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Planning approval: what it is, why it matters, how to obtain it
What is planning approval, and do I need to check it before buying property in Vietnam?
Planning approval is the local People's Committee's official decision confirming a project's land use, zoning and density comply with the area's approved urban plan. As a buyer, you do not apply for it — you verify the developer holds it, because it is the legal precondition that makes a project an eligible commercial housing project foreigners can buy into.
Planning approval at a glance
Document- Vietnamese name
- Quyết định phê duyệt quy hoạch chi tiết xây dựng
- Commonly shortened to quy hoạch được duyệt (“approved planning”) in everyday use
- Issued by
- The Hanoi People's Committee, or the relevant provincial People's Committee, based on appraisal by the Department of Construction
- The issuing level depends on the project's scale and location
- Who holds it
- The project developer/investor — obtained before construction begins and before units are marketed
- Buyers verify it as part of due diligence; they do not apply for it themselves
- When it matters to you
- From your first conversation with a sales team, before any reservation deposit on an off-plan or newly launched project
- Core part of pre-deposit due diligence, alongside the developer's licence and bank guarantee
- Typical cost to the buyer
- None charged directly — the approval process is a developer/investor cost at project origination
- Your only cost is optional, recommended independent verification
- Validity
- Tied to the life of the approved project; any material change requires a revised or new approval decision
- There is no personal renewal process for a buyer
- Governing law
- Housing Law 2023 (in force since 1 January 2025), Land Law 2024 and Decree 95/2024/ND-CP
- Sets the national framework a project's eligibility is checked against
- Required for
- Confirming the land use, zoning and density approved for the project — the precondition for a building permit and for the project's foreign-buyer eligibility
- Not applicable, on its own, to your personal title — that is recorded separately on the Pink Book
How planning approval fits into your Hanoi purchase
⏱ Ongoing — from reservation through to handover
You will not apply for planning approval yourself — it is obtained by the developer or investor before a project can be marketed or built. Your task, as a foreign buyer, is to verify it at every stage of your purchase, from your first conversation with a sales team to the day you collect your Pink Book. None of the checks below require you to be in Vietnam in person; a lawyer acting on your behalf can carry out every step remotely.
- 1
Ask for the planning approval reference at reservation
⏱ At reservation, before any payment◈ No cost — this is a request, not a service
Before paying any reservation deposit, ask the developer or agent for the planning approval decision's reference number, the issuing People's Committee and the decision date. A project already under active construction and marketing should be able to produce this without delay.
DocumentsPassport · Reservation form (unsigned)
⚠A sales team that cannot cite a planning approval reference, or says the project is “awaiting approval” while already collecting deposits, is a serious warning sign — pause and verify before you pay anything.
→ law firms - 2
Have an independent lawyer cross-check it
⏱ 1–2 weeks◈ €150–€400 (≈ 4,000,000–10,500,000 VND)
A licensed Vietnamese lawyer, engaged independently of the developer, can request confirmation from the local Department of Construction or People's Committee that the cited decision exists, names the correct project and site, and covers the land area and building scale actually being marketed.
DocumentsPlanning approval reference · Project site location · Your passport, for the engagement letter
- 3
Confirm the project is eligible for foreign ownership
⏱ Alongside the lawyer's review
Vietnam allows foreign ownership only within approved commercial housing projects, subject to a 30% quota per building and outside military or security-restricted zones. Ask your lawyer to confirm the planning approval covers a residential or mixed-use zoning that makes the project eligible, and that a foreign-ownership allocation is genuinely available for your unit.
⚠A project built on land zoned for a different use, or located in a restricted area, cannot legally sell to foreign buyers regardless of what a sales contract promises.
- 4
Confirm the approval matches your Sale & Purchase Agreement
⏱ At SPA signing
The project description in your Sale & Purchase Agreement — site address, block, total units, land use — should match what the verified planning approval actually authorises. Resolve any mismatch in writing, ideally through your lawyer, before you sign.
⚠A unit sold as part of a later, unapproved expansion phase can face open-ended delays until that phase secures its own planning approval.
- 5
Check for unregistered amendments before final payment
⏱ Before final payment
→ law firmsAsk whether the original planning approval was amended during the project's life — additional floors, a changed unit mix, an added block. An amended but unregistered approval is one of the most common reasons a Pink Book application stalls after a buyer has already paid in full.
- 6
Keep the reference for your Pink Book file
⏱ At handover
At handover, the land registration office cross-checks the underlying planning approval when it processes your Pink Book application. Keep the reference number, your handover minutes and your Sale & Purchase Agreement together in a single file; your lawyer or property manager can hold copies as well.
DocumentsHandover minutes · Sale & Purchase Agreement · Planning approval reference
Architects and planning consultants who review project approvals for foreign buyers
ODDO Architects
★Architecture résidentielle sur-mesure, maisons urbaines, rénovation, paysage
Hanoi · Anglais, Tchèque, Vietnamien
T3 Architects
★Architecture durable, villas contemporaines, design d'intérieur (approche bioclimatique)
Ho Chi Minh City · Français, Anglais, Vietnamien
Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects)
★Cabinet d'architecture primé (RIBA, ARCASIA, World Architecture Awards) fondé par Vo Trong Nghia. Résidentiel haut de gamme, hôtellerie/resorts, bureaux, éducation, urbanisme; signature bambou/matériaux naturels et design durable.
Ho Chi Minh City (bureau également à Hanoi) · EN, VN, ZH
KIENTRUC O
★Architecture & design d'intérieur résidentiel de prestige, rénovation de villas
Ho Chi Minh City · Anglais, Vietnamien
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to check planning approval before buying an apartment in Hanoi?
Yes. Planning approval confirms the project's land use and zoning were lawfully authorised before construction began — the precondition for it to qualify as an eligible commercial housing project foreigners can buy into. Verifying it is a standard part of due diligence before you pay a reservation deposit.
How do I verify a project's planning approval?
Ask the developer or agent for the decision's reference number, issuing People's Committee and date, then have an independent Vietnamese lawyer confirm it with the local Department of Construction — including that it covers the specific site, block and scale you are buying into.
What happens if a project does not have valid planning approval?
An unapproved or non-compliant project can face suspended sales, construction delays, or refusal when the land registration office later processes ownership certificates, including the Pink Book. This is why independent verification before you pay a deposit is worth the modest cost.
Is planning approval the same as a building permit?
No. Planning approval authorises the project's land use, zoning and density at the site level; the building permit then authorises actual construction to begin. A project needs planning approval before it can lawfully obtain a building permit.
Is planning approval the same as the master plan?
No. The master plan (1/500) is the technical drawing setting out a project's layout, density and infrastructure. Planning approval is the People's Committee's official decision confirming that plan complies with the area's broader urban planning and can proceed.
Who pays for planning approval — the buyer or the developer?
The developer or investor obtains and pays for planning approval as part of project origination; it is not a line item charged to an apartment buyer. Your only cost is optional, independent verification of the approval the developer already holds.
Does planning approval affect the foreign ownership quota?
Indirectly, yes. Planning approval sets the project's zoning and total unit count, which determines the pool of apartments against which the 30%-per-building foreign ownership quota is calculated. It does not itself allocate specific units to foreign buyers — that is tracked separately as units are sold.
Sources
- Housing Law 2023 (Law No. 27/2023/QH15), in force since 1 January 2025 — governs project eligibility, the 50-year foreign ownership term and the 30% per-building quota.
- Land Law 2024 (Law No. 31/2024/QH15), in force since 1 August 2024 — governs land-use rights and planning approval procedures.
- Decree 95/2024/ND-CP — detailed implementation guidance for the Housing Law 2023 (cited by reference; no verified public URL at time of writing).
- Ministry of Construction (Bộ Xây dựng) — the national authority overseeing planning appraisal and urban development.
Have a project's planning approval verified before you sign
Send us the project name and, if you have it, the approval reference. Our Hanoi advisory desk introduces you to independent counsel who confirm it against the original People's Committee record — with a reply within 24 hours, no obligation.