Ho Chi Minh City issues new guidelines for low‑rise housing permits and land‑record procedures

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction released detailed instructions for issuing building permits to single‑family houses that are under three floors, have no basement, and occupy less than 250 m² of floor area with a height below 12 m. The guidance specifies that commune‑level authorities are responsible for approvals, requires electronic submission through the national e‑service portal, and lists the design drawings, land documents, fire‑safety checks and other certifications that must accompany the application.

Separately, Vice Chairman Hoàng Nguyên Dinh signed a city decision establishing a uniform administrative procedure for land‑related matters. The new decree allows officials to use existing database information in place of paper documents for transactions such as land transfer, lease, change of use, registration and issuance of land titles. It defines processing times, extends deadlines for remote islands, and clarifies that any pending applications submitted before the decree’s effective date will continue under the previous rules.