Will my Vietnamese bank account be blocked when my visa expires?

According to one report, visa expiry blocks the card rather than closing the bank account; leaving Vietnam alone does not stop the card from working until the visa expires. To unblock it after re-entering, visit a branch with a new visa—an entry stamp alone is not enough.

What it looks like in practice: in late September 2026 a BIDV customer said her card was blocked exactly at midnight when her visa ended, but the account and money were fine — she could still make transfers and pay by QR code. At the branch she was told the card would be unblocked once she had a new visa. Another participant in September also wrote that the account itself does not need to be extended.

According to a BIDV customer in August 2026, the card's validity equals the visa's: once the visa ends, you need to go to the branch where the card was issued and register the details of your new visa.

Experience varies even within one bank. In July 2026 a participant wrote that they and an acquaintance got cards from the same bank at different branches in Da Nang: the acquaintance's card is blocked when the visa ends, theirs is not.

Not every bank blocks the card right away. In July 2026 a participant wrote that at their bank (named VCD in the message) the card was not blocked when the visa ended: the bank account keeps working just like a local SIM card. Their advice is to watch for messages from the bank and, if a blocking notice arrives, go to a branch to have it extended. In September 2026 a holder of a VCB Visa card wrote that the card, opened on an entry stamp, worked for three months without being blocked.

In June 2026 a participant was told when receiving a BIDV card that it would be blocked as soon as the visa expired. In August another participant also wrote that BIDV definitely blocks cards when the visa ends.