In the Land Law 2013 of Vietnam, the two legal concepts of the "red book" and "pink book" are no longer recognized; however, these two concepts are still widely acknowledged and used in practice. Below is the simplest way to distinguish between the "red book" and "pink book"
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Vietnam: How to distinguish between "red book" and "pink book" in the simplest way (Illustrative photo)
1. Concept and legal names of the "red book" and "pink book"
- "red book" also known as the Certificate of Land Use Rights, is issued to households and individuals who use agricultural land steadily and long-term for the purpose of agricultural production, to protect the legal rights and interests of land users.
- "pink book" also known as the Certificate of Ownership of Residential Housing and Homestead Land Use Rights, is issued to owners in inner city, inner district-level town, and commune-level town according to regulations.
- In cases where the owner of residential housing is also the user of homestead land, or the owner of an apartment in a condominium, one Certificate is issued, which is the Certificate of Ownership of Residential Housing and Homestead Land Use Rights;- In cases where the owner of residential housing is not simultaneously the user of homestead land, a Certificate of Ownership of Residential Housing is issued.
2. Basic contents in the "red book" and "pink book"
- "red book" shows the name of the land user; the parcel which is entitled to use (parcel name, address, area, form, purpose, duration, and origin of use); and assets attached to the land.
- "pink book" fully reflects information on the use rights of homestead land (parcel number, map sheet number, area, land type, usage duration, etc.) and the ownership rights of residential housing (construction area, number of floors, house structure, common and private usage area, etc.).
3. Authorities issuing the "red book" and "pink book" in Vietnam
- "red book" is issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam.
- "pink book" is issued by the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam.
4. Physical characteristics of the "red book" and "pink book"
- "red book" has a bright red cover, with the first page bearing the inscription “Certificate of Land Use Rights”.
- "pink book" has a light pink cover, with the first page bearing the inscription “Certificate of Land Use Rights, Ownership of Residential Housing, and Other Assets Attached to Land”.
However, the "red book" and "pink book" are widely recognized concepts and used in practice. Legally, there is no specific legal provision defining these two concepts. On the other hand, in the Land Law 2013 currently in effect, the consistent terminology used is the Certificate of Land Use Rights, Ownership of Residential Housing, and Other Assets Attached to Land. This type of certificate is issued to individuals with land use rights, ownership of residential housing, and ownership of other assets attached to the land, using a unified template across the country.
Notably, apartment buildings in Vietnam are currently a very common form of housing. According to regulations, when purchasing an apartment, the buyer will be issued a "pink book", specifically the Certificate of Land Use Rights, Ownership of Residential Housing, and Other Assets Attached to Land, consisting of a sheet with 04 pages, printed on a pink lotus-shaped pattern background and a white background supplementary page (as per Clause 1, Article 3 of Circular 23/2014/TT-BTNMT).
See also: Cases of Land Use Right Registration Changes Eligible for New "red book" Issuance in Vietnam in 2020
Thus, it can be generally understood that the "red book" is the Certificate of Land Use Rights, and the "pink book" is the Certificate of Ownership of Residential Housing and Homestead Land Use Rights. Although there is no legal provision specifically acknowledging these terms, both are being used and hold legal value in practice.
Le Vy
- Key word:
- "red book"
- "pink book"
- Vietnam
