Who owns what in a marriage in Vietnam?
In Vietnam the default is common property of the spouses, which covers what they earn and acquire during the marriage, and they can agree on another arrangement before the wedding.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
What applies by default
Income and property acquired during the marriage are common property. Property from before the marriage and gifts and inheritances stay personal.
When the marriage ends in divorce
The common property is divided in principle equally, taking account of each spouse's contribution, the family's circumstances and the children.
A marriage contract
Spouses can choose a different regime by a written agreement made before the marriage and notarised.
What stays your own, and gifts
Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.
If one spouse is a foreigner
Vietnam limits the ownership of land by foreigners, so a foreign spouse should get local advice.
Understand the legal system first
Vietnam belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the Vietnam legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Can a foreigner buy property in Vietnam? →
Official sources
Take it further
The family and property rules of a European country in one PDF, with questions for a local lawyer.
Set the property rules before the marriage, in your own terms.
For couples who live together without marrying.
Marriage, divorce, custody and support, step by step.
Divide property and settle the terms in writing.
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
