Temporary Residence Registration in Vietnam: A Tenant’s Guide
Temporary residence registration in Vietnam confuses most foreign tenants, and many assume signing a lease covers it. It doesn’t. Here’s who must declare your stay, the 12-hour deadline, the documents to hand over, and how to confirm it was actually done in HCMC.
Almost every foreigner who rents in Ho Chi Minh City has to be “registered” with the local authorities, yet it’s one of the least understood steps of moving here. Part of the confusion is the name: people search for “temporary residence registration,” picture themselves queuing at a police station, and either panic or ignore it entirely.
In practice the duty sits with whoever runs your accommodation, the rules changed in 2023, the penalty rules changed again in December 2025, and the ward offices themselves were redrawn in July 2025. So a lot of the advice floating around online is simply out of date. Here’s how it actually works in 2026, written from the tenant’s side.
What “temporary residence registration” actually means for foreigners
The phrase covers two different procedures that Vietnamese law keeps separate, and mixing them up is the first mistake newcomers make.
Khai báo tạm trú vs đăng ký tạm trú
- Đăng ký tạm trú is temporary residence registration for Vietnamese citizens (and some long-term card holders) under the Law on Residence. It’s the process you’ll see tied to the VNeID app.
- Khai báo tạm trú is the temporary-stay declaration for foreigners, under the immigration law. This is the one that applies to you as a foreign tenant, and it works differently.
Throughout this guide, “temporary residence registration in Vietnam” refers to the foreigner process — the declaration your accommodation makes so the immigration authorities know where you’re staying. Getting the right term matters the moment you talk to your landlord or look anything up officially.
Why it’s part of renting, not just immigration paperwork
Your declaration is linked to a specific address — the unit you rent. Change apartments — or break or renew a lease — and a fresh declaration is needed. Travel out and come back, or extend your visa, and the record should be updated. That’s why it belongs in any honest rental guide: the obligation is triggered by where you live, and a landlord who handles it smoothly is worth more than one who shaves $20 off the rent.
Who is legally responsible (the part most guides get wrong)
Plenty of blog posts tell foreigners to “go and register yourself.” For the typical condo tenant that’s misleading. Under the immigration law, the person who directly manages or operates the accommodation is the one who must declare your stay — your landlord, the building or serviced-apartment operator, or the hotel. You are not expected to walk into a police station alone and file it.
How that plays out depends on who you rent from:
| You rent from… | Who declares | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Serviced apartment / hotel | The operator, automatically — they do this daily | Hand over passport + visa at check-in; ask for confirmation |
| Professionally managed condo | The building management or your landlord | Send documents day one; ask the management desk to confirm |
| Private individual landlord | The landlord — but they may not know the current system | Offer your documents, ask directly when they’ll declare, follow up |
The legal basis, in plain English
You don’t need to memorise statutes, but knowing the source helps you tell good advice from stale advice.
- The controlling law is the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners (Law 47/2014), in force since 2015 and amended in 2019 and again in 2023.
- Article 33 sets the core duty: the accommodation must declare a foreigner’s temporary stay to the ward/commune police, and — if filing on paper — within 12 hours of arrival (24 hours in remote or border areas, which doesn’t apply in HCMC).
- The 2023 amendment (effective 15 August 2023) modernised this: the declaration can be made electronically or on paper, and the accommodation must check your passport and stay documents before letting you stay. Any guide written before late 2023 may describe an older paper-only process.
You can read the official online procedure on the Ministry of Public Security’s e-services portal (procedure “Declare temporary residence for foreigners,” code 1.001437): e-services.mps.gov.vn.
How your stay gets declared in 2026
There are a few live channels right now, because Vietnam is mid-way through merging its reporting systems. Your host will use one of these.
The new unified system (TBLT KBTT)
From 21 May 2026, the Ministry of Public Security began rolling out a single national platform for both Vietnamese-guest lodging notifications and foreigner temporary-stay declarations — the website tbltkbtt.bocongan.gov.vn and a mobile app called “TBLT KBTT.” HCMC is among the first areas covered, and accommodation operators are told to stop using the older standalone portals where the new one is live. If your landlord mentions a brand-new app, this is it.
The provincial online portal
Before the unified system, declarations went through each province’s immigration portal — in HCMC, hochiminh.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. Many landlords still have accounts here, and during the transition you may see either system in use. Either way, the host registers an accommodation account, enters your details, and submits. The government fee is none.
VNeID — what it does and doesn’t do
Paper, in person
The old-fashioned route still exists: a paper declaration form delivered to the Công an phường (ward police) where your building sits. This is most common with private landlords who haven’t set up an online account. The catch in HCMC is knowing which ward office that now is — more on that below.
Documents to have ready
Here’s where expectations and reality diverge. What the law clearly requires from you is short; what an individual landlord might ask for can be longer.
- Passport bio page. The one universal, official requirement — your host must sight and record it.
- Valid stay document. Your visa, e-visa, or Temporary Residence Card (TRC). This proves you’re in the country lawfully.
- Move-in details. Unit number, move-in date, and your expected move-out date, plus a phone number and email.
- Lease copy, if asked. Some landlords or buildings want a copy of the signed lease (and occasionally their own ownership paper) to set up or back the accommodation account. Useful to have ready, but treat it as a practical/local request rather than a universal legal must — there’s no official rule that every foreigner declaration needs a lease and a property “pink book” attached.
Penalties for skipping it
The fines were rewritten at the end of 2025. Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP took effect on 15 December 2025 and replaced the older Decree 144/2021 for this area — so if you read a guide quoting only “Decree 144,” it’s out of date. The penalties land on the accommodation side (your landlord/host/operator), scaling with how many foreigners went undeclared:
| Violation (accommodation side) | Fine (approx. USD) |
|---|---|
| Failing to declare 1–3 foreigners, or filing a false account | 3–5 million VND (~$120–200) |
| Failing to declare 4–8 foreigners | 10–15 million VND (~$400–600) |
| Failing to declare 9+ foreigners | 15–20 million VND (~$600–800) |
| Housing a foreigner who is staying illegally, or not reporting it | 20–25 million VND (~$800–1,000) |
Two things tenants should note. First, the same rule that fines a landlord for not declaring also lets the authorities fine you for not presenting your passport and papers so the declaration can be made — which is exactly why you hand them over on day one. Second, businesses/organisations can face higher amounts than individuals, so a professionally managed building has every incentive to keep your declaration clean. (Figures are indicative and converted at roughly 25,000 VND to the dollar; check the current decree for the exact wording.)
Finding your ward police after the 2025 reform
On 1 July 2025 Vietnam abolished the district tier and redrew HCMC into 168 commune-level units. The old names you know — “District 2,” “Thu Duc City,” “Binh Thanh District” — still work as search and address shorthand, but they are no longer the administrative office that handles your declaration. The ward your building now falls under is what matters.
| Legacy label (what you’ll search) | Current ward (where the office is) | Example buildings |
|---|---|---|
| Thao Dien / Thu Thiem (old District 2) | An Khanh Ward | Masteri Thao Dien, Gateway, Empire City, Metropole |
| An Phu / Binh An – Estella side | Binh Trung Ward | Estella Heights, The Estella, Diamond Island |
| District 1 core | Depends on the exact address — e.g. Sai Gon, Ben Thanh, Cau Ong Lanh, Tan Dinh | The Marq, Grand Marina, Vinhomes Golden River |
| Binh Thanh | Depends on the address — e.g. Gia Dinh, Binh Thanh, Binh Loi Trung, Thanh My Tay, Binh Quoi | Vinhomes Central Park, Saigon Pearl, City Garden |
The official directory of HCMC’s commune-level police offices (effective from 1 July 2025) is published by Công an TP Hồ Chí Minh — use it (or simply ask your building management) to find the exact office for your address. If you’re still deciding where to live, our Thao Dien apartments, Binh Thanh apartments and District 1 apartments all sit in buildings used to handling foreign tenants.
What goes wrong — and how to avoid it
Your move-in checklist
- Send documents day one. Passport bio page and valid visa/e-visa/TRC to your landlord or building, ideally before or on the day you move in.
- Ask the direct question. “Will you declare my temporary stay within 12 hours, and can you send me confirmation?” A good host answers without hesitation.
- Get proof. A screenshot of the submitted declaration, or written confirmation. File it with your lease.
- Re-declare when things change. New apartment, a long trip out and back, or a visa extension can all require an update — flag it to your host.
- Prefer hosts who know the drill. Buildings and landlords experienced with foreigners make this a non-event. It’s a fair thing to ask about before you sign.
If you’re still setting up, it pairs naturally with the rest of your arrival admin — see our HCMC relocation checklist, the guide to opening a bank account (where your stay record can matter), and setting up utilities.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to register my temporary residence myself?
Usually no. The legal duty to declare a foreigner’s stay sits with the accommodation owner or operator — your landlord, the building, or the serviced apartment. Your part is to give them your passport and valid visa/TRC promptly and to confirm the declaration was filed.
How long after moving in must it be done?
For a paper declaration the law sets 12 hours after arrival (24 hours only in remote or border areas, which doesn’t apply to HCMC). Online declarations are expected promptly too, so treat day one as the target.
Can it be done online?
Yes. Your host can declare through the official immigration/police channels — historically each province’s portal (HCMC’s was hochiminh.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn) and, from May 2026, the new unified national system and its “TBLT KBTT” app. The government fee is none.
Does VNeID work for a foreigner’s temporary residence?
VNeID handles residence registration for Vietnamese citizens, but as of mid-2026 there’s no official confirmation that it’s a live route for the foreigner temporary-stay declaration. Don’t rely on it; use the immigration/police systems your host already uses.
What’s the fine if my stay isn’t declared?
Under Decree 282/2025 (effective 15 December 2025), an accommodation that fails to declare 1–3 foreigners faces 3–5 million VND, rising with the number of people. The fine falls on the accommodation side, though a tenant who won’t hand over documents can also be penalised. Older “Decree 144” figures are out of date.
Which ward police office handles my building in HCMC?
Since the 1 July 2025 reform, it’s based on your current ward, not the old district. Thao Dien and Thu Thiem fall under An Khanh Ward; the Estella/Diamond Island side under Binh Trung Ward; District 1 and Binh Thanh depend on the exact address. Check the HCMC Police directory or ask your building management.
Is the declaration the same as a Temporary Residence Card (TRC)?
No. The temporary-stay declaration is a simple record of where you’re living. A TRC is a separate, longer-term residence card tied to a work permit, investment, or family — it’s the next step up, and a properly recorded stay supports those later applications.
Key takeaways
Temporary residence registration, the short version
- It’s your landlord’s or building’s job to declare your stay — not yours to file alone.
- Hand over your passport and visa/TRC on day one; the deadline is around 12 hours.
- It’s free. The new “TBLT KBTT” system (from May 2026) is the current channel; VNeID isn’t confirmed for foreigners.
- Fines (Decree 282/2025) start at 3–5 million VND and hit the accommodation side — but you can be fined for not presenting documents.
- After the July 2025 reform, find your ward, not your old district: Thao Dien/Thu Thiem = An Khanh Ward.
- Always get written proof, and re-declare when you move, travel out and back, or extend your visa.
Renting in HCMC and want this handled properly?
We help foreign tenants find apartments in buildings that treat compliance as routine — and we make sure your temporary-stay declaration actually gets done at move-in, not forgotten. No fee charged to tenants.
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