Register Temporary Residence in Ho Chi Minh City
The accommodation declares your address to the ward police, not you. Online, it files the moment you arrive. On paper, form NA17 goes to the police within 12 hours. The national online procedure has no fee. An accommodation that skips 1 to 3 foreign guests is fined VND 3,000,000 to 5,000,000.
On this page
- Which case are you?
- Who files and when
- Online or paper
- Which ward police
- If you book through a platform
- Proof that you were declared
- What it costs
- Steps for a renter
- What to ask your landlord
- If you move or change passport
- Carry your papers
- Fines
- How this differs from an extension and a card
- Step by step
- Common questions
In Vietnam the accommodation declares your address to the police, not you.
Which case are you?
- You are checking in at a hotel or guesthouse: show your passport or international travel document and your residence papers. The accommodation asks for them before it lets you stay.
- You are renting an apartment or house: the circular applies to any accommodation where a foreigner stays overnight. The person who files is the owner, the legal representative or someone authorised.
- You booked through a platform: the declaration still gets filed, including when the booking goes through a digital platform.
- You have no passport with you: the accommodation must report to the ward police at once.
- You are moving or your passport details change: the declaration is filed again.
- You want to stay longer: that is an extension, which your sponsor files.
Who files and when
The law puts the duty on the accommodation:
Người nước ngoài tạm trú tại Việt Nam phải thông qua người trực tiếp quản lý, điều hành hoạt động của cơ sở lưu trú để khai báo tạm trú với Công an xã, phường, đặc khu hoặc đồn, trạm Công an nơi có cơ sở lưu trú.
A foreigner temporarily residing in Vietnam must declare that residence through the person who directly manages or runs the accommodation, to the ward, commune or special-zone police where the accommodation is located.
Law 47/2014/QH13, Điều 33 khoản 1, as consolidated
Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA takes effect on 24 July 2026 and replaces Circular 53/2016/TT-BCA. Under it, accommodation establishments declare a foreign guest’s temporary residence electronically or by paper form.
An electronic declaration is filed the moment the foreigner arrives at the accommodation. A paper form is filled in on Form NA17 and delivered directly to the local police within 12 hours of arrival. In remote areas the limit is 24 hours.
The paper form is also sent straight away to the police by a suitable means of communication, before it is delivered.
Online or paper
Online, the national procedure has code 1.001437 and is a fully online public service. The person filing first registers a declaration account, on the provincial police website for the place where the accommodation stands, or on the national or Ministry of Public Security portal.
To get the account, that person gives the system the accommodation’s details and their own. The declaration covers your name, sex, date of birth, nationality and passport number. It also covers the validity of your stay certification, extension or residence card, and your expected length of stay.
Commune-level police accept online declarations around the clock, seven days a week. The result is stored on the declaration website system.
On paper, the police check the form, ask for anything missing, confirm it, keep a copy and hand it straight back to the person who filed.
Which ward police
Ho Chi Minh City has 168 commune-level units after the 2025 reorganisation: 113 wards, 54 communes and 1 special zone. The old district level no longer exists, so the police that receive your declaration are the ward police where the accommodation stands.
Three merges show how names changed under Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15:
- Ben Nghe Ward and part of Da Kao and Nguyen Thai Binh wards became Saigon Ward.
- Vo Thi Sau Ward and the rest of Ward 4 (District 3) became Xuan Hoa Ward.
- Ben Thanh, Pham Ngu Lao, part of Cau Ong Lanh and the rest of Nguyen Thai Binh became Ben Thanh Ward.
To find your new ward, look up your old ward name in Article 1 of the resolution: each clause names the new ward.
Use the new ward name when you ask which police station takes your form.
If you book through a platform
The circular defines a digital platform for accommodation services as an electronic information system that connects the provider with the guest. The person who files declares the foreigner’s temporary residence, including when the booking goes through such a platform.
Ask the host or the property manager to confirm that the declaration was filed after you booked.
Proof that you were declared
On a paper filing, the police confirm the form and hand it back to the person who filed it, which is the accommodation, not you. So the proof sits with the accommodation.
Ask your landlord for a photo of the confirmed form. For an online filing, ask when it was made. It is filed the moment you arrive.
Signs of a landlord who is following the rules:
- Asks to see your passport and residence papers before you move in.
- Files electronically, or fills in Form NA17 completely.
- Reports at once if a guest has no passport.
What it costs
The national procedure lists no fee or charge. The deadline for an online filing is the moment you arrive, so ask your landlord when they will file.
The national page still lists Circular 53/2016/TT-BCA as its legal basis. Follow Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, which replaced it from 24 July 2026.
Steps for a renter
- Hand your passport or international travel document and your residence papers to the owner or manager.
- The owner, legal representative or an authorised person files the declaration.
- Ask whether it was filed online, which happens the moment you arrive, or on Form NA17 within 12 hours.
- For a paper form, ask for the confirmed copy that the police hand back.
What to ask your landlord
- Who files: the owner, the legal representative or an authorised person.
- Whether they file online or on Form NA17.
- Whether they have asked for your passport and residence papers.
- For a paper form, whether it was delivered within 12 hours of your arrival.
If you move or change passport
A foreigner who changes their place of temporary residence declares again the same way. So does a foreigner whose passport information changes.
Carry your papers
A foreigner moving around Vietnam must carry a passport or international travel document and residence papers, and must present them when an authority asks. Walking around without them is warned or fined VND 300,000 to 500,000. Not presenting them when asked is fined VND 500,000 to 2,000,000.
Fines
If your landlord does not declare you, the fine falls on the accommodation. The rows marked “You” below are the ones that fall on a guest.
Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP replaces Decree 144/2021/NĐ-CP and took effect on 15 December 2025. The fines for not declaring fall mostly on the accommodation:
| Situation | Who is fined | Fine (VND) |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation does not declare 1 to 3 guests | The accommodation | 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 |
| Accommodation does not declare 4 to 8 guests | The accommodation | 10,000,000 to 15,000,000 |
| Accommodation does not declare 9 or more guests | The accommodation | 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 |
| You do not present your papers when asked | You | 500,000 to 2,000,000 |
| You walk around without your papers | You | 300,000 to 500,000, or a warning |
A foreigner who does not hand passport or residence papers to the accommodation is fined under the same clause as its 1 to 3 guest fine. Organisations found responsible are fined at double the individual rate.
Whoever lets a foreigner stay while the foreigner resides unlawfully, or sees signs of a violation and does not report it, is fined VND 20,000,000 to 25,000,000.
Since 1 July 2025, a penalty can be issued without a written record only for a warning or a fine up to VND 500,000 for an individual. In those cases the officer issues the decision on the spot. The person who collects the fine must give you a payment document.
How this differs from an extension and a card
The declaration is not an extension of stay. Your sponsor files an extension with the immigration authority. See extend a visa in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam visa types.
It is also not a temporary residence card. A card is issued by the immigration authority to a foreigner permitted to reside in Vietnam for a fixed period, and it is valid in place of a visa. The card procedure takes 5 working days from a complete dossier. See the temporary residence card guide.
An extension costs US$10. The full list is in Vietnam immigration fees. Recent changes are in Vietnam visa changes in 2026.
Step by step
- Hand over your papersGive the accommodation your passport or international travel document and your residence papers.
- Let the accommodation fileThe owner, legal representative or an authorised person files, online or on form NA17.
- Check the deadlineOnline, the declaration is filed the moment you arrive. On paper, the form reaches the police within 12 hours.
- Ask for proofOn paper, the police confirm the form and hand it back to the person who filed.
Not confirmed: Whether a private landlord counts as the accommodation in your rental. Ask the ward police before you move in. Which ward police station takes the paper form for your address. Ask your landlord.
Common questions
Do I register my address myself in Ho Chi Minh City?
No. The person who files is the accommodation's owner, its legal representative or someone it has authorised, not the foreign guest. You hand over your passport and residence papers.
How quickly must the declaration be made?
An electronic declaration is filed the moment you arrive at the accommodation. A paper form is delivered to the police within 12 hours of arrival, or 24 hours in remote areas.
Does registering cost anything?
No. The national procedure lists no fee or charge.
Which form is used on paper?
Form NA17, filled in completely and accurately by the accommodation. The police check it, confirm it, keep a copy and hand the confirmed form back to the person who filed it.
What if I book through an online accommodation platform?
The declaration still gets filed for you, including when the booking goes through a digital platform for accommodation services.
What if I have no passport with me?
If a foreigner has no passport or international travel document, the accommodation must report to the ward police at once.
What are the fines?
An accommodation that does not declare 1 to 3 foreign guests is fined VND 3,000,000 to 5,000,000. For 4 to 8 guests it is VND 10,000,000 to 15,000,000.
Do I register again if I move or change passport?
Yes. A foreigner who changes their place of temporary residence, or whose passport information changes, declares again the same way.
Is this the same as a stay extension?
No. An extension is filed by your sponsor with the immigration authority.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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