Regulations on real estate trading for foreign-invested companies

VGP – Foreign invested companies are allowed to buy or rent office building for office purposes not for sale or sublease.

May 27, 2020 2:49 PM GMT+7

Question: Whether foreign invested companies are permitted to buy office buildings for business purposes (sale or sublease)?

Answer:

Under Point 3, Article 11 of the 2014 Law on Real Estate Business, foreign-invested enterprises may conduct real estate trading in the following forms:

(1) Rent buildings for sublease

(2) Build houses on the land which is leased by the State for lease; build houses or constructions other than houses

(3) on such land for sale, for lease, or for lease purchase;

(4) Receive total or a part of real estate project from investors to build buildings on it for sale, for lease, or for lease purchase

(5) Build buildings on land which is leased out or transferred in industrial parks, industrial complexes, export-processing zones, hi-tech zones, or economic zone for trading for the proper land use.

Under Point 2, Article 14 of the 2014 Law on Real Estate Business, overseas Vietnamese or foreign-invested companies may purchase, lease purchase buildings for use for offices or business facilities according to their proper utilities.

Hence, foreign-invested companies are only allowed to purchase and lease buildings for office purposes not for sale or sublease./.