours	ID needed	Legal status	Best for
Ha Trung / Hang Bac gold shops	Slightly better than bank cash rate	None, margin in the rate	Roughly 8:00 to 18:00 Mon to Sat, some longer	Usually none	Licensed only if registered as an exchange agent	Best rate on USD 100s and EUR
Bank counters (Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank)	Benchmark rate	No commission, margin in the rate	Weekdays, roughly 8:00 to 16:30, lunch closure	Original passport	Fully licensed	Receipts, rare currencies, peace of mind
Noi Bai airport counters	Somewhat below city rates	None, margin in the rate	Around the clock	Passport for larger amounts	Bank-operated, licensed	First dong on arrival
ATMs	Interbank rate, minus fees	About VND 20,000 to 110,000 per withdrawal	24/7	Card and PIN	Licensed	No cash at all
Hotels and travel desks	Noticeably weaker	Sometimes an explicit commission	Long hours	None	Varies	Emergency USD 20

How currency exchange works in Vietnam

Who is allowed to exchange money

By law, foreign currency can only be bought or sold at credit institutions (banks) and at exchange agents authorised by a bank and licensed by the State Bank of Vietnam. The Vietnamese term is đại lý đổi ngoại tệ.

Exchanging at an unauthorised point is an administrative offence. Decree 88/2019/ND-CP was amended by Decree 143/2021/ND-CP. Under the amendment, small first-time transactions under USD 1,000 generally lead to a warning, and fines rise with the amount. Check the current penalty bands before relying on any figure you read online.

A widely reported 2019 case in Can Tho saw a customer fined about VND 90 million for changing USD 100 at an unlicensed gold shop. The fine was later reversed after public outcry. The episode explains why the word "licensed" matters, without turning a routine transaction into a drama.

Here is the honest framing. Some Ha Trung shops hold an agent licence and some do not. In practice, tourists changing a few hundred dollars are not targeted. The legal exposure falls mainly on the shop, but it is not zero for the customer. Published sources disagree on whether gold shop exchange is "legal" or "illegal". The accurate answer is that it depends on whether that specific shop is an authorised agent.

Look for a sign reading Đại lý thu đổi ngoại tệ that names the authorising bank. That single detail separates a licensed counter from an informal one.

Buy rate, sell rate and the spread

Rate boards show Mua (buy, the rate you get when you hand over USD) and Bán (sell). You need the Mua column.

Banks list separate rates for Tiền mặt (cash) and Chuyển khoản (transfer). Cash is the relevant one for a traveller with notes in hand.

Some banks pay less for small USD notes (1 to 20) than for 50s and 100s, often shown as separate rows on the same board.

Customs declaration

Cash above USD 5,000 or the equivalent (or above VND 15 million) must be declared on entry and exit.

For country-wide context on rules, banks and airport options elsewhere, see the general guide on exchanging money in Vietnam.

The gold and jewellery shops of Ha Trung street and the Old Quarter

Ha Trung street: Hanoi's informal "money street"

Ha Trung is a short street running north off Hang Bong, on the western edge of the Old Quarter, about a 10 to 15 minute walk from Hoan Kiem Lake.

Addresses commonly cited, each worth confirming on a field visit for trading status, exchange service and a displayed licence:

• Quoc Trinh, 27 to 29 Ha Trung
• Hong Phat, 25 Ha Trung
• The shop at 31 Ha Trung, often described as licensed
• Thinh Quang, 43 Ha Trung
• Nhat Quang, 57 Ha Trung
• Nhat Nam Hung Thuy, 62 Ha Trung

Address note: since Hanoi's administrative reform of 1 July 2025, districts have been abolished and wards merged. Older addresses ending in "Hang Bong ward, Hoan Kiem district" are out of date. Write addresses as "number + street, Hanoi" and confirm the current ward on a map.

Typical hours seen in online listings range from about 8:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday (some close on Sunday) up to 7:00 to 21:00 daily. Treat these as indicative and check them on the ground.

Hang Bac street and near Hoan Kiem Lake

Giang Son, 130 Hang Bac, is frequently recommended in traveller forums. Its listing shows long hours, roughly 7:30 to 22:00. Verify both the hours and whether it exchanges money.

Hang Bac is closer to the lake and the night market area. That makes it convenient, but rates can be slightly less competitive than on Ha Trung, so compare two shops before committing.

How to tell a licensed exchange agent

• Look for a sign reading Đại lý thu đổi ngoại tệ that names the authorising bank, or a framed certificate near the counter.
• Licensed agents should display a rate board and can issue a receipt (biên lai).
• No sign does not automatically mean a scam, but it does mean no legal protection.

What the transaction looks like

Hand over your notes. The clerk checks them under a UV lamp or a counting machine, quotes or points to the rate, and counts dong in front of you. The whole thing usually takes 2 to 5 minutes.

Shops mostly handle USD and EUR. Some take GBP, AUD, JPY, KRW, SGD or CNY at wider spreads. Ask before handing over notes.

A passport is usually not required, unlike at a bank.

Shop	Address	Currencies	Hours (check on site)	Licence sign	Notes
Quoc Trinh	27 to 29 Ha Trung	USD, EUR, some others	Weekday and Saturday daytime	Confirm	Long-standing address on the street
Hong Phat	25 Ha Trung	USD, EUR	Weekday and Saturday daytime	Confirm	Central position on Ha Trung
Shop at 31 Ha Trung	31 Ha Trung	USD, EUR	Weekday and Saturday daytime	Often described as licensed	Verify certificate at the counter
Thinh Quang	43 Ha Trung	USD, EUR	Weekday and Saturday daytime	Confirm	Compare rate with neighbours
Nhat Quang	57 Ha Trung	USD, EUR	Weekday and Saturday daytime	Confirm	Further north on the street
Nhat Nam Hung Thuy	62 Ha Trung	USD, EUR	Weekday and Saturday daytime	Confirm	End of the cluster
Giang Son	130 Hang Bac	USD, EUR	Roughly 7:30 to 22:00	Confirm	Closer to the lake, longer hours

Banks: Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank and others

Banks suit readers who want a receipt, a licensed counterparty or a less common currency. They are also slower and more bureaucratic.

Branches near the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake

• Vietcombank head office: 198 Tran Quang Khai.
• BIDV Tower: 194 Tran Quang Khai.
• VietinBank head office area: Tran Hung Dao.
• Smaller branches and transaction offices sit inside the Old Quarter, but not all of them exchange cash for non-customers. Confirm the foreign exchange counter before queueing.

Bank	Address	Weekday hours	Saturday	FX counter for non-customers
Vietcombank head office	198 Tran Quang Khai	Roughly 8:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 16:30	Limited, confirm	Yes
BIDV Tower	194 Tran Quang Khai	Roughly 8:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 16:30	Limited, confirm	Yes
VietinBank head office area	Tran Hung Dao	Roughly 8:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 16:30	Limited, confirm	Yes
Old Quarter transaction offices	Various	Same pattern	Usually closed	Often no, confirm first

Opening hours

Typically Monday to Friday, about 8:00 to 11:30 or 12:00, then about 13:00 to 16:30 or 17:00. Many branches close for lunch.

A minority of branches open on Saturday morning. Banks are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

What to bring and expect

Your original passport. Expect a form, a ticket queue and 15 to 40 minutes in total.

Some branches may ask about the purpose of the exchange, run short of a currency, or prefer account holders.

Usually no commission is charged. The bank's margin is built into the rate.

Keep the receipt, because it helps if you later want to change dong back.

Checking bank rates online

Vietcombank, BIDV and VietinBank publish daily rate tables on their websites. Use these as a benchmark before walking into a gold shop.

Noi Bai airport versus the city

Where the counters are

Terminal 2 (international) has exchange counters after immigration and baggage claim, and in the arrivals hall. ATMs are also in the arrivals area.

Terminal 1 (domestic) has bank counters and several ATMs.

Counters are operated by banks, so they are licensed and issue receipts.

How much worse is the airport rate

Noi Bai rates are usually somewhat below city bank and gold shop rates, though often less punishing than airport exchange in many other countries.

The practical rule: change only what you need to reach the Old Quarter and eat that evening, about USD 30 to 50.

Getting into town with your first dong

Grab or a metered taxi costs roughly VND 250,000 to 400,000 (USD 10 to 15).

The airport express bus 86 costs around VND 45,000 (under USD 2). Verify current fares.

Do not change money with drivers or touts in the arrivals hall. Bank counters and ATMs are metres away.

ATMs in Hanoi: which charge the least

Fees and limits

Vietnamese banks typically charge foreign cards about VND 20,000 to 110,000 per withdrawal (roughly USD 0.80 to 4.20). Some machines show a percentage instead.

Per-transaction limits are usually VND 2 to 5 million (about USD 76 to 190). Some machines allow up to VND 10 million (about USD 380).

Your home bank may add its own foreign transaction or ATM fee on top.

Outdated "free ATM" claims

Some guides name specific banks as fee-free for foreign cards. Published sources disagree, and these policies have changed over time.

Test four or five bank ATMs in the Old Quarter with a foreign Visa and a foreign Mastercard. Record the fee shown on screen and the maximum amount allowed, then treat the results as a dated snapshot.

Bank ATM	Location	Fee shown for foreign card	Max per withdrawal	DCC offered	Test date
Fill on field visit	Old Quarter branch	Record VND and USD	Record VND	Yes or no	Record date
Fill on field visit	Old Quarter branch	Record VND and USD	Record VND	Yes or no	Record date
Fill on field visit	Old Quarter branch	Record VND and USD	Record VND	Yes or no	Record date
Fill on field visit	Old Quarter branch	Record VND and USD	Record VND	Yes or no	Record date

How to minimise the cost

Withdraw the maximum per transaction, since the fee is usually flat.

Always choose "without conversion" or "charge in VND" when the machine offers to convert into your home currency. This is dynamic currency conversion, and it typically costs several percent extra.

Use ATMs inside or attached to bank branches during opening hours. That reduces skimming risk, and if the machine swallows your card you can recover it the same day.

Some machines dispense mostly 500,000 notes. Break them at a supermarket or convenience store.

Which notes to bring

This section prevents the most common frustration: notes refused or bought at a lower rate.

• Currency: USD gets the best and widest acceptance. EUR is second and is accepted on Ha Trung and at all major banks.
• GBP, AUD, JPY, KRW and SGD are accepted at banks, but fewer gold shops take them, and spreads are wider.
• INR, PHP and RUB are hard to exchange as cash in Hanoi. Convert to USD at home before flying.
• Denominations: USD 100 and 50 notes get the best rate. 1s, 5s, 10s and 20s are often bought at a lower rate.
• Condition: notes should be clean, crisp and unfolded where possible, with no writing, stamps, tears or heavy creases. Recent series are preferred. Older series may be refused or discounted.
• Quantity: change enough for two or three days at a time. The Old Quarter is safe, but pickpocketing happens in crowds.

Note type	Accepted	Discounted	Likely refused
USD 100 and 50, clean, recent series	Yes, best rate	No	No
USD 1 to 20	Yes	Often	No
EUR 50 and 100, clean	Yes	No	No
USD or EUR with tears, stamps or heavy creases	Sometimes	Often	Sometimes
INR, PHP, RUB cash	Rarely	Rarely	Usually
Old-series USD notes	Sometimes	Often	Sometimes

How to check a rate and count your dong

The ten-second rate check

Before going, check the mid-market rate on a currency app and Vietcombank's cash buy rate.

At the shop, compare the offer against both. Formula: (mid-market minus offered) ÷ mid-market = your effective cost.

A working assumption of about USD 1 = VND 26,300 and EUR 1 = VND 30,500 helps for quick mental arithmetic. These are approximate and must be updated on the publication date.

Worked example

USD 300 in 100s at 26,300 = VND 7,890,000.

In notes: 15 × 500,000, plus 1 × 200,000, 1 × 100,000, 1 × 50,000 and 2 × 20,000.

Ask for a few 100,000 and 200,000 notes. Street vendors struggle to change 500,000.

Counting and checking notes

Count everything at the counter before stepping away, in front of the clerk, ideally in stacks of 10.

Know the classic look-alike pairs: 20,000 and 500,000 (both blue-toned) and 10,000 and 200,000 (similar warm tones). Check the number of zeros on every note.

Polymer notes (10,000 and above) have a transparent window and spring back when scrunched. Counterfeits are rare at reputable shops and banks but exist in street circulation.

Useful Vietnamese

Đổi tiền (change money), Tỷ giá (exchange rate), Mua vào (buy), Bán ra (sell), Tiền mặt (cash), Đô la Mỹ (US dollar), Ngoại tệ (foreign currency), Biên lai (receipt).

Scams and mistakes to avoid

• Street changers around Hoan Kiem Lake, Dong Xuan market and backpacker streets: they use short counts, note swaps and folded notes. Avoid them entirely.
• Sleight of hand: a 500,000 note is shown and then swapped for a 20,000 note during a recount. Never hand your stack back for a "recheck".
• Bait rate: the board shows a good rate that "only applies to new 100s" or large amounts, or an unexplained "fee" is deducted. Confirm the final dong total before handing over notes.
• Hotels and travel desks: convenient, but usually a weaker rate. Fine for USD 20 in an emergency.
• Paying in USD: shops and some tours accept dollars, but at a poor rate. Pay in dong.
• Dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card terminals.
• Torn dong notes: some vendors refuse badly damaged polymer notes. Refuse them yourself when receiving change.

Timing: weekends, public holidays and Tet

Banks are closed on Sundays and many on Saturdays. Most Ha Trung and Hang Bac shops open on Saturday, and several open on Sunday, often with shorter hours. Change on a weekday or Saturday morning before a weekend.

Closures to plan around after publication:

• New Year's Day: 1 January 2027.
• Tet (Lunar New Year): falls on 6 February 2027. Banks close for about a week around it, and many gold shops close for several days. Withdraw or exchange enough cash before the holiday begins.
• God of Wealth day (Vía Thần Tài, 10th day of the first lunar month): 15 February 2027. Gold shops on Ha Trung are packed with locals buying gold, so expect long waits.
• Hung Kings' commemoration: mid-April 2027.
• Reunification Day and Labour Day: 30 April and 1 May 2027.
• National Day: 2 September 2027.

Holiday	Next date	Banks	Gold shops	Advice
New Year's Day	1 January 2027	Closed	Mostly open	Change the day before
Tet	6 February 2027	Closed about a week	Many closed several days	Stock up a week ahead
God of Wealth day	15 February 2027	Open	Packed, long waits	Avoid or go early
Hung Kings	Mid-April 2027	Closed	Mostly open	Confirm locally
Reunification and Labour Day	30 April and 1 May 2027	Closed	Mostly open	Change in advance
National Day	2 September 2027	Closed	Mostly open	Change in advance

Changing dong back and leaving Hanoi

Changing VND back to USD at a bank usually requires your passport and often your original exchange receipt or a ticket. Amounts may be limited.

Gold shops will sell USD, but at their sell rate, which is the less favourable side of the spread.

Noi Bai departure-side counters may buy dong back. Confirm which ones do and at what rate before relying on it.

The simplest approach is to spend your dong down. Leftover small notes have almost no value outside Vietnam.

For Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Da Nang, see the general guide on exchanging money in Vietnam.

FAQ

Q: Where can I find money changers at Noi Bai Airport? A: At Terminal 2, there are bank-run counters after immigration and baggage claim and in the international arrivals hall, plus ATMs. Terminal 1 also has counters and ATMs. Rates are slightly below the city, so change only enough for transport and a first meal.

Q: How much is 50,000,000 Vietnamese dong in US dollars? A: About USD 1,900 at roughly VND 26,300 per dollar. Update this figure on the publication date and remind readers to check a live converter.

Q: How much is 1 Vietnamese dong in Indian rupees? A: About 0.0033 INR, so VND 1,000 is roughly 3.3 INR. Rupee cash is very hard to exchange in Hanoi, so Indian travellers should bring USD.

Q: How much is 1 Philippine peso in Vietnamese dong? A: Roughly VND 450 at current rates. Pesos are rarely accepted as cash, so convert to USD before departure or use an ATM.

Q: Is it legal to exchange money at gold shops on Ha Trung street? A: Only at shops authorised as exchange agents, which usually display a sign naming the authorising bank. Unlicensed exchange is an administrative offence. In practice small tourist transactions are rarely penalised, but choosing a licensed shop removes the risk.

Q: Can I pay in US dollars in Hanoi? A: Some hotels, tours and tourist shops accept USD, but at poor conversion rates. Street food, taxis, Grab and markets work in dong, so paying in VND is almost always cheaper.

Q: Where can I change money on a Sunday in Hanoi? A: Banks are closed. Several Ha Trung and Hang Bac shops open on Sundays, often with shorter hours, and ATMs work 24/7. Check opening times before walking over.

Q: Which ATM in Hanoi has the lowest fees for foreign cards? A: Fees change often, so test a few machines and record the results. The general rules: withdraw the maximum per transaction, use machines attached to bank branches and always decline the conversion offered by the ATM.