Short answer: there is no state-issued standard form for an inheritance division agreement in Vietnam. The contents are agreed by the co-heirs themselves, in line with the Civil Code 2015 — division under a will (Article 659) or division by law (Article 660). On notarization, note a common trap: Articles 57 and 58 of the 2014 Law on Notarization are no longer in force; the current basis is Article 59 of the 2024 Law on Notarization (No. 46/2024/QH15, effective from 01/7/2025) on notarization of inheritance division agreements.
1. No standard form — contents agreed by the co-heirs
Current law does not prescribe a fixed template for inheritance division agreements. The co-heirs agree on the contents themselves, provided the division complies with the Civil Code 2015. The agreement should be in writing, signed by all participating parties, with the date of execution clearly stated.
2. Key contents of the agreement (under the Civil Code 2015)
A complete inheritance division agreement typically includes:
- Information on the co-heirs: full name, date of birth, ID number, and address of each party to the agreement.
- Identification of the estate: a list of the assets constituting the deceased person estate (Article 612 of the Civil Code 2015).
- Identification of the heirs: based on the will (if any) or the statutory order of heirs (Article 615 of the Civil Code 2015).
- Method of division: division of the estate under the will (Article 659) or division by law (Article 660).
- Share of each heir: the specific assets and property rights allocated to each co-heir, plus any obligations attached to that share (if any).
- Signatures: all co-heirs sign; the date of execution is stated.
3. Key update: notarization under Article 59 of the 2024 Law on Notarization
This is where outdated secondary sources most often mislead:
- The old-law trap: many articles and templates drafted before 01/7/2025 still cite Articles 57/58 of the 2014 Law on Notarization. Those provisions are no longer in force since the 2024 Law on Notarization took effect.
- Current basis: Article 59 of the 2024 Law on Notarization (No. 46/2024/QH15, effective from 01/7/2025) — notarization of inheritance division agreements.
- Official Letter 162/BTTP-CC dated 13/02/2026: there is no longer a separate “estate acknowledgment” procedure — parties execute an inheritance division agreement under current regulations.
4. Practical notes
- The Civil Code 2015 does not require notarization of an inheritance division agreement.
- In practice, however, where the estate includes land use rights, a notarized agreement is needed to complete the title transfer at the land registration office.
- If the co-heirs cannot reach agreement, the inheritance dispute is resolved by the court under civil proceedings.
Frequently asked questions
Is notarization of an inheritance division agreement mandatory?
No. The Civil Code 2015 does not require it. But to transfer land use rights, a notarized agreement under Article 59 of the 2024 Law on Notarization is needed in practice.
Can I still use a template citing Articles 57/58 of the 2014 Law on Notarization?
You should not. Those articles ceased to be in force on 01/7/2025; all old templates citing them are outdated — check against Article 59 of the 2024 Law on Notarization instead.
Is there still a separate “estate acknowledgment” procedure?
Under Official Letter 162/BTTP-CC dated 13/02/2026, no — there is no longer a separate “estate acknowledgment” procedure.
Legal references
- Article 59 of the 2024 Law on Notarization (No. 46/2024/QH15), effective 01/7/2025 — notarization of inheritance division agreements.
- Articles 612, 615, 656, 659, 660 of the Civil Code 2015 — in force.
- Official Letter 162/BTTP-CC dated 13/02/2026 — no separate “estate acknowledgment” procedure.
Need help dividing an estate? The FLAT Law Firm team advises on inheritance, drafts inheritance division agreements, and assists with notarization and title transfer in line with current law. Contact us at contact us.
The information in this article is for general reference based on the laws in force at the time of writing (14/10/2026) and does not constitute legal advice for any specific case.
Transparency note: This article was drafted by the FLAT Law Firm AI content production system and has passed the AI content review council (AI Legal Council QA). It has not been reviewed by a licensed human lawyer.
