A company expert works in Hanoi this week, Hai Phong next week, and Ho Chi Minh City next month. Having declared temporary residence in Hanoi, must they re-declare in each new province? The answer is clear: every new place of stay requires a fresh declaration, even for a 2–3 day business trip. This is one of the most misunderstood duties of foreigners in Vietnam.
The rule: changing your place of stay means re-declaring (Article 33.3)
Clause 3, Article 33 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam (consolidated document 62/VBHN-VPQH) provides that a foreigner who changes their place of temporary residence must declare temporary residence under Clause 1 of that Article. Working across multiple provinces is a continuous change of residence — a declaration in province A does not exempt the duty in province B.
How is the declaration made?
Under Clause 1, Article 33, declarations go through the person directly managing the accommodation facility, filed with the commune/ward/special-zone police or the police post/station where the facility is located. The facility must ask the foreigner to present their passport or international travel document and residence papers before agreeing to accommodate them.
As to form (Clause 2, Article 33): declaration via electronic means or a paper declaration form. With paper forms, the facility must forward them to the police within 12 hours of the foreigner’s arrival (24 hours in remote areas).
Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA (signed 09/6/2026, effective 24/7/2026, replacing Circular 53/2016/TT-BCA) introduces an important change: declarations are unified on the Ministry of Public Security’s electronic temporary-residence declaration system (tbltkbtt.bocongan.gov.vn), with nationwide data synchronisation; declaration is made as soon as the foreigner arrives at the facility; commune-level police receive filings 24/7; new data fields include the validity of residence certificates, extensions and residence cards. Where electronic filing is impossible, the paper form NA17 is used. Notably, facility owners remain responsible for declarations even when guests book through digital platforms (Agoda, Booking, etc.).
On the scope of accommodation facilities (Article 32): hotels, guesthouses, housing areas for working foreigners and private houses — a foreigner renting a private house must still be declared through the landlord or manager.
Checklist for companies with mobile experts
- Confirm the facility filed electronically — keep the receipt or system confirmation for each location;
- Distinguish the two parallel duties: temporary-residence declaration (under Law 47/2014, based on the actual place of stay, via the accommodation facility) is different from work-location notification (under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, filed with the labour authority). One does not replace the other;
- On work permits: Clause 1, Article 4 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP provides that a foreigner working for one employer in multiple provinces/cities has their work permit or exemption confirmation issued by the provincial People’s Committee of the province where the employer has its head office. For holders of a work-permit-exemption confirmation working in multiple provinces, the employer must notify at least 3 days in advance the competent authority of the province where the foreigner will work, stating the confirmation number; the work period may not exceed the confirmation’s validity (Clause 5, Article 9). Note: the corresponding notification rule for holders of an actual work permit has not been verified at the article level — do not infer it from the above;
- The sponsor’s coordination duty (point d, Clause 2, Article 45): the sponsoring agency/organisation must cooperate with accommodation facilities in declaring temporary residence for foreigners — companies with staff moving between provinces must coordinate proactively, not shift blame to hotels.
Penalties for failing to declare
Decree 282/2025/ND-CP (the current sanctions decree) sets sanctions in Article 21. According to official notices from provincial police, fines for failing to declare temporary residence are tiered by the number of foreigners: 1–3 persons: VND 3–5 million; 4–8 persons: VND 10–15 million; 9 or more: VND 15–20 million. A foreigner who fails to present documents to the facility for declaration: VND 3–5 million. The exact points and clauses of Article 21 are pending verification against the original text of Decree 282/2025 — the figures above are stated per official notices.
One clarification: frequent changes of residence do not require changing the temporary residence card — Clause 3, Article 33 only requires re-declaration at each new location.
FAQs
Must a 2-day business trip to another province be declared?
Yes. Every change of residence must be re-declared under Clause 3, Article 33; there is no short-stay exception.
Is there a fixed deadline for electronic declarations?
Circular 87/2026 requires declaration as soon as the foreigner arrives; the 12-hour deadline applies only to paper forms. No document sets a specific time window for electronic filing.
Must the employer file directly instead of the hotel?
No. The filing duty lies with the accommodation facility; the employer (sponsor) has a duty to cooperate (point d, Clause 2, Article 45).
Need help with visas, temporary residence or work permits for foreigners in Vietnam? Reach us via the Contact page of FLAT Law Firm.
The information above is for reference only and does not constitute legal advice.
Transparency note: this article was drafted and quality-checked by the AI Legal Council of FLAT Law Firm under its internal process; it has not been reviewed by a human lawyer.