Where to change money in Da Nang legally — and not lose it all
In Da Nang you can change currency only at a bank or a bank agent with a Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ sign. Whether to change at the airport, which currency to bring, how to convert dong and what hand-to-hand exchange risks.
You can legally change money in Da Nang at a bank or at a bank agent with a "Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ" sign — agent addresses are in the Da Nang currency exchange section. Changing at a jewellery shop without that sign, with a private person or through Telegram is illegal: in September 2025 Da Nang police fined both a shop and its customer and confiscated all the currency.
Currency exchange: addresses and contacts Open in Telegram
Where can I change money, and where not?
| Where | Legal? | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Bank | yes | usually asks for a passport; call ahead to ask whether they take your currency |
| Bank agent ("Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ") | yes | sign with the bank's name; the agent only buys currency and pays in dong |
| Airport exchange counters | yes | currency list on the airport website, rates differ a little between counters |
| Jewellery shop without a sign, private person, Telegram | no | fine and confiscation of the currency |
| ATM | yes | you withdraw dong with your card; fees from your bank and the ATM |
Addresses are in the currency exchange and banks sections.
How do I recognise a real exchange agent?
Look for the "Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ" sign with the partner bank's name and posted rates. On the Võ Nguyên Giáp seafront by My Khe beach, exchange counters sit in hotels that appear on Vietcombank's list of agents: Chicland (no. 210), Paris Deli (no. 236), DLG (no. 258) and Balcona (no. 288). They only buy cash currency from you and pay in dong — you cannot buy dollars from an agent. The bank's list dates from 2022, so call the hotel and ask whether the counter is working and which currencies it takes. No sign, or they cannot name the bank — do not change.
Which bank should I change money at?
At any commercial bank licensed for foreign-currency operations — that is the State Bank of Vietnam's advice. Vietcombank's main branch in Da Nang is 140–142 Lê Lợi, in Hai Chau district, in the centre. Call before you go and ask whether they take your currency. Other banks in the city are in the Da Nang banks section.
Is it worth changing money at Da Nang airport?
A small sum for the road, yes; change the rest in town at a bank or an agent with a sign. Exchange counters are in the arrivals hall of the international terminal (ground floor, public area) and in the arrivals area of the domestic terminal. The airport itself says rates differ slightly between counters — compare at least two and check against the Vietcombank rates page. The counters' opening hours are not given on the airport's page, so if you land at night do not count on exchanging. There are ATMs in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1. For getting to the city, see from Da Nang airport to the city and Hoi An.
Which currency should I bring: dollars or roubles?
Bring US dollars or euros: they are on the list of currencies the airport counters take, together with pounds, Australian, Canadian, Singapore and Hong Kong dollars, Swiss francs, yen, won and baht. Roubles are not on that list. The Vietcombank rates page does show the rouble, but that does not mean every branch will take cash roubles — call ahead. Pay in dong everywhere.
How do I convert dong into roubles and dollars?
Open the Vietcombank rates page on the day you exchange and take the rate from the row of your currency: for cash, use the cash-buying column — the rate at which the bank takes currency from you. Divide the sum in dong by that rate. The rate moves during the day, which is why we do not print a number here. An agent posts rates in plain view — compare them with the website before you hand over any money. If you withdraw with a card, your own bank does the conversion: see ATMs in Da Nang.
Can I pay in roubles or dollars in Vietnam?
No. In Vietnam you pay in dong only: paying in roubles, dollars or any other currency in a shop, café, hotel or taxi is banned for both buyer and seller. That is Article 3 of State Bank of Vietnam Circular No. 32/2013/TT-NHNN. A tourist needs foreign currency only in duty-free shops and for border fees (Article 4).
Paying in foreign currency is fined: under Decree 340/2025/NĐ-CP a payment up to 1,000 dollars brings a warning, larger sums a fine. So change roubles and dollars into dong first, at a bank or a bank agent.
What happens if I change money on the street?
Decree 340/2025/NĐ-CP has been in force since 9 February 2026. Exchanging less than 1,000 dollars outside a bank or agent brings a warning; a repeat brings a fine of 10–20 million dong. For 1,000 to 10,000 dollars the fine is the same 10–20 million dong, and the currency exchanged is confiscated from 1,000 dollars up.
How it looks in Da Nang: on 19 September 2025 economic police caught a jewellery shop in Hai Chau district exchanging with a customer. The shop was fined 30 million dong, the customer 15 million, and all the money in the deal — dollars, euros, yen and pounds — was confiscated. The earlier Decree 88/2019 was in force then.
How much cash can I bring in without declaring it?
Up to 5,000 US dollars in cash or up to 15 million dong needs no declaration. More than that — fill in a customs declaration: undeclared currency is fined under Decree 169/2026, in force since 1 July 2026.
How do I avoid losing money on the rate?
Start with a bank: its rate is official and visible in advance. Check buying and selling rates on the Vietcombank rates page — every bank has its own rate and it moves through the day, so compare two or three banks. Hand-to-hand exchange or a shop without a sign is not worth it: the State Bank advises changing cash only at commercial banks and registered agents, and exchange outside them is fined and the currency confiscated.
Where can I change dong back into dollars?
Dong are changed into dollars at a bank: it is one of the two legal channels the State Bank names. A bank agent ("Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ") only buys currency, so you cannot get dollars from one. Take your passport and call the branch ahead: whether it has cash dollars and how many it will give is the bank's decision. Do not change on the street or in a shop without a sign — the same fines apply.
How do I change money in Nha Trang?
The rules in Nha Trang are the same: a bank or an agent with a sign. Addresses and cases are in the article Where to change money in Nha Trang legally and not lose it all.
Also on the topic: ATMs in Da Nang: where to withdraw dong with a foreign card.
FAQ
Where in Da Nang can I legally change dollars? At a bank or a bank agent with a "Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ" sign, including the airport counters.
Is it worth changing money at Da Nang airport? A small sum for the road, yes: there are counters in the arrivals hall and their rates differ slightly. Change the rest in town at a bank or an agent with a sign and check the rate against the Vietcombank rates page.
Which currency should I bring to Vietnam — dollars or roubles? Dollars and euros are on the airport's currency list, roubles are not. For roubles at a bank, call ahead. In shops you can pay only in dong.
Do they change roubles in Da Nang? Roubles are not on the airport's currency list. Whether a bank takes them — call the branch ahead.
How do I calculate dong into roubles? Take the rate from the Vietcombank rates page on the day and divide the sum in dong by it. At an agent, compare with the rate on the board.
Can I pay in roubles or dollars in Vietnam? No, only in dong. Change your currency first, at a bank or a bank agent.
Can I change money at a jewellery shop? Only if it has a bank-agent sign. Without one, no: in 2025 a Da Nang shop and its customer were both fined for it.
What happens if I change on the street? Under 1,000 dollars, a warning; a repeat or a larger sum, a fine of 10–20 million dong, and from 1,000 dollars the currency is confiscated.
Can I buy dollars from an agent? No, an agent only buys currency and pays out dong.
Do I have to declare cash? Yes, if you bring more than 5,000 US dollars or more than 15 million dong.
Sources and checks
Rules — Decree 340/2025/NĐ-CP (signed 25 Dec 2025, in force from 9 Feb 2026) on the government portal; fines and confiscation — VnEconomy (12 Jan 2026) and Luật sư Việt Nam (lsvn.vn, 2 Jan 2026, opened 26 Oct 2026); State Bank advice — the Vietnam Bar Association paper LSVN (5 July 2026). The ban on paying in foreign currency — Articles 3 and 4 of State Bank Circular No. 32/2013/TT-NHNN (text on caselaw.vn, opened 26 Oct 2026). The jewellery-shop case — Nhà Đầu Tư (21 Oct 2025) and Thanh Tra (20 Oct 2025). Exchange counters and currency list — the Da Nang airport website (opened 26 Oct 2026, the page has no date). Agents in hotels on Võ Nguyên Giáp — Vietcombank's list of agents (PDF, 2022) and the cards in the Da Nang currency exchange section (cross-checked 25 October 2026). Vietcombank's address — bank documents (2024). Rouble and dollar on the currency list, "cash buying" and "selling" columns — Vietcombank's rates page (26 Oct 2026). Cash declaration — Tax & Customs magazine of the Ministry of Finance (28 May 2026). This is general information, not legal advice. We do not publish rates: they change during the day. Text updated 26 October 2026.