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Pink Book (Sổ hồng): what it is, why it matters, how to obtain it
What is a pink book in Vietnam?
Pink Book — key facts
Document- Vietnamese name
- Sổ hồng — officially the Giấy chứng nhận quyền sử dụng đất, quyền sở hữu nhà ở và tài sản khác gắn liền với đất
- Vietnam's unified land-and-property certificate, in place since 2009
- Issued by
- The district-level Land Registration Office, under the provincial land administration authority
- Land Law 2024
- When you receive it
- At the very end of your purchase, after full payment, handover and registration are complete
- See our step-by-step buying process
- Typical cost
- A 0.5% registration fee on the declared property value, plus modest filing and translation costs
- Decree 10/2022/ND-CP sets the national registration-fee rate
- Validity
- 50 years for foreign owners, renewable once on application
- Housing Law 2023 — indefinite for Vietnamese nationals
- Language
- Issued in Vietnamese only
- A certified translation is advisable for use with a bank or authority abroad
- Governing law
- Housing Law 2023 · Land Law 2024 · Decree 95/2024
- The texts our editorial desk cites throughout this cluster — no other regulatory source is used
- Required for
- Proving ownership, reselling, mortgaging, or passing the property on by inheritance
- Does not, by itself, grant any right of residence in Vietnam
Specimen: the Pink Book (Sổ hồng)
How you obtain your Pink Book after a purchase
⏱ Typically 30–50 working days after full payment, once the dossier is complete
You do not apply for a Pink Book before you buy — it is issued to you, in your name, only once your purchase is complete and registered. For an off-plan unit the developer typically files the project-level dossier first; for a resale, you or your lawyer files directly once the transfer is agreed. The sequence below is the same whether you complete the paperwork in Hanoi or remotely through a power of attorney.
- 1
Complete your Sale & Purchase Agreement and handover
⏱ At handover / completion
Pay the final instalment under your notarised Sale & Purchase Agreement and receive the handover minutes from the developer, or complete the transfer deed for a resale. This file, together with your passport, forms the basis of your Pink Book application.
DocumentsSale & Purchase Agreement · Handover minutes or transfer deed · Passport
⚠A unit still outside the 30% foreign-ownership quota for its building cannot be registered in your name — confirm quota availability in writing before this stage, not after.
→ law firms - 2
Assemble the registration dossier
⏱ 1–2 weeks to prepare◈ €30–€80 (≈ 825,000–2,200,000 VND) for certified translations, if required
Your file typically includes the notarised contract, your passport with a valid entry stamp, proof of full payment, a description of the property, and the standard land-registration application form. Missing or unnotarised documents are the most common cause of delay.
DocumentsPassport with valid entry stamp · Notarised contract and handover minutes · Registration application form
- 3
File at the district Land Registration Office
⏱ Filed once, then a formal processing window opens
→ law firmsYour lawyer or an authorised representative submits the dossier at the Land Registration Office covering the property's district. A receipt with a tracking reference is issued — keep it; it is your proof of filing and the reference for any follow-up.
- 4
Registration fee assessment and payment
⏱ Within the same processing window◈ 0.5% of the declared property value
The office assesses the 0.5% registration fee on the declared property value and issues a payment notice. Payment is normally required before the certificate is finalised, and the receipt becomes part of your permanent file.
- 5
Verification, issuance and collection
⏱ 20–40 working days
The Land Registration Office checks the dossier against the project's approved plans and the developer's own records, confirms the foreign-ownership quota was respected at the time of your purchase, and prepares the certificate for issuance. Check your name exactly as spelled in your passport, the floor area and property description, and the ownership-term clause before you leave the counter — corrections are far easier before you rely on the document.
DocumentsPower of attorney, if collecting remotely
⚠Delays are usually caused by an incomplete developer-side file — project approvals or quota records — rather than anything the buyer controls. Ask your lawyer to track the file status directly with the office.
→ law firms
Pink Book vs Red Book
| Pink Book (Sổ hồng) | Red Book (Sổ đỏ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnamese term | Sổ hồng — informal name for the unified certificate that now includes house ownership | Sổ đỏ — informal name for the older, land-only certificate |
| What it certifies | Land-use rights AND ownership of the building on that land | Land-use rights only — no building or house ownership recorded |
| Typical property | Apartments and houses built on land with recognised use rights | Standalone land parcels — rural, agricultural, or urban plots with no registered dwelling |
| Issued since | Unified format in place since 2009, still the certificate issued today | Issued mainly before 2009; new stand-alone red books are now rare |
| Can a foreigner hold one | Yes — for a building or apartment, within the 50-year term and the 30% per-building quota | No — a red book records land rights that foreign individuals generally cannot hold directly |
| Where you'll still see it | Every apartment or house purchase you make in Hanoi | Older properties, or land records not yet updated to the unified certificate |
What a Pink Book costs
The registration fee is fixed by national decree; translation, certified copies and filing assistance are optional services most foreign buyers choose to use.
| — | Min | Max | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration fee (lệ phí trước bạ)Set nationally by Decree 10/2022/ND-CP — not negotiable | 0.5% | 0.5% | % of declared property valueBuyer, at filing |
| Dossier preparation & filing (lawyer) | €150 (≈ 4,125,000 VND) | €400 (≈ 11,000,000 VND) | one-off, optional but recommendedBuyer |
| Certified translation of the certificate | €40 (≈ 1,100,000 VND) | €120 (≈ 3,300,000 VND) | per document setBuyer, if needed for a bank or use abroad |
| Power of attorney (notarisation/legalisation) | €80 (≈ 2,200,000 VND) | €250 (≈ 6,875,000 VND) | one-offBuyer, if filing remotely |
| Total | ≈ 0.5% of price + €270 (≈ 7,425,000 VND) | ≈ 0.5% of price + €770 (≈ 21,175,000 VND) |
Illustrative example on a round €450,000 apartment (not a market average — check current district medians on our live listings)
- Registration fee (0.5%)
- €2,250 (≈ 61,875,000 VND)
- Lawyer filing
- €280 (≈ 7,700,000 VND)
- Certified translation
- €70 (≈ 1,925,000 VND)
- Σ
- €2,600 (≈ 71,500,000 VND)
Decree 10/2022/ND-CP · Housing Law 2023 · Land Law 2024 · Decree 95/2024
Notaries and lawyers who help foreign buyers verify and register a Pink Book
Văn phòng Công chứng CVN
★Notariat contrats vente/transfert immobilier, sổ đỏ, procurations, héritages ; service 24/7 et à domicile
Hanoi · Vietnamien, Anglais, Chinois, Japonais, Coréen
TA PHA Public Notary Office (TA PHA Group)
★Bureau notarial + cabinet juridique : notariat, conveyancing immobilier, due diligence, conseil contrats
Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnamien, Anglais
Thao & Co.
★Traduction certifiée/notariée, légalisation consulaire, documents légaux et immobiliers pour transactions d'étrangers
Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnamien, Anglais (multilingue)
Văn phòng Công chứng Nguyễn Huệ
Notariat contrats vente/transfert/donation nhà đất, hypothèques, héritages, procurations ; service à domicile
Hanoi · Vietnamien
Frequently asked questions
What is a pink book in Vietnam?
A pink book (sổ hồng) is Vietnam's unified certificate of land-use rights and house ownership — the document proving legal title to an apartment or house. For a foreign buyer it confirms ownership of the building for a renewable 50-year term, never ownership of the land beneath it.
What is the difference between the red book and the pink book?
The red book (sổ đỏ) certified land-use rights only, with no building ownership recorded, and was mainly issued before 2009. Since 2009, land-use rights and house ownership have been combined into the single unified certificate popularly called the pink book — the one issued on every Hanoi apartment or house purchase today.
How do foreigners get a pink book in Vietnam?
By completing a legal purchase in an approved commercial housing project, within the 30% foreign-ownership quota for the building, then filing a registration dossier — contract, handover minutes, passport and application form — with the district Land Registration Office. Most foreign buyers use a Vietnamese-licensed lawyer to file and track the case.
How much does a pink book cost?
The statutory cost is a 0.5% registration fee on the declared property value, set by Decree 10/2022/ND-CP. On top of that, most foreign buyers budget roughly €270–€770 (≈ 7.4–21.2 million VND) for optional legal filing, certified translation and, if signing remotely, a notarised power of attorney.
Can I buy a property that doesn't have its pink book yet?
Yes — this is the normal case for an off-plan purchase, where the pink book is only issued after the project completes its own project-level registration and you finish paying. For a resale, always ask to see the seller's existing pink book before you pay any deposit; buying against a promise of a future certificate carries materially more risk.
How do I verify a pink book before I buy or sign?
Have an independent lawyer or notary cross-check the certificate against the seller's passport or ID, confirm the property description and floor area match the actual unit, and check the land-use term and any notes of mortgage or dispute recorded on the certificate. Never accept a photocopy alone as sufficient verification.
How long does it take to receive a pink book after buying?
Once your dossier is complete and filed, the Land Registration Office typically takes 20–40 working days to verify and issue the certificate, though the overall timeline can run longer if the project itself has not yet finished its own project-level registration.
Sources
- Housing Law 2023 (27/2023/QH15) — effective 01/08/2024; sets the 50-year foreign-ownership term.
- Land Law 2024 (31/2024/QH15) — effective 01/08/2024; governs the district Land Registration Office and land-use rights recorded on the Pink Book.
- Decree 10/2022/ND-CP — sets the national 0.5% registration-fee rate (cited textually; no verified official URL available).
- Decree 95/2024/ND-CP — implementing decree detailing Housing Law application (cited textually; no verified official URL available).
Have your Pink Book checked before you rely on it
Send us the project name and, if you have it, your certificate reference. Our Hanoi advisory desk introduces you to independent counsel and notaries who verify it against the original Land Registration Office record — a reply within 24 hours, no obligation, and never a substitute for your own lawyer.