Temporary residence registration in Vietnam: who registers you and what to ask your landlord
There is no mandatory online registration for tourists before entering Vietnam: the PAI pre-arrival form is still a voluntary pilot. Once you move in, your hotel or landlord registers you with the police straight away through the ministry’s system. What to ask them.
Short answer: there is no mandatory online registration for tourists before entering Vietnam. There is a pre-arrival form, PAI, introduced as a pilot in 2026 and voluntary as of May. “Temporary residence registration” (tạm trú) is something else: the police record of where you live, filed not by you but by your hotel or landlord as soon as you move in.
Do I need to register before entering Vietnam?
Not as a requirement. Since 15 April 2026 the Ministry of Public Security has been piloting the Pre-Arrival Information form (PAI) at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn for Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, with other airports to follow. In May 2026 it was voluntary. You fill it in within 3 days before arrival and get a QR code for the immigration officer, which speeds up the queue. That is the only address: the ministry has warned about fake sites charging cards. The form is not a visa.
A health declaration under Government Decree 165/2026/ND-CP, in force since 1 July 2026, is not required of everyone: the Ministry of Health turns it on only for specific outbreaks. The site tokhaiyte.vn does not belong to the ministry.
What is temporary residence registration?
It is the record of where you are staying, sent to the ward police. Under Law 47/2014/QH13, a foreigner staying in Vietnam registers through the person who runs the place where they stay, with the ward or commune police (Article 33). That place can be a hotel, guesthouse, dormitory, hospital, private house or apartment (Article 32). The ministry has also confirmed that if a foreign friend sleeps at your home, the host must register them too.
Who registers me, and how fast?
Your landlord or hotel, not you. Since 24 July 2026 Ministry of Public Security Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA has required registration in the ministry’s electronic system “as soon as the foreigner arrives”, and the police accept it around the clock. If the system is down, the host fills in paper form NA17 and takes it to the police; the law gives 12 hours from your arrival for a paper form. Registration is free.
Can I register myself online?
No: the accounts in the ministry’s system (tbltkbtt.bocongan.gov.vn) belong to hotels and hosts. Your duty is to show your host your original passport and proof of your right to be in Vietnam — your visa or visa-free entry stamp (Article 44 of the law as amended in 2023). The host enters your name, sex, date of birth, nationality, passport number, how long your visa or visa-free stay lasts, and how long you will stay with them.
What should I ask my landlord?
- “Will you register me with the police today?” A good host does it at check-in.
- “What do you need?” Usually the original passport and the visa or entry stamp page. A photo of the passport will not do: the ministry tells hosts not to register people from copies or lists handed over by others.
- “Will you re-register me if I extend my visa or get a new passport?” The law requires a new registration when passport details change (Article 33).
- If it is a guesthouse, homestay or serviced apartment: “Do you have the police certificate on security and order?” Such businesses must hold one.
If you move to another flat or spend a few days in another city, the new place registers you.
What happens if my landlord does not register me?
The fine falls on whoever should have filed — your landlord or hotel. Under current rules it grows with the number of unregistered foreigners and doubles for companies (Ministry of Public Security, September 2026). Housing a foreigner whose permitted stay has expired is fined more heavily. So keep an eye on your own dates: overstaying is your problem, not your host’s.
Where do I find housing, and what else do I need?
How to rent and what to agree in advance: renting in Nha Trang; neighbourhoods: where to live in Nha Trang. Visas and visa-free stays: Vietnam visa and e-visa. Lost passport: what to do.
How can I stay in Vietnam long term and stay legal?
You are legal for as long as your visa or visa-exemption stamp says; longer only through an extension or a new visa, and the sponsor files the paperwork. Law 23/2023 sets the periods: 45 days for citizens of countries Vietnam has unilaterally exempted from visas; an e-visa (EV) up to 90 days; a VR visa up to 180 days; some categories up to one year. A stay extension (Article 35 of Law 47/2014) is filed by the inviting party at the immigration office, with a decision within 5 working days after the full file. More on visa-free entry and e-visa in the guide Vietnam visa.
Can I get a residence card in Vietnam by buying property?
The text of the law on entry and residence of foreigners does not name buying property as a basis for a temporary residence card (thẻ tạm trú) or permanent residence. Under Article 36 of Law 47/2014, a temporary residence card goes to people holding a visa of a particular type (LV1, LV2, ĐT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ, TT), with the same code. For permanent residence, Article 39 lists other groups: holders of a state medal or title, scientists and experts, relatives of Vietnamese citizens, and stateless people living in Vietnam since 2000 or earlier. We opened the law in its 2014 wording and it was amended in 2023, so before buying ask the immigration office which visa and card are open to you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an electronic registration to enter Vietnam? Not a mandatory one. The PAI form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn speeds up immigration; in May 2026 it was a voluntary pilot.
Who has to register a foreigner in Vietnam? The hotel or landlord, including a friend hosting you in a private home. You show your passport and visa.
How quickly must I be registered? As soon as you arrive, through the ministry’s electronic system. A paper form must reach the police within 12 hours.
Does registration cost anything? It is free. If someone asks you to pay for it, ask what exactly you are paying for.
Do I need to re-register after extending my visa? The law requires it when passport details change. After an extension, ask your host to update the record, since it includes how long you may stay.
What if my landlord refuses to register me? Explain that the fine is theirs. If that does not work, look for another place: without registration you are living with someone who is breaking the rules.
Can a foreigner get temporary registration? Yes, and it is done not by the foreigner but by whoever runs the housing: the hotel or landlord. Under Article 33 of Law 47/2014 it is filed with the ward or commune police; procedure and deadlines are above.
How can I stay in Vietnam long term? On a visa or visa exemption for the period it states, then an extension or a new visa through the inviting party (Article 35 of Law 47/2014). Periods by visa type are in Law 23/2023.
Can I get a residence card in Vietnam by buying property? The text of Law 47/2014 does not name buying property as a basis for a temporary residence card: the card goes by visa type (Article 36). Ask the immigration office.
Sources and checks
PAI — Ministry of Public Security notice of 11.05.2026. Health declaration — Ministry of Health clarification of 30.06.2026. Who registers and how — Articles 32, 33 and 44 of Law 47/2014/QH13 as amended by Law 23/2023/QH15. Registration on arrival, round-the-clock intake, form NA17 and fines — Ministry of Public Security article on Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA (30.09.2026). Guests in a private home — ministry Q&A. Online filing and fees — the ministry’s public services portal. Links below, opened 22.10.2026. Visa and visa-exemption periods — Articles 9 and 31 of Law 23/2023/QH15. Extension, temporary residence card, permanent residence — Articles 35, 36 and 39 of Law 47/2014/QH13 (2014 text on caselaw.vn, opened 23.10.2026; check the 2023 amendments against the current wording). Updated 23.10.2026.