Travel Information Visa All visitors to Vietnam (except Thai and Philippine nationals) require a visa. Tourist visas are usually issued with a validity of one month. Please contact the respective embassy in your country as fees may vary. The visa is valid for four weeks of travel, within three months from date of issue and is single entry only. Money CURRENCY TRAVELLERS CHEQUES Must be in US dollars. You can change them to Dong or to US dollars (with a 2% commission). Those issued by American Express, Bank of America, Citicorp, First National City Bank, Thomas Cook, and Visa is accepted. They are also accepted at major tourist hotels, but not in most shops. Vietnam is still very much a cash economy. CREDIT CARDS Visa, Master card and - with exceptions - American Express are accepted in virtually every hotel in major cities throughout the country, as well as in upmarket restaurants especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. TIME ZONE Standard time in Vietnam is 6 hours ahead of Central European Time (CET), 7 hours ahead of GMT, 12 hours ahead of time in New York, 3 hours behind time in Sydney and in the same time zone as Bangkok..