You won. Now what?
Cash your ticket
Foreigners can buy tickets and collect prizes like anyone else in Vietnam. Here is where to go, how long you have, and what you keep.
Where to cash it
Up to 1,000,000 ₫
Any street seller or lottery stall
Hand them the ticket. They check it and pay cash on the spot, keeping a small fee (usually 0.5 to 1%). Easiest with the seller who sold it to you.
1 to 20 million ₫
A lottery agent (đại lý vé số)
Shops that sell tickets in bulk, often with a big board of results outside. Cash on the spot for a small fee. If they can't pay that much, they will send you to the lottery company.
Above 20 million ₫ and the jackpot
The lottery company that issued your ticket
Bring the ticket and your passport to its head office or an authorised branch (find it below). They check the ticket, withhold the tax and pay within 5 working days.
Each province runs its own lottery. A ticket from Bình Dương is paid by Bình Dương's lottery company, even if you bought it in Saigon. Agents in the city pay most smaller prizes from any province of the same region. A big prize is paid only by the company that issued the ticket: win 2 billion ₫ on a southern ticket and you collect it in the South, even if you are now in Hà Nội.
Step by step for a big prize
- Check twice. Compare your ticket with the results in Xeso and with a lottery agent. Agents can confirm a win in seconds.
- Protect the ticket. Take a photo of both sides, then keep it flat and dry. Don't sign it, fold it or write on it, and never hand it over before you are paid.
- Call the company first. The hotline is printed on the back of the ticket. Ask for the prize desk (phòng trả thưởng), its address and opening hours. Bring a Vietnamese speaker if you can.
- Go in person within 30 days with the original ticket and your passport. They check the ticket against their records, which can take a moment.
- Get paid. Within 5 working days, in cash or by bank transfer. Tax is taken before you are paid. Ask for the payment receipt and the tax withholding receipt (chứng từ khấu trừ thuế).
- Thank your seller. Locals share some luck with the seller who sold the winning ticket. See below.
Can't go yourself? Someone can claim for you with a written authorisation certified by the local authorities, both people's ID, and the original ticket. Ask the company exactly what they need.
North, Centre, South: what's different
| South and Centre | North | |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket | 6 digits | 5 digits + a series code, e.g. 12HM |
| Draw | Each province once a week, 16:15 South, 17:15 Centre | One draw for the whole region, every day at 18:15 |
| Jackpot | All 6 digits: 2,000,000,000 ₫ | 5 digits and a winning series code: 500,000,000 ₫ |
| Who pays a big prize | The company of the province printed on the ticket | The company named on the ticket. Main prize office in Hà Nội: 53E Hàng Bài |
| Small prizes | Any seller or agent in the South or Centre | Any seller or agent in the North |
| Deadline | 30 days after the draw | |
| Tax | 10% on the part of a prize above 20,000,000 ₫ | |
Find the lottery company office
Pick the province printed on your ticket to see its office on the map and get directions.
Offices other than Hồ Chí Minh City and Hà Nội are located by Google Maps from the company's name. Before travelling for a big prize, call the hotline printed on the back of your ticket to confirm the address and opening hours.
How long you have
From the draw date. After that the ticket is worth nothing.
Working days for the lottery company to pay a big prize.
Leaving Vietnam soon? Small prizes are paid on the spot, so cash them before you fly. Big prizes need you there in person with your passport.
Tax: what you keep
Prizes up to 20,000,000 ₫ are tax free. Above that, 10% of the part over 20,000,000 ₫ goes to tax. The lottery company takes it before paying you, so you have nothing to file.
Example, the jackpot: 2,000,000,000 ₫ minus 10% of 1,980,000,000 ₫ = 1,802,000,000 ₫ paid to you (≈ US$68,517).
Rule in force since 1 July 2026 (it was 10 million ₫ before). Tax is counted per prize, not per day.
Quick legal notes for foreigners
- Buying and winning is legal for foreigners. You must be 18 or older.
- For big prizes you need your passport. Ask for the payment receipt and the tax withholding receipt (chứng từ khấu trừ thuế), and keep both.
- Big prizes are usually paid by bank transfer. If you have no Vietnamese bank account, ask the company how they can pay you before you go.
- Leaving the country with more than US$5,000 in cash (or more than 15 million ₫) must be declared at customs. To send money home through a bank, show the payment and tax receipts.
Local tradition
Thank the seller who brought you luck
In Vietnam a winning ticket means the seller brought you luck (lộc). Winners usually go back and share a little of it. For someone who earns about 1,050₫ a ticket, it can be the best day of their month.
| Small prize up to 1 million ₫ | 20,000 to 50,000 ₫ |
| Medium prize 1 to 20 million ₫ | 100,000 to 500,000 ₫ |
| Big prize above 20 million ₫ | what feels right |
There is no fixed rule or amount. These are Xeso's suggestions, so give what feels right.
General information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change: confirm with the lottery company before travelling for a big prize.
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