How to buy an apartment in Vietnam as a foreigner: 7 steps

Once you know you qualify, the next question is how. This guide walks through how to buy an apartment in Vietnam as a foreigner in seven steps, from checking the project to receiving your certificate. The deposit and payment limits come from the 2023 Real Estate Business Law, in force since 1 August 2024. It is general information, not a substitute for a lawyer.

Steps 1–2: Check the project and the foreign quota

First, check that the project appears on the list of projects open to foreign ownership published by the city or province. Then ask the developer to confirm in writing how many units in the building remain within the 30% foreign cap. If you are buying from another foreigner, check their certificate and how much of their ownership term is left.

Step 3: Check the unit's legal paperwork

Steps 4–5: Deposit and contract

• For off-plan homes, the deposit may not exceed 5% of the price and may only be taken once the project is eligible for sale.
• The first payment, deposit included, may not exceed 30% of the contract value.
• The sale contract is usually in Vietnamese. Have a lawyer go through it with you, paying attention to handover terms, late-delivery penalties, whether area is measured inside the walls or to the wall centre, and the maintenance fund of 2% of the apartment price.
• Do not sign a "reservation" or "booking agreement" you do not understand, however hard you are pushed.

Step 6: Pay through a bank

Pay through a bank account in Vietnam and keep every receipt. Ask the bank in advance about opening an account as a foreigner, bringing money in from abroad, and sending money out when you sell later. Never hand cash to an individual agent.

Step 7: Handover and certificate

At handover, re-measure the unit, compare finishes against the contract and note every defect in the handover record. For a new unit the developer usually files the certificate application. You pay a registration fee of 0.5% of the assessed value. For a resale, an individual seller usually pays 2% personal income tax on the transfer price, and the contract must be notarised.

Budgeting beyond the price

• Whether the price includes value-added tax: ask, and get the answer into the contract.
• The maintenance fund of 2% of the price, paid on the schedule in the contract.
• The 0.5% registration fee when the certificate is issued.
• Lawyer, translation and, for resales, notary fees.
• Building management fees, charged from handover even if you have not moved in yet.
• Furniture, curtains and appliances if the unit is handed over bare.

Ask the developer for a full payment schedule in writing and check it against your bank's transfer times, especially if money is coming from abroad. Missing a payment date can trigger late-payment interest under the contract, and in some contracts repeated delays let the developer cancel and keep part of what you have paid.

Three mistakes foreign buyers make

• Using a Vietnamese friend as a nominee to get around the quota or buy outside a project: the risk of losing the home is very high.
• Paying a deposit before the project is eligible for sale.
• Letting a passport or visa run close to expiry around the signing or filing date.

The underlying rules are in can foreigners buy property in Vietnam. For a checklist tailored to your city, leave your Zalo number on the guidance page. After handover, browse apartment furniture and curtains and rugs.