Foreigner's Procedure & Documents to Buy Grand Marina

Foreigners are fully allowed to own an apartment at Grand Marina Saigon — Vietnam's first Marriott & JW Marriott Branded Residences, set on the riverside at Ba Son, District 1, HCMC. The process, however, differs from that of Vietnamese buyers in a few ways: you need the right identity documents, the unit must fall within the 30% foreign quota per building, and you will receive a 50-year ownership title rather than a long-term one. This article walks through each step so you know exactly what to expect before you commit.

Can foreigners buy at Grand Marina?

Yes — foreigners may buy and hold title to an apartment at Grand Marina for a 50-year ownership term, renewable under Vietnamese law, provided the unit is still within the building's 30% foreign quota.

Under current regulations, foreign individuals who have lawfully entered Vietnam may purchase commercial housing in projects approved for foreign sale. Grand Marina Saigon belongs to that group. The core condition is straightforward: you hold a valid passport and have entered the country legally (with a valid entry stamp, visa or temporary residence card).

The biggest difference from a Vietnamese buyer is the ownership term. Vietnamese citizens receive a long-term pink book with full rights to use, transfer, lease and inherit; foreigners receive a 50-year title. Even so, you can freely transfer and lease the unit throughout that period. If you want the bigger picture first, read What are branded residences? to understand why this category appeals to so many international buyers.

What does the 30% per-building quota mean?

Each apartment building may sell a maximum of 30% of its units to foreigners, so the very first step is checking how much "room" is left in the tower you are interested in.

Grand Marina has four towers: Lake (Marriott brand) plus Lagoon, Cove and Sea (JW Marriott brand). The law caps total apartments sold to foreigners at 30% per tower. Once a tower's quota is full, foreigners cannot take title to a new unit in that tower until an existing unit is resold.

• The quota is counted per tower, not across the whole project.
• The remaining "room" changes constantly with each sales phase and secondary transaction.
• Some popular layouts (such as smaller 1BR units) tend to exhaust the foreign quota earlier.

Because this figure moves over time, you should never rely on old data. The safe approach is to have the quota checked directly with the developer at the moment you intend to buy — something an agent can do for you within hours. All unit counts and quota figures here are indicative and subject to change per the developer's official announcements.

Before paying any deposit, confirm that your chosen tower and layout still have foreign quota available.

Which documents do you need to prepare?

A foreigner's core documents are minimal: a valid passport plus proof of lawful entry; the rest is contract signing and payment confirmation.

Compared with mortgage or home-buying paperwork in many countries, the procedure in Vietnam for foreigners is relatively simple. The table below summarises the documents you will typically encounter:

One important note: keep your bank transfer records carefully, because when you later resell and wish to repatriate proceeds abroad, the bank will ask you to prove the original source of funds. All of Grand Marina's legal paperwork is prepared bilingually with translation support, so the language barrier should not be a concern.

The step-by-step buying process

The process runs through: choosing a unit and checking the quota, paying a reservation deposit, signing the bilingual sale & purchase agreement, paying by schedule, taking handover and finally receiving the 50-year title.

In practice these steps mirror those for Vietnamese buyers, with only the quota check and the title type added. The usual sequence is:

• Step 1: Choose a tower & unit, and check the remaining 30% foreign quota.
• Step 2: Sign the deposit / reservation form and pay the holding amount.
• Step 3: Sign the bilingual Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Masterise Homes.
• Step 4: Pay according to the agreed schedule (e.g. 25/75 or 30/70, or a fast-payment plan).
• Step 5: Take handover of the fully fitted, Marriott-standard apartment.
• Step 6: Complete issuance of the ownership certificate (pink book) with a 50-year term.

For a deeper explanation of each stage, see Buying Grand Marina Saigon: Step-by-Step Process. If you plan to use financing to reduce your upfront capital, also read Bank Loan for Grand Marina: Application Process to prepare the right file.

Costs, taxes and fees at purchase

Beyond the unit price, foreigners should budget for items such as 10% VAT, a one-off 2% maintenance fund, a 0.5% registration fee and the monthly Marriott management fee.

The cost items are essentially the same as for Vietnamese buyers. Some reference figures (which may change by sales phase):

• VAT: 10% on the apartment value.
• Maintenance fund: 2% (one-off).
• Registration fee on title transfer: around 0.5%.
• Management fee: roughly 8–9 USD/m²/month (subsidised by the developer for the first 3 years).

On value, according to Knight Frank and Savills (market reports from 2023–2024), branded residences are typically priced 25–35% above comparable non-branded high-end apartments in the same area. This is a market reference figure, not a promise; actual results depend on the specific project, timing and policy. All prices and fees shown here are indicative — please confirm the latest price list via Zalo 0903 475 802.

Receiving the title and buying from abroad

Foreigners receive the pink book in their own name with a 50-year term, and if you cannot travel to Vietnam, you can still buy through lawful remote signing or power of attorney.

After full payment and handover, issuance of the ownership certificate (pink book) proceeds; the title states the 50-year term and is renewable under the regulations. Throughout that period you retain the right to lease and transfer the unit, as noted above.

If you are overseas and cannot fly in to sign in person, there are solutions: remote signing or authorising a legal representative via power of attorney. The specifics are covered in Buying Grand Marina Remotely From Overseas. For any remaining questions, our FAQ page gathers many real-world scenarios faced by foreign buyers.

Every nationality and residency situation can call for slightly different paperwork — don't guess; let us confirm it for your case.