Are there any Vietnamese banks that can do this nowadays?

I just realized that I accidentally double post this question with a previous version, so please ignore that one and only respond to this thread.  Thank you.

I have a family member with the current status:
      US citizen currently living in Vietnam
Elderly age with no access & usage fluency of the internet and therefore cannot open any online bank account for herself
Isn't employed, but collects a monthly pension payment from the State of California
No longer owns any US bank account and is physically unable to travel back to the US to open one

And my question is:

     1) Are there now any Vietnamese banks in Ho Chi Minh City that will cash or deposit US checks issued by the State of California to collect her pension
       payments?
     2) If not, are there any services that can assist US expats with this particular case that she can engage?
-@Apollo355

Sorry to say, there are no legal options for her.

None.

She should talk to a trusted Vietnamese friend about exploring alternative methods that we can't talk about here in the forum.

If she doesn't have a trustworthy Vietnamese friend, based on everything you've said, I can't see how in the world she can remain in Vietnam, let alone pay next month's rent.

Also, you say "living in Vietnam".

What does that mean?

A tourist on a tourist visa?

Or perhaps, Việt Kiều living here using a 5-year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC)?

Or dual citizen with Vietnam passport?

If she is either dual citizen or Việt Kiều, certainly your family knows how to handle this.

Good luck!

She's been living there for over 10 years and also possess a Vietnamese ID.

@OceanBeach92107

timo.vn to open an account even for a 3 month visa

@Apollo355 means she’s Vietnamese citizens, easy open a bạn account

as for corrector cheque thing, contact a travel agent to help her out easily

She's been living there for over 10 years and also possess a Vietnamese ID.
-@Apollo355

That doesn't answer my questions.

What "ID"?

What passport(s)?

What visa?

@Apollo355 means she’s Vietnamese citizens, easy open a bạn account
as for corrector cheque thing, contact a travel agent to help her out easily
-@Sam Saigon 156

Sam, the State of California department that processes her pension payment cannot wire funds to an offshore bank account, but can issue checks that can be cashed anywhere.  But the issue here is that all Vietnamese banks that she spoke to refuse to honor bank checks issued from a US bank.  So if anyone here know any that does, that would solve her problem.

And how would a travel agent be able to assist in this matter?

@Apollo355 means she’s Vietnamese citizens, easy open a bạn account
as for corrector cheque thing, contact a travel agent to help her out easily
-@Sam Saigon 156

You are venturing into illegal advice that we don't talk about in the forum.

Instead of schilling for Timo in the first forum post your bot found, go back and read the OP.

She's not asking for a bank account, per se.

She needs a legal bank option for cashing a physical (paper) foreign US dollar check. 

That Timo account you (and too many others on social media) are mentioning is an ELECTRONIC account, totally unsuitable for her needs.

One of our longtime members previously wrote about the impossibility of cashing a physical US Government Treasury check here LEGALLY.

Please stay on topic.

She's been living there for over 10 years and also possess a Vietnamese ID.
-@Apollo355

That doesn't answer my questions.

What "ID"?

What passport(s)?

What visa?
-@OceanBeach92107

She has a Vietnamese ID, and a US passport.

She's been living there for over 10 years and also possess a Vietnamese ID.
-@Apollo355

That doesn't answer my questions.

What "ID"?

What passport(s)?

What visa?
-@OceanBeach92107

She has a Vietnamese ID, and a US passport.
-@Apollo355

Stating "...a Vietnamese ID..." is not very specific.

Even a Vietnam driver's license, valid only to the end of any current visa, is a "Vietnamese ID".

...the State of California department that processes her pension payment cannot wire funds to an offshore bank account, but can issue checks that can be cashed anywhere. But the issue here is that all Vietnamese banks that she spoke to refuse to honor bank checks issued from a US bank.

I talked about a possible solution in another thread.

Good luck!

I have a family member with the current status:


US citizen currently living in Vietnam
Elderly age with no access & usage fluency of the internet and therefore cannot open any online bank account for herself
Isn't employed, but collects a monthly pension payment from the State of California
No longer owns any US bank account and is physically unable to travel back to the US to open one

And my question is:

Are there now any Vietnamese banks in Ho Chi Minh City that will cash or deposit US checks issued by the State of California to collect her pension
      payments?

If not, are there any services that can assist US expats with this particular case that she can engage?
-@Apollo355

Actually she doesn't even need to cash the check but rather, a Vietnamese bank that will deposit her US checks into her Vietnamese bank account, and then from there, she can either withdraw some of the fund in the Vietnamese currency or in USD.

I have a family member with the current status:


US citizen currently living in Vietnam
Elderly age with no access & usage fluency of the internet and therefore cannot open any online bank account for herself
Isn't employed, but collects a monthly pension payment from the State of California
No longer owns any US bank account and is physically unable to travel back to the US to open one

And my question is:

Are there now any Vietnamese banks in Ho Chi Minh City that will cash or deposit US checks issued by the State of California to collect her pension
   payments?

If not, are there any services that can assist US expats with this particular case that she can engage?
-@Apollo355


Actually she doesn't even need to cash the check but rather, a Vietnamese bank that will deposit her US checks into her Vietnamese bank account, and then from there, she can either withdraw some of the fund in the Vietnamese currency or in USD.
-@Apollo355

Please read my very first reply again.

There's no way to do that at a bank here.

We (as foreigners) can't even walk into a bank and deposit cash (VND or USD).

I have no idea if this would work but I'll just run it up the flagpole.  Have a power of attorney made up in California giving you or another appropriate relative the right to cash her pension checks.  Have her take it to the HCM US Consulate to be notarized and have her send it back to you.  Have the pension checks sent to your address.  You can then cash them and send her the cash through one of several means.

I am sure there is something wrong with this idea but hopefully others will be gentle when they point it out to me.

Also, I have read on this forum that ID cards will no longer be renewed for those who hold VN passports along with US or other passports.  If so, your relative maybe should look into obtaining a VN passport even if she intends to never again leave the country. If she has a VN passport then she will not have to mess with the VEC or other immigration matters.

Most if not all VN banks won't accept foreign checks - cashed or deposit.

Your elderly family member best and cleanest solution would be to open a US online account (via your assistance or other family member(s)), have the monthly checks deposited in the US account, then arrange automatic recurring transfer to VN bank.

I have no idea if this would work but I'll just run it up the flagpole. Have a power of attorney made up in California giving you or another appropriate relative the right to cash her pension checks. Have her take it to the HCM US Consulate to be notarized and have her send it back to you. Have the pension checks sent to your address. You can then cash them and send her the cash through one of several means.
I am sure there is something wrong with this idea but hopefully others will be gentle when they point it out to me.

Also, I have read on this forum that ID cards will no longer be renewed for those who hold VN passports along with US or other passports. If so, your relative maybe should look into obtaining a VN passport even if she intends to never again leave the country. If she has a VN passport then she will not have to mess with the VEC or other immigration matters.
-@THIGV

We are considering this option.