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Market guide · Vietnam
Buying property in Vietnam as a foreignerIn Vietnam you buy 50 years, not forever.
A foreigner can own a home in Vietnam for up to 50 years, with one possible extension, and only within a quota in each building. In Hanoi, new apartment prices are jumping while resale prices slip.
Most of a building's apartments foreigners may own
30%
Housing rules, reported by Vietnam News Agency
Hanoi new apartment prices in one year
+21%
CBRE, second quarter 2026, reported by Vietnam News Agency
Tax on the sale price when you sell
2%
LNT & Partners
Can foreigners buy property in Vietnam?Ownership has a clock and a quota.
What this means for youBefore paying a deposit, ask the developer in writing whether the foreign quota in that building still has room, and what term your certificate will carry.
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Land in Vietnam belongs to the people and is managed by the state. A buyer acquires the right to use the land and ownership of the building on it.
A foreigner lawfully in the country can buy a home in a commercial housing project outside defence and security areas. Foreigners may own no more than 30% of the apartments in a building, and no more than 250 houses in an area of 10,000 people.
Ownership lasts up to 50 years from the date of the certificate. One extension of up to 50 years can be approved, and must be applied for at least three months before the term ends.
From: Vietnam News Agency; LNT & Partners
Vietnam property market in 2026New and resale prices are moving apart in Hanoi.
What this means for youCompare the new apartment you are offered with resale homes nearby. When new prices jump and resale prices fall, the gap is what you may lose on selling.
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In Hanoi, new apartment prices rose 12% in a single quarter and 21% over a year, to the second quarter of 2026. Resale apartment prices fell nearly 3% in the same quarter.
About 16,600 new apartments were launched in Hanoi in the first half of 2026, and more than 5,800 were sold in the second quarter.
These are figures from the property firm CBRE, reported by the state news agency. They cover Hanoi only.
From: CBRE, reported by Vietnam News Agency
Property taxes and resale in VietnamLow taxes, and a narrower market when you sell.
What this means for youPlan the sale when you buy. A foreign buyer of your home is bound by the same quota and term, so your widest market is local buyers.
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A seller pays personal income tax of 2% of the sale price. The buyer pays a registration fee of 0.5%.
A foreign owner can resell to a local buyer or to an eligible foreign one. What a foreign buyer receives depends on their own eligibility.
A transfer is complete only when it is registered at the land registry and the ownership certificate is updated.
From: LNT & Partners
Living in Vietnam: schools, health and visasSecure the school place before the home.
What this means for youIf you are moving with children, confirm the school place first. International schools can have waiting lists.
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International schools are concentrated in the major cities and can have waiting lists for particular year groups.
Air pollution and mosquito-borne diseases are named health risks, and motorcycle accidents are frequent.
Visitors can stay up to 90 days on an e-visa. Work or study needs its own permission.
From: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Flood and storm risk in VietnamKnow the flood map before the floor plan.
What this means for youAsk about flooding at the address itself, especially around Hanoi's Red River, in the Mekong Delta and on the central coast.
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Tropical storms can hit the eastern coast from May to November. Heavy rain causes flooding and landslides that damage roads.
The rainy season usually runs from June to September in the north and south, and from October to December in the centre.
From: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Questions buyers ask
Buying property in Vietnam: short answers.
Can foreigners buy property in Vietnam?
Yes. A foreign individual lawfully admitted to Vietnam can buy an eligible home in a commercial housing project outside defence and security exclusion areas. The buyer acquires land-use rights and ownership of the building, not the land itself.
How long can a foreigner own property in Vietnam?
Up to 50 years from the date of the ownership certificate. A single extension of up to 50 years can be approved if the owner still meets the legal conditions, applied for at least three months before the term expires.
What is the foreign ownership limit in Vietnam?
Foreigners may own no more than 30% of the residential apartments in a building, and no more than 250 separate houses across projects in an area with a population of 10,000.
What tax do you pay when selling property in Vietnam?
An individual's property transfer is generally subject to personal income tax of 2% of the transfer price. The buyer generally pays a registration fee of 0.5% of the applicable value.
Are apartment prices rising in Hanoi?
For new apartments, yes. CBRE reported average new-apartment prices in Hanoi up 12% on the previous quarter and 21% over a year in the second quarter of 2026, while resale apartment prices fell nearly 3% on the previous quarter.
The evidence
What this guide rests on.
Every sourced fact we hold on Vietnam (20)
The 2025 population estimate was 101,598,527.
The emergency ambulance number is 115.
Life expectancy at birth was approximately 75 years in 2024.
Economic output was approximately USD 514.7 billion in 2025, measured at current prices.
Economic output per person was approximately USD 5,066 in 2025; this is not household income.
Travel-health advice identifies air pollution as a health risk.
The economy grew by 8.0% in 2025 after removing price inflation.
Travel-health advice identifies mosquito-borne diseases as a health risk.
Consumer prices rose by 3.3% on average in 2025.
International schools are concentrated in major cities and offer English-language and other international curricula.
International-school places can have waiting lists, including for particular year groups.
Unexploded weapons remain a hazard in former battle areas and some areas near the Laos border.
The UK travel authority warns of road-safety risks, including frequent motorcycle accidents.
The visitor e-visa route allows stays of up to 90 days and multiple entries, subject to the issued permission.
Work or study requires the appropriate immigration permission; a visitor stay does not itself authorise these activities.
British citizens using the specified British passport category can visit without a visa for up to 45 days; this is nationality-specific.
Passengers connecting from international to domestic flights at Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City must complete entry formalities.
Electricity access covered 100% of the population in the 2024 indicator.
Internet use covered approximately 84% of the population in 2024.
Temporary restrictions can affect access to internet services and social-media platforms.
World Bank · UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, checked 15 September 2026
How a review works
The same six steps, in every market.
DefineClarify intended use, decision participants, timing and constraints.
MapIdentify the property, proposed right and jurisdiction-specific route.
OrganiseAssemble the available title, project, contract, payment and cost evidence.
SeparateLabel what is known, missing, concerning or requires professional confirmation.
CoordinateKeep legal, tax, valuation, immigration and engineering conclusions attributed.
DecidePresent a plain-language record so you can proceed, compare, pause or walk away.
This guide is general. What applies to you depends on your nationality, where you pay tax and the property itself, and that is what a review of your own purchase in Vietnam establishes.
