Proving your finances properly

Financial evidence is the part applicants worry about most and understand least. The goal is not to look rich. It is to show that the trip is affordable and that the money is genuinely yours.

How much is enough

There is no universal figure. A workable rule is to hold enough to cover the whole trip comfortably, plus a margin — for a week in Europe that usually means somewhere from 100 to 150 million VND, more for a family. Some embassies publish a minimum; most do not, and simply assess whether the numbers are plausible.

What counts

• Savings book or term deposit — ideally opened at least three to six months before you apply.
• Current account statements for three to six months, showing salary arriving regularly.
• Property title, vehicle registration, shareholdings — supporting evidence of stability rather than liquidity.
• Business income — licence, tax receipts and financial statements for business owners.

What hurts you

• A deposit made a few days before submission with no explanation of where it came from.
• A balance that has no relationship to your declared salary.
• A savings book with a very recent opening date and nothing else behind it.
• Cash income with no bank trail — common in Vietnam and solvable, but it needs to be documented deliberately.

The pattern matters more than the total. A modest account that has grown steadily for two years is stronger evidence than a large one that appeared last week.