色花堂

Hi
Tried to open a joint account at ACB today. I am an Aussie with a shiny new 3 year TRC and a beautiful VN wife who is shinier than me 聽 I was told not possible unless both parties VN nationals.

In my personal experience, ACB isn't interested in foreigners unless you need a large commercial account.

There was a little discussion a while back about a joint account and I believe those two people opened theirs at Vietcombank.

I've also been told by a number of people that TechcomBank is friendlier to foreigners.

Good luck!

O.B.

Thanks, will make some enquires.

@KKK36

Hello, it doesn't matter which bank you ask, national, private, international or digital such as TIMO.聽 In my opinion it's not worthy for Foreigners who are NOT working or investing in Vietnam due to the money inflow restrictions

In other hand, spouses don't need to have any specification of "joint" because everything is jointed by default if capitulations are not in the marriage certificate (landed houses is the only impossible to have in common).

Reason why I could say: It's very weird an Embassy in a country is asking for papers impossible to fulfill within that country (joint account? to legally spouses? perhaps to couples in free union).聽 Thus ask again, maybe your Embassy is asking for co-holders in the account. Or maybe also a sworn of marital funds could help instead.

Therefore, your wife's account balance certificate + your marriage certificate (issued no more than 3 months ago) + translated by English + notarized (and maybe AU-Embassy聽 will ask for VN-MOFA' stamp as well) must be enough.

What I have found out is that law changes over a year ago preclude joint accounts between VN and foreigners regardless of marital status or any other criteria.聽 聽Tried a number of banks including those suggested and HSBC.

@KKK36

I also tried this route and understood from HSBC advice referencing the central bank, both partners need to have same residential status for joint accounts, ie. 2 Vietnamese citizens, or 2 色花堂s (both eligible to open accounts individually), but other combinations are not eligible

@KKK36

Wait, I didn't suggest to try with international banks...聽 because any bank established in a country must comply the legal controls of that country.聽 聽

In Vietnam foreigners who hold an account can only receive funds by transfers from other accounts you own (domestic/interbank/swift/remittances) and/or from your company/employer.聽 Your spouse/sponsor/anyone are banned.

To banks, you and your spouse still have the same marital community properties protected by the civil/family laws about聽 money and debts.聽 But regarding joint account, loans, mortgages, etc, as a bank products, the co-owners must have the same "RIGHTS and obligations" that are limited/restricted or risky to guarantee about foreigners.

My advise is go to your Embassy and ask for a clarification, maybe to present your both Bank Statement + Marriage Certificate could mend the paper

...In Vietnam foreigners who hold an account can only receive funds by transfers from other accounts you own (domestic/interbank/swift/remittances) and/or from your company/employer. Your spouse/sponsor/anyone are banned.
- @ajairon

Actually, that's not "absolutely" true.

My wife and I each have separate individual accounts at Agribank that were opened in C岷﹎ Ch芒u, H峄檌 An, Qu岷�ng Nam in October, 2022--after I received my 3-Year spousal TRC--and we routinely send money back and forth to each other, without any fees.

However, with my domestic account at ACB Bank, when my wife opened an account there, we didn't get the ability to send money to each other.

In that case, my only option is to do as you have mentioned: send to my Agribank account that is owned with the same exact identification.

I did discover something I was unaware of having to do with Timo Bank:

There is an inactive member of this forum who moved here to 膼脿 N岷祅g within the past year and opened an account at Timo Bank. He's Vi峄噒 Ki峄乽 and stays in the country on his 5-year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC) for 6 months at a time.

We got talking about the banking restrictions and I asked him if I could test sending him a small amount to his Timo account.

I used my Agribank app and attempted to send him 鈧�35,000 VN膼.

The transfer went through successfully, immediately, using only his account information.

I'm virtually certain he can't do the same thing (he can receive but not send) but I'm not certain. I know he can pay from his account using QR codes at merchants. I didn't think to test by sending him my QR code. Next time he and I meet for coffee I'll give it a try.

The major restriction that I know is still absolutely true is that it's virtually impossible to send money out of Vietnam from any banking account held by a foreigner or a Vietnamese national, without the legal source of the funds being confirmed.

@OceanBeach92107

Hi, I cannot deny your experience with Agribank.... I have also heard the same from some other expats, in fact with any bank it works for some few people, but most of the them don't.聽 聽I think that feature was kept by mistake of the cashier when creating the new account.聽

Last year I did successfully a test receiving money from my wife via her Momo Wallet to my Momo and then to my VCB. The fee is a percentage of the amount, thus no worthy for common expenses. (does Momo still works for foreigners this year?)

What is the trick with Momo or Timo? I don't know, but about Timo I don't like that you cannot not withdraw your money in paper (for ATM debits it requires the same paperwork as any other bank)

At the end, by the VN Law, foreigners are not granted to receive money without a contract of job.聽 聽By the way, is a marriage certificate聽 not a contract too???? 馃槅