Online temporary residence declaration for foreigners is a procedure under which an accommodation establishment provides information about foreign nationals staying overnight at its premises to the competent Public Security authority through an electronic system. In most cases, foreign nationals do not make the declaration themselves. Instead, they are required to provide their passports, residence documents, and other necessary information to the owner of the accommodation establishment, its legal representative, or an authorized person responsible for completing the declaration.
In 2026, accommodation establishments should pay particular attention to the transitional period between two legal regulations. Circular No. 53/2016/TT-BCA will remain applicable until the end of July 23, 2026. From July 24, 2026, Circular No. 87/2026/TT-BCA will officially take effect and replace Circular No. 53. In addition, from May 21, 2026, the Ministry of Public Security began operating a unified system for both temporary residence declarations for foreigners and stay notifications for Vietnamese citizens.
Regulations on online temporary residence declaration for foreigners in 2026
Under the regulations governing entry, exit, and residence, information concerning any foreign national temporarily residing in Vietnam must be declared to the competent Public Security authority in the locality where the foreign national is staying.
Who is responsible for making the temporary residence declaration?
Under Circular No. 87/2026/TT-BCA, the declaration may be completed by the owner of the accommodation establishment, its legal representative, or an authorized person.
Depending on the circumstances, the person responsible for the declaration may be:
- The owner of a hotel, guesthouse, or serviced apartment;
- A landlord renting a house or apartment to a foreign national;
- The manager of a dormitory or accommodation facility for foreign experts;
- An enterprise directly managing accommodation for foreign employees;
- An individual allowing a foreign national to stay at a private residence.
Foreign nationals are responsible for presenting their passports, international travel documents, and documents relating to their lawful residence in Vietnam so that the accommodation establishment can complete the declaration.
The enterprise sponsoring a foreign national is not necessarily the entity directly responsible for making the temporary residence declaration. However, the sponsoring enterprise should verify with the landlord, hotel, or apartment management unit that the declaration has been properly completed using the correct information and address.
Time limit for temporary residence declaration
For online declarations, the accommodation establishment must submit the declaration immediately when the foreign national registers for accommodation.
The online procedure is available 24 hours a day, is free of charge, and results in the foreign national’s temporary residence information being updated and stored in the system.
Where the declaration is made using a paper form, the information must be submitted to the competent Public Security authority within:
- 12 hours from the time the foreign national arrives at the accommodation establishment;
- 24 hours for accommodation establishments located in remote or isolated areas.
To minimize the risk of late declaration, the accommodation establishment should complete the procedure immediately after the foreign national checks in or moves to a new address.
When must a new declaration be made?
A foreign national’s temporary residence must be declared again in circumstances such as:
- Moving to another hotel, apartment, or rented house;
- Changing the residential address;
- Leaving Vietnam and subsequently re-entering the country;
- Obtaining a new passport or changing passport information;
- Extending the period of stay at the accommodation establishment;
- Moving from company-arranged accommodation to a privately rented residence.
A valid visa or temporary residence card does not replace the obligation to declare the foreign national’s actual place of residence.
Information required for the declaration
Before making an online temporary residence declaration for a foreign national, the declarant should prepare:
- A photograph or scanned copy of the passport information page;
- Passport number and passport expiry date;
- Full name, date of birth, gender, and nationality;
- Visa, temporary residence card, or other residence document information;
- Date of the most recent entry into Vietnam;
- Start date and expected end date of the stay;
- The accurate address of the accommodation establishment;
- Information about the person managing the accommodation establishment.
All information must be entered exactly as shown in the passport. The declarant should not translate the foreign national’s name, change the order of the name, or use information from an expired or invalid passport.
From July 24, 2026, Circular No. 87/2026/TT-BCA on the methods for declaring and receiving temporary residence information of foreigners will officially take effect. Accommodation establishments should regularly review updated instructions issued by the Ministry of Public Security and the relevant local Public Security authorities.
Instructions for online temporary residence registration for foreigners
According to the guidance provided for the new software system by the Hung Yen Provincial Public Security Department, the declaration process includes the following steps:
Step 1: Access the temporary residence declaration system
The declarant must access the Ministry of Public Security’s unified system for temporary residence declarations and stay notifications at:
https://tbltkbtt.bocongan.gov.vn/
From May 21, 2026, accommodation establishments are required to submit declarations through the new system and should no longer use the previous website.
Step 2: Register an account for the accommodation establishment
On the homepage, select “Register Now” or “Register.”
The system will display the regulations governing the declaration and receipt of temporary residence information. The applicant must read the regulations, confirm their commitment to complying with Vietnamese law, and then proceed.
The applicant must then provide complete information about the accommodation establishment, including:
- Name of the accommodation establishment;
- Type of accommodation;
- Address;
- Information about the representative or manager;
- Telephone number;
- Email address;
- Login account information.
The registered information must be accurate and consistent with the actual address of the accommodation establishment.
Step 3: Log in and set up two-factor authentication
When logging in for the first time, the user must enter the username, password, and verification code displayed by the system.
The new software uses two-factor authentication. The user must download an Authenticator application to a mobile phone, scan the QR code displayed on the screen, and enter the authentication code, also known as a token, to complete the login process.
For subsequent logins, the user must continue to obtain a token from the Authenticator application in addition to entering the username and password.
Accommodation establishments should not share the QR code or authentication code with any person who is not responsible for managing the account.
Step 4: Enter the foreign national’s information
After logging in, the user selects the function for declaring temporary residence information for foreigners.
The new system allows the user to upload a passport image so that certain information can be automatically recognized and extracted using optical character recognition technology, commonly known as OCR.
The extracted information may be automatically entered into the declaration form, reducing the amount of manual data entry required.
However, the recognition technology may incorrectly read certain characters, particularly where the passport image is blurred, affected by glare, or contains a name displayed across multiple lines.
Step 5: Complete the mandatory information
Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory. The user must complete all required fields before submitting or saving the declaration.
For groups of foreign guests, the accommodation establishment may use the “Add Another Record” function to submit multiple declarations consecutively without returning to the beginning after each individual record.
Step 6: Save the information and check the result
After reviewing all information, select “Save Information” or the corresponding function available on the system.
The declarant should check the list of registered guests to confirm that the declaration has been successfully recorded.
The accommodation establishment should also retain a screenshot or confirmation information for future reference or verification where necessary.
Common errors include:
- Entering an incorrect passport number;
- Entering an incorrect date of birth or nationality;
- Using information from an old passport;
- Declaring an incorrect apartment or residential address;
- Failing to complete the final step of saving the record;
- Failing to submit a new declaration after the guest changes accommodation;
- Losing access to the Authenticator application.
Where an error is identified, the accommodation establishment should proactively contact the immigration authority or the competent local Public Security authority for instructions on correcting the information.
Frequently asked questions
What is the website for declaring temporary residence for foreigners?
The website currently used by the Ministry of Public Security for temporary residence declarations for foreigners is:
https://tbltkbtt.bocongan.gov.vn/
This is the unified system for temporary residence declarations for foreigners and stay notifications for Vietnamese citizens. The system was officially put into operation on May 21, 2026.
Accommodation establishments should carefully verify the domain name before logging in and must not provide account details, passwords, or authentication codes to websites of unknown or unverified origin.
Can temporary residence for a foreigner be declared in person?
Yes. In addition to the online procedure, the manager of an accommodation establishment may complete a Temporary Residence Declaration Form and submit it to the competent Public Security authority in the relevant locality.
The form must be submitted within 12 hours from the time the foreign national arrives at the accommodation establishment. For accommodation establishments in remote or isolated areas, the time limit is 24 hours.
Is there a penalty for late temporary residence declaration?
Yes. Under Article 21 of Decree No. 282/2025/ND-CP, an accommodation establishment that fails to make a temporary residence declaration in accordance with the regulations may be subject to the following fines:
- From VND 3 million to VND 5 million where the violation involves one to three foreign nationals;
- From VND 10 million to VND 15 million where the violation involves four to eight foreign nationals;
- From VND 15 million to VND 20 million where the violation involves nine or more foreign nationals.
In addition to administrative penalties, the absence of valid temporary residence information may affect residence inspections and the preparation of subsequent legal procedures for the foreign national.
Temporary residence registration services for foreigners
Although the temporary residence declaration procedure is generally not complicated, accommodation establishments and enterprises may still encounter difficulties when registering an account, completing system authentication, entering passport information, or handling late declarations.
Nhị Gia assists enterprises and foreign nationals with:
- Consultation on temporary residence declaration regulations;
- Guidance on registering an account for an accommodation establishment;
- Verification of passport and residence document information;
- Assistance with cases involving a change of residential address;
- Review of visa and temporary residence card validity periods;
- Consultation on visa, work permit, and temporary residence card applications;
- Assistance for enterprises in monitoring the validity periods of documents held by foreign experts and employees.
With extensive experience in handling legal procedures for foreigners in Vietnam, Nhị Gia helps enterprises minimize errors, save time, and take a more proactive approach to managing the residence status of foreign personnel.
Contact Nhị Gia via the hotline at 1900 6654 for professional consultation on online temporary residence declaration procedures for foreigners and other related legal documentation.
