Buying property in Vietnam as a foreigner: a plain-English guide
Tu Anh Nguyen (Ann) · Updated October 2026
"Can I actually own an apartment in Vietnam?" is the first question almost every international client asks me. The short answer is yes – with conditions. This guide summarises the main rules under the Housing Law 2023 (Law No. 27/2023/QH15) and Decree 95/2024/ND-CP, both effective from 1 August 2024.
1. Who can buy?
- Foreign individuals who are permitted to enter Vietnam (for example with a valid visa or entry stamp).
- Foreign organisations operating legally in Vietnam (branches, representative offices, foreign-invested companies).
- Overseas Vietnamese who hold Vietnamese nationality, or are of Vietnamese origin and permitted to enter Vietnam, generally enjoy wider rights than other foreigners – similar to local buyers in many cases. Your exact status should be checked with your documents.
2. What can you buy?
- Apartments and houses in commercial housing projects – that is, new developments by licensed developers.
- Projects in areas restricted for national defence and security are excluded.
- Quota per building: foreigners together may own up to 30% of the apartments in each building (in a complex with several towers on one podium, the cap applies to each tower).
- Quota for landed houses: up to 250 houses within an area with the population of a ward-level administrative unit.
In practice, popular towers can reach their foreign quota early – that is why I check the remaining quota before you choose a unit.
3. How long do you own it?
- Foreign individuals may own a home for up to 50 years from the date the ownership certificate (the "pink book") is issued.
- The term can be extended once for up to another 50 years. The application goes to the provincial People's Committee at least three months before expiry.
- If you marry a Vietnamese citizen, or a Vietnamese-origin spouse, your ownership rights may be the same as a Vietnamese owner.
4. What can you do with it?
- Live in it, rent it out (with tax registration), sell it, give it or leave it by inheritance – to buyers who are eligible under the law.
- Payments must go through a bank operating in Vietnam. Keep all transfer records: they matter when you later sell and remit the proceeds abroad.
5. Costs to budget for (new apartments)
| Item | Typical amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| VAT | Usually included in the developer's price | Check the price sheet: "incl. VAT" or not |
| Maintenance fund | 2% of the apartment value | Paid to the developer, then managed by the building |
| Registration fee | 0.5% (on the value set by regulations) | When the ownership certificate is issued |
| Management fee | Per m² per month | Varies by project |
| Personal income tax when you resell | 2% of the transfer price | Paid by the seller unless agreed otherwise |
6. The buying process, step by step
- Shortlist and check eligibility – project legal status, remaining foreign quota, your own documents.
- Reservation – a refundable or non-refundable booking, depending on the developer's policy. Read the refund terms first.
- Sale and purchase agreement (SPA) – signed only when the project is legally eligible to sell off-plan; payments follow the construction schedule.
- Handover – inspect the apartment, pay the remaining amount and the maintenance fund.
- Ownership certificate – the developer files the application; you pay the registration fee.
How I help international buyers
- I check the foreign quota and legal documents before you commit.
- I explain every clause of the reservation form and the SPA in English.
- For buyers overseas, I visit the site, send video updates and coordinate with the developer until handover.
Start with the projects I currently recommend: Norton Park near VSIP, or the riverside projects of Thu Thiem.
This guide is general information based on the Housing Law 2023 and Decree 95/2024/ND-CP as I understand them, not legal advice. Rules and fees can change and depend on your circumstances; please confirm with a qualified lawyer before signing.