IFC land policy determines where members can actually sit, and Decree 323/2025/ND-CP is unusually specific about it. Land allocation and lease policy inside the international financial centre is one of the special mechanisms established by Resolution 222/2025/QH15, and the decree fixes both the perimeters and the criteria the land inside them must meet.
What IFC land policy requires of the sites
The People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang must determine in detail the location, administrative boundary, area and land fund allocated to the centre, and publish that information on the centre’s one-stop electronic administrative system. The land fund must be consistent with the approved regional and city master plans; where it is not, the committees must update the plans at the next adjustment so land is available in time.
The decree then sets qualitative criteria. The land must be of appropriate scale and feasible in use, suited to natural conditions, with defined boundaries, capable of supporting essential infrastructure and services, well connected by transport, and able to link with high-quality research and training institutions. It must meet environmental protection requirements and safeguard defence and security.
IFC land policy functional zones members occupy
Inside the perimeter the decree provides for a financial trading area, a banking services area, securities and commodities exchange areas, offices, an arbitration and court centre, and further zones at the discretion of the executive bodies. Members should map their operational needs against these zones early, because location within the perimeter affects both practical operations and the cost base.
IFC land policy and supply dynamics to anticipate
The two locations behave very differently. The Ho Chi Minh City financial centre perimeter includes the existing central business district, so quality office stock exists today and pricing will reflect scarcity as demand concentrates. Thu Thiem provides the expansion capacity, on a development timeline.
The Da Nang financial centre begins with modest existing stock – notably the twenty-storey technology building at Software Park No. 2 – with the large reclamation area delivering later. Early members there secure space cheaply; later members will pay for a finished district.
Practical steps under IFC land policy
Three moves protect members. Confirm the published boundary before committing to a lease, because being inside the perimeter is a precondition for the regime. Negotiate lease flexibility permitting relocation as new supply completes, particularly in Da Nang. And align the premises decision with the licence application, since substance requirements referenced in our tax incentives guide and the membership process both assume real presence.
IFC land policy FAQs
Can members own land outright?
Vietnam grants land use rights rather than freehold ownership, and the centre operates within that system with allocation and lease mechanisms adapted to it. Our real estate practice handles the underlying tenure analysis.
What if the master plan has not caught up?
The decree obliges the city authorities to update regional and city plans at the next adjustment so land is available in time – a commitment worth verifying for any specific site before signing.
How does location affect the licence?
Presence inside the published perimeter is the practical expectation for members, as our international financial centre overview explains. Framework texts are published via the Ministry of Finance.
IFC land policy: lease terms worth negotiating hard
Because the centre is new and supply will shift materially over the next five years, lease flexibility is worth more than a headline rent discount. Four provisions deserve attention. Break rights aligned to the delivery of new stock, so a member is not locked into interim space when purpose-built accommodation opens. Expansion options over adjacent floors, since successful members outgrow their first footprint faster than they expect.
Assignment and subletting rights permitting group reorganisation without landlord consent being used as leverage. And clarity on service charge and fit-out obligations, which in Vietnamese leases are frequently drafted loosely and become contentious at exit.
Members should also confirm in the lease that the premises sit within the published perimeter, and require the landlord to notify any boundary or zoning change. Under IFC land policy the boundary is determined and published by the city authorities, so it is verifiable at signing – and a member whose regime depends on location should not rely on assumption for a fact that can be documented.
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice for any specific case. Regulations may change – please consult a qualified professional before acting. Should further analysis be required, please contact one of our lawyers below.
