What are penalties for failing to register foreigners’ temporary residence in Vietnam?

Under Point e, Clause 3, Article 21 of the government’s Decree No. 282, accommodation providers that fail to declare the temporary residence of between one and three foreign nationals, or create electronic accounts using false information to register foreign guests, shall be fined between VND3 million and VND5 million ($116-194).

The requirement for lodging suppliers to register foreign nationals staying overnight has been in place for many years.

The procedure is currently governed by the Ministry of Public Security’s Circular No. 87/2026, which took effect on July 24.

The person responsible for declaring a foreign guest’s temporary residence must be the accommodation facility's owner, legal representative or an authorized person.

Regardless of who is assigned the task, the responsible individual must complete the declaration immediately upon the foreign guest’s arrival.

Accommodation providers must also ensure that the registration process operates continuously, so that every foreign national staying at their premises is properly registered in accordance with the law.

The required registration information includes full name and gender, date of birth, nationality, passport number or number of another internationally recognized travel document.

Others are the validity period of the temporary residence certification, temporary residence extension or temporary residence card issued by the competent authority, and expected duration of stay at the accommodation establishment.

The obligation applies to all types of accommodation establishments hosting foreign nationals overnight.

These include tourist accommodation facilities, guesthouses, housing facilities for foreigners working or studying in Vietnam, internship accommodation, medical examination and treatment facilities, private homes and other lodging establishments as prescribed by law.

What should accommodation providers do if foreign guests have no passport?

Under Vietnam’s 2014 Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, as amended and supplemented several times, foreign nationals staying temporarily in the country must have their residence declared through the person directly managing or operating the accommodation establishment.

Before allowing a foreigner to stay, accommodation providers are required to ask the guest to present their passport or another valid international travel document, along with relevant documents confirming their legal residence status in Vietnam.

These documents must be checked before the temporary residence declaration is submitted.

Temporary residence declarations for foreign nationals can be submitted through either an electronic system or a paper declaration form.

For paper declarations, the person directly managing or operating the accommodation establishment must submit the completed form to the police authority within 12 hours of the foreign guest’s arrival.

The deadline is extended to 24 hours for accommodation establishments in remote or isolated areas.

For electronic declarations, accommodation providers are advised to complete the process immediately after receiving foreign guests to ensure information is updated promptly and to minimize errors or omissions.

If an accommodation provider discovers that a foreign guest does not have a passport or the required documents, or suspects a violation of regulations on entry, exit or residence, it must immediately notify the police at the commune-level.