Real estate brokerage is a conditional business line according to the latest regulations of the Law on Real Estate Business 2023, with strict requirements on the capacity and expertise of practitioners. Accordingly, studying and taking the exam to obtain a real estate brokerage practice certificate is a mandatory condition for individuals and legal entities to be able to conduct real estate brokerage activities. To help clients better understand this license, Viet An Law will summarize the legal contents related to this certificate in the article below.
Table of contents
According to the provisions of the Law on Real Estate Business No. 29/2023/QH15, the real estate broker will perform the following tasks:
The characteristic of a real estate broker is that they are an intermediary in the real estate transaction between the buyer and the seller. Therefore, the law stipulates that this broker cannot be a party to the above transaction, but can only benefit from the remuneration or commission received from the transaction.
According to the Law on Real Estate Business 2023, real estate brokerage activities are now only carried out through enterprises. The form of independent individuals is no longer permitted by law, in order to ensure quality and legal responsibility in this field.
A real estate brokerage practice certificate is a certificate that current brokerage service providers are required to have in order to legally conduct business in Vietnam, according to the provisions of the law on real estate business. Article 61 of the Law on Real Estate Business 2023 stipulates that there are legal forms of real estate brokerage business applicable from August 1, 2024, as follows:
Thus, to legally operate in real estate brokerage sector in Vietnam, it is mandatory to establish an enterprise.
However, the new Law has also reduced the personnel requirements for real estate brokerage companies. Accordingly, before 2025, these companies must have at least 02 certified personnel to operate legally. From 2025, real estate brokerage businesses will only need at least 01 certified employee, demonstrating the flexibility and adjustment of the law to facilitate businesses.
According to the new regulations in Decree 144/2025/ND-CP amending Decree 96/2024/ND-CP guiding the Law on Real Estate Business in the new period of decentralization of government authority from July 1, 2025, this certification exam in Vietnam is now back under the authority of the Department of Construction (after a period of applying the authority of the Provincial People’s Committee according to Decree 96) with the following contents:
Individuals who want to be granted a personal certificate to practice real estate brokerage must meet the following specific conditions:
To be eligible to take the exam, candidates also need to:
| Document name | Note |
| Application form (according to the form in Appendix XXI of Decree 96/2024/ND-CP ); | Quantity: 01
Have a 4x6cm color photo taken within 06 months of the date of registration. |
| Valid personal legal documents | · 01 Certified copy; or
· 01 Copy with original for comparison in case of passport |
| Certificate of completion of real estate brokerage training course | If any
Quantity: 01 Copy |
| High school diploma (or equivalent) or higher | Certified copy
Quantity depends on the number |
| 4x6cm color photo taken within 06 months of the date of registration | Quantity: 02 |
| Envelope with a stamp clearly stating the recipient’s name, phone number, and address | Quantity: 02 |
| Certificate (for foreigners and Vietnamese with valid foreign-issued certificates). | 01 Certified copy and translation |
The test content will include 2 knowledge blocks:
Exam language: Vietnamese (foreign candidates are allowed to use an interpreter)
Note for candidates with foreign certificates.
Candidates with a valid foreign-issued real estate brokerage certificate or those re-applying for a certificate due to the expiration of the old certificate only have to take the basic knowledge test, not the specialized knowledge test.
A passing exam is an exam with the following results:
Exam results are announced at the exam organizing unit and on the website of the competent Department of Construction.
Appeal application: Within 10 days from the date of announcement of results.
Re-examination: Within 20 days from the announcement of the exam results, the exam organizing unit will re-examine candidates whose exam papers do not meet the requirements. Candidates who do not meet the requirements of a section will re-examine that section. Each exam is re-examined only once, and candidates do not have to pay the re-examination fee.
Different from previous regulations, the People’s Committees of each locality and province will issue different fee levels. Currently, according to the new regulations issued in Circular 109/2025/TT-BTC, effective from November 20, 2025, the fee collection level for granting Certificates is regulated as follows:
Note: In case of re-issuance of a Practice Certificate due to a fault of a state agency or due to a change in administrative boundaries according to regulations of a competent authority, no re-issuance fee is required.
Fees for granting the Real Estate Brokerage Certificate under the new regulations Certificate payment method:
Certificate validity: 05 years from the date of issue.
Certificate holders will have their certificates revoked in the following cases:
Yes, if you are:
Under the new regulations, individuals can re-issue certificates multiple times.
People whose certificates have expired or are about to expire, if they want to have their certificates reissued, need to reissue them and take the test according to the procedure from the beginning. However, they only have to take the basic knowledge test and not the specialized knowledge test related to the professional practice.
Depending on the content of the erasure or correction, if this content distorts the content of the original certificate issued, the person using the certificate to practice will be subject to administrative sanctions according to regulations.
Also, according to the provisions of Decree 16/2022/ND-CP, erasing or correcting a practice certificate to distort the content of the certificate may be subject to a fine of between VND 40,000,000 and VND 60,000,000. In addition, that person must also remedy the consequences by being forced to return the erased or corrected practice certificate to the competent authority that issued the practice certificate. Accordingly, if one wants to continue practicing real estate brokerage, that person must complete the procedure to issue a new certificate from the beginning.
No. In case you lend, lease, or rent, or borrow a practice certificate to perform activities related to real estate brokerage, you may be fined from 40,000,000 VND to 60,000,000 VND, and have your practice certificate revoked for 03 to 06 months.
If you need any legal advice regarding civil law or real estate law, please contact Viet An Law for the best support!
