Who owns what in a marriage in Vietnam?

Property acquired during the marriage is joint by default

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.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

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

Government of Vietnam: legal documents

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.