Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) is an international airport located in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. SGN airport receives the biggest number of domestic and international flights, so there’s a high chance that you will start your trip here and need money exchange. Find the things you should know about Ho Chi Minh Airport currency exchange.
Table of Contents
Getting Money at Ho Chi Minh Airport
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is the busiest airport in Vietnam, which is well connected by international flights with various destinations in Asia and other regions. Plenty of domestic flights connect Saigon Airport with other cities in the country, so normally flying to Ho Chi Minh City first and continuing your trip to other cities from there is the best travel option. If Ho Chi Minh Airport is the starting point of your Vietnam trip, stocking up with local currency (Vietnamese Dong - VND) there might be needed.
Even if credit cards and even US dollars can be used for payments in Vietnam quite often, using cash in local currency is normally the safest, cheapest, and sometimes the only option for making a payment here. As Tan Son Nhat Airport is a bit out of the city, you might need some Vietnamese Dongs right at the airport for getting into the center of Ho Chi Minh City or buying a local SIM card.
You have two options for getting Vietnamese Dong at Ho Chi Minh Airport:
- Withdraw cash from ATM
- Exchange your foreign currency
ATM at Ho Chi Minh Airport
You will find plenty of ATMs at Ho Chi Minh Airport, but cash withdrawal in Vietnam is usually a more expensive option than currency exchange. When withdrawing local currency from Ho Chi Minh Airport ATM, you not only lose on the exchange rate (your home bank will often offer a worse foreign exchange rate than Vietnamese banks) but also have to pay your bank’s foreign withdrawal fees and an additional fee charged by the Vietnamese bank.
If you're not comfortable with carrying a large amount of cash to exchange in Vietnam but still want to get a much better exchange rate on your payments and withdrawals than your regular bank card is offering, consider getting a Wise Card that lets you spend abroad with the real exchange rate and works well in Vietnam.
Even if most of the airports worldwide are known for giving very low exchange rates that sometimes look more like a robbery than a fair deal, Saigon Airport is not one of them. Currency exchange rates at Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat Airport are equal to some of the best exchange rates you can get in Ho Chi Minh City, if only you choose the right money changer.
Ho Chi Minh Airport Currency Exchange
Money changers can be found at both terminals of Ho Chi Minh Airport: the domestic terminal (Terminal 1) and the international terminal (Terminal 2). However, to get the best exchange rate, you will need to go to Terminal 2.
Currency Exchange at Ho Chi Minh Airport Terminal 1
During our last few visits to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), we’ve found only one currency exchange office operating at the domestic terminal (Terminal 1). Foreign exchange at Ho Chi Minh Airport’s domestic terminal was offered by Vietinbank. Vietinbank can be found in the Arrival Hall, which is located on the first level of Terminal 1.
However, we didn’t get a chance to check the rates offered by this money changer as the bank was closed during all our visits. Opening hours of Vietinbank at Tan Son Nhat Airport’s Terminal 1 are very limited, as the bank is only open Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 11:30 and from 13:00 to 16:30.
As Vietinbank also has a branch at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, expect the exchange rates offered by Vietinbank at Ho Chi Minh Airport to be close to the ones offered by this money changer in Hanoi. Currency exchange rates at Hanoi Airport are worse than the best rates you can get at Tan Son Nhat Airport.
Currency Exchange at Ho Chi Minh Airport Terminal 2
There are several money changers operating at the international passenger terminal (Terminal 2) of Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN). Some of them can be found in the public area on the ground level (Arrivals), right after passing the customs area. However, the meeting point is outside the building, and normally people are not allowed to enter the arrivals from outside.
On the second level of Terminal 2 (Departures), you can also find 3 currency exchange offices. Two of the money changers are located nearby, between the entrances to the Departure Hall. Money changers operating here are:
- Representative of BIDV Bank on the left
- EximBank currency exchange office on the right
EximBank also has another branch in Departures that can be found after passing check-in desks.
Even if both money changers have screens available, none of them is displaying current currency exchange rates. That’s actually a very common practice in Vietnam that is really inconvenient for customers.
However, EximBank at least has a printed list of official exchange rates that can be seen behind the window. To know the exchange rate offered by BIDV, you need to ask the staff.
During our visit to Ho Chi Minh Airport, BIDV was offering 25,236 VND for 1 Euro when EximBank was giving more - 25,491 VND, which is about 1% more. Both EximBank currency exchange offices were offering exchange rates that were exactly the same as displayed on their website. The same can’t be said about BIDV, though.
Best Currency Exchange at Ho Chi Minh Airport
If you are looking for the best money changer at Ho Chi Minh Airport, you should find the counter of EximBank currency exchange. The exchange rate here was close to the best you can find in Ho Chi Minh City during our visit, even if currently EximBank is offering worse rates that might not be as competitive in Ho Chi Minh as before.
Current foreign exchange rates offered by this money changer at Tan Son Nhat International Airport can be found on the official website: EximBank Exchange Rates.
Some SGN Airport travel shops that are offering everything from Vietnamese SIM cards and money exchange to hotel transfers and tours around the city might be displaying slightly better currency exchange rates but charge the service fee of 4% or so, which is not mentioned anywhere. Before doing money exchange at such shops at Ho Chi Minh Airport, make sure that there are no secret service fees or commissions and count a couple of times the money that you receive.
Ho Chi Minh Airport Currency Exchange Rate
Currency exchange rates offered by the best money changer at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) were really competitive. Now you might be able to find a better exchange rate in Ho Chi Minh City (no guarantees for that though). However, the difference between the exchange rates still shouldn't be significant.
What currency exchange rates can be expected at Ho Chi Minh Airport? Let’s see!
To get an idea of how good or bad Ho Chi Minh Airport exchange rate is today, compare the exchange rate of EximBank found above with the current mid-market exchange rate of Vietnamese Dong found here: VND Exchange Rates.
USD exchange rate
The mid-market USD exchange rate at the time of our visit at Tan Son Nhat Airport was 23,243 VND for 1 US dollar, so the best rate offered at the airport (23,140 VND/USD) was by only 103 VND or about 0.44% lower than the mid-market exchange rate. However, at the time of the update, the difference between EximBank and mid-market rates is 220 VND or 0.9%. For every 100 US dollars exchanged here, now you’re losing only about 0.9 USD. Not as good a deal as it was previously but still acceptable for the airport.
Be noted that the best exchange rate is offered only for large US dollar notes, so bringing 50 USD or 100 USD bills will give you the best value for money here.
EUR exchange rate
The mid-market EUR exchange rate during our visit was 25,712 VND for 1 Euro, so during our visit the exchange rate offered at Ho Chi Minh Airport (25,491 VND/EUR) was by 221 VND or about 0.86% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between EximBank and mid-market rates is 406 VND, or about 1.5%. For every 100 euros exchanged here, you’re losing 1.5 EUR.
Ho Chi Minh Airport currency exchange rate for Euro is worse than USD exchange rate, but it’s still better than you would get in Europe. If you want to get a better EUR exchange rate for your payments and withdrawals in Vietnam, use Wise Card.
GBP exchange rate
The mid-market GBP exchange rate at the time was 30,007 VND for 1 British pound, so the best exchange rate offered at SGN Airport (29,745 VND/GBP) was by 262 VND or about 0.87% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between exchange rates is 491 VND, or about 1.6%.
AUD exchange rate
The mid-market AUD exchange rate during our visit was 15,777 VND for 1 Australian dollar, so the exchange rate offered at the airport (15,634 VND/AUD) was by 143 VND or about 0.9% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between exchange rates is 260 VND, or about 1.6%.
CAD exchange rate
The mid-market CAD exchange rate at the time was 17,499 VND for 1 Canadian dollar, so the exchange rate offered at Ho Chi Minh Airport (17,286 VND/CAD) was by 213 VND or about 1.2% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between exchange rates is 277 VND, or about 1.5%.
Exchange rates of other currencies
The mid-market SGD exchange rate during our visit was 17,052 VND for 1 Singapore dollar, so the exchange rate offered at Tan Son Nhat Airport (16,887 VND/SGD) was by 165 VND or only about 0.97% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between exchange rates is 292 VND, or about 1.6%.
The mid-market JPY exchange rate at the time was 214.01 VND for 1 Japanese yen, so the exchange rate offered by EximBank at Saigon Airport (212.22 VND/JPY) was by 1.79 VND or by only about 0.84% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between exchange rates is 2.35 VND, or about 1.4%.
The mid-market THB exchange rate at the time was 769 VND for 1 Thai baht, so the exchange rate offered at the airport (746 VND/THB) was by 23 VND or about 3% lower than the mid-market rate. At the time of the update, the difference between exchange rates is 29 VND, or about 4.2%.
The best Thai Baht exchange rate at Ho Chi Minh Airport is very close to the one that you would be getting when buying Vietnamese Dong from money changers at Bangkok Airport.
If you are looking for the best deal for exchanging your Thai Baht, exchange your money for US dollars in Thailand (e.g., at Superrich) and ask for 50-100 USD banknotes. Then exchange your US dollars for Vietnamese dongs at Ho Chi Minh Airport. This way you can save about 2-2.5% of your money!
Should you exchange money at Ho Chi Minh Airport?
You might be able to find better exchange rates in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, but for a small amount of money, the difference between the exchange rates might not be worth an effort. Ho Chi Minh Airport currency exchange rate is pretty good, but it is possible to get a better rate in the city. If you decide to exchange money at Ho Chi Minh Airport, be sure to compare current exchange rates offered by different money changers and choose the best deal as they are changing over time. Otherwise, head to our favorite money changer at Ho Chi Minh Airport – EximBank, as their exchange rate is pretty reasonable.
However, you can actually get a better VND exchange rate for your payments and withdrawals in Vietnam with Wise Card.
Tips
If you don't want to waste your time looking for the best exchange rate at the airport, you can just book online a private transfer from SGN Airport to Ho Chi Minh City, and you won't need Vietnamese Dongs for getting from the airport into the city.
A Vietnamese SIM card can also be booked online and picked up at Ho Chi Minh Airport without cash payments, and it will even be significantly cheaper! Otherwise, if your mobile phone is eSIM compatible, you can get eSIM Vietnam by instant email delivery and use it right after landing in Ho Chi Minh.
If you are flying out early in the morning or arriving late in the evening, staying overnight at one of the hotels near Ho Chi Minh Airport might be a good idea. Some of the best hotels located next to the airport:
For an extended list of the best Saigon Airport hotels, check Ho Chi Minh Airport Hotels.
