Who is eligible?
Under the Housing Law 2023, a foreign individual may own housing in Vietnam if they are permitted to enter the country and do not enjoy diplomatic immunity or privileges. In practice a valid passport with an entry stamp is enough to sign a sale and purchase agreement. You do not need to set up a company, hold a long-term residence card, or put the property in a Vietnamese person's name.
What can you buy?
The permitted scope is housing inside a commercial housing development — apartments and landed homes (villas, townhouses) that form part of a project. Foreigners cannot acquire land or houses from households and individuals outside a project, and cannot buy in areas designated for defence and security. The Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security define those areas; the developer must disclose whether its project is cleared for foreign sale.
What the 30% quota means
In any one apartment building, foreign buyers may collectively own no more than 30% of the units. For landed housing, the limit is 250 homes within a single ward-level administrative unit. This is why you should ask the developer how much foreign quota is left before paying a deposit: once the quota is full, you may still transact but only through a long-term lease, or you must choose another building.
The 50-year term and renewal
The certificate issued to a foreign individual runs for a maximum of 50 years from the date of issue. Before expiry the owner may apply once for an extension under the regulations. If during the ownership period you marry a Vietnamese citizen or acquire Vietnamese nationality, the title becomes stable and long-term.
Process and paperwork
The usual sequence: pick a unit and confirm the remaining foreign quota; sign a deposit agreement; sign the sale and purchase agreement directly with the developer; pay by bank transfer from your own account according to the payment schedule; take handover; the developer files for the ownership certificate. The minimum document is a valid passport with an entry stamp. Keep every remittance record — that paperwork is what supports repatriating the sale proceeds later.
Common pitfalls
Three recurring mistakes: (1) paying a deposit before confirming the project is cleared for foreign sale and still has quota; (2) paying cash or transferring through someone else, which complicates repatriation later; (3) confusing a sale and purchase agreement that grants ownership with a 50-year long-term lease — legally these are very different instruments.