I need $50 in USD for a VOA in Vietnam.
What's the best way to buy $50 USD in Australia? It seems like most places have a minimum purchase of $500 or have ridiculous fees. I could always buy $500 worth and then convert back once over there but would like to avoid the double dipping conversion rates.
I would have gone that way but I am going for three months which e-visa is no good for.
Post in the private ad forum and maybe someone in your city will do you a swap at lunchtime in the CBD or something.
please check this, but i have just been advised you can pay in the equivalent $AU [like $70]
https://www.vietnamimmigration.com.au/visa-fees
no idea if this is official information.
I don't see any AUD mentioned there. There is this line:
Visa Stamping fee is the amount that you will directly pay to Immigration Officers by USD or VND cash at the Immigration Counter to get your Vietnam Visa stamped on your passport on arrival at the Vietnam airport.
that is not the response i got from lovely Lisa the chat person on the website i nominated .As i said, DYOR.
[irrelevent to this ?, but I paid the short stay fee in $AU on arrival a few years back when the advice was 'you need $US']
@croz thanks but I think it's too risky. There are too many posts on tripadvisor where people haven't had USD and they've been delayed and/or ripped off dearly with currency exchange.
@greenpossum I'm in nsw country, but thanks I might give it a try.
I just withdrew from the multi-currency ATM at Sydney airport (likely at high fees, but not so big in actual dollars).
I think there was a USD ATM in Saigon Airport, as I think they sent some people to it who had no dollars for the VOA fee.
I didn't know there was a multi-currency ATM at Sydney airport. That sounds like the perfect solution. As you say, a higher exchange rate for only $50 isn't going to cause too much pain.
Where are you, I have USD I would be happy to swap for AUD at current rates. I'm in north west Sydney
Thanks a lot for the offer but I am in northern nsw.
Might as well change $500 to USD anyway. You can far more easily exchange USD for VND in Vietnam to spend on stuff (some places even quote price/offer discount in USD) than exchanging AUD.
I might add though that even with airport rates you'll probably get a better deal overseas than you will from any bank/exchange place in Australia (especially if outside Melbourne/Sydney)
I'm going to be travelling on a motorbike so I'd prefer not to have that amount of cash on me if I didn't need to. For convenience normally I just withdraw VND from ATM's using a Citibank Mastercard.
I had the same issue, ended up finding a currancy exchange at a Westfield's that I could get a small amount from.
Went to Vietnam in April. Walked into a Travelex store and tell them I want to buy 50 USD. The minimum purchase of $500 only applies to online purchase, which provides a better rate.
PS: Travel Money Oz has slightly better rate, but fewer stores
Thanks for that, sounds like the go.
You're better off getting an E-visa..
Depending where you are in Vietnam their rates are actually better than interbank rates…