Exchanging Russian Rubles for Vietnamese Dong

You land in Vietnam, and a card that worked fine at home doesn't go through — not at the ATM, not at the till. It's not a glitch: Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks aren't accepted outside Russia, and some banks are cut off from SWIFT, so a standard international transfer to a Vietnamese account isn't available to many people either. Here's a working route for exchanging rubles for Vietnamese dong through EXFM — and how it differs for a short trip versus living in Vietnam for months.

How the ruble-to-dong exchange works

The rubles never cross the border. You transfer them inside Russia — by phone number via SBP (Russia's fast payment system) or to the account details a manager provides in advance — and you receive dong in Vietnam. The manager confirms the delivery method for your city and amount when you place the request.

EXFM quotes the rate before the rubles leave your account: the dong amount is known up front, not after the money lands. Once your request is created, the rate is held for a limited time, and the fee is already built into it — there are no hidden charges.

Which bank to send from

Any Russian bank works — Sberbank, T-Bank, VTB, Alfa-Bank, Gazprombank, Raiffeisenbank, Sovcombank and any other bank connected to SBP. For small and medium amounts, SBP is the easiest: by phone number, no account details to copy. For larger sums, the manager may suggest a transfer by account details. The rate can differ slightly depending on the bank — the manager gives you the exact figure.

Pay from your own account: the transaction is registered to the sender, so a transfer from a spouse's or friend's card won't do.

What to prepare

• Documents: ask your manager about the documents and identity checks required for an exchange in Vietnam before sending funds.
• An amount of at least 2,000,000 dong — that's the minimum exchange.
• The city in Vietnam where you'll receive dong: currently Da Nang and Nha Trang.

A single trip or living in Vietnam

If you're staying one to four weeks, it's simplest to exchange your whole budget at once and not think about it again before you leave. If you're here for months, it's more practical to exchange in portions as you spend: a request takes a few messages, the rate is confirmed in advance every time, and you don't keep a large pile of cash at home.

Good to know about the dong

The largest banknote is 500,000 dong, and prices are often written in thousands ("100k" means 100,000 dong). The calculator on this page shows how much dong you'll get for your rubles.

If you're flying on from Vietnam to Thailand, leftover cash dong can be exchanged for baht at EXFM's Phuket offices — see exchanging dong for baht. Rubles are exchanged for baht there the same way. If paying in rubles isn't convenient, there's also Online USD for dong. All cities and methods are on the currency exchange in Vietnam page.