Comprendre l’immobilier vietnamien
The buying process in Vietnam: every step from reservation to Pink Book
What is the property buying process in Vietnam for foreigners?
The five steps, from reservation to pink book
⏱ 3–6 months (longer for off-plan)
- 1
Confirm your eligibility and the foreign quota
⏱ 1–2 weeks◈ No direct cost
Before viewing anything, confirm you may legally buy. You must have entered Vietnam on a stamped, valid passport — the purchase itself gives you no residency right. Foreigners may own apartments and houses only inside approved commercial projects; you can never own the land, only land-use rights recorded on the pink book, for a term of 50 years, renewable once, under the Housing Law 2023. Each building is capped at 30% foreign-owned apartments (and a ward at 250 foreign-owned houses), and military or security zones are off-limits. Ask, in writing, whether the quota in your target building is still open. Our guide to Vietnam's property law and the 30% foreign quota covers the rules in full.
DocumentsValid passport with Vietnamese entry stamp
⚠Assuming the purchase brings a visa, or being offered land in your own name — neither is possible for a foreigner.
→ law firms - 2
Verify the project and sign the reservation
⏱ 1–3 weeks◈ €2,000–5,000 deposit (≈ VND 54–135 million)
Once you have chosen a property, scrutinise the developer's dossier before committing: the construction permit, the land-use rights over the plot, the official approval to sell, and — for an off-plan unit — a valid bank guarantee (bảo lãnh) protecting your instalments. Re-check that the building's foreign quota has not been exhausted since your first enquiry. You then sign a booking or reservation agreement and pay a reservation deposit to take the unit off the market. Read our due-diligence checklist for verifying the developer and title, and see which schemes are cleared for foreign buyers in our approved Hanoi developments.
DocumentsPassport · Reservation / booking agreement · Developer's legal dossier
⚠Reservation deposits are often non-refundable — never pay before verifying the quota and, off-plan, the bank guarantee.
→ law firms - 3
Sign the notarised, bilingual Sale & Purchase Agreement
⏱ 2–4 weeks◈ Staged: typically 30–70% of price on signing
The Sale & Purchase Agreement (hợp đồng mua bán) is the contract that binds the deal. It must state the price in Vietnamese đồng, in both words and figures, alongside the payment schedule, delivery conditions and the exact buyer name as it appears on your passport. Insist on a bilingual Vietnamese–English text — Vietnamese governs, but you must be able to read what you sign — and have it notarised, which is what gives the agreement legal force. Note that Việt Kiều (overseas Vietnamese) have held near-local rights since the Land Law 2024, so a mixed-nationality purchase may follow a different route.
DocumentsSale & Purchase Agreement (bilingual) · Notarised passport translation · Passport
⚠Signing a Vietnamese-only or unnotarised contract, or one where the name does not match your passport exactly.
→ notary - 4
Arrange payment and settle the fees
⏱ 1–4 weeks (per schedule)◈ Registration 0.5% + maintenance fund 2%
Fund the purchase through a Vietnamese bank, following the SPA schedule. A local mortgage is generally inaccessible to non-resident foreigners, so plan to pay in cash or through the developer's staged instalments, transferring funds from abroad into a local account. Keep every inbound transfer receipt: this proof of foreign capital is what lets you repatriate proceeds when you eventually sell. At this stage you also settle the statutory costs — the 0.5% registration fee and, on a new-build, the 2% maintenance fund. See how to move money in our guide to financing and paying for your purchase, the full breakdown in taxes and fees when buying, and the EUR/VND rate buyers should watch.
DocumentsBank transfer receipts · Proof of inbound foreign capital · Tax and fee receipts
⚠Paying without a clean bank trail — it complicates reselling and repatriating funds later.
→ banks - 5
Register ownership and receive the pink book
⏱ 1–6 months◈ Registration fee 0.5%
The final step is registration of the certificate of land-use rights and house ownership — the pink book (sổ hồng). The seller or developer files the application, you pay the 0.5% registration fee, and the certificate is issued in your name showing your 50-year term. For a resale this can take weeks; for an off-plan unit it follows handover and can run to several months. Do not accept handover without a written commitment on the pink-book timeline, and check that your remaining tenure is correctly recorded. Keep the registration receipts with your tax and fee records for the eventual resale.
DocumentsSigned SPA · Handover minutes · Tax receipts · Passport
⚠Taking handover with no clear pink-book timeline, or ignoring that the 50-year term is already counting down.
→ law firms
What buying in Hanoi actually costs
Percentages below are the statutory rates from the legal facts; the worked example is built on the Tây Hồ median from live listings and updates with the market. See the full breakdown in our <a href="/guides/taxes-fees">taxes and fees guide</a>.
| — | Min | Max | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | 0.5% | 0.5% | % of declared priceBuyer, at pink-book registration |
| Maintenance / sinking fundPaid once into the building's operating fund | 2% | 2% | % of priceBuyer, new-builds |
| Notary & certified translation≈ VND 5–16 million; varies with contract value | €200 | €600 | one-off |
| Independent legal / due-diligence advisoryIndependent lawyer or buying advisor | 0.5% | 1% | % of price (optional)Buyer, strongly recommended |
| Total | ≈3% | ≈4% |
Example: a €530,000 apartment (≈ VND 14.3 billion, Tây Hồ median)
- Registration fee 0.5%
- €2,650 · ≈ VND 72M
- Maintenance fund 2%
- €10,600 · ≈ VND 286M
- Notary & translation
- €400 · ≈ VND 11M
- Σ
- €13,650 · ≈ VND 369M
Decree 10/2022/ND-CP (registration fee) · Housing Law 2023 (maintenance fund) · Land Law 2024 · Decree 95/2024
Verify at each stage before you commit
Before you reserve
3 ✓Eligibility and the project
- Confirm your passport carries a valid Vietnamese entry stampYou must have entered the country legally to be eligible to buyRed flagBeing told you can buy entirely remotely, without ever entering Vietnam
- Check the building's 30% foreign quota is still availableAsk the developer for the current foreign-ownership count in writingRed flagOnly vague or verbal reassurance that 'there is still space'
- Verify the project is an approved commercial developmentForeigners may buy only in approved projects — never bare landRed flagAn offer to register land or a plot title in your own name
Before you sign the SPA
3 ✓Contract and price
- Confirm the developer's full legal dossierConstruction permit, land-use rights, sale approval and — off-plan — the bank guaranteeRed flagA missing sale approval, or no bank guarantee for an off-plan tower
- Check the price is stated in VND, in words and figuresThe SPA must express the amount unambiguouslyRed flagA price given only in a foreign currency, or only in figures
- Ensure the contract is bilingual and will be notarisedVietnamese governs, but an English version must mirror it exactlyRed flagA Vietnamese-only contract you cannot read, or no notarisation
Before handover and registration
2 ✓Payment trail and title
- Agree a written pink-book timelineThe SPA or an annex should commit the seller to the registration stepsRed flagNo commitment on when the sổ hồng will be issued
- Keep proof of every inbound transferBank receipts evidence your foreign capital for a future sale or repatriationRed flagPaying in cash, leaving no bank trail behind
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Vietnam?
Yes. Foreigners may own apartments and houses within approved commercial projects, capped at 30% of a building's units under the Housing Law 2023. You cannot own the land itself — only land-use rights — and you must have entered Vietnam legally to purchase.
How long does the buying process take?
Typically three to six months, from the reservation deposit to receiving the pink book. Resale apartments move faster; off-plan purchases take longer, because the certificate is issued only after construction is completed and the property is formally handed over.
Can I buy property in Vietnam from the USA or abroad without visiting?
In practice, no. You must have a stamped legal entry to be eligible, and the notarised sale agreement is signed in Vietnam. Some steps can be delegated through a notarised power of attorney, but plan for at least one trip.
How long do foreigners actually own the property?
Foreign buyers hold a 50-year term, renewable once. You own the building, not the land beneath it. Selling to a Vietnamese national can convert the tenure, and the certificate (sổ hồng) always states your remaining term.
Can foreigners get a mortgage in Vietnam?
Local bank loans are generally inaccessible to non-resident foreigners. Most buyers pay in cash or use the developer's staged plan and transfer funds from abroad. Our financing guide explains the options; keep every transfer receipt.
What taxes and fees apply when buying?
Budget roughly 3–4% on top of the price: a 0.5% registration fee and, on new-builds, a 2% maintenance fund, plus notary and optional legal costs. The seller — not the buyer — pays the 2% personal income tax on a sale. See taxes and fees.
Is buying property in Vietnam safe for foreigners?
It can be, provided you verify the developer's approvals, the building's foreign quota and — off-plan — the bank guarantee, and use an independent lawyer through proper due diligence. The risk is procedural, not political; most problems trace back to skipped checks.
Sources
- Housing Law 2023 (Luật Nhà ở, No. 27/2023/QH15) — foreign-ownership eligibility, the 30% building quota and the 50-year renewable term.
- Land Law 2024 (Luật Đất đai, No. 31/2024/QH15) — land-use rights and the pink book.
- Law on Real Estate Business 2023 (Luật Kinh doanh Bất động sản, No. 29/2023/QH15) — developer approvals and conditions of sale.
- Decree 96/2024/ND-CP — implementing rules for the Law on Real Estate Business, including bank guarantees on off-plan sales.
- Decree 95/2024/ND-CP — implementing rules for the Housing Law (no verified official English URL at time of writing).
- Decree 10/2022/ND-CP — sets the 0.5% registration fee on property transfers (no verified official English URL at time of writing).
Have an advisor walk you through every step
Our Hanoi desk verifies quotas, approvals and contracts for foreign buyers every week. Tell us about your purchase and we will send an independent second opinion within 24 hours — no obligation, no outbound sales.