Vietnam updates land law to individualize ownership rights

Vietnam is undergoing significant changes to its land administration and certification processes under the 2024 Land Law. A key shift involves moving away from recognizing the 'household' as a primary subject of land use rights. Instead, the law moves toward individualizing land users. For existing land held by households, new proposals suggest that land use certificates must list the full names of all members with shared rights to prevent disputes.

Under the new regulations, the state will no longer grant new land to 'households' as a collective entity. For existing certificates that only list a household representative, the transition aims to clarify individual ownership. This change is intended to resolve long-standing legal conflicts that arise when household members change due to marriage, birth, or relocation, which are difficult to verify once household registration books are abolished.

Furthermore, the government is pushing for digital integration. The Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Public Security to synchronize land use certificate data with the VNeID application, with a target completion date before October 30, 2026.