Vietnam Tenant Registration: How Landlords Must Register New Tenants with Ward Police

Most landlords in Vietnam know tenant registration is a legal requirement. Fewer know there are two completely different rules — one for Vietnamese tenants, one for foreign nationals — with different deadlines, different forms, and different fines when you miss them.

Under Vietnam’s Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners (2014), landlords in urban areas must declare a foreign tenant’s temporary residence to the local ward police within 12 hours of their arrival. For Vietnamese tenants who stay more than 30 days, the obligation is broader but the timeline is looser. Get them confused, and you’re filing the wrong form on the wrong schedule.

Since December 15, 2025, Decree 282/2025/ND-CP replaced the previous fine structure with tiered penalties that scale with the number of unregistered foreigners — reaching VND 20 million for landlords with 9 or more unregistered foreign tenants (An Law Vietnam, 2025).

This guide covers both registration paths, the updated fine schedule, and the online options that didn’t exist two years ago.

TL;DR: Landlords must register foreign tenants within 12 hours of arrival (urban) using Form NA17, and facilitate Vietnamese tenant registration within 30 days using Form CT01. Fines under Decree 282/2025 reach VND 20 million for 9+ unregistered foreigners (An Law Vietnam, 2025). VNeID app handles domestic registrations online since March 2025.

Who Is Legally Responsible: Landlord or Tenant?

The law places the obligation clearly on the landlord — not the tenant — for foreign nationals. Article 33 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners (2014) states that the accommodation manager (i.e., the landlord or building manager) must declare a foreign guest’s temporary residence to the ward police. The foreigner isn’t responsible for this step. You are.

For Vietnamese tenants, the Law on Residence 2020 (Law 68/2020/QH14, effective July 1, 2021) shifts the primary obligation to the tenant, but Article 27 requires the head of household — in a rental context, effectively the landlord — to facilitate the registration. In practice, this means you need to be present or provide documentation, even if the tenant submits the form themselves.

For a full breakdown of landlord workflows including registration tracking, see the Vietnam property management operations guide.

The distinction matters if you’re ever questioned about a missed registration. “My tenant didn’t tell me” isn’t a valid defense for a foreign national. “My tenant said they’d handle it” is legally weak for a Vietnamese tenant who stayed past 30 days. The safest approach: track every move-in date and initiate both processes yourself.

Vietnamese vs. Foreign Tenants: Two Different Rules

Understanding the deadline difference is the most important thing in this guide.

The 12-hour rule for foreign tenants isn’t a suggestion. Ward police in expat-heavy districts — Thao Dien, District 1, Phu My Hung — conduct routine checks. Getting caught with an unregistered foreigner who moved in yesterday costs more than getting caught with one who moved in three months ago, because you can’t claim you forgot.

Step-by-Step: Registering a Vietnamese Tenant (CT01)

What you need:

• Your own CCCD (national ID card)
• The rental contract signed by both parties
• CT01 form (Tờ khai thay đổi thông tin cư trú) — issued under Circular 66/2023/TT-BCA
• Tenant’s CCCD

The CT01 form changed in 2023. Circular 66/2023/TT-BCA superseded the older Circular 56/2021/TT-BCA. If you downloaded a CT01 template before 2024, double-check you’re using the current version — the fields are slightly different, and ward police can reject outdated forms.

Process:

1. Get the CT01 form — Available free at the ward police office (Công an phường), or download from lawnet.vn. The VNeID app generates it automatically if you go the digital route.

2. Complete the form — Fill in the tenant’s full name, date of birth, CCCD number, phone number, your details as the household head/landlord, and the property address. The registration type is “tạm trú” (temporary residence).

3. Submit — Either in person at the ward police office covering your property’s address, or via the VNeID app (from March 17, 2025) or the National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn). Online submissions take up to 7 working days to process. In-person is same-day.

4. Tạm trú duration — Temporary residence can be registered for up to 2 years per cycle, renewable an unlimited number of times (iguide.ai, 2024).

For the full legal context, see the Vietnam lease agreement requirements under Law 27/2023.

Step-by-Step: Registering a Foreign Tenant (NA17)

This is where most landlords get caught out. The 12-hour window starts the moment your foreign tenant enters the unit — not when they finish unpacking, not when you next visit the property.

What you need:

• Your own CCCD and property ownership certificate (or rental authority proof)
• Signed rental contract
• NA17 form — “Declaration of Temporary Residence for Foreigners,” issued under Circular 04/2015/TT-BCA
• Tenant’s valid passport with current visa or Temporary Residence Card (TRC) stamp

Process:

1. Prepare the NA17 form — Get it from the ward police office or download from lawnet.vn. Have your foreign tenant fill in their section (name, passport number, visa type, nationality, purpose of stay).

2. Submit within 12 hours — Go to the ward police station (Công an phường) covering the property address — not the district or city level. Bring all documents. Submission is free.

3. Alternatively, use the immigration portal — Register an account at hanoi.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn (Hanoi) or hochiminh.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn (HCMC). Each property gets one management account. Upload the NA17 form and a scan of the tenant’s passport/visa. Note: the 12-hour deadline still applies regardless of which channel you use.

4. TRC holders (from July 1, 2025) — Foreign tenants holding a Temporary Residence Card can now register through VNeID. This is still the landlord’s responsibility to initiate (BAL Immigration, July 2025).

The most common mistake in practice: landlords submit the NA17 to the wrong office. If your property is in Thao Dien (Thu Duc City), you go to the Thu Duc ward/ward-level police office for that specific street — not the Thu Duc City Police Department. The building’s BQL (management office) staff often know which ward office covers the address; worth asking them the first time.

What the New Fines Look Like Under Decree 282/2025

As of December 15, 2025, Decree 282/2025/ND-CP replaced Decree 144/2021 with a tiered structure for foreign tenant violations. The new schedule is significantly heavier at the upper end.

For reference, the old Decree 144/2021 set a flat fine of VND 4–6 million per violation for individuals, regardless of how many unregistered foreigners were involved. The new tiered structure under Decree 282/2025 changes the math considerably if you manage multiple foreign tenants across multiple units.

Fines for failing to register Vietnamese tenants are lower — VND 500,000–1,000,000 for individuals — but they still show up on your record and can complicate future rental registrations at the same address.

Enforcement is carried out by ward and commune police through routine residence checks. In expat-heavy districts, unannounced building inspections are common. Repeat violations or deliberate concealment can be referred to district-level police and, for businesses, can trigger licensing reviews.

Online Registration: VNeID and the Immigration Portal

Two years ago, registration meant a physical trip to the ward police office every time a tenant moved in. That’s changed for most situations.

For Vietnamese tenants — VNeID app (from March 17, 2025): From March 17, 2025, all Vietnamese citizens nationwide can register temporary or permanent residence through the VNeID app without visiting the ward police office (Vietnam.vn, March 2025). The process: Log in → Administrative Procedures → Temporary Residence Registration → Select address → Submit. Processing takes up to 7 working days. If your tenant hasn’t downloaded VNeID, the National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn) handles the same request.

For foreign tenants — provincial immigration portal: Create a management account at the provincial immigration portal for your city (HCMC: hochiminh.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn; Hanoi: hanoi.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn). Each property address is permitted one management account. Upload the completed NA17 form and a scan of the tenant’s passport and visa. The 12-hour deadline still applies from the moment the tenant moves in, so set this account up before your first foreign tenant arrives.

If you’re managing multiple units, see our guide to Best Property Management Software for Vietnam Landlords — several tools automate CT01 and NA17 deadline tracking.

When a Tenant Moves Out: Don’t Forget to Cancel

Canceling temporary residence (xóa tạm trú) is the step landlords most often skip. When a tenant leaves, the registration isn’t automatically removed. If you skip the cancellation and a new tenant moves in, the ward police records will show two people registered at your address — which creates complications at the next inspection.

To cancel: return to the ward police office (or the same VNeID/portal channel used for registration) and submit a request to remove the tenant’s tạm trú. You’ll need the tenant’s CCCD or passport number and the original registration reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the landlord or the tenant responsible for registration in Vietnam?

For foreign tenants, the landlord (accommodation manager) is exclusively responsible under Article 33, Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners (2014). For Vietnamese tenants, the primary obligation is on the tenant under Law on Residence 2020, but the landlord must facilitate the process and is held accountable if it doesn’t happen.

What’s the difference between CT01 and NA17?

CT01 is for Vietnamese citizens registering temporary residence under the Law on Residence 2020. NA17 is for foreign nationals declaring temporary residence under the Law on Foreigners 2014. Different laws, different ministries, different forms. Most landlords with mixed Vietnamese/expat tenants need both on hand. See the guide to How to Screen Tenants for HCMC Apartments for onboarding workflows that include registration as a step.

How do I register a tenant if I can’t physically go to the ward police?

Vietnamese tenants can register themselves via the VNeID app (from March 17, 2025) if you provide them the signed rental contract and your CCCD details. For foreign tenants, use the provincial immigration portal — set up your account in advance and you can submit the NA17 digitally within the 12-hour window.

What are the current fines for not registering foreign tenants?

Under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP (effective December 15, 2025): VND 3–5 million for 1–3 unregistered foreigners; VND 10–15 million for 4–8; VND 15–20 million for 9 or more. These replace the flat VND 4–6 million fine under the previous Decree 144/2021 (An Law Vietnam, 2025).

Do I need to register every new tenant, even for short stays?

Yes — the 30-day threshold applies to Vietnamese tenants (stays under 30 days don’t require tạm trú registration), but foreign nationals require declaration within 12 hours regardless of the intended stay length. A foreign tenant moving in for a 45-day furnished stay still requires the NA17 to be submitted within 12 hours of arrival.

The Short Version

Tenant registration isn’t optional and it isn’t the tenant’s problem to solve — at least not for foreign nationals. The 12-hour window for foreigners is short enough that landlords who wait until they’re next visiting the property will routinely miss it.

Set up your ward police contact and your provincial immigration portal account before your first foreign tenant moves in. Use VNeID for Vietnamese tenant registrations if your tenants are comfortable with the app. Cancel registrations when tenants leave. And check that your records reflect the December 2025 update to the fine schedule.

See the guide to Best Property Management Software for Vietnam Landlords for tools that track registration deadlines automatically across multiple units.

Continue Reading

Operations:

• Best Property Management Software for Vietnam Landlords in 2026
• Property Management Operations Guide for Vietnam Landlords

Leasing:

• How to Screen Tenants for HCMC Apartments
• How to Manage Corporate Expat Tenants in HCMC

Legal:

• What Vietnam’s 2025 Housing Law Means for Individual Landlords
• Vietnam Rental Income Tax Guide for Landlords

Tools:

• Hausive — property management software built for Vietnam landlords