Ho Chi Minh City is entering a new phase of development as a regional financial and business hub. The launch and implementation of the Vietnam International Financial Centre (VIFC) adds a new institutional layer to an already established commercial ecosystem, bringing together financial services, supporting professional services, technology and investment activity.
For multinational companies, the significance extends beyond financial policy. As the city’s business ecosystem evolves, companies evaluating a new office must consider where talent is located, how easily employees and clients can reach the workplace, whether the building can support increasingly technical operations, and whether the office can scale with the organisation.
The result is a broader real estate question: not simply where to establish an office in Ho Chi Minh City, but what kind of workplace can support the next stage of regional growth.
The Vietnam International Financial Centre is a dedicated framework established by the Vietnamese Government to concentrate financial services and related support activities within defined locations in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Resolution 222/2025/QH15, adopted by the National Assembly on 27 June 2025 and effective from 1 September 2025, provides the legal framework for the centre’s establishment, operation, management and special policies.
The framework covers a broad ecosystem rather than traditional banking alone. The legislation identifies potential members including commercial banks and foreign bank branches, securities companies, insurers and reinsurers, investment and asset-management funds, market infrastructure organisations, fintech and digital-asset organisations, advisory and support-service providers, and certain non-financial organisations.
For occupiers, this breadth matters. A financial centre is not simply a collection of financial institutions. It creates demand for legal, consulting, technology, accounting, data, professional services and other businesses that support financial activity. That wider ecosystem is relevant to the office market because these organisations require workplaces that can support both specialised functions and interaction with clients and partners.
The HCMC component of VIFC is positioned within the central city, connecting the established commercial core with the areas undergoing further urban and business development. Published implementation materials describe the HCMC centre as covering approximately 898 hectares across parts of the central wards and the Thu Thiem area.
For corporate real estate teams, the geography is more useful when viewed as a network rather than a single address. The established District 1 CBD provides existing corporate, hospitality, retail and financial infrastructure. Across the river, Thu Thiem adds a major development area with direct road connections back into the central business district.
The Kross sits within this wider central-city network at 3A–3B Ton Duc Thang Street. Its position near Ba Son Metro Station and Ba Son Bridge places occupiers within immediate reach of both District 1 and Thu Thiem, creating a practical link between established and emerging business districts.
The relevance of VIFC to corporate expansion lies in the ecosystem it is designed to support. The framework covers financial services and a range of related activities, while the government’s implementation programme has highlighted areas including fintech, innovation and specialised financial activity.
For multinational businesses, an expanding financial ecosystem can influence location decisions in several ways. Companies may want closer access to financial institutions, investors, professional advisers and specialised talent. Service providers may want to locate near the clients they support. Technology businesses may seek proximity to both financial users and innovation networks.
This does not mean every company needs to locate inside the VIFC boundary. It means the wider central HCMC office market should be evaluated as part of the same business ecosystem. For site selectors, proximity to the ecosystem can be one factor alongside rent, talent, transport, building quality and operational requirements.
The regional office model has changed significantly. Earlier shared-service and back-office operations often focused on standardised processes and cost efficiency. Today’s Global Capability Centres can take on technology, analytics, finance, engineering, risk, customer operations and other specialised functions.
As the role of the centre becomes more strategic, workplace requirements change with it. A larger and more diverse workforce needs efficient floorplates, reliable connectivity, resilient building systems, collaboration areas, secure access and a location that employees can reach easily. Senior teams also need an environment suitable for client meetings, regional leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
This is where corporate expansion and commercial real estate meet. A city can offer the talent and business ecosystem a company needs, but the building still has to support the operating model.
There is no single building specification that makes an office ‘VIFC-ready’. Instead, occupiers should evaluate a combination of location, workplace and technical factors.
First is connectivity. A central office should be accessible by public transport and major road routes, with practical connections to other business districts. Second is floorplate efficiency. Large, efficient floorplates can make departmental planning, workplace density and future expansion easier to manage. Third is technical infrastructure, including telecommunications, raised flooring, building management systems, power resilience and vertical transportation.
Fourth is ESG and workplace performance. Global occupiers increasingly evaluate environmental credentials, indoor environmental quality and employee experience alongside conventional real estate metrics. Finally, the building must provide enough flexibility for the company to adapt its workplace over the lease term.
These criteria form the bridge between the macro story of HCMC’s financial and corporate expansion and the practical question of which building to occupy.
For multinational occupiers, the building itself becomes part of the operating platform. Grade A specifications can influence employee experience, client perception, technical resilience, energy performance and the ability to deliver a workplace aligned with global corporate standards.
The assessment should go beyond the headline grade. Site selectors should examine the efficiency of the floorplate, core configuration, ceiling height, access floor, elevators, telecommunications, security, HVAC, building management and sustainability credentials. These details can have a direct effect on fit-out cost, workplace planning and day-to-day operations.
For companies expanding into HCMC, this is particularly relevant when the office is expected to serve a regional or strategic function. The workplace needs to support the organisation’s current requirements while leaving room for future change.
The Kross brings together several of the characteristics that corporate occupiers may consider when evaluating a central HCMC workplace.
Located at 3A–3B Ton Duc Thang Street, the building is approximately 50 metres from Ba Son Metro Station and Ba Son Bridge, with Thu Thiem around three minutes away under normal traffic conditions. Bach Dang Wharf is approximately 500 metres away, while Tan Son Nhat International Airport is around 30 minutes away, subject to traffic.
Inside the building, typical floorplates range from approximately 994 to 1,053 square metres, providing a substantial planning canvas for corporate workplaces. The project also incorporates a 50 mm raised technical floor, a 2.75 m ceiling height and double-glazed façade. Its sustainability positioning includes LEED Gold and WELL credentials, subject to the project’s certified scope.
Together, these features give occupiers a concrete building proposition to evaluate against their own workplace requirements.
VIFC is part of a broader change in how Ho Chi Minh City is positioning itself within the regional financial and corporate landscape. As the ecosystem develops, companies will make their own decisions about where to locate and how much space they need.
For corporate real estate teams, the next step is translating that strategy into a workplace. Location determines how people and businesses connect with the city. Floorplate design determines how the organisation can operate inside the building.
The Kross brings those two decisions together in a central District 1 location. Explore the floor plans to understand the available spatial configurations, typical floorplate dimensions and how the building could accommodate your next HCMC workplace.
Discover The Kross Floor Plans
