Investment property: Vietnam

Updated 8 October 2026

Vietnam lets foreigners own housing but not land: all land belongs to the state.

Under the 2023 Law on Housing and Government Decree 95/2024, a foreigner may buy a flat or house only in a commercial housing project outside defence and security zones. Ownership is granted for 50 years from the certificate date and can be extended once for another 50 years, with the application filed at least three months before expiry. Buying gives no residence permit.

Foreign ownership quotas

Foreigners together may own no more than 30% of the flats in one building and no more than 250 detached houses within an area the size of one urban ward, about 10,000 people. In popular buildings in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang the quota is often full, and you can only buy from another foreigner. So the first step is to check the quota left in a specific building.

How the purchase works

1. We check the project: developer permits, the right to sell to foreigners, remaining quota, encumbrances.
2. The sale contract is signed; with a developer, payments follow a schedule.
3. Payment goes only through a bank in Vietnam: a foreign buyer's money must pass through a Vietnamese bank account.
4. The ownership certificate is issued, showing the ownership term.

Purchase costs

Example: a new 60 m² flat in Hanoi for $290,000. The registration fee is about $1,450 and the maintenance fund contribution about $5,800, together about $7,250 on top of the price. Furniture, renovation and bank charges are not included. Amounts are at the bank rate of 6 October 2026, about 26,000 dong per dollar, rounded up.

Letting and resale

A foreign owner may let the flat for purposes not prohibited by law and must pay tax on the rent. The flat can be sold to a foreigner or a Vietnamese citizen. A Vietnamese buyer receives ownership without a time limit, which makes such a property easier to sell closer to the end of the ownership term. A foreign-invested company may buy housing in Vietnam only to house its own staff and cannot let or resell it as a business.

Common mistakes

• Buying in a building where the foreign quota is full: no certificate will be issued.
• Paying in cash or through third parties instead of a Vietnamese bank.
• Registering the property to a Vietnamese acquaintance, who is then the full legal owner.
• Buying land or a house outside a commercial project.

How to check the project and the developer

Most foreigners in Vietnam buy flats in buildings under construction, and the main risk is not the price but the project itself. Before the deposit we check the building permit and the provincial construction department's confirmation that homes in the project may be sold before completion. Without it the developer has no right to take money for a future flat.

We also check the bank guarantee: under the real estate business law a developer selling flats before completion must have a bank guarantee to refund buyers if the building is not delivered on time. The law also limits the payment schedule: the deposit is no more than 5% of the price, and before the ownership certificate is issued the developer may receive no more than 95%. A contract with a bigger deposit or full payment upfront is a reason to stop.

Restrictions by citizenship

Vietnam has no separate bans for any citizenship: the rules are the same for all foreigners. The one condition is that the buyer must be a foreigner permitted to enter Vietnam. Citizens of many countries enter visa-free for a set period, and others get a 90-day e-visa online.

The money is checked more strictly. Payment goes only through an account at a Vietnamese bank, and the bank asks where the funds come from, so statements, contracts and income declarations are prepared in advance. If your country has a tax treaty with Vietnam, tax paid on rent in Vietnam can usually be credited at home with documents from the Vietnamese tax office.

Flat prices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Prices are averages from Vietnam's Ministry of Construction. New projects cost more per square metre than the average, while resale prices fell in the second quarter of 2026. Da Nang and resort towns are cheaper than the two largest cities.

For yield: a one-bedroom flat in central Ho Chi Minh City rents for $600-1,200 a month, in Tay Ho in Hanoi for $700-1,200. Districts and rents are in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City guides.

How foreigners pay for a flat

Vietnamese banks lend mainly to foreigners who live and earn in Vietnam, so most buyers pay with their own money. With a developer this is usually a schedule tied to construction stages; with a resale seller it is a single payment after the documents are checked. Money is paid into an account at a Vietnamese bank and transferred to the seller from there, and the bank records are kept: they are needed to take the money out of the country lawfully when the flat is sold.

Owner taxes: rent and sale

• Annual. Vietnam has no annual tax on a flat and no wealth tax.
• Rent. Since 2026 rental income up to 1 billion dong a year, about $38,500, is tax-free. Above the threshold tax is charged as a percentage of revenue by type of activity.
• Sale. 2% income tax on the sale price, not on the profit.
• Residence. You become a Vietnamese tax resident after 183 days in the country in a year or by renting a home for 183 days or more. A resident pays tax on worldwide income on a 5-35% scale.

Rates in detail are on the page taxes in Vietnam.

Does buying property give residence in Vietnam

No. A flat gives ownership for 50 years, but not a status. A residence card in Vietnam is obtained through employment, business investment or family, and for long trips without one people use the 90-day e-visa: $25 for a single entry and $50 for multiple entries. Each new visa is applied for from scratch, so those who spend long periods in Vietnam are better off with grounds for a residence card. How people move to Vietnam on each ground is in the article moving to Vietnam.

How to buy a flat in Vietnam remotely

A representative with a power of attorney can sign the developer's contract and the registration documents for the buyer. The Apostille Convention has applied to Vietnam since 11 September 2026, so a power of attorney made abroad needs an apostille from the issuing country and a Vietnamese translation. Consular legalisation remains for documents from Germany, Austria and Czechia, which objected to Vietnam's accession. Buyers usually travel once in person to open an account at a Vietnamese bank: the flat cannot be paid for without it.

For the deal you prepare a passport with an entry stamp or visa and documents on the source of funds. The ownership certificate is issued in the buyer's name with the ownership term noted, and the representative can collect it.

What we do

We check the remaining quota and project documents, shortlist properties, handle the contract and bank payment, obtain the ownership certificate and help with letting. We quote our support after a consultation.

What we do

• Property shortlist for your investment goal
• Legal due diligence on the property
• End-to-end transaction support
• Ownership structuring (company, trust)
• Property management and letting

See also

Company formation · Business account · Personal account · Country taxes · All country programs

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