Choose how to make your will
A will you write and sign yourself may not need witnesses. A typed will generally needs at least two eligible witnesses.
Estate planning and inheritance in Vietnam.
Plan what to leave your family, check who has a protected inheritance share and prepare the records needed to transfer assets in Vietnam.
Check who must be provided for in your will
Your spouse, parents, minor children and adult children unable to work may have a protected share, even if your will says otherwise. Ask a Vietnamese notary or lawyer to check this before you decide on gifts.
A handwritten will and a typed will have different witness requirements. Choose the form with your adviser, then keep the signed original where your family can find it.
Read the official guidance
Vietnam Ministry of Justice: Civil Code inheritance guidance Vietnam Ministry of Justice: Law on NotarizationBring proof of ownership
Keep land-use rights and housing certificates with your asset list. You can only leave property or shares you own.
Plan for heirs living overseas
Ask the notary which foreign documents need translation, certification or legalisation before relatives send them.
If someone has passed away in Vietnam
Step 01
Find the will and family records
Gather death, birth and marriage records, the original will and proof of each heir’s relationship.
Step 02
List property and debts
Collect land-use and housing certificates, bank details and loan records. Check the deceased’s share of jointly owned assets.
Step 03
Arrange the inheritance documents
Ask a notary about the required notice, inheritance declaration or agreement dividing the estate. Resolve disagreements before signing.
Step 04
Register the transfers
Take the completed documents to banks and property registries. Settle debts and taxes and keep the final records.
Vietnam questions
No. A written will can be valid without notarisation if it meets the required rules. Ask a notary to check your chosen form, especially if someone else types or writes it for you.