Vietnam - Legal Overview - Land

The laws of Vietnam are complex and new legislation is constantly being introduced. What follows is no more than an introductory overview that we hope will assist investors to decide which areas of law they will need to research further.

This summary is, necessarily, selective and is no substitute for detailed legal advice.

1. All land in Vietnam belongs to the People and its use is administered on their behalf by the State. Private ownership is not possible although the right to use land can be allocated by the State. Land cannot, subject to exceptions, be transferred or assigned without State consent.

2. The Law on Land of 14 June 1993 forms the basis of all existing land law. Under this, land was allocated for a specific purposes, for a fixed term of years.