How do you register your temporary residence in Vietnam in 2026?

Article 33 of Vietnam's foreigners' residence law places the declaration through the person directly managing the accommodation. For a hotel, reception normally handles it. In a rented apartment, the landlord, authorised property manager, main tenant, or other host with control of the home should identify who will file before handing over keys.

The report goes electronically to the immigration portal for the province or centrally governed city, or on Form NA17 to the police for the current phường (urban ward) or xã (commune) where the home stands. After the 2025 administrative reorganisation, do not rely on an abolished district office. Names such as District 1 may remain familiar area labels in Ho Chi Minh City, but the host needs the current ward and official address.

The Immigration Department guidance current on 19 July 2026 retains a 12-hour deadline after arrival, extended to 24 hours in remote or isolated areas.

Show the host your passport and the document proving lawful stay, such as an e-visa (electronic entry visa) or temporary residence card. The online record asks for name, sex, birth date, nationality, passport number, and expected stay period. The accommodation account also records the property's current address, type, phone, email, and the declarant's identity.

Before paying a long lease deposit, ask the landlord to show that the home can receive foreign residents and that the reporting account uses the current ward or commune. After filing, request a portal confirmation, screenshot showing receipt, or police-certified NA17 copy. Match your passport spelling, arrival date, and address. Keep that proof with the lease because immigration may ask for it during a card, stay, or other residence procedure.

Every overnight location creates its own record. A hotel should report a weekend trip even while you keep a Hanoi apartment. On return, the apartment host should make the new arrival declaration where required. A permanent move, passport replacement, or changed passport details also needs a fresh, accurate report.

Do not accept "the lease is enough." The lease proves a private housing arrangement; the police declaration records the foreigner's actual stay. Ask the host to use the official provincial link listed by Vietnam Immigration or contact the current ward or commune police.

Late, missing, or false reporting can bring administrative penalties and can obstruct later immigration evidence. The accommodation operator carries the filing duty, but a foreign guest must present valid travel and residence papers. If the host still refuses, document the request and consider accommodation that will report lawfully.