Temporary residence when renting: who files, where, which papers, deadlines

Legal basis: Law on Residence No. 68/2020/QH14 (amended by Law No. 118/2025/QH15, effective 1 July 2026); Decree 154/2024/NĐ-CP (amended by Decree 58/2026/NĐ-CP); Circular 53/2025/TT-BCA; Circular 75/2022/TT-BTC, Circular 29/2026/TT-BTC; Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP; for foreigners: Law No. 47/2014/QH13 (amended 2019, 2023), Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA · Updated 20 October 2026.

Tenants staying 30 days or more must register temporary residence themselves; for shorter stays, the landlord gives notice of the stay. The procedure can be done on your phone via VNeID, the file is just the form and the lease, and the police process it within 3 working days. Registering on time also means you are charged water at the standard-quota rate and can use the temporary address for other procedures.

Who files: you, the landlord or the accommodation provider?

Case	Procedure	Who does it	Deadline
Vietnamese citizen renting for 30 days or more, outside the commune / ward of permanent residence	Temporary residence registration	The tenant registers	Once the stay reaches 30 days
Short stays (guests staying over, short-term rentals)	Notice of stay	The owner, a household member or the accommodation provider; if the owner is away, the person staying gives notice	Before 11 pm on the first day (arriving after 11 pm: before 8 am the next day)
Foreigner renting a home	Temporary residence declaration	The person directly managing the place of stay — for a private home, the landlord	As soon as the guest arrives (electronic system) or within 12 hours (paper form)

The amended Law on Residence, effective 1 July 2026, limits a notified stay to at most 30 days; longer stays must switch to temporary residence registration. A notice of stay can be given by phone, email, the Public Service Portal, VNeID or stay-notification software, free of charge.

Where to file

• Online: the VNeID app or the National Public Service Portal. Each application gets a code for tracking progress.
• In person: the commune-level (ward) police where the apartment is, during office hours Monday to Friday and Saturday morning.

When filing in person, the officer retrieves your data from the National Population Database; papers already in VNeID or the database do not need to be submitted again.

What the file contains

1. Residence information change form (form CT01) under Circular 53/2025/TT-BCA. Minors need the consent of a parent or guardian.
2. Papers proving lawful accommodation: for a tenant, the rental contract. For temporary residence registration, a document letting, lending or allowing you to stay in the home does not need to be notarised or certified (unlike permanent residence registration).

The contract should state both parties' full names and personal ID numbers, the apartment's address, area and the rental term. Ask the landlord in advance whether they are willing to confirm if the police get in touch.

Deadlines, fees and fines

Item	Rule
Processing time	3 working days from receipt of a complete, valid file
Maximum temporary residence period	2 years, renewable multiple times
Extension	File within 15 days before the temporary residence expires
Fee (individuals)	15,000 dong in person, 7,000 dong online
Fee waiver	Filing via VNeID from 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2026 (Circular 29/2026/TT-BTC)
Failing to register temporary residence as required	A warning or a fine of 500,000–1,000,000 dong

The result is a notice that your temporary residence information has been updated, or a refusal stating the reason. If the lease is shorter than 2 years, register for the lease term; if you extend the lease, remember to extend your temporary residence.

Foreign tenants

Foreigners do not register temporary residence under the Law on Residence as Vietnamese citizens do. Under the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, they must declare temporary residence through the person managing the place of stay, and places of stay include private homes. So the landlord, or the person the landlord appoints to manage the apartment, files the declaration.

• From 24 July 2026 (Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA), a declaration through the electronic temporary residence system is made as soon as the guest arrives; with a paper declaration form (form NA17), it is sent to the commune-level police within 12 hours, or 24 hours in remote areas.
• If the guest changes address or passport, a new declaration is required.
• A manager who fails to declare may be fined up to 12 million dong (Article 10, Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP, from 15 December 2025).

Papers, bilingual contracts and payment for foreign tenants: see renting an apartment as a foreigner.

When you move out

When the lease ends and you move away, your temporary residence at the old address is due to be deregistered. Under Decree 58/2026/NĐ-CP (effective 15 March 2026), when the person concerned needs to file, the deadline is 7 days and the registration authority processes it within 3 working days; if no one files, the police verify and deregister it themselves. Then register temporary residence at your new home.

What to write into the lease

• The landlord provides papers and confirms when the police verify, so you can register temporary residence.
• A list of the people who will live in the unit (the number of people affects the water quota and the building rules).
• For foreign tenants: who declares temporary residence, and that the tenant tells the landlord when away for a long time or changing passports.

Other clauses on deposit, term and early termination: see checking an apartment lease.

This article is for reference only and does not replace legal or financial advice for your specific case.

1. Sign a written lease with full details of both parties, the address, area and rental term. No notarisation needed.
2. Photograph every page of the contract clearly (to upload when filing online) and keep the original.
3. Open VNeID (or the National Public Service Portal), choose the temporary residence registration procedure and fill in form CT01 with the address of the rented apartment.
4. Attach the lease, check the details and submit; note the application code.
5. Let the landlord know in advance so they are ready to confirm if the commune-level police get in touch.
6. Track the result within 3 working days; if refused, read the reason, add what is missing and resubmit.
7. Note the expiry date of your temporary residence, and extend within 15 days before it expires if you are staying on.
8. When you move out, follow the instructions to deregister the old temporary residence, then register at your new home.

Sources in Vietnamese; titles kept in the original, with a short English translation in brackets.

• National Assembly — Luật Cư trú số 68/2020/QH14 (Law on Residence No. 68/2020/QH14 — Articles 2, 27, 28, 30), issued 13 November 2020, effective 1 July 2021.
• Vietnam Lawyers Journal — Thủ tục đăng ký tạm trú theo quy định mới (Temporary residence registration under the new rules — Decision 1523/QĐ-BCA-C06, Circular 53/2025/TT-BCA, Decree 154/2024/NĐ-CP), 27 April 2026.
• Nghe An public administration portal — Quy định mới về giấy tờ, tài liệu chứng minh chỗ ở hợp pháp để đăng ký thường trú, tạm trú từ 10/1/2025 (New rules on papers proving lawful accommodation for permanent and temporary residence registration from 10 January 2025 — Decree 154/2024/NĐ-CP, Article 5), 10 December 2024.
• Vietnam Lawyers Journal — Một số điểm mới cơ bản của Luật Cư trú sửa đổi và Thông tư 116/2026/TT-BCA (Key changes in the amended Law on Residence and Circular 116/2026/TT-BCA — Law No. 118/2025/QH15), 17 July 2026.
• Vietnam Lawyers Journal — Sửa đổi, bổ sung một số quy định về đăng ký cư trú (Amendments to residence registration rules — Decree 58/2026/NĐ-CP), accessed 20 October 2026.
• Vietnam Law newspaper (Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam) — Miễn lệ phí đăng ký cư trú trên VNeID đến hết năm 2026 (Residence registration fees on VNeID waived until the end of 2026 — Circular 29/2026/TT-BTC), 16 April 2026.
• Vietnam Lawyers Journal — Mức phạt đối với hành vi không thực hiện đúng quy định của pháp luật về đăng ký tạm trú (Fines for not complying with temporary residence registration rules — Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP), 10 November 2025.
• National Assembly — Luật Nhập cảnh, xuất cảnh, quá cảnh, cư trú của người nước ngoài tại Việt Nam số 47/2014/QH13 (Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners No. 47/2014/QH13 — Articles 32, 33), issued 16 June 2014.
• Vietnam Lawyers Journal — Cách thức thực hiện khai báo, tiếp nhận thông tin tạm trú của người nước ngoài tại Việt Nam (How foreigners' temporary residence is declared and received — Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA), 22 June 2026.
• Tuoi Tre (Phap Luat TP.HCM) — Không khai báo tạm trú cho khách nước ngoài, chủ khách sạn bị phạt bao nhiêu? (Fines for not declaring foreign guests' temporary residence — Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP, Article 10), 6 December 2025.