Money on Phu Quoc: ATMs, changing currency, cards and QR
On Phu Quoc, withdraw dong at an ATM or change cash only at a bank or an agent with a Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ sign. Which banks are in Duong Dong, roubles and Mir cards, what to pay with at small places, and the fines for street exchange.
On Phu Quoc the easiest ways to get dong are an ATM, or changing cash at a bank or at a bank agent with a «Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ» sign. Changing money on the street, in a shop without that sign or through Telegram is illegal: people get fined and the currency can be confiscated. BIDV, Techcombank and Sacombank have branches in Duong Dong, the main town on the island, and BIDV and Sacombank also have offices in An Thoi in the south.
Currency exchange: addresses and contacts Open in Telegram
Where can I withdraw cash on Phu Quoc?
The safest approach is to search for an ATM near your hotel in your bank's app beforehand: each bank has an ATM finder by address. In Duong Dong, BIDV (no. 196) and Techcombank (no. 216) are a few doors apart on Nguyen Trung Truc street, and Sacombank is at 52B 30 Thang 4 street. Branches open around 7:00–7:30. In An Thoi in the south BIDV and Sacombank have separate offices. We did not check which ATMs stand where against the banks' official lists — keep a cash reserve and don't rely on a single machine.
How much do ATMs charge?
Two banks can charge a fee: yours and the one that owns the ATM. The amount depends on the bank and card, so read the ATM screen: it normally shows the fee before paying out and lets you accept or cancel. The per-withdrawal limit is set by the ATM's bank and the machine; if it will not give the amount you want, take less or withdraw twice. We give no figures because every bank has its own and they change.
Where can I legally change money on Phu Quoc?
| Where | Legal? | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Bank (BIDV, Techcombank, Sacombank, etc.) | yes | usually asks for a passport; call ahead to ask if they take your currency |
| Bank agent («Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ») | yes | sign with the partner bank's name; the agent only buys currency and pays in dong |
| Shop without a sign, private person, Telegram, «exchange at a laundry» | no | fine and confiscation of all the currency |
| ATM | yes | you withdraw dong from your card; fees from your bank and the ATM bank |
A real agent is easy to spot: the sign names the partner bank. No sign, or they cannot name the bank — do not change. Addresses are in the banks and currency exchange sections.
How can I tell a licensed exchange point?
A bank agent has a sign at the entrance naming both the bank and the agent, and the exchange rates are displayed openly for everyone. An agent may only buy cash currency from you; it cannot sell currency to you. This is how a regional branch of the State Bank described the requirements in May 2025 (SGGP, 27 May 2025). No sign naming a bank, or no rate board: do not change there, go to a bank branch instead.
What are the penalties for street exchange?
Decree 340/2025/NĐ-CP has applied since 9 February 2026. Changing under 1,000 US dollars outside a bank or agent brings a warning, and 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 can be confiscated. The State Bank of Vietnam advises changing cash only at commercial banks and registered agents.
What it looks like in practice: in September 2025 Da Nang police caught a jewellery shop exchanging with a customer, fined the shop 30 million dong and the customer 15 million, and confiscated the currency in the deal. The earlier Decree 88/2019 applied then. The rules are national, so they apply on Phu Quoc too.
Do banks in Vietnam change roubles?
The rouble is on the currency list of Vietcombank's exchange-rate page, so that bank shows it. But whether a particular branch will take your rouble cash, and how much it pays, is up to the branch — call first. It is safer to bring US dollars or euros, which banks and agents accept. Do not change roubles on the street or in a shop without a sign: same rules, same fines.
Does a Mir card work on Phu Quoc?
Don't count on it. In December 2024 the Russian site «Nasha Planeta» wrote about Mui Ne and Phan Thiet in southern Vietnam: Vietnamese banks do not work with Mir except VRB. We found no separate data for Phu Quoc itself, so check your bank's site before the trip. The fallback is cash dollars or euros plus a Visa or Mastercard.
Can I pay by card or QR?
Cards and QR work in hotels, restaurants and shops that have a terminal — ask before ordering. QR schemes for foreigners currently cover tourists from six markets: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China, South Korea and Singapore (NAPAS, September 2026). Since December 2025 a Vietnam–China QR scheme has let Chinese tourists pay by QR from their own apps (State Bank of Vietnam, 2 Dec 2025). Russians and Europeans are not on that list, so take cash for the market and small cafés. For shops with terminals, see the supermarkets and markets and shopping centres sections.
How much cash can I bring into Vietnam?
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.
Is Phu Quoc now in An Giang province?
Yes. Since 1 July 2025 Kien Giang province has been merged with An Giang into one province called An Giang, under National Assembly Resolution 202/2025/QH15. Phu Quoc became a special zone (đặc khu Phú Quốc) under NA Standing Committee Resolution 1654/NQ-UBTVQH15 of 16 June 2025. Bank apps and maps may show the old (Kiên Giang) or new (An Giang) name — it is the same place.
FAQ
Where do I withdraw dong on Phu Quoc? At an ATM: find the nearest one in your bank's app. BIDV, Techcombank and Sacombank have branches in Duong Dong.
Where can I change dollars legally? At a bank or at a bank agent with a «Đại lý đổi ngoại tệ» sign. Shops without the sign, private people and Telegram are illegal.
Do they change roubles? The rouble is on Vietcombank's currency list, but whether a branch takes your cash is its own decision — call ahead. Dollars or euros are safer.
What happens if I change on the street? Under 1,000 dollars, a warning; a repeat or a larger sum brings a 10–20 million dong fine and possible confiscation.
Does Mir work? A Russian site wrote in December 2024 that in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet it does not: Vietnamese banks do not accept Mir, except VRB. There is no data for Phu Quoc, so check with your bank before travelling.
Can I pay by QR? Tourists from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China, Korea and Singapore can, where a VietQRGlobal code is shown. Everyone else should carry cash and a Visa or Mastercard.
Do I need to declare cash? Yes, if you bring more than 5,000 US dollars or more than 15 million dong.
How do I know an exchange point is genuine? By a sign naming the bank and the agent and by rates displayed openly. Without them do not change; go to a bank branch.
Sources and checks
Exchange rules come from Decree 340/2025/NĐ-CP (in force since 09.02.2026) on the government portal; fine sizes from VnEconomy (12.01.2026); State Bank advice from the Vietnam Lawyers' newspaper LSVN (05.07.2026). The jewellery-shop case is from Nhà Đầu Tư (21.10.2025) and Thanh Tra (20.10.2025). The rouble on the currency list is from Vietcombank's rates page (23.10.2026); we publish no rates. BIDV and Techcombank addresses come from the Masothue tax register and Google Maps (23.10.2026), Sacombank from Google Maps. We have not yet found a licensed exchange agent on the island, so we name none. Mir comes from a Q&A on «Nasha Planeta» (24.12.2024) about Mui Ne and Phan Thiet and may be out of date. QR for foreigners is from the State Bank of Vietnam (02.12.2025) and VietnamPlus (25.09.2026). The provincial merger is from National Assembly Resolution 202/2025/QH15 (12.06.2025); the special-zone status is from Resolution 1654/NQ-UBTVQH15 (Art. 1 cl. 95). Cash declaration is from the Tax & Customs magazine (28.05.2026). This is a guide, not legal advice. The signs of a bank agent (sign, rate board) come from SGGP quoting the State Bank's regional branch 2 (27.05.2025). Text updated 23.10.2026.