Short answer: You may keep renting out your Vietnamese property after moving home — the law does not require the owner to reside in Vietnam. Three things must be done right: (1) declare and pay personal income tax on rental income under PIT Law 109/2025/QH15; (2) arrange rent collection through your own Vietnamese bank account or a lawfully authorized representative; (3) when remitting rent abroad, use a bank licensed for foreign exchange business.
1. Rental tax: the new rules from 1 July 2026
This is what absentee landlords most often overlook. Under Clause 4, Article 7 of Personal Income Tax Law 109/2025/QH15 (effective 1 July 2026):
- PIT = (annual rental revenue − VND 500 million) × 5%, for individuals leasing real estate (excluding accommodation business);
- If annual rental revenue is VND 500 million or less, no PIT is payable.
Example: renting an apartment at VND 20 million/month gives annual revenue of VND 240 million — below the threshold, so no PIT. But at VND 50 million/month (VND 600 million/year), the VND 100 million excess is taxed at 5%, i.e. VND 5 million per year.
Note: living abroad does not remove the filing obligation. Income arising in Vietnam is declared in Vietnam. You may authorize someone in Vietnam to handle tax procedures, or file electronically yourself under the tax authority’s guidance at the time.
2. Receiving rent from abroad: three options
Option 1 — The tenant transfers directly to your Vietnamese bank account. Simplest if you keep a Vietnamese bank account. Ask the tenant to state the transfer purpose clearly (“rent for [month] under contract [no.]”) as documentary evidence.
Option 2 — Authorize someone in Vietnam to collect and manage. Execute a written power of attorney under the 2015 Civil Code (Articles 562–569), specifying the scope: collecting rent, signing receipts, filing tax on your behalf, handling property issues. Because real estate is involved, the authorization should be notarized or certified — under the 2024 Notarization Law (effective 1 July 2025, replacing the 2014 law). If you are abroad, you can notarize at a Vietnamese diplomatic mission in your country of residence.
Option 3 — Use a property management company. Sign a management service contract with a professional firm in Vietnam; they collect rent, deduct their fee, remit the balance to you, and can assist with tax filing. Suitable when you hold multiple properties or have no trusted person in Vietnam.
Whichever option you choose, put the lease in writing, stating: rent amount, payment method and schedule, repair responsibilities, and termination clauses. This is both the basis for the tenant to pay correctly and the proof of fund source when you remit rent abroad.
3. Remitting rental income abroad
Rental income is your lawful income. To send it abroad, the general foreign exchange framework applies:
- Go through a credit institution licensed for foreign exchange business;
- Prepare source-of-funds documents: the lease + rent receipts (bank statements) + PIT filings/payment proof (where tax is due);
- The bank reviews the file, then executes the transfer.
The advantage: rental income has a very “clean” and provable source — a lease plus statements is a near-perfect file, provided you have filed tax properly. Conversely, years of undeclared rental income followed by a sudden large outward transfer will raise questions from both the bank and the tax authority.
4. Risks of informal “favors” without paperwork
- Asking an acquaintance to collect cash informally: no documents, hard to claim in disputes, and no proof of source when you need to remit abroad.
- No written lease: when the tenant defaults, from abroad you have almost no basis to act on.
- Verbal authorization: the “helper” has no legal standing to sign receipts, file tax for you, or handle disputes on your behalf.
- Years of rental tax evasion: besides back tax and penalties, it “taints” your fund source — remitting abroad later will stall at the bank’s review.
Key legal bases
- Personal Income Tax Law 109/2025/QH15, Clause 4 Article 7 (effective 1 July 2026) — PIT on real estate leasing: annual revenue exceeding VND 500 million × 5%.
- Foreign Exchange Ordinance 28/2005/PL-UBTVQH11 (amended 2013) — remitting foreign currency abroad through licensed credit institutions.
- 2015 Civil Code, Articles 562–569 — authorization contracts.
- 2024 Notarization Law (75/2024/QH15, effective 1 July 2025) — replacing the 2014 Notarization Law.
Frequently asked questions
1. I left two years ago and never declared rental tax — what now?
Voluntarily file supplementary declarations and pay what is owed (if revenue exceeds the threshold). Coming forward before the tax authority finds out is always better — it reduces penalty exposure and “cleans” your fund source for future outward remittances. Work with the tax office or an adviser to compute the correct amount.
2. Revenue under VND 500 million a year — must I still file?
Under Law 109/2025, revenue of VND 500 million or less is not subject to PIT. But “no tax payable” and “no filing required” are different things — filing duties follow the tax authority’s guidance at the time of application. Confirm directly to avoid missing a procedure.
3. Can the tenant pay cash to my authorized representative?
Yes, but the representative must issue proper receipts and deposit the money into your account (or the account named in the authorization). Cash without receipts leaves you unable to prove rent was received — a dispute risk and a source-of-funds problem.
4. Can I authorize a brokerage firm to sign the lease on my behalf?
Yes, if the authorization expressly covers concluding leases. Given the real estate element, the authorization should be notarized/certified. Distinguish: a broker introducing tenants (earning commission) differs from an authorized representative signing contracts for you.
5. Must I remit the rent abroad, or can I keep it in Vietnam for reinvestment?
You are not required to remit it abroad. You may keep it in a Vietnamese account, reinvest, or transfer gradually as needed. Each outward transfer simply follows the normal foreign exchange procedure.
6. As a foreigner, are there limits on owning and renting out housing in Vietnam?
Foreigners may own housing in Vietnam within the framework of the 2023 Housing Law (with specific conditions, terms and quantity limits). Leasing out lawfully owned housing is an owner’s right. If unsure about your ownership status, review your property papers before signing a long-term lease.
Note: this article provides general legal information current at the time of writing and does not replace advice for your specific case. Tax filing follows the tax authority’s guidance at the time of application.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council
