The statutory time for issuance of a Phú Mỹ Hưng apartment pink book is around 60 working days from the date of handover of the apartment, comprising 50 days for the developer to submit the dossier and a maximum of 10 days for the state authority to process and issue the book under the Law on Housing 2023 and Decree 101/2024/ND-CP. However, in practice PMH apartment buyers often wait 6 to 12 months before holding the pink book, as the inter-agency process between the Land Registration Office and the regional Tax Sub-department usually takes longer than the statutory timeframe.
As for responsibility for obtaining the pink book, the developer, Phu My Hung Development Corporation, is the primarily responsible party by law and must proactively submit the application dossier for pink books on behalf of all buyers in the project. In addition, buyers need to cooperate by providing complete personal documents and paying registration tax promptly so as not to delay the state authorities’ processing of the dossier.
In addition, a worrying reality is that some PMH projects have been years late in issuing pink books, notably Hung Phuc Premier where residents have waited more than 4 years for their certificates despite sales staff promising “within 1 year after handover”. The main cause lies in obstacles in the inter-agency administrative coordination process, not in any deliberate delay by the developer.
To begin, the article below will analyse in detail the full statutory timeline, the step-by-step process, the responsibilities of each party and what buyers need to do to receive their Phú Mỹ Hưng apartment pink book as quickly as possible.
How Long Does It Take to Obtain a Pink Book for a Phú Mỹ Hưng Apartment?
The time for issuance of a Phú Mỹ Hưng apartment pink book in strict accordance with the law is a minimum of 60 working days from the date of handover of the apartment, provided that all dossiers fully meet the requirements and no administrative backlog arises.
More specifically, this 60-day figure is calculated from 2 separate legal stages: the developer’s dossier submission stage and the state authority’s issuance processing stage. This is the ideal timeframe when all conditions are perfectly met, but in practice it often differs significantly due to many objective administrative factors.
Under the Law, How Long Does It Take for a PMH Buyer to Receive the Pink Book?
Under current law, a PMH apartment buyer receives the pink book within around 60 working days from the date of handover of the apartment, based on the 2 core legal instruments below.
The first legal basis is Clause 8, Article 39 of the Law on Housing 2023, which clearly stipulates: the developer of a commercial housing project must submit a dossier requesting the competent state authority to issue Certificates of land use rights and ownership of assets attached to land to buyers within 50 days from the date of handover of the apartment or from the date the buyer has paid in full as agreed in the contract. This is a mandatory obligation, not an option for the developer.
The second legal basis is Clause 6, Article 22 of Decree 101/2024/ND-CP, which stipulates that the time limit for registration and issuance of the Certificate to a transferee of land use rights in a property project is no more than 10 working days from the date the competent authority receives a valid dossier.
Accordingly, the minimum total statutory time for a PMH apartment buyer to receive the pink book is: 50 days (developer submits dossier) + 10 working days (state authority processes) = around 60 working days from the date of handover of the apartment, equivalent to around 2.5 to 3 months in actual calendar days.
In Practice, How Long Do PMH Apartment Buyers Wait to Hold the Pink Book?
The legal record is better than that of developers in the same segment, but in practice PMH buyers wait between 6 and 12 months on ordinary projects, rather than the 60 days set by law.
The gap between the 60 days required by law and the 6 to 12 months in practice stems from several compounding causes. First, after the developer submits the file to the Ho Chi Minh City Land Registration Office, that office must pass the entire file to the regional Tax Department to assess and collect registration tax on each apartment. That process has no fixed duration, as it depends on the volume of files backlogged at the tax office at the time of submission.
More specifically, on large PMH projects such as Midtown (hundreds of apartments), files are submitted in batches, so processing takes longer than on small projects. In addition, PMH sales staff often promise “a pink book within 1 year of handover”, which shows that the developer itself acknowledges a real waiting time of 12 months, not the 60 days set by law.
The table below compares the time taken to issue the pink book under the law and in practice on PMH projects, helping buyers set appropriate expectations when tracking progress:
| Criteria | Time under the 2023 Law on Housing | Actual practice at PMH |
| Developer submits the file | Maximum 50 days | Usually on time or earlier |
| State agency processing | Maximum 10 working days | 3 to 9 months (due to registration tax backlog) |
| Total time from handover | ~60 working days | 6 to 12 months (ordinary projects) |
| Slowest case | No limit if problems arise | Hưng Phúc Premier: more than 4 years |
Who Is Responsible for Obtaining the Pink Book for Phú Mỹ Hưng Apartments?
The developer, Phu My Hung Development Corporation, is the party legally obliged to submit the application for the pink book on the buyer’s behalf, under clause 8 of Article 39 of the 2023 Law on Housing. Buyers do not have to carry out the entire process themselves, but they are responsible for cooperating in providing documents and completing their financial obligations on time.
However, the law also allows buyers to carry out the procedure for issuing the pink book themselves if they wish, without waiting for the developer to do it on their behalf. In this case, the developer is obliged to provide the full legal documentation for the project so that the buyer can complete the process at the Ho Chi Minh City Land Registration Office.
What Steps Must the PMH Developer Take, and Within What Timeframe?
The PMH developer must carry out 4 main groups of obligations before and after handover to ensure the conditions for issuing the pink book are met on time, with a maximum legal deadline of 50 days from the date the apartment is handed over to the buyer.
Obligation group 1 – Completing the project’s legal status (before handover):
- Complete construction and obtain acceptance certification and a written confirmation of eligibility for use from the competent authority
- The as-built drawings must be checked and confirmed by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment as matching the construction as built
- The entire project must be free of legal disputes or of any mortgage of the whole project at a credit institution
Obligation group 2 – Completing financial obligations to the State (before and after handover):
- Pay land use fees in full in accordance with the tax authority’s decision
- Complete all related taxes and fees in accordance with land law regulations
- This is an essential condition that cannot be skipped; many PMH projects are slow to issue pink books precisely because of delays at this step
Obligation group 3 – Compiling and submitting the application for the pink book (within 50 days of handover):
- Compile the legal documentation for all apartments in the project
- Submit it to the Ho Chi Minh City Land Registration Office within 50 days in accordance with the 2023 Law on Housing
- Monitor and coordinate with the regional Tax Sub-department during the calculation of registration tax
Obligation group 4 – Supporting buyers in completing the procedure:
- Provide full legal documentation to buyers when requested to handle the pink book themselves
- Assist buyers in submitting the application if administrative issues arise during processing
What Do Buyers Need to Prepare to Avoid Delaying the Pink Book?
Buyers need to prepare 3 main groups of tasks so as not to delay issuance of the pink book for a PMH apartment: fulfil all financial obligations, prepare complete personal documents, and respond promptly when the tax authority issues the registration fee notice.
Group 1 – Fulfil financial obligations to the developer:
- Pay 100% of the sale contract value on schedule, including management fees and handover fees
- Release the bank mortgage in good time if the apartment is mortgaged to borrow money for the purchase
- Present full payment receipts when the Developer requests them to confirm eligibility for dossier submission
Group 2 – Prepare valid personal documents:
- Valid CMND or CCCD, with notarised copies dated within 6 months of the dossier submission date
- Permanent household registration book or valid temporary residence registration (notarised copy)
- Marriage certificate if the apartment is jointly owned by husband and wife
- Note: Expired copies will result in the dossier being returned, adding many weeks of waiting
Group 3 – Pay the registration fee on time:
- On receiving the registration fee assessment notice from the Tax Sub-department, buyers must pay within the prescribed period
- Late payment of the registration fee is the most common reason for individual buyers delaying the entire pink book issuance process
- The current registration fee rate is 0,5% of the apartment value stated in the sale contract
What Are the Steps in the Pink Book Issuance Process for a Phú Mỹ Hưng Apartment?
The pink book issuance process for a Phú Mỹ Hưng apartment comprises 6 sequential steps, from handover of the apartment until the buyer holds the pink book in hand, with the expected outcome of receiving the book within 6 to 12 months depending on the specific project.
Below is a summary table of the whole process, clarifying for each step who acts, how long it takes and what buyers need to know to proactively monitor progress:
| Step | Details | Responsible party | Time limit | Notes |
| 1 | Signing the handover record for the apartment | Buyer + developer | According to the handover schedule | Starting point for the developer’s 50-day deadline |
| 2 | Payment of 100% + discharge of mortgage (if any) | Buyer | Before or at handover | Without discharge of mortgage, the pink book cannot be issued |
| 3 | Developer completes financial obligations & submits the application | PMH developer | Within 50 days of handover | Mandatory under the 2023 Law on Housing |
| 4 | Land Registration Office forwards the file to the tax authority | State authority | Not fixed | The step most prone to backlog |
| 5 | Buyer receives the notice and pays registration tax | Buyer | Within the deadline stated in the notice | Late payment prolongs the entire process |
| 6 | Land Registration Office issues and returns the pink book | State authority | Up to 10 working days once the documents are complete | The pink book is returned via the developer or directly, depending on the project |
More importantly, buyers should take the initiative to contact PMH’s legal department or the HCMC Land Registration Office around six months after handover to check the status of their file, rather than simply waiting passively. Following up at the right moment helps considerably shorten the wait for files held up by administrative backlogs.
Why Do PMH Apartment Pink Books Take Longer Than Initially Promised?
There are 3 main reasons why PMH apartment pink books take longer than promised: administrative backlogs in the inter-agency coordination process between the Land Registration Office and the Tax Department, some PMH land plots have a 50-year term and require additional procedures, and the developer’s financial obligations have proved more complex than expected on large-scale projects.
More specifically, the difference between the sales promise of “a pink book within 1 year” and the reality of waiting up to 4 years at Hưng Phúc Premier clearly reflects the gap between the developer’s good intentions and the administrative capacity of the state agency system. PMH cannot speed up the process itself once the file is in the hands of the Tax Department or the Land Registration Office.
What Can Buyers Do When PMH Is Late Issuing Pink Books?
Buyers have 3 rights of action when PMH issues pink books later than the legal deadline. First, a formal complaint to the HCMC Department of Construction and Department of Agriculture and Environment through the administrative process. Second, report directly to Task Force 1645 of the HCMC People’s Committee, the body specifically tasked with resolving obstacles in issuing pink books for projects in HCMC. Third, bring a civil action before the competent people’s court requiring the developer to perform its contractual obligations, including a claim for damages where the delay in issuing the book causes financial harm to the buyer. Task Force 1645, established under the direction of the HCMC People’s Committee, is currently the most effective channel for clearing these blockages.
Is PMH Faster or Slower Than Other Developers at Issuing Pink Books?
PMH is faster than the HCMC market average, with an actual time from handover to holding the book of 6 to 12 months, whereas many other developers in HCMC take 18 to 36 months on average, and some projects stretch to 5 to 7 years. PMH gains its time advantage from preparing the legal file internally in parallel with the construction and completion phase, instead of waiting until handover to start on the paperwork as many other developers do. However, in specific cases such as Hưng Phúc Premier, the 4-year wait without a book shows that even PMH is not immune to the risk of prolonged delays when it encounters complex administrative obstacles.
