From January 1, 2026, provinces and cities across the country will apply a new land price list according to the 2024 Land Law (No. 31/2024/QH15). Unlike before, the land price list will be issued and adjusted annually, approaching market prices, according to the provisions of Articles 159, 160 and 257.
Clause 1, Article 257 stipulates that the current land price list is only effective until December 31, 2025. From 2026, each locality will issue a land price list in 2026 as a basis for calculating land use fees, registration fees and financial obligations when issuing the first red book.
This leads to the possibility of a significant increase in the cost of making a red book for the first time from 2026. Many localities are finalizing the draft land price list as required in Clause 3, Article 159 - The provincial People's Committee submitted to the People's Council to issue a land price list applicable from January 1, 2026.
According to published drafts, in Hanoi, urban land can increase by 226% compared to the current price list. In Dong Nai, agricultural land and residential land are expected to increase by 1.4 times, and some urban areas will increase by 1.6 times 9.
Because the land price list is the basis for calculating land use fees, land rents, land use taxes, registration fees and many related fees, this adjustment may cause the cost of making a first red book to increase sharply.
For example, a household in Hanoi applied for a red book for an 80 m2 plot of land in a suburban area: If the new land price list increases by 20%, the land use fee - the largest payment - will increase accordingly. In provinces with a land price increase of 2-3 times, the cost of preparing documents and financial obligations can increase by tens of millions of VND (this is an illustrative estimate).
Many land registration offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Nghe An recorded an increase in the number of new or new red book applications from the end of 2025, when people want to complete procedures before costs may increase in 2026.
Experts recommend that people who need to have a first red book or adjust changes should do it in 2025, because the specific increase in the 2026 land price list is being consulted by 34 provinces and cities and may be significantly different between localities.
