PROPERTY IN VIETNAM · VND
Home purchase checklist
For reference; does not replace legal advice from a lawyer or notary. Law checked: 30 October 2026.
Your printable checklist
Scope: a foreign individual buying eligible commercial housing. Citizen, overseas origin and corporate dossiers must be adapted to the eligibility result. No personal documents are entered or stored.
You and a legal adviser: citizenship or Vietnamese origin evidence; passport and lawful entry evidence; marriage/residence evidence if relevant. Request certified Vietnamese translations/legalisation where required by the receiving authority.
Before reserving a property
95/2024/NĐ-CP · 01/08/2024; 54/2026/NĐ-CP · 09/02/2026 · Article 3
You, developer and housing authority: approved foreign ownership project list, national security restrictions, remaining quota, seller title, mortgage/release documents and sale eligibility. Obtain documentary confirmation before paying a deposit.
Before any deposit
27/2023/QH15 · 01/08/2024 · VBHN 79/VBHN-VPQH (26/03/2026) · Article 16–19
You and a licensed bank: account opening documents, lawful source of funds and payment schedule. Pay through a credit institution or foreign bank branch operating in Vietnam. Retain transfer records.
Before payment
27/2023/QH15 · 01/08/2024 · VBHN 79/VBHN-VPQH (26/03/2026) · Article 21(2)(c)
Buyer, seller and notary where required: passport, entry evidence, draft Vietnamese contract, seller/project documents, interpreter if needed. Check the term, handover, quota and certification obligations. Developer transactions have statutory notarisation exceptions; confirm your case.
Before signing; appointment dependent
27/2023/QH15 · 01/08/2024 · VBHN 79/VBHN-VPQH (26/03/2026) · Article 164
Seller/buyer as legally responsible: tax returns, contract, notices and receipts; agree who pays on behalf of whom. The ordinary transfer tax is payable by the income recipient; registration is a separate charge.
According to the tax notice
Developer or buyer as applicable, with the competent land registration authority: application, contract, identity/eligibility documents, property records and payment receipts. Keep the receipt and check the expiry date on the certificate.
Use the published local procedure and receipt; no universal processing promise
Owner and relevant authority: notify the competent housing authority before renting where required; keep tax and bank records. An extension application is due at least 3 months before expiry; review may take up to 30 days after a valid dossier.
During ownership; extension before expiry
95/2024/NĐ-CP · 01/08/2024; 54/2026/NĐ-CP · 09/02/2026 · Article 6
27/2023/QH15 · 01/08/2024 · VBHN 79/VBHN-VPQH (26/03/2026) · Article 20, 21
Preparation time depends on the buyer and developer. Administrative timing depends on the registration route, a valid dossier and the published local procedure. Decree 101/2024 has amendments following local government restructuring; confirm the receiving office before filing.
Risks of nominee ownership
Paying for property registered in someone else’s name does not establish lawful ownership or land use rights for an ineligible payer. Risks include disputes, loss of control and enforcement against the registered holder’s assets. Sham transactions or transactions violating statutory prohibitions may be invalid. Have a lawyer or notary check eligibility and documents before paying.
31/2024/QH15 · 01/08/2024 · VBHN 44/VBHN-VPQH (16/03/2026) · Article 4, 28
91/2015/QH13 · 01/01/2017 · Article 117, 123, 124