Gotta love crooked airport customs ppl lol

khanh44 wrote:

the river pirates have adapted to changing times and are now road pirates. They will purposely crash into your motorbike and extort money from you since foreigners are always in the wrong.

Let them try.  We have relatives in the local magistrate

Budman1 wrote:

ChrisFox wrote:

They used to pass out declaration forms on the plane.  They don't anymore.  Like anyone is going to say yes, I'm carrying heroin.

True they used to but nowadays from what I've been told all you do is ask the attendants on the plane for one. You can still fill it out inflight.  BTW where did heroin come in to play on the OP?

Dunno if you've seen the old declaration forms but at least in some countries they actually ask you if you're carrying narcotics.  Did they really expect anyone to admit it if they were?

Dunno if you've seen the old declaration forms but at least in some countries they actually ask you if you're carrying narcotics.  Did they really expect anyone to admit it if they were?

Chris, your point is right, it does seem ridiculous. But in Miami several years back a particularly nervous Colombian mule was asked if he were carrying narcotis and he answered 'yes', and could someone please get him to a hospital as quickly as possible. He feared one of the condums he'd swallowed had broken. It turned out to be a kidney stone or something similar.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

mikeymyke wrote:

Came into Tan Son Nhat airport in Saigon for my upcoming wedding and before I came, I searched the net, as well as the Canada and USA official govt websites, and all indicate u can bring $7000 max without declare.  so i decide bring $7000 even.  Now when i got to customs, they said to me the limit is $5000 and even pointed to a sign outside that said so.  They then said they might have to confiscate some cash, but I said to them I got $7000 info from canada and us websites so its their fault for not updating.  then they said its my fault for not researching properly.  then i finally asked them to give me their computer so i can show where i got my info, then they said, "no no its fine, just dont bring in more than $5K next time"

The money was for the wedding by the way.   Anyway just a heads up for u guys, the "limit" is $5000

SWEET!  Julien un-banned me just in time to help other Expats.  I read this thread, verified the confusing "directions" and believe our diplomats need to sort this out.  So I wrote both the Canadian Embassy and the American Embassy an email detailing your problem.  I think this will help out many Americans as well as Canadians so 1) they either get the correct dollar figure right, $5,000 USD for both websites or 2) the Vietnamese customs will change their $5,000 USD sign to $7,000 USD.  One side is right and the other is wrong. 

Here's the email I just sent off and I would suggest others also email the embassies and consulates as well.

---

Date:12/17/2013
To: acshanoi@state.gov, hanoi@international.gc.ca
Cc: acshcmc@state.gov, hochi@international.gc.ca


To Whom It May Concern:

My name is (my real name), a US Citizen, and I am writing to inform you of an incident that happened with a Canadian colleague coming into Vietnam that warrants your attention.

He brought with him US $7000 in cash, which per the US's DoS's website

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_t … rcumstance

Currency:  There is no limit to the amount of U.S. dollars or other foreign currency you can import into Vietnam or export from Vietnam. However, upon arrival and departure, you must declare to customs foreign currency (including cash and travelers' checks) in excess of US$7,000 (or its equivalent), cash exceeding Vietnamese Dong (VND) 15,000,000, and gold exceeding 300 grams. If you do not declare the amounts noted above, officials may arrest or fine you at the port of entry or exit and confiscate your currency.

states that $7,000 is the max that does not require declaration. 

This $7,000 USD figure is also repeated per the Canadian's travel website, 

http://travel.gc.ca/destinations/vietnam

Cash in excess of US$7,000, or the equivalent in any other foreign currency, must be declared upon arrival. Anyone arriving in the country with more than 300 grams of gold, including jewellery, gold bar and raw gold, must also make a declaration.

However, per the Customs official, both websites are WRONG.  The limit is $5,000 USD.  The Customs official cites the Vietnamese Circular:

15/2011/QD-NHNN of State Bank of Vietnam on bringing foreign currency and Vietnam Dong in cash when entering, leaving Vietnam: Individual entry, exit through Vietnam’s border gates by passport carrying foreign currency in cash and Vietnam Dong in cash exceed amount of money in the following provisions shall be declared with customs office at border gates: - 5,000 USD or foreign currency equivalent value. - 15,000,000 VND

I tracked down the original circular in Vietnamese from the Ministry of Justice and it reads as such:

http://moj.gov.vn/vbpq/Lists/Vn%20bn%20 … emID=26865

Điều 2. Mức ngoại tệ tiền mặt, đồng Việt Nam tiền mặt phải khai báo Hải quan cửa khẩu khi xuất cảnh, nhập cảnh

1. Cá nhân khi xuất cảnh, nhập cảnh qua các cửa khẩu quốc tế của Việt Nam bằng hộ chiếu mang theo ngoại tệ tiền mặt, đồng Việt Nam tiền mặt trên mức quy định dưới đây phải khai báo Hải quan cửa khẩu:

a) 5.000 USD (Năm nghìn Đôla Mỹ) hoặc các loại ngoại tệ khác có giá trị tương đương;

b) 15.000.000 VNĐ (Mười lăm triệu đồng Việt Nam).

google translated to English as:

Article 2. The level of foreign currency in cash, Vietnam dong in cash must declare the customs gate upon exit or entry

1. Personally when entry and exit through the gate of Vietnam by international passport carrying foreign currencies in cash, Vietnam dong in cash on the following provisions must be declared to Customs gate:

a) $ 5,000 (five thousand U.S. dollars) or other currency equivalent value;

b) VNĐ 15,000,000 (Fifteen million Vietnam dong).

As this circular was written in 2011, I would assume that both the Canadian Embassy and the US Embassy had updated information that pertains to the $7,000 figure?  If so, please provide it AND contact the Customs at the airports to inform them of the new limit.
-----
Here is the original statement from "mikeymyke" at https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=327184

Came into Tan Son Nhat airport in Saigon for my upcoming wedding and before I came, I searched the net, as well as the Canada and USA official govt websites, and all indicate u can bring $7000 max without declare.  so i decide bring $7000 even.  Now when i got to customs, they said to me the limit is $5000 and even pointed to a sign outside that said so.  They then said they might have to confiscate some cash, but I said to them I got $7000 info from canada and us websites so its their fault for not updating.  then they said its my fault for not researching properly.  then i finally asked them to give me their computer so i can show where i got my info, then they said, "no no its fine, just dont bring in more than $5K next time"

The money was for the wedding by the way.   Anyway just a heads up for u guys, the "limit" is $5000
----

Please look into this matter as the correct maximum amount without declaration is needed to assist both Canadians as well as Americans entering and leaving Vietnam.  Thank you and have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,

(my real name)

RESULT:

email chain wrote:

Thank you for the response.  Please also inform the American Embassy to update its website as well since the Canadian Expat had searched both Canadian and American embassies to verify his $7000 figure (and had problems at the airport). 

--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 12/30/13, Jonathan.Boisseau@international.gc.ca wrote:

Subject: RE: Max USD allowed in Vietnam without declaration
To: my email address
Date: Monday, December 30, 2013, 8:30 AM

Dear Mr. (my real name),

Thank you kindly for your message. We've confirmed with the
authorities that the declaration limit is $5000 USD and we
will be updating the information on our travel report page
shortly. I regret the inconvenience caused to your colleague
by this incorrect information.

Best Regards,

Jonathan Boisseau
Consul (Management and Consular Services) /
Consul (Gestion et Services Consulaires)
Consulate General of Canada, Ho Chi Minh City /
Consulat général du Canada, Ho Chi Minh Ville
Tel: +84 (8) 3827 9902, MITNET: 478-3300
Fax: +84 (8) 3827 9935, MITNET: 478-3910
email: jonathan.boisseau@international.gc.ca

Thanks mikeymyke for taking one for the team.