Since the 1990s, Vietnam has experienced a dramatic growth in remittance flows, including transfers within the country and transfers from abroad. This paper usesthe Vietnam Living Standard Surveys [VLSS] in 1992/93 and 1997/98 and the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys [VHLSS] in 2002 and 2004 to studythe impact of international remittances on Vietnamese households. The objectives of this study are to characterize international remittance receipts and their evolution over time, and to determine where they come from, what percentage of households receive them, and what portion of household expenditures they represent. Moreover, we also analyze the socioeconomic and demographiccharacteristics of those households receiving international remittances, as well as how the remittance sender is related to the receiver, and how the funds are spent by households. Finally, we consider the relation between remittances and inequality in Vietnam.