Tạm trú is temporary residence registration with the local police. As a foreigner renting in Hanoi you are legally required to be registered at your address, and it matters more than most newcomers realise.
Why it matters
Papers for a visa extension or a Temporary Residence Card can ask for proof of where you live, and your registration is that proof. If your landlord has not registered you, it can quietly hold that paperwork up. Ask your sponsor or the immigration office which papers they want in your case.
What the law says
A foreigner staying in Vietnam is declared to the police of the ward where the home is. The declaration is made through the person who directly manages the home, and a private home counts. Before agreeing to the stay, that person must ask for your passport or travel document and the papers that show your right to be in Vietnam.
It is done online or on a paper form; on paper, it must reach the ward police within 12 hours of your arrival (24 hours in remote areas).
If you move to another home, the declaration is made again.
The law: Article 33 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (47/2014/QH13, in force 1 January 2015; Article 33 as amended by 23/2023/QH15, in force 15 August 2023, and by 118/2025/QH15, in force 1 July 2026). Checked 6 October 2026. This is a plain-words summary of that one article, so read the law itself if your case is unusual.
Whose job is it
Legally the landlord or host is responsible for registering you, but in practice many do not unless prompted. Make it a condition in your contract and confirm it is actually done after you move in. Our guide to checking a lease written in Vietnamese shows where to write it into the lease.
What to have ready
Whoever declares your stay will ask for:
- Your passport or travel document
- The papers that show your right to be in Vietnam, such as your visa or residence card
- The address of the home and the date you arrive
- Your contact details, and your lease if the office asks for it
Hotels, serviced buildings and a friend’s home
A private home counts as a place of stay, so a friend or relative who hosts you is the person who declares you. A hotel or a serviced building usually does it at check-in, but ask to be sure, and ask again when you move from one place to the next.
How to check it was done
Do not settle for "it is done". Ask for whatever the police office gave back, whether a paper slip or an electronic confirmation, and keep a photograph of it with your lease. If you cannot get one after you move in, ask the landlord for the date it was sent and the office it went to, and ask again in writing.
When you move
Each new home needs its own declaration, so ask about it when you view, not after you sign. Our Moving to Hanoi checklist puts it in your first month, after you have an address.
How Nest handles it
We make registration part of the deal, complete it after you move in and check that it was filed, so that a missing form does not hold up your visa or Temporary Residence Card paperwork.
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