How can I add cash to a BIDV bank account in Hanoi when ATMs do not accept cash deposits?

According to a participant in September 2026, if a tourist tries to put money into the account any other way, the bank will ask for proof of where the funds came from. This is participants' experience, not an official bank rule — confirm at the branch.

Opening an account on a tourist visa is possible in some cases, a participant said in September 2026 — it depends on the branch and the staff. Another traveler was told at a branch in the Ecopark area and at BIDV that a visa of at least 6 months is required.

In September 2026 a traveler on an e-visa said they had opened an account and got a BIDV card, but were later refused a cash deposit, and the ATM had no deposit option. They asked whether anyone had managed to top up at a BIDV branch in the Tay Ho district.

In September 2026 a participant saw a similar case at a branch of another Vietnamese bank: a foreigner tried to deposit money into an account and staff refused. Judging by the discussion, refusing a cash deposit is not a quirk of a single BIDV branch.

The working route participants describe (September 2026): a Vietnamese acquaintance transfers the amount from their account to yours, and you give them the cash. A P2P transfer was also mentioned. In participants' view, such an account is mainly useful for remote workers who receive transfers into a Vietnamese account.