Vietnam lawyers for foreigners — companies, contracts & apartments done right
Vietnam is the SEA jurisdiction where 100% foreign ownership of a company is genuinely routine — the paperwork is the twin certificates (IRC and ERC), and the risk lives in your contracts: Vietnamese courts are slow, so the arbitration clause you draft today decides whether a dispute is collectible. Foreigners can also own apartments within the 50% project quota. Our vetted counsel in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang handle incorporation, compliance and enforcement-grade drafting.
The legal reality for foreigners in Vietnam
- 100% foreign-owned LLCs are standard in most sectors — the route is the Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) then the Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC).
- Apartments are ownable within the 50% foreign quota of each project; houses on land remain largely off-limits outside approved projects.
- Contract enforcement is improving but slow — well-drafted VIAC (Vietnam international arbitration) clauses are the difference between collecting and complaining.
- Hiring expatriates legally requires work permits and temporary residence cards — shortcuts invite fines and exit bans.
The numbers that matter
Foreign LLC ownership
100% in most sectors (IRC + ERC)
Apartment quota
50% per project
Corporate income tax
20% standard CIT
Contract review turnaround
48 hours, fixed fee
How engagement works
- Submit your free case brief — 2 minutes, confidential, no obligation.
- Within 24–48h we send two vetted proposals from bar-registered firms in this jurisdiction, each with a fixed-fee scope in English.
- You engage the firm directly. We never sit between client and counsel — and never take a cut of legal fees.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner own 100% of a Vietnamese company?
Yes — most business lines are open to 100% foreign ownership. The process runs through the Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) and Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC), with sector-specific conditions on some lines. Our fixed-fee incorporation handles both certificates plus tax code in one scope.
Can foreigners buy property in Vietnam?
Foreigners may own apartments (not houses on land) within the 50% foreign quota of a project, subject to ownership terms and project approvals. Quota verification is the critical check before any deposit — it is the first item in our due diligence.
How do I make a Vietnamese contract enforceable?
Choose arbitration over court: a properly drafted VIAC arbitration clause is enforceable and confidential, while local litigation is slow. Ambiguous clauses in translated contracts are the most common failure — our 48-hour red-flag review catches them before signature.
What taxes will my Vietnamese company pay?
Standard corporate income tax is 20%, plus VAT on most supplies and obligations around foreign contractor tax where applicable. Rates and incentives vary by sector and location — your matched counsel confirms the current regime for your exact business line.