The Land Law 2024 (No. 31/2024/QH15) has been in force since 01/8/2024, but 2026 is when its key rules on land prices and land recovery take full effect in practice: the first market-principled land price tables apply from 01/01/2026, alongside guidance and amending instruments issued in 2025. This article summarises the new points enterprises — especially foreign investors — must grasp to plan the financial and legal strategy for their projects.
Table of contents
- 1. Overview of the instruments
- 2. Key changes
- 3. Practical impact on enterprises
- 4. Action items and deadlines
- 5. Open points to keep watching
- 6. Frequently asked questions
1. Overview of the instruments
Full name and number: Land Law No. 31/2024/QH15, passed by the XVth National Assembly on 18/01/2024, effective from 01/8/2024. The Law has 16 chapters and 260 articles.
Replaced instrument: The Land Law 2013 (No. 45/2013/QH13) expired on 31/7/2024. All references to the 2013 Law in contracts and legal files must be updated to the new basis.
Instruments amending the Land Law 2024 as of 27/9/2026:
- Law No. 43/2024/QH15 — the omnibus law amending the Land Law, the Housing Law, the Law on Real Estate Business and the Law on Credit Institutions;
- Several 2025 laws with provisions amending the Land Law 2024, including: the Law on Investment 2025 (effective from 01/3/2026), the 2025 Law amending 15 laws in the Agriculture and Environment sector (effective from 01/01/2026), the amended 2025 Law on Geology and Minerals, the 2025 Railway Law, the 2025 Law on Civil Judgment Enforcement, the 2025 Cybersecurity Law.
As of this article, the Land Law 2024 remains the master instrument governing land in Vietnam.
Key guidance instruments:
- Decree 71/2024/ND-CP of 27/6/2024 on land prices (effective from 01/8/2024; Article 37 alone effective from 27/6/2024);
- Decree 88/2024/ND-CP of 15/7/2024 on compensation, support and resettlement on State land recovery (effective from 01/8/2024);
- Decree 102/2024/ND-CP detailing several articles of the Land Law;
- Decree 103/2024/ND-CP on land use fees and land rents;
- Decree 104/2024/ND-CP on the Land Development Fund.
New instruments in the 2025–2026 period:
- Decree 226/2025/ND-CP of 15/8/2025 amending several decrees on land prices and on compensation, support and resettlement on land recovery;
- Resolution 254/2025/QH15 of 11/12/2025 of the National Assembly on mechanisms and policies removing difficulties in implementing the Land Law, effective from 01/01/2026;
- Decree 49/2026/ND-CP guiding Resolution 254/2025/QH15.
2. Key changes
The changes below are grouped along the two axes enterprises care about most: the land price mechanism (framework abolished, annual tables, specific prices) and the land recovery mechanism (expanded cases, resettlement-first principle). Each point includes a comparison with the 2013 Land Law to show "what is different".
2.1. Price framework abolished: market-principled land valuation (Article 158)
Previously, the Government issued a land price framework every 05 years (Article 113 of the 2013 Land Law), and provinces built land price tables within the framework. This mechanism kept tables far below market prices — causing both State revenue loss and a large gap between compensation and the real value of land use rights — the source of many prolonged disputes and complaints.
The Land Law 2024 abolishes the price-framework mechanism entirely. Point a, clause 1, Article 158 establishes the market-principle valuation of land, and Decree 226/2025/ND-CP has repealed all framework rules in Decree 96/2019/ND-CP. From now on, every land price — tables and specific prices — must be built on market data, using 04 valuation methods: comparison, income, residual and the price adjustment coefficient.
Direct impact: everyone paying land use fees, land rents, land-related taxes and charges, and everyone whose land is recovered, is affected by this principle.
2.2. Annual land price tables, first applied from 01/01/2026 (Article 159)
This is the change with the largest practical effect in 2026. Clause 3, Article 159 of the Land Law 2024 provides: the provincial People's Committee builds and submits to the same-level People's Council the first land price table for publication and application from 01 January 2026. Each subsequent year, the provincial People's Committee must submit adjustments, amendments and supplements to the provincial People's Council for publication and application from 01/01 of the following year; where necessary, the table may be adjusted within the year.
On construction, clause 2, Article 159 requires tables to be built by zone and location; in areas with digital cadastral maps and a land price database, they are built down to each land parcel on the basis of value zones and standard parcels. During construction, the provincial land management agency may hire a land valuation consultancy to ensure objectivity.
The tables apply to 12 groups of cases in clause 1, Article 159, of which the notable ones for enterprises and the public are:
| Case group | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| Land use fee on recognition of residential land use rights or conversion by households and individuals | Cost of converting agricultural land to residential land may rise with the new tables |
| Land rent when the State leases land with annual rent | Annual land rent fluctuates year to year |
| Land use tax; income tax on land use right transfers; land management charges | Tax and fee obligations tied to land rise with the new price level |
| Fines for administrative violations in the land sector | Fines have a higher calculation basis |
| Starting prices for auction of land use rights for parcels/invested technical infrastructure zones under detailed plans | Auction starting prices closer to the market |
Compared with the 2013 Law, tables are no longer "stable for 05 years" but updated annually — enterprises must factor this volatility into the financial model of every land-related project.
2.3. Specific land price: determined per case (Articles 160, 161, 162)
Alongside the general tables, the Land Law 2024 provides a specific land price mechanism — a price determined separately for each parcel or land area in each case. Clause 1, Article 160 lists 06 groups of cases for specific prices:
a) Land use fee for organisations when the State allocates land with land use fee without auctioning land use rights or bidding to select investors for land-using projects; allocates land with fee to winning bidders; recognises land use rights; permits land purpose conversion requiring land use fee;
b) Land rent when the State leases land with one-off rent for the whole lease term, except through auction of land use rights;
c) Land use right value on equitisation of State-owned enterprises;
d) Starting prices for auction of land use rights on State land allocation or lease (except point i, clause 1, Article 159);
đ) Land use fee and land rent on extension of land use, adjustment of use duration, adjustment of detailed construction plans; permits to change the land use form;
e) Land compensation on State land recovery.
Point e matters most to investors: on recovery, land compensation is calculated at the specific land price — the price determined separately for the parcel at the time the compensation plan is approved — not by blanket application of the general table. On authority, the Chairperson of the provincial People's Committee decides the specific land price (clause 2, Article 160), based on appraisal by the Land Valuation Appraisal Council (Article 161) and consultancy by a land valuation organisation (Article 162).
Decree 71/2024/ND-CP details the determination: Article 30 sets the valuation bases (the principles in Article 158 of the Law, market land price information, price-affecting factors); clause 5, Article 7 provides that compensation for recovered agricultural land equals the table price multiplied by the land price adjustment coefficient.
Decree 226/2025/ND-CP (effective from 15/8/2025) further refines this toward: a broader range of transaction data usable as comparison bases, adjustments to all 04 land valuation methods, and more land-price adjustment authority for provincial People's Councils.
2.4. Expanded cases of recovery for national and public interests (Articles 78, 79)
The Land Law 2024 keeps the two large recovery groups: recovery for defence and security (Article 78) and recovery for socio-economic development in national and public interests (Article 79). The new point is in Article 79: the list of recovery cases is detailed into many groups — public works; headquarters of State agencies and public-service works; other cases including groups of criteria such as housing, production zones, land fund development, minerals, underground works; and recovery for auction and bidding to increase budget revenue.
Compared with the 2013 Law, the detailed list reduces inconsistent application across localities and increases legal predictability. However, the State's recovery scope is also broadened — enterprises must carefully assess recovery risk when choosing project locations, especially for long-implementation projects.
2.5. The "resettlement before recovery" principle and the recovery procedure (Articles 87, 91)
This is one of the clearest people-protecting innovations of the Land Law 2024. Clause 6, Article 91 provides: approval of the compensation, support and resettlement plan and resettlement arrangement must be completed before a land recovery decision is issued. In other words, the State may only issue a recovery decision after the recovered person has been arranged resettlement.
The recovery procedure is standardised in Article 87 and detailed in Decree 102/2024/ND-CP, with basic steps: recovery notice → investigation, survey, measurement, inventory → consultation and preparation of the compensation, support and resettlement plan → issuance of the land recovery decision together with plan approval → plan publication → compensation, support, resettlement and site handover.
On compensation order (Article 91, Articles 96–99): priority to compensation in land of the same purpose as the recovered land; if no land is available, compensation in land of a different purpose or in housing; where no land is available at all, monetary compensation at the specific land price decided by the provincial People's Committee at the time the compensation plan is approved.
New exceptions from 2026: Resolution 254/2025/QH15 (clause 3, Article 3) and Decree 49/2026/ND-CP allow land recovery before resettlement arrangement is completed for three project groups: urgent public investment projects under public investment law, on-site resettlement projects, and projects with resettlement along main project lines. Even in these exceptions, however, the recovery decision may only be issued after the compensation, support and resettlement plan is approved and temporary resettlement arrangement or payment of temporary resettlement funding for the recovered persons is completed.
2.6. New 2025–2026 instruments directly affecting land prices and recovery
- Decree 226/2025/ND-CP (15/8/2025): amending decrees on land prices and on compensation, support and resettlement — broadening transaction data as comparison bases, adjusting all 04 valuation methods, fully repealing the price framework in Decree 96/2019/ND-CP, granting provincial People's Councils more land-price adjustment authority.
- Resolution 254/2025/QH15 (11/12/2025, effective from 01/01/2026): mechanisms and policies removing difficulties in implementing the Land Law — including the recovery, compensation, support and resettlement rules in section 2.5.
- Decree 49/2026/ND-CP: guiding Resolution 254/2025/QH15.
- Decrees 131/2025/ND-CP and 151/2025/ND-CP: delineating authority of the 2-level local government in State land management — directly relevant to provincial People's Committees' authority (after provincial administrative mergers) in deciding land price tables and specific land prices.
3. Practical impact on enterprises
1. Land costs rise and fluctuate year to year. Market-aligned annual land price tables from 01/01/2026 move land use fees, land rents, taxes and charges year to year. Long-term projects must budget a land-cost increase margin in their financial models, instead of assuming 05-year-stable tables as before.
2. Recovery compensation higher but more transparent. Land compensation is calculated at the specific land price — determined separately for each parcel at plan approval — rather than a general table far below the market. In return, enterprises must engage deeply in the valuation process: supervising consultancy selection, checking comparison data, and fully exercising the right to be consulted on the compensation, support and resettlement plan.
3. Site clearance timelines affected by the "resettlement before recovery" principle. Clause 6, Article 91 better protects people's rights but lengthens project site preparation — except projects qualifying under Resolution 254/2025/QH15. Investors must realistically plan site-clearance timelines, avoiding handover commitments built on the old law's timeframe.
4. FDI enterprises leasing land in industrial parks should review their land subleases. One-off land rent for the whole lease term is calculated at the specific land price (point b, clause 1, Article 160); on extension, duration adjustment or change of lease form, rent is recalculated at the new price (point đ, clause 1, Article 160). Rent-adjustment clauses in land subleases with park infrastructure developers need corresponding review.
5. Risk in consolidating agricultural land for conversion. Conversion fees for households and individuals calculated on the new tables may rise correspondingly. Enterprises planning to acquire agricultural land then convert purpose must update the cost equation to each province's table applying from 01/01/2026.
4. Action items and deadlines
Do now (already effective):
- Review all land-related financial obligations against the new tables applying from 01/01/2026 — annual land rent, land use tax, charges. This is the top priority as it is already effective.
- For projects in site clearance: check which price the compensation plan applies (table or specific price); for plans approved before Decree 226/2025/ND-CP took effect (15/8/2025), reassess the scope of the new rules.
- Enterprises leasing land: check lease duration and rent-adjustment clauses; prepare financially for extension or duration-adjustment moments.
Medium-term planning:
- New investors: build protective clauses into investment agreements — site handover timelines accounting for the "resettlement before recovery" principle, and mechanisms for changes in land rent and land use fees under annual tables.
- Update all 2013 Law references in contracts and internal legal files to the Land Law 2024 and current guidance.
Watch regularly:
- Each province's annual land price table adjustments (published and applied from 01/01 each year);
- Progress of the draft law amending the Land Law;
- How the authority-delineating decrees (131/2025/ND-CP, 151/2025/ND-CP) are applied in the project locality under the 2-level local government model.
5. Open points to keep watching
First, the draft Land Law amendments. The draft law amending the Land Law (dated 12/8/2025) had not been passed into law as of 27/9/2026. Two possibilities: the draft continues to be refined for the National Assembly, or some stuck points have been handled through other instruments such as Resolution 254/2025/QH15. The cautious approach is to watch the next National Assembly session rather than assuming current rules will stay unchanged when planning multi-year projects.
Second, each province's specific table levels. This article could not comprehensively compile all provinces' first tables applying from 01/01/2026; actual increases vary across localities and land types. Enterprises should consult the table issued by the provincial People's Council where the land sits, and not infer prices from one province to another.
Third, transitional rules. For land price plans and compensation plans approved before Decree 226/2025/ND-CP took effect (15/8/2025), the instruments do not detail every situation — e.g. applying the broadened comparison data or new valuation methods to in-progress files. Such cases need assessment with the competent authority rather than mechanical application.
Fourth, authority after administrative mergers. Provincial People's Committees' authority over land price tables and specific prices operates amid provincial administrative mergers and the 2-level local government model (from 01/7/2025). The authority-delineating decrees (131/2025/ND-CP, 151/2025/ND-CP) are issued, but local application after mergers may still lag. Confirm directly with the provincial land management agency of the project locality before proceeding.
On these open points, enterprises should work with counsel to assess their specific case rather than concluding from general interpretation.
6. Frequently asked questions
From when do the new land price tables apply?
The first land price tables under the Land Law 2024 are published and applied from 01/01/2026 (clause 3, Article 159 of Law 31/2024/QH15). Each subsequent year, the provincial People's Committee submits adjustments, amendments and supplements to the same-level People's Council for application from 01/01 of the following year.
Do the new land price tables raise the cost of converting agricultural land to residential land?
Likely yes, proportionally, because land use fees on conversion by households and individuals are calculated on the new land price tables (point a, clause 1, Article 159). The actual increase depends on each province's table.
On what price is compensation for State land recovery calculated?
On the specific land price (point e, clause 1, Article 160 of the Land Law 2024) decided by the Chairperson of the provincial People's Committee at the time of approving the compensation, support and resettlement plan.
May the State recover land before resettlement is completed?
As a general principle, no: approval of the compensation, support and resettlement plan and resettlement arrangement must be completed before a land recovery decision (clause 6, Article 91). Exceptions under Resolution 254/2025/QH15 and Decree 49/2026/ND-CP cover urgent public investment projects, on-site resettlement projects and resettlement along main project lines — but even then, the recovery decision may only issue after temporary resettlement arrangement or payment of temporary resettlement funding is completed.
Is the Land Law 2013 still in force?
No. The Land Law 2013 expired on 31/7/2024 and was replaced by the Land Law 2024 (No. 31/2024/QH15), effective from 01/8/2024.
Need a land law compliance review for your enterprise?
The 2026 land price and recovery changes directly affect the cost and timeline of every land-related project. FLAT Law Firm supports enterprises — especially foreign investors — in reviewing land-related financial obligations, assessing land recovery risk and accompanying site clearance, compensation and resettlement.
Contact hotline 0988424851 for advice on your enterprise's specific case.
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References
- Land Law No. 31/2024/QH15
- Decree No. 71/2024/ND-CP of 27/6/2024 of the Government on land prices
- Decree No. 88/2024/ND-CP of 15/7/2024 of the Government on compensation, support and resettlement on State land recovery
- Decree No. 226/2025/ND-CP of 15/8/2025 of the Government amending decrees on land prices and land-recovery compensation
- Resolution No. 254/2025/QH15 of 11/12/2025 of the National Assembly on mechanisms removing difficulties in implementing the Land Law
- Decree No. 49/2026/ND-CP of the Government guiding Resolution 254/2025/QH15
