Do I have to register my foreign tenant in Vietnam?

Yes. The person who directly manages or operates the accommodation is responsible for declaring a foreign resident's temporary residence to the commune-level police authority. This applies whether the foreigner stays in private homes, rented housing, hotels, guesthouses, employer-provided housing, medical facilities, or other lawful accommodation. If you rent out a property to a foreigner, you as the owner, or the person you authorise to run it, must make the declaration.

How long do I have to declare a foreign tenant's temporary residence?

An electronic declaration must be made immediately when the foreigner arrives (Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, Article 7(2)); for the paper NA17 form the deadline is 12 hours from arrival, extended to 24 hours in remote areas (Article 33(2) of Law No. 47/2014/QH13). Either way, declare on the day of arrival rather than at the end of the stay.

Can I use the CT01 form for a foreign tenant?

No. CT01 is the residence-information-change declaration used for Vietnamese citizens' temporary-residence procedures. The form identified for foreigners' temporary residence is NA17, and the procedure described by the immigration authority has no fee. Use NA17 for a foreign tenant and keep CT01 for Vietnamese tenants.

Can I declare a foreign tenant online?

Yes. Foreigners' temporary residence can be declared electronically or using a paper declaration form (Article 33(2) of Law No. 47/2014/QH13). Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, effective from 24 July 2026, regulates both routes: electronic declaration on the Ministry of Public Security's system, made immediately when the foreigner arrives, and the paper NA17 form.

Does VNeID replace the declaration for foreign tenants?

Nothing in the reviewed material records whether VNeID replaces the temporary-residence declaration for foreign tenants. Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA does not mention VNeID; it provides for electronic declaration on the Ministry of Public Security's own system or the paper NA17 form, so VNeID is not established as a required step or as a substitute for the landlord's declaration to the commune police. Until an official source confirms otherwise, treat the declaration itself as the obligation.

Vietnam Landlord Tenant Registration: The 12-Hour Rule for Foreigners and the Real Fines

Short answer: the person who directly manages the accommodation—often the landlord, but also an agent, hotel or employer—must declare a foreign tenant's temporary residence to commune-level police: immediately on arrival if declaring electronically (Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA), or within 12 hours of arrival (24 hours in remote areas) on the paper form (Article 33 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners). The foreigner-specific form is NA17, and the procedure described by the immigration authority has no fee. Under Article 21 of Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, an accommodation provider that fails to declare is fined according to how many foreigners go undeclared: VND 3,000,000–5,000,000 for 1–3, VND 10,000,000–15,000,000 for 4–8 and VND 15,000,000–20,000,000 for 9 or more. Vietnamese citizens' temporary-residence changes use CT01, not NA17. This guide separates what is verified from what is still just reported.

The accommodation manager, not only the owner, must declare

Short answer: under Article 33 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners, a foreigner's temporary residence is declared through the person who directly manages and operates the accommodation, and Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA names the declarant as the owner, the facility's legal representative or an authorised person. This covers private homes, rented housing, hotels, guesthouses, employer-provided housing and medical facilities. If you manage the property, you are the one expected to declare.

For renters, this means that if the owner has put someone in charge of the property, that person can make the declaration as an authorised person. The same obligation applies to every accommodation facility where a foreigner stays overnight (Article 2 of Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA). The tenant's own part is to show the passport and residence documents needed for the declaration (Article 44(2)(đ) of the Law). If you rent through an agent or a property manager, clarify in writing who will file the temporary-residence declaration before you move in. See also Dealing With Your Landlord in Vietnam for what to expect from the person managing your rental, and Can Foreigners Rent an Apartment in Vietnam? for the legal starting point.

Declare when the foreign tenant arrives: at once online, 12 hours on paper

Short answer: the declaration must be made as soon as a foreign resident arrives at your accommodation (Article 7(2) of Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, for electronic declaration); if you hand in the paper form instead, the deadline is 12 hours from arrival, or 24 hours in remote areas (Article 33(2) of Law No. 47/2014/QH13). The rule applies to all lawful accommodation types, so a landlord who misses the window is already late.

The clock begins when the foreign resident arrives at the accommodation, not when the lease is signed or when you first learn about the stay. Remote areas (vùng sâu, vùng xa) get the longer 24-hour window for paper forms, but nothing in the reviewed material defines which communes qualify, so treat the 12-hour rule as the safe default unless you have written confirmation for your area. Hotels, guesthouses, employer-provided housing and medical facilities sit inside the same framework, meaning a homestay host or serviced-apartment operator carries the same clock as a private landlord. If you manage a property and expect a foreign tenant, prepare the declaration before they arrive or immediately after check-in; waiting until the next day can already breach the rule. For more on what to check at move-in, see Vietnam Rental Move-In Checklist.

NA17 is the foreigner declaration form and it is free

Short answer: NA17 is the declaration form identified for foreigners' temporary residence, and the procedure described by the immigration authority has no fee. You can submit electronically or on paper (Article 33(2) of Law No. 47/2014/QH13; Article 5(1) of Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA).

The form is specific to foreign residents; it is not the form used for Vietnamese citizens' residence changes. Because the procedure is free, any agent or landlord who asks you to pay a separate "registration fee" for the NA17 filing is not passing on a government fee — ask what the charge covers before paying. Electronic declaration goes through the Ministry of Public Security's declaration system (Articles 6–8 of the circular), while the paper NA17 form (Articles 9–10) remains a lawful alternative. If you hand in the paper form, commune police check it, ask you to complete anything missing, then confirm it, make a copy and return the form to you at once (Article 10(2) of Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA); keep the confirmed form. For a broader view of renters' legal obligations, see Vietnam Residential Rental Law.

Vietnamese tenants use a different form: CT01, not NA17

Short answer: CT01 is a residence-information-change declaration used for Vietnamese citizens' temporary-residence procedures, not the foreigner-specific NA17 form. Do not treat CT01 and NA17 as interchangeable without checking the current procedure.

The reviewed material identifies CT01 in the context of Vietnamese citizens' temporary residence, while NA17 is the form for foreign residents; check which form applies to each tenant before you file. Vietnamese tenants follow a separate set of residence-information rules, and the CT01 form is not a substitute for the foreigner-specific declaration. Nothing in the reviewed material records a single universal form covering both groups, so keep the two processes separate in your rental records. If you rent to both Vietnamese and foreign tenants in the same building, you may need to handle two different declarations, not one combined filing. For practical advice on managing mixed tenancies, see Dealing With Your Landlord in Vietnam and Vietnam Housing Law 2023.

The fine runs from VND 3–5 million up to VND 15–20 million, depending on headcount

Short answer: under Article 21 of Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, an accommodation provider that fails to declare foreign residents' temporary residence is fined according to how many foreigners go undeclared: VND 3,000,000 to VND 5,000,000 for 1–3, VND 10,000,000 to VND 15,000,000 for 4–8, and VND 15,000,000 to VND 20,000,000 for 9 or more. VND 20 million is the ceiling of the highest tier, which applies only when nine or more foreigners go undeclared. These amounts are for individuals and household businesses; an organization that commits the same violation is fined twice as much (Article 5(2) of the decree).

Government Decree 282/2025/ND-CP took effect on 2025-12-15 and governs administrative penalties in security, order, and residence-related fields. The tiers come from the decree text itself: Article 21, clause 3 point e (1–3 foreigners), clause 5 point c (4–8) and clause 6 point đ (9 or more). A single undeclared foreign tenant therefore falls in the VND 3–5 million tier, not the VND 15–20 million one.

Circular 87/2026 updated the electronic declaration procedure

Short answer: Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA was issued on 2026-06-09 and took effect on 2026-07-24, governing the procedure for declaring and receiving foreigners' temporary-residence information. Landlords should treat it as the procedural reference for declaring foreigners' stays, whether electronically or on paper; it replaced Circular 53/2016/TT-BCA from the same date.

The circular's official text is published on the Ministry of Public Security's website. It provides two routes: electronic declaration on the ministry's temporary-residence declaration system through a declaration account, to be made immediately when the foreigner arrives (Articles 6–8), and the paper NA17 form handed to commune police within 12 hours of arrival, or 24 hours in remote areas (Articles 9–10).

VNeID is not confirmed as a required step

Short answer: nothing in the reviewed material records VNeID as a required step for foreign tenant registration. The confirmed items are NA17 for foreigners and CT01 for Vietnamese citizens' procedures. Treat any VNeID claim as unverified until a primary source confirms it.

NA17 is the declaration form identified for foreigners' temporary residence, and the administrative procedure described by the immigration authority has no fee. CT01 is identified by the Ministry of Public Security as a residence-information-change declaration used for Vietnamese citizens' temporary-residence procedures; it should not be presented as the foreigner-specific NA17 form without qualification. Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA does not mention VNeID: declarants use a declaration account on the ministry's temporary-residence declaration system.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to register my foreign tenant in Vietnam?: Yes. The person who directly manages or operates the accommodation is responsible for declaring a foreign resident's temporary residence to the commune-level police authority. This applies whether the foreigner stays in private homes, rented housing, hotels, guesthouses, employer-provided housing, medical facilities, or other lawful accommodation. If you rent out a property to a foreigner, you as the owner, or the person you authorise to run it, must make the declaration.
How long do I have to declare a foreign tenant's temporary residence?: An electronic declaration must be made immediately when the foreigner arrives (Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, Article 7(2)); for the paper NA17 form the deadline is 12 hours from arrival, extended to 24 hours in remote areas (Article 33(2) of Law No. 47/2014/QH13). Either way, declare on the day of arrival rather than at the end of the stay.
What happens if I don't register a foreign tenant?: Under Article 21 of Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, an accommodation provider that fails to declare foreign residents' temporary residence is fined according to how many foreigners go undeclared: VND 3,000,000 to VND 5,000,000 for 1–3, VND 10,000,000 to VND 15,000,000 for 4–8, and VND 15,000,000 to VND 20,000,000 for 9 or more; an organization pays twice these amounts (Article 5(2)). Which tier applies depends on how many foreigners went undeclared, so confirm the details of your case with the commune police.
Can I use the CT01 form for a foreign tenant?: No. CT01 is the residence-information-change declaration used for Vietnamese citizens' temporary-residence procedures. The form identified for foreigners' temporary residence is NA17, and the procedure described by the immigration authority has no fee. Use NA17 for a foreign tenant and keep CT01 for Vietnamese tenants.
Can I declare a foreign tenant online?: Yes. Foreigners' temporary residence can be declared electronically or using a paper declaration form (Article 33(2) of Law No. 47/2014/QH13). Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, effective from 24 July 2026, regulates both routes: electronic declaration on the Ministry of Public Security's system, made immediately when the foreigner arrives, and the paper NA17 form.
Does VNeID replace the declaration for foreign tenants?: Nothing in the reviewed material records whether VNeID replaces the temporary-residence declaration for foreign tenants. Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA does not mention VNeID; it provides for electronic declaration on the Ministry of Public Security's own system or the paper NA17 form, so VNeID is not established as a required step or as a substitute for the landlord's declaration to the commune police. Until an official source confirms otherwise, treat the declaration itself as the obligation.

Updated: 2026-10-13