Can Foreigners Buy Land in Cambodia? What a 99-Year Long-Term Leasehold Right Is
Taking Soksan Sakor Land (Residential Land) Phase I (30 ha) in Dara Sakor as the example, a foreign buyer can hold it with a passport. What you receive is a 99-year long-term leasehold right stated on the Cambodian certificate, with the certificate running to 2107 (F-044, F-141, F-089). The certificate is issued by the Ministry of Land Management and is a "hard title" registration; hard title describes the strength of the registration, and the term is still 99 years, with the certificate running to 2107 (F-095, F-128).
What the certificate says
The wording of the right for Phase I was finalised by the legal team: the Cambodian certificate is a 99-year long-term leasehold right (F-044). The standard wording for customers is two phrases together: "99-year long-term leasehold right, certificate running to 2107" (F-141).
Where it comes from: in 2008-11 the group signed a land handover agreement with the Cambodian government and obtained a 99-year land lease certificate issued by the Ministry of Land Management, running to 2107 (F-047). So the common question "when do the 99 years start?" has this answer: they run from 2008, and the certificate runs to 2107 (F-141).
What "hard card" and "soft card" mean
In Cambodia, "hard card" and "soft card" are colloquial terms, not names of legal rights. They distinguish the level of the issuing authority (F-095):
- Hard title ("hard card"): a certificate issued by the Ministry of Land Management or a provincial land authority. The Phase I certificate is a 99-year long-term leasehold right registered with the Ministry of Land Management, a hard title registration with the certificate running to 2107 (F-095, F-128).
- Soft title ("soft card"): a letter issued at commune or district level. It does not apply to this project (F-095).
So "hard title" and "99 years" are not either/or. They are two separate questions: one asks who registered it, the other asks for how long (F-095). For any piece of land in Cambodia, ask both.
The writing section of this site has a 2020 article in Chinese on hard cards, soft cards and concessions: Cambodia land hard card, soft card and concession explained. It records what the market said at the time and can be read as background; this page is the current wording.
What the right lets you do
- Transfer, inherit, mortgage: under the Cambodian Civil Code these are permitted by law, and the procedures follow Cambodian law and the contract (F-109). In this project, a transfer of the buyer's interest needs the company's consent (F-145).
- At the end of the term: under the Cambodian Civil Code, the lease may be renewed when it expires; the procedures follow Cambodian law and the contract (F-109).
- Use and subletting: the contract states use restrictions and the company's right of inspection, and subletting without review is not allowed (F-145).
What a foreign buyer does
- Bring your passport. A foreign buyer can hold the 99-year long-term leasehold right certificate with a passport (F-089).
- Complete identity verification before signing (F-145).
- Timing of the certificate: full-payment buyers on payment in full; instalment buyers have it subdivided and transferred once the balance is settled (F-144).
All of this is subject to the formal sales contract (F-144).
Next step: see a sample certificate and the land
To see what a certificate looks like, read the right clauses in the contract, or pick a plot first, choose a plot number in the Dara Sakor Land Sales System (the map) and send it to me. I will go through it with you one to one:
- Telegram: @Free_skyer
- WhatsApp / phone: +855 71 232 9999
- WeChat: sirui521
Prices and payment plans are on Land for Sale, Soksan Sakor Land Phase I.
Sources: type of right F-044; wording for customers and start year F-141; underlying lease certificate F-047; hard title definition F-095, F-128; renewal, transfer, inheritance, mortgage F-109; certificate for foreigners F-089; certificate timing F-144; signing and transfer rules F-145. This page is not legal advice; the formal contract and Cambodian law govern.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy land here?
What does the certificate state?
When do the 99 years start?
What is a hard title?
What happens at the end of the term?
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