A DICA is the bank account used to route permitted foreign-direct-investment capital flows in Vietnam. It is not the company's ordinary operating account. Foreign-invested companies must use a DICA for capital contributions, certain equity transfers, foreign-loan flows, profit remittances, and capital repatriation.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Account holder | Eligible foreign-invested enterprise, or certain foreign investors directly implementing BCC/PPP projects |
| Bank | One licensed bank in Vietnam |
| Foreign-currency account | One DICA for each foreign currency used for capital contribution |
| VND DICA | May be opened at the same bank for VND-denominated direct-investment transactions |
| Opening point | Coordinate opening with the investment and enterprise documents and the bank's KYC process |
| Operating account | Maintain separate VND and foreign-currency operating accounts for ordinary business receipts and expenses |
| Records | Preserve bank advices, SWIFT messages, contribution confirmations, ownership records, loan documents, and remittance approvals |
Under Circular 06/2019/TT-NHNN, an investor generally opens only one DICA in each relevant foreign currency at one authorized bank; if capital is contributed in VND, a corresponding VND DICA may be opened at that bank.
Ordinary operating transactions — Vietnamese customer receipts, payroll, rent and utilities, VAT payments, routine imports and exports, and domestic working-capital expenses — should generally be processed through normal operating accounts, not the DICA. Separating capital flows from operating cash helps the bank and tax authorities verify the company's investment history and remittance rights.
Do not treat money sent to a Vietnamese operating account, personal account, or unrelated group-company account as automatically valid capital contribution. Correcting a misdirected contribution can require bank explanations, amended records, and potentially an application to regularize the investment.
Before remitting profits abroad, the company should generally confirm:
A profitable income statement alone does not necessarily mean that the company can immediately remit cash. Retained losses, unpaid taxes, incomplete financial statements, or unresolved investment records can delay the transfer. These bank-account checks sit alongside the company's separate investment reporting obligations to its licensing authority.
Medium- and long-term offshore loans may require separate registration with the State Bank of Vietnam and should be coordinated with the DICA. Similarly, an equity transfer involves more than moving money between shareholders. Check:
Circular 03/2025/TT-NHNN amended the foreign-exchange framework and introduced the "indirect investment account" terminology for certain indirect-investment transactions. It also provided a transition period for entities that newly became subject to DICA requirements, ending June 16, 2026. Companies should recheck whether an existing account is correctly classified, particularly after a share acquisition, ownership change, restructuring, or change in foreign-control status.
The DICA should be opened and tested before the first capital transfer. A bank account opened after funds are sent cannot reliably cure an improperly routed contribution.