Bank account for US citizen married to a Vietnamese??

    Even though I have a TRC because of marriage, I cannot have my own bank account. I have heard conflicting info and hope someone here can clarify.
She has to put my money in her name with me as an authority which one bank said would authorize me to own my account if she were to die. But another bank said it doesn't work easily but is difficult to get my money (if I would ever need to.) I don't foresee a problem, but we never know.
I appreciate any info on this topic.

Thanks all, Albert. 
   

    -@AlbertDifi

There is so much cryptic information in your post that it's impossible to give you dependable feedback without further clarification:

1. What bank(s)?

2. Define "my money". Does that mean cash in hand or income earned in Vietnam?

Or are you talking about transferring in money from a foreign account?

Please give us a much more complete picture of your unique situation so we can give you helpful feedback.

Theoretically you should be allowed your own bank account. There may be other things getting in the way but foreigners with a TRC are allowed to open an account. Im married and my personal issue in my situation and why I was getting denied was because I was a US citizen and they just didnt want to deal with the reporting back to the IRS I guess. I had to go to many banks before I found one that would accept me. You probably just need to keep trying.

FYI Im only allowed to deposit money from a foreign account. I cannot deposit cash. I cannot accept money from other viet accounts because iIdont have a work permit. Im not allowed a debit card because I am on a visa exemption. There are other restrictions as well but those are some.

Im not allowed a debit card because I am on a visa exemption. There are other restrictions as well but those are some.
    -@jrharvey

Wait...

That's a pretty important difference from the original situation of a foreigner with a spousal TRC.

For those who don't understand what you've written, you are using a 5 Year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC) which limits you to 6 month permissions to stay.

That doesn't meet the banking law requirements for a bank account, so it's not surprising that you were turned down a lot.

I'm not meaning to pick on you but we get lots of lurkers reading these threads and it's important to clarify terms to avoid confusion.

A TRC and VEC are definitely completely different things. Although I never did this, I thought it was relatively easy get a TRC once you've got a VEC?

    Theoretically you should be allowed your own bank account. There may be other things getting in the way but foreigners with a TRC are allowed to open an account. Im married and my personal issue in my situation and why I was getting denied was because I was a US citizen and they just didnt want to deal with the reporting back to the IRS I guess. I had to go to many banks before I found one that would accept me. You probably just need to keep trying. FYI Im only allowed to deposit money from a foreign account. I cannot deposit cash. I cannot accept money from other viet accounts because iIdont have a work permit. Im not allowed a debit card because I am on a visa exemption. There are other restrictions as well but those are some.       

To open your own bank account, you need to have a visa valid for at least 1 year. If you have a VEC, it won't allow you to open an account because your passport stamp is only valid for 6 months. Certain banks may permit account opening, but they often impose numerous restrictions that can be quite frustrating.  Vietnamese banks permit foreigners to open accounts as long as they meet the requirements outlined in Vietnamese law, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity.

There is a 3rd option for a spousal-related visa that qualifies for a bank account.

Apply for a 1-year TT Visa

Did the law change recently to not allow 6 month visas? I thought it was 3 month minimum visa to open a bank account but maybe it changed? Either way I totally understand there is a big difference between the visa exemption and the TRC. All I was saying is that there may be other factors why he is getting denied unrelated to the fact he is on a TRC. Im definately allowed to have a bank account. I have one with Timo and use it daily, it just has restrictions like not allowing a physical debit card, although Im allowed a virtual one for online payments and google pay. When I was rejected by the other banks they specifically said it was because I was from the US. Some of the banks wanted me to come in and sign up for an account so they can have more foreigners and knowing I was on a VEC. Problem started once they discovered I was from the US. Some branches choose to avoid the reporting requirements to the IRS or at least thats what we were told.

Edit: I just contacted my bank (Timo) and they verified a foreigner can open a very restricted bank account with as little as a 1 month visa. Only allowed to make deposits and use the app. 6 month visa and you can open a savings account and get interest along with using a virtual debit card. 1 year visa and you can have a physical debit card. Thats Timos rules. Not sure about others.

Edit again.... You need more than 6 months to be allowed a savings account. 6 months or less only gets you a spending account.