Before paying a land deposit in Vietnam: checks and budget

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Illustrative inputs are editable. Results are indicative; actual bases, exemptions and records may differ.

Worked example

VND 2 billion price, 10% deposit = VND 200 million credited to the price, buyer pays registration and notary, seller pays income tax: registration 0.5% × 2 billion = VND 10 million; notary 1 million + 0.06% × (2 billion − 1 billion) = VND 1.6 million; total VND 2,011.6 million; after the deposit VND 1,811.6 million remains. If the buyer also bears the seller’s 2% income tax: VND 40 million more, total VND 2,051.6 million. Illustrative; surveys, agents and local filing charges are extra.

Checklist before transferring a deposit

1. Original certificate. Compare map sheet, parcel number, area, land use, term and amendment pages; a photo is not enough.
2. Right to sell. Check the seller’s documents; marital or co-owned land needs every holder or a power of attorney (Marriage and Family Law 2014 Arts. 33–35; Civil Code 2015 Art. 218).
3. Transfer conditions. Land Law 2024 Art. 45: a certificate (with listed exceptions), no unresolved dispute, no seizure for enforcement, land term not expired, no interim court measure.
4. Mortgage. Ask how the bank loan will be released; selling mortgaged property needs the lender’s consent (Civil Code Art. 321).
5. Planning. Ask the commune or ward office or the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment. District land-use plans approved before 1 July 2025 remain in transitional use (Decree 151/2025 Art. 22(2)). Reference planning map by coordinates.
6. Boundary and access. Walk the corners with the seller; a route over a neighbour’s land needs an agreement or legal basis (Civil Code Art. 254).
7. Price. Compare similar plots and separate asking prices from completed sales.
8. Deposit terms in writing. Parcel, price, amount, signing date, refund conditions (documents, planning, loan).
9. Who pays what. Income tax is the seller’s, the registration fee the registering party’s (usually the buyer), the notary fee as agreed; the transfer contract must be notarised or certified (Land Law Art. 27).

Contract price below the land-price table

The registration fee uses the contract price if it is higher than the provincial table, otherwise the table (Decree 10/2022 Art. 7; Circular 13/2022 Art. 3). The seller’s 2% income tax uses the table and any adjustment coefficient when the contract omits or understates the land price (Law 109/2025 Art. 14; Decree 253/2026 Art. 57, effective 1 July 2026).

How large should the deposit be?

No law fixes a percentage for a private land purchase. Under Civil Code Art. 328, a buyer who refuses to sign loses the deposit; a seller who refuses returns it plus an equal amount, unless agreed otherwise. Foreign nationals and overseas Vietnamese should check their own eligibility first (Land Law Arts. 4, 28). Check the asking price on the map.

Legal basis · reviewed 29 October 2026

How to use

1. Work through the checklist: certificate, seller, planning, boundary, access, mortgage.
2. Enter the price, deposit and who pays each item to see the total budget.
3. Check the asking price on the map (“I want to buy”), write refund conditions into the deposit agreement, then pay.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a legal deposit percentage?

No. For a private land purchase the parties agree the amount, signing date and refund terms (Civil Code 2015 Art. 328).

What if the seller backs out?

Under Civil Code Art. 328 the seller returns the deposit plus an equal amount, unless the deposit agreement says otherwise.

How much cash for a VND 2 billion plot?

About VND 2,011.6 million if the buyer pays the 0.5% registration fee and the VND 1.6 million notary fee and the seller pays income tax; surveys and agents are extra.

Where is planning checked now that districts are gone?

At the commune or ward office or the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment; district plans approved before 1 July 2025 remain in transitional use (Decree 151/2025).