Every foreigner residing in Vietnam, including children accompanying their parents, falls under the temporary residence declaration regime of the amended Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 47/2014/QH13. Children hold no separate exemption: a child’s particulars are declared together with the family at the place of stay, and the declaration duty rests on the accommodation provider or the family representative depending on the form of stay.
Must the child be registered separately?
A foreign child does not file a standalone dossier apart from the family in everyday living, but the child’s personal particulars — passport, date of birth, nationality — must appear in full in the household’s temporary residence declaration at the address lived in. Where the child holds a separate passport and residence basis, for example boarding at school, the declaration attaches to the child’s actual place of residence. Parents should verify that the declaration confirmation names every family member, because that paper is reused for residence cards, school files and family banking procedures.
The landlord declares for the whole family: whose duty is it?
For rented housing, the landlord or the accommodation management unit bears the duty to declare temporary residence for foreign tenants, via the commune police or the online declaration system, within the statutory time from arrival. The renting family must supply documents for every member including children and should require the landlord to complete the declaration. In hotels and serviced apartments the establishment declares as part of its operation; when staying at a relative’s home, the householder declares for the foreign guests staying there.
A child in a school dormitory: how declaration works
Where the child boards at a school dormitory, the school or dormitory operator is the accommodation establishment and declares temporary residence for the foreign pupils staying there. Parents must ensure the school has declared the dormitory address rather than the parents’ home address, because the declaration must reflect the actual residence. Where the child moves between the parents’ home and the dormitory by semester or long weekends, the family and the school should agree the declaration approach so the child’s residence record has no gap at either address.
Practical steps: at every change of address, check three points — who declares, whether the declaration includes the child’s name in full, and whether a confirmation has been issued. A temporary residence confirmation naming the child is a small paper that reappears in many later family procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a child be registered separately?
No separate standalone file, but the child’s particulars must appear fully in the family’s temporary residence declaration at the address lived in, under the amended Law 47/2014/QH13. Where the child boards or holds a separate residence status, the declaration follows the child’s actual address.
Does the landlord declare for the whole family?
The landlord or the accommodation manager is responsible for declaring foreign tenants within the statutory time; the family must supply documents for every member including children and should request a declaration confirmation naming each person.
What if the child lives in a school dormitory?
The school or dormitory operator is the accommodation establishment and declares boarding pupils at the dormitory address. Parents must ensure the declaration reflects the child’s actual residence and leaves no gap as the child moves between home and dormitory.
