When a foreigner stays at any address in Vietnam, whether a hotel, a rented apartment or a friend's home, the person or business providing the accommodation must declare that stay to the local police. Under the law on foreigners' entry, exit, transit and residence, this is generally required within 12 hours of the foreigner's arrival, or within 24 hours in remote areas. For a rented home, that duty normally falls on the landlord, but it is the tenant who feels the consequences if it is not done.
Hotels do this automatically, which is why most short-term visitors never think about it. Long-term residents run into it when they move into a rented flat and later discover that their visa extension, residence card application or bank paperwork asks for proof that their address has been declared. This guide explains what the declaration is, who must make it, how it is done, and the practical steps a foreign tenant can take to make sure it happens. Rules and procedures are updated from time to time, so confirm the current process with the ward or commune police where you live.
What the declaration is, and what it is not
The temporary residence declaration for foreigners is a notice to the police that a particular foreign national is staying at a particular address from a particular date. It is not a permit to live there, not a lease and not a residence card. It applies to every foreigner, whatever visa or card they hold, and every time they change where they sleep for the night, including short trips to other cities.
It should not be confused with the residence registration system for Vietnamese citizens, which uses different rules and a different database. A foreigner does not get a Vietnamese household registration by renting a flat or marrying a Vietnamese citizen, and the declaration does not change their immigration status. Separately, holders of a temporary residence card have that card as their main residence document; the address declaration still applies to them.
Since the reorganisation of local government in 2025, Vietnam has no district level of administration, and declarations are handled by the police at ward or commune level, together with an online system run by the immigration authorities. In practice, most landlords in cities now declare online, while some smaller landlords still go in person to the local police post with the tenant's passport details.
Who is responsible in different situations
Renting from a private landlord. The landlord, as the person providing accommodation, is responsible for declaring you. If the landlord lives abroad or uses a manager, the manager usually does it on their behalf. Confirm at the viewing that the landlord knows how and agrees to do it.
Renting in an apartment building. Some buildings require the owner or tenant to register foreign residents with management, which then coordinates with the police; others leave it to the individual landlord. Ask both the landlord and building management, because each may assume the other is handling it.
Staying with friends, family or a partner. The person who owns or lives in the home and hosts you is responsible. Many Vietnamese families are unaware that hosting a foreign guest requires a declaration, so it is kind to mention it and help with the details.
Short-term rentals and homestays. Hotels, guesthouses and licensed homestays declare guests as a matter of routine. With apartments rented through short-stay platforms, practice is uneven; ask the host directly whether your stay will be declared.
Company housing. When an employer provides accommodation, the company or the building it rents from usually handles declarations. Make sure the address on the declaration matches the address you give on immigration forms.
How a declaration is usually made
The details vary by locality and by whether the landlord uses the online system, but the general sequence is similar everywhere.
- The tenant gives the landlord a copy of the passport information page and the page with the current visa, entry stamp or residence card.
- The landlord declares the stay, either online through the immigration authorities' system or by submitting a declaration form at the ward or commune police, with the arrival date and the expected length of stay.
- The police record the declaration. Online systems generate a confirmation; in person, the landlord may receive a stamped copy or a reference.
- If the tenant later needs proof for a visa extension, residence card application or other procedure, the landlord or tenant asks the local police for a confirmation of temporary residence.
- When the tenant moves out or the visa or card changes, the new details are declared again by whoever provides the next accommodation.
Some landlords ask the tenant to come along to the police post the first time. It is a good opportunity to see where it is and to make sure the spelling of your name and passport number is correct, because mistakes in these details cause problems later.
Why tenants should care even though it is the landlord's job
The legal duty and the fine for failing to declare sit primarily with the person providing accommodation. But the practical consequences land on the foreigner. Applications for visa extensions, temporary residence cards, work permit procedures, bank account opening, vehicle registration and driving licence conversion may ask for the address where you are declared. If the police have no record of you at your address, an application can be delayed or refused until it is corrected.
Police also carry out checks, sometimes in neighbourhoods with many short-term rentals. A foreigner found staying somewhere with no declaration can face questions and, depending on the circumstances, administrative penalties may apply to the host or, in some cases, the foreigner. These situations are usually resolved by making the declaration, but they are an unnecessary stress.
There is also a safety side. In an emergency, a fire or a serious accident, local authorities can identify and contact residents more easily when they are on record. For people living alone in a new country, being known at the local level is a quiet form of protection.
Finally, a correct declaration helps when you leave. Foreigners who have lived in Vietnam for years sometimes need to show their history of addresses, for example when applying for a new residence card, explaining a gap between visas or dealing with tax residence questions. A trail of leases and declarations, kept in one folder, answers those questions in minutes instead of weeks.
Situations that cause trouble, and what to do
Most problems with declarations come from a handful of common situations. Knowing them in advance makes them easy to avoid.
- The landlord refuses or delays. Some landlords avoid declaring foreign tenants because they do not want to declare rental income. Treat refusal as a serious drawback, because it can block later procedures. Raise it before you sign, not after.
- You moved but nobody updated the declaration. When you move, the new landlord must declare you at the new address. Keep copies of both leases so you can explain the dates if asked.
- Your visa or card changed. After a visa extension or a new residence card, give the landlord copies so the record matches your current document.
- You travel inside Vietnam. Hotels and homestays where you stay will declare you there. You do not need to cancel your home declaration for a short trip, but follow local guidance if you are away for a long period.
- Names do not match. Passports with several given names, or names transcribed differently, cause mismatches between immigration, bank and police records. Check that your full name appears exactly as in your passport.
- The address is informal. Many alley addresses were renumbered after the 2025 reorganisation of wards. Use the address as it appears on the landlord's ownership certificate or current official records, and update your bank and employer when it changes.
None of these are reasons for alarm. They simply reward a tenant who asks early and keeps copies.
What a landlord will usually ask you for
Declaring a foreign tenant takes only a few details, but landlords often need them in a particular form. Having these ready on move-in day avoids delays.
- A clear copy or photo of your passport information page, with the name exactly as printed.
- A copy of the page with your current visa, visa exemption entry stamp or e-visa record, or both sides of your temporary residence card.
- Your date of arrival at the home and the expected length of stay, matching the lease.
- Your nationality and, for some systems, your purpose of stay as shown on your visa or card.
- Contact details so the landlord or police can reach you if something in the record needs correcting.
Keep the same set of copies saved on your phone. You will be asked for them again by banks, employers, schools and telecom providers, and having them ready makes every one of those processes faster. When your visa or card is renewed, update the set and send the new copies to your landlord at the same time.
Questions to settle before you sign the lease
Add residence declaration to the list of things you discuss at the viewing, alongside the deposit and the air conditioners. Ask the landlord whether they have rented to foreigners before, how they declare tenants, and whether they will give you a confirmation if you need one for a visa or residence card. A landlord who answers easily has done it before. A landlord who looks uncertain may still be fine, but you will need to help.
It is reasonable to write a short clause into the lease saying the landlord will declare the tenant's temporary residence with the police in accordance with the law, and provide a confirmation on request. This turns a vague expectation into a clear obligation and gives you something to point to if the declaration is forgotten.
If you plan to apply for a temporary residence card based on work, investment or marriage, ask your employer, sponsor or lawyer exactly what address documents they will need, and make sure the landlord can provide them. Our guides to visas and residence cards cover those applications; this step is simply the housing piece of the same puzzle.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Do I have to register with the police when I rent an apartment in Vietnam?
Your stay must be declared to the local police, and for a rented home that duty normally rests with the landlord as the person providing accommodation. In practice you should give the landlord your passport and visa details on move-in day and confirm the declaration has been made, because you may need proof of it for later immigration and banking procedures.
How quickly must a foreigner's stay be declared?
The law generally requires the accommodation provider to declare a foreign guest within 12 hours of arrival, or within 24 hours in remote areas. Hotels do this automatically. Private landlords and hosts sometimes forget, so it is sensible to raise it on the day you arrive and ask for confirmation.
Who pays the fine if the stay is not declared?
Administrative penalties for failing to declare primarily target the person or business providing the accommodation, though the foreigner may also face questions and difficulties with later applications. The amounts and specific rules are set in decrees on administrative sanctions, which are updated from time to time. The simplest protection is to make sure the declaration is done.
Does a temporary residence card replace the residence declaration?
No. A temporary residence card is your immigration document allowing you to stay for a longer period. The residence declaration records where you are staying. Card holders still need their address declared when they move into a home, and the address may be relevant when the card is renewed.
What if my landlord refuses to declare me?
Explain that the declaration is a legal requirement and that you need it for your visa or residence procedures. If the landlord still refuses, consider whether the rental is worth the risk. Refusal is often linked to undeclared rental income, and it can create real obstacles for you later. It is better to find this out before signing.
Do I need to declare when I stay with my Vietnamese partner's family?
Yes. The family member who owns or lives in the home is responsible for declaring a foreign guest to the local police. Many families are not aware of this, so it helps to mention it politely and provide your passport and visa details. The process is usually quick at the local police post or online.