Temporary residence registration is a mandatory procedure for foreigners staying in Vietnam. It allows the competent authorities to manage residence information and is often an important supporting record for immigration and employment-related procedures, including visa extension, temporary residence card application, work permit application and criminal record procedures in Vietnam.
Under Vietnamese regulations, a foreigner staying in Vietnam must have their temporary residence declared through the person directly managing or operating the accommodation establishment. Accommodation may include hotels, serviced apartments, rented houses, private residences, housing for foreign employees, expert residences or other lawful places of stay in Vietnam.
What is temporary residence registration for foreigners?
Temporary residence registration is the process of declaring the residence information of a foreigner staying in Vietnam to the competent local authority.
The declared information usually includes:
- Full name of the foreigner;
- Gender;
- Date of birth;
- Nationality;
- Passport number or valid international travel document number;
- Expected period of stay;
- Address of the accommodation in Vietnam.
The declaration must be made in a timely, complete and accurate manner. If the foreigner changes their place of residence, stays at an address different from the registered address or has changes in passport information, the temporary residence declaration should be updated accordingly.
Who is responsible for declaring temporary residence?
The person directly managing or operating the accommodation establishment is responsible for declaring temporary residence for foreigners.
Depending on the case, the declarant may be:
- A hotel, serviced apartment or accommodation operator;
- A landlord renting a house or apartment to a foreigner;
- An authorized representative or person in charge of managing the place of stay;
- The person named in the lease or house purchase contract in certain long-term stay cases.
For companies employing or hosting foreign experts, employees, legal representatives or business visitors in Vietnam, the HR or administration team should coordinate with the landlord, accommodation provider or the person in charge of legal documentation to ensure that temporary residence is declared properly and on time.
Deadline for temporary residence registration
Temporary residence must be declared within the prescribed timeframe from the time the foreigner arrives at the accommodation.
For paper-based declaration, the temporary residence declaration form must be submitted to the competent local police authority within 12 hours from the time the foreigner arrives at the accommodation. For remote or remote-border areas, the timeframe is 24 hours.
For online declaration, the information should be submitted promptly when the foreigner checks in or registers their stay at the accommodation.
Methods of temporary residence registration in Vietnam
Temporary residence registration for foreigners may be carried out through two main methods:
- Online declaration via the immigration temporary residence declaration system;
- Direct submission of the temporary residence declaration form to the competent local police authority.
Online declaration is generally encouraged as it helps save time and allows accommodation establishments to manage residence information more conveniently. For tourist accommodation establishments such as hotels, temporary residence declaration for foreigners is carried out through the online system.
How to register temporary residence online
Online temporary residence declaration is carried out through the official immigration temporary residence declaration system.
Step 1: Access the online temporary residence declaration system
The declarant accesses the online temporary residence declaration portal and selects the province or city where the accommodation is located.
Step 2: Register or log in to the declaration account
If the accommodation establishment does not yet have an account, the declarant needs to register an account by providing information about the accommodation and the person responsible for the declaration.
The information may include:
- Name of the accommodation establishment;
- Type of accommodation;
- Address;
- Phone number and email address;
- Information of the representative or person managing the declaration account.
Once the account is created, the declarant should manage and protect the login information. Any changes related to the account information should be updated in accordance with the applicable requirements.
Step 3: Enter the foreigner’s temporary residence information
After logging in, the declarant enters the foreigner’s information, including full name, gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number or valid travel document number and expected period of temporary stay.
The information should be carefully checked before saving, especially the passport number, nationality, arrival date and expected duration of stay.
Step 4: Check the acceptance status
After saving the information, the declarant should check the temporary residence management section to confirm that the system has received the declaration. If the system has not recorded the information, the declarant should re-submit the information or contact the competent authority for guidance.
How to submit a paper-based temporary residence declaration
Where paper-based declaration is used, the declarant may contact the local police authority where the accommodation is located to obtain the temporary residence declaration form.
The basic process includes:
Step 1: Prepare the foreigner’s information
The declarant should collect the foreigner’s passport or valid international travel document information, together with details relating to the period and address of stay in Vietnam.
Step 2: Complete the temporary residence declaration form
The declarant completes the form with accurate information that is consistent with the foreigner’s passport and residence documents.
Step 3: Submit the declaration form
The completed form is submitted directly to the competent local police authority within the required timeframe.
After receiving the form, the authority will review the information, request supplementation if necessary and confirm receipt in accordance with the applicable procedures.
What happens if temporary residence is not declared?
Failure to declare temporary residence for a foreigner may result in administrative penalties.
The applicable fine may vary depending on the nature of the violation, the number of foreigners whose temporary residence has not been declared and whether the violating party is an individual or an organization. Accommodation providers, landlords and companies hosting foreigners in Vietnam should therefore ensure that temporary residence is declared on time to avoid legal risks and potential impacts on immigration, employment and residence applications.
Is temporary residence information required for visa and temporary residence card procedures?
In many cases, temporary residence information is an important supporting element for foreigners carrying out legal procedures in Vietnam, especially:
- Vietnam visa extension;
- Temporary residence card application or renewal;
- Work permit application;
- Criminal record procedures;
- Residence, employment or sponsorship-related documentation.
For this reason, foreigners and sponsoring companies should arrange temporary residence declaration as soon as the foreigner starts staying in Vietnam, rather than waiting until another application is being prepared.
Key notes for temporary residence registration
When declaring temporary residence for foreigners in Vietnam, the following points should be noted:
- The declared information must match the passport or valid international travel document;
- The actual address of stay must be declared correctly;
- If the foreigner changes their place of stay, a new or updated declaration should be made;
- Accommodation establishments should protect and manage their online declaration accounts properly;
- Companies employing or sponsoring foreigners in Vietnam should check the temporary residence status before preparing visa, work permit or temporary residence card applications.
Nhi Gia’s support for foreigner-related procedures in Vietnam
Temporary residence declaration may be carried out directly by the accommodation establishment, landlord or person managing the place of stay. In practice, however, many companies require broader support when foreigners need to complete related procedures such as visa extension, work permit application, temporary residence card application, criminal record procedures or dependent sponsorship.
With practical experience in supporting foreigner-related documentation in Vietnam, Nhi Gia assists companies in reviewing residence information, checking document conditions and advising on suitable solutions based on each specific case.
The statutory processing time and the actual service timeline may differ depending on the condition of the dossier, supplementation requirements, the working schedule of the receiving authority and other factors arising during the process. Nhi Gia will advise the expected timeline after reviewing the client’s specific case.
For support with Vietnam visa, work permit, temporary residence card or other procedures for foreigners in Vietnam, please contact Nhi Gia for detailed consultation.
