1. Người nước ngoài có được mua nhà ở Việt Nam không?
“3. Đối với cá nhân nước ngoài quy định tại điểm c khoản 1 Điều 17 của Luật này phải không thuộc trường hợp được hưởng quyền ưu đãi, miễn trừ ngoại giao, lãnh sự theo quy định của pháp luật.”
2. Người nước ngoài có bị giới hạn số lượng nhà ở khi mua tại Việt Nam không?
2.1. Trường hợp sở hữu căn hộ chung cư
Theo Luật Nhà ở 2023, đối với các đối tượng quy định tại điểm b và điểm c khoản 1 Điều 17, bao gồm:
• Tổ chức: tổ chức kinh tế có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài, chi nhánh, văn phòng đại diện của doanh nghiệp nước ngoài, quỹ đầu tư nước ngoài, chi nhánh ngân hàng nước ngoài đang hoạt động tại Việt Nam.
• Cá nhân: người nước ngoài được phép nhập cảnh hợp pháp vào Việt Nam.
2.2. Trường hợp sở hữu nhà ở riêng lẻ
Trong phạm vi một khu vực có quy mô dân số tương đương một phường, người nước ngoài chỉ được mua, thuê mua, nhận tặng cho, nhận thừa kế và sở hữu không quá 250 căn.
2.4. Trường hợp tổ chức kinh tế có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài đầu tư xây dựng nhà ở theo dự án
Tổ chức kinh tế có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài thuộc trường hợp quy định tại điểm a khoản 1 Điều 17 Luật Nhà ở 2023 (tức là trực tiếp đầu tư xây dựng nhà ở theo dự án tại Việt Nam) sẽ được thực hiện đầy đủ quyền của chủ sở hữu nhà ở theo Điều 10 Luật Nhà ở 2023, bao gồm quyền chiếm hữu, sử dụng, định đoạt (bán, cho thuê, tặng cho, thế chấp…).
2.5. Trường hợp tổ chức, cá nhân nước ngoài mua, thuê mua, nhận tặng cho hoặc nhận thừa kế nhà ở
Tổ chức, cá nhân nước ngoài quy định tại điểm b và điểm c khoản 1 Điều 17 Luật Nhà ở 2023, bao gồm:
• Tổ chức nước ngoài: tổ chức kinh tế có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài, chi nhánh, văn phòng đại diện của doanh nghiệp nước ngoài, quỹ đầu tư nước ngoài và chi nhánh ngân hàng nước ngoài đang hoạt động tại Việt Nam.
• Cá nhân nước ngoài: được phép nhập cảnh vào Việt Nam.
[EN]
1. Can foreigners buy houses in Vietnam?
“3. Foreign individuals specified in point c of clause 1 of Article 17 of this Law must not be in a situation to enjoy diplomatic or consular privileges and immunities as prescribed by law.”
2. Are there limits on the number of houses foreigners can buy in Vietnam?
2.1. In the case of owning apartments
According to the Housing Law, for the subjects specified in points b and c of clause 1 of Article 17, including:
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Organizations: foreign-invested economic organizations, branches, representative offices of foreign enterprises, foreign investment funds, foreign banks operating in Vietnam.
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Individuals: foreigners legally permitted to enter Vietnam.
For apartments, the law stipulates that foreigners can only buy, lease-purchase, receive as gifts, inherit, and own no more than 30% of the total number of apartments in a building.
2.2. In the case of owning individual houses
Within an area with a population scale equivalent to a ward, foreigners can only buy, lease-purchase, receive as gifts, inherit, and own no more than 250 houses.
If this area has multiple apartment buildings or individual houses on a street, the limit of 250 houses still applies to the total number of individual houses in the entire area.
In the case of foreign-invested economic organizations investing in housing construction according to a project
Foreign-invested economic organizations falling under the provisions of point a of clause 1 of Article 17 of the Housing Law (i.e., directly investing in housing construction according to a project in Vietnam) will fully exercise the rights of house owners as per Article 10 of the Housing Law, including the rights to possess, use, and dispose of (sell, lease, gift, mortgage, etc.).
However, if the housing construction is carried out on land leased from the State, the rights of the owner are limited: they can only lease the house, not sell, gift, or transfer ownership rights in any other form.
In the case of organizations and individuals buying, leasing, receiving as gifts, or inheriting houses
Organizations and individuals specified in points b and c of clause 1 of Article 17 of the Housing Law, including:
Foreign organizations: foreign-invested economic organizations, branches, representative offices of foreign enterprises, foreign investment funds, and foreign banks operating in Vietnam.
Foreign individuals: permitted to enter Vietnam.
These subjects have the rights of house owners like Vietnamese citizens, including the rights to possess, use, and dispose of, but must comply with the limits and conditions prescribed by law, specifically:
a) Limits on the number of houses owned
They can only buy, lease-purchase, receive as gifts, inherit, and own houses according to the number specified in Article 19 of this Law and be issued a Certificate of Ownership for those houses.
That is:
For foreign organizations and individuals specified in points b and c of clause 1 of Article 17 of this Law:
Apartments: They can only buy, lease-purchase, receive as gifts, inherit, and own no more than 30% of the total number of apartments in a building.
Individual houses (villas, adjacent houses): Within an area with a population scale equivalent to a ward, they can only buy, lease-purchase, receive as gifts, inherit, and own no more than 250 houses.
If there are multiple apartment buildings or individual houses on the same street within an area with a population equivalent to a ward, foreign organizations and individuals can only buy, lease-purchase, receive as gifts, inherit, and own no more than the specified limits on the number of apartments or individual houses.
b) Cases of receiving gifts or inheritances but not being able to hold ownership
If foreign organizations or individuals receive gifts or inheritances of housing but fall into one of the following cases:
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Not belonging to the group allowed to own housing through purchase, lease purchase, receiving gifts, or inheriting commercial housing in housing construction projects, and that project is not located in areas requiring national defense and security.
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The number of owned houses exceeds the limit specified in Article 19 of this Law.
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The housing is located in areas requiring national defense and security as stipulated in Article 16 of this Law.
→ Then they cannot hold ownership of that house but can only receive the value (money) of the house.
c) Duration of ownership
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Foreign individuals: Can own housing according to the agreement in the purchase, lease purchase, gift, or inheritance transaction but not exceeding 50 years from the date of issuance of the Certificate. Can be extended once for no more than 50 years if there is a need; the duration must be clearly stated in the Certificate.
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In the case of a foreign individual marrying a Vietnamese citizen residing in Vietnam: Can own housing and have rights like a Vietnamese citizen.
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In the case of marrying a Vietnamese person residing abroad who is allowed to enter: Can own housing and have rights like a Vietnamese person residing abroad.
d) For foreign organizations
They can own housing according to the agreement in the purchase, lease purchase, gift, or inheritance transaction but not exceeding the duration specified in the investment certificate issued to that organization, including the extension period; the duration of housing ownership is calculated from the date the organization is issued the Certificate and is clearly stated in this Certificate.
đ) In the case of marrying a Vietnamese citizen or a Vietnamese person residing abroad
Before the housing ownership period expires according to the provisions of this Law, the owner can directly or authorize another organization or individual to exercise the right to gift or sell this housing to subjects eligible to own housing in Vietnam.
If the ownership period expires and the owner does not sell or gift, the house will become public property.
In the case of the recipient of the gift or buyer of the housing being:
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Domestic organizations or individuals.
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Vietnamese citizens residing abroad (according to the provisions of nationality law).
→ Then they will enjoy all the rights of housing ownership according to Clause 1, Article 10 of this Law.