Many overseas Vietnamese want to own a house in Vietnam, and it
is very easy to do. The legal framework is complete and in place1.
Background
Before the effective date of the Law on Residential Housing (ie,
before July 1, 2015), the possibility for an overseas Vietnamese to
own a house was fairly limited. An overseas Vietnamese had to have
resided in Vietnam for three (3) months or more and must have been
in one of the following categories: (a) person with Vietnamese
nationality; (b) person of Vietnamese origin in the following
categories: a person returning for direct investment in Vietnam
under the law on investment; a person whose work has contributed to
the country; a scientist, cultural activist or person with special
skills needed by a Vietnamese body or organization, and who was
working in Vietnam; or a person whose husband or wife was a
Vietnamese citizen living in Vietnam. Obviously, very few people
qualified.
