{"id":290,"date":"2026-02-05T08:27:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T08:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/?p=290"},"modified":"2026-04-02T05:18:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T05:18:56","slug":"is-there-any-foreign-quota-30-left-for-these-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/?p=290","title":{"rendered":"Is there any ‘Foreign Quota’ (30%) left for these projects?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Smart capital is migrating to Thu Thiem<\/strong> and Nam Rach Chiec<\/strong>, but for international investors, the biggest hurdle isn’t just picking the right location\u2014it\u2019s navigating the 30% Foreign Ownership Limit (FOL)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Vietnam, a residential project can only sell up to 30% of its total units to foreign individuals or entities under a Sale Purchase Agreement (SPA). Once this quota is hit, foreigners are often left with less favorable options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is the current state of the “Foreign Quota” in these high-growth districts?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1. Thu Thiem: The “Secondary Market” Game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most iconic projects in Thu Thiem reached their primary foreign quota almost instantly during their initial launches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Empire City:<\/strong> Sub-projects like Linden<\/em>, Tilia<\/em>, and Cove Residences<\/em> sold out their 30% foreign quota years ago. To buy here today as a foreigner, you generally must look at the secondary market<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The Catch:<\/strong> You must buy from an existing foreign owner to maintain the SPA (Pink Book eligibility)<\/strong> status. If you buy from a Vietnamese owner, the contract usually converts to a Long-Term Lease (LTL)<\/strong>, which can be harder to exit later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The Metropole Thu Thiem:<\/strong> Similar to Empire City, the earlier phases (The Galleria<\/em>, The Crest<\/em>) are fully occupied by foreign owners in the quota. New inventory in the final phase, The OpusK<\/em>, is extremely limited and highly contested.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Thu Thiem Zeit River:<\/strong> Being a more recent completion, there are occasionally units available via internal transfers, but the official 30% bucket is largely committed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    2. Nam Rach Chiec: The “New Opportunity”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Nam Rach Chiec offers a slightly different landscape because some of its largest components are still in the development or “re-launch” phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • The Global City (Masterise Homes):<\/strong> This is currently the most active “high-end” site in the area. Because the high-rise (apartment) component is massive (over 10,000 units), there is still significant primary foreign quota available<\/strong> for upcoming towers. For investors wanting a direct contract with the developer, this is the primary target.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Palm City \/ Palm Heights:<\/strong> As a mature project (originally developed by Keppel), the foreign quota for completed units is exhausted. Acquisitions here are almost exclusively secondary market transactions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Saigon Sports City:<\/strong> With the recent shifts in investment and the project’s massive scale, the “Foreign Quota” will be a major selling point when sales officially reopen, making it a “watch-list” item for 2025-2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
      \n

      3. SPA vs. LTL: Why the Quota Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      When the 30% quota is full, developers often offer the remaining units to foreigners under a Long-Term Lease (LTL)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • SPA (Sale Purchase Agreement):<\/strong> Gives you the right to a ownership certificate (pink book) with a 50-year term (extendable). This is the “Gold Standard.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • LTL (Long-Term Lease):<\/strong> You hold a 50-year leasehold. While you have the right to use and sub-lease, you do not technically “own” the asset in the eyes of the land registry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Market Tip:<\/strong> Units with “Foreign Quota SPA” status typically command a 5% to 10% premium<\/strong> in the secondary market because they are easier to sell to both locals and other foreigners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        4. How to Secure a Spot?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        If you are determined to get into the “New East” under the foreign quota, here is the strategy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. Target New Launches:<\/strong> Focus on the high-rise phases of The Global City<\/em> or new plots in Thu Thiem<\/em> that haven’t launched yet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Verify the Status:<\/strong> Before signing a deposit for a secondary unit, always verify if the current owner is a foreigner or a local. This determines whether you get an SPA or an LTL.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. The “Premium” Reality:<\/strong> Be prepared to pay a “Foreign Premium” for completed units in Empire City or Metropole. The scarcity of the quota has turned these units into a distinct asset class.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
          \n

          Summary: Is there quota left?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Thu Thiem:<\/strong> Virtually zero in primary; limited but available in secondary (at a premium).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Nam Rach Chiec:<\/strong> High availability in The Global City<\/em> (upcoming phases); zero in mature projects like Palm Heights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            The window for “easy” foreign ownership in Thu Thiem is closing, making the emerging inventory in Nam Rach Chiec the next logical frontier for international portfolios.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Smart capital is migrating to Thu Thiem and Nam Rach Chiec, but for international investors, the biggest hurdle isn’t just picking the right location\u2014it\u2019s navigating the 30% Foreign Ownership Limit (FOL). In Vietnam, a residential project can only sell up to 30% of its total units to foreign individuals or entities under a Sale Purchase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=290"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions\/292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thuytranrealestate.vn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}