Buy an Apartment in Ho Chi Minh City: Listings and Foreign Rules

The city centre in District 1 and neighbouring Binh Thanh and Phu Nhuan hold older apartments and offices. Thu Duc City in the east contains the Thao Dien riverside enclave, new towers and the first metro line, which opened in late 2024. District 7 around Phu My Hung is a planned district popular with foreign families and Korean and Japanese expats.

Buyers include local owner-occupiers, investors renting to expats and professionals, and overseas Vietnamese. Traffic and flooding in rainy season can influence where you want to live. Compare the capital Hanoi and the beach city Da Nang, or the coastal Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Foreigners may own apartments and houses in approved commercial projects, but not land. Ownership is limited to 50 years, renewable, and foreigners cannot hold more than 30% of the apartments in a building or 250 houses in a ward. A lawyer should verify the developer's licence, the project's legal status and the property's certificate (the so-called pink book). Payments should be made through formal channels.

Taxes and fees include VAT and registration; verify locally. See the Vietnam guide, financing and the Vietnam page.

Insist on seeing the project's construction permit, the legal basis for foreign sales and the handover timeline for off-plan flats.