Police registration: what it is, why it matters, how to obtain it

How police registration works once you own a home in Hanoi

⏱ Repeats on every stay — usually completed within a few hours of arrival

1. 1

   Work out who your 'host' is for this purpose

   ⏱ Before or on arrival◈ No cost

   If you are staying in a hotel or serviced apartment, the front desk files the declaration for you automatically — you do nothing. If you are staying in your own unit, a rented apartment, or with family or friends, the obligation falls on the owner, landlord, or — in most Hanoi condominiums — the building's management board, which typically files on behalf of all foreign residents at once.

   ⚠Assuming that owning the unit removes the obligation. It does not — it only changes who normally handles the filing on your behalf.

   → property management
2. 2

   Gather the documents your host will need

   ⏱ Same day◈ No cost

   Whoever files the declaration — you, your landlord, or the management board — will need your passport showing a valid visa or entry stamp, plus proof of your connection to the address: your Pink Book if you are the registered owner, or a lease agreement or handover minutes if you are renting or staying as a guest.

   DocumentsPassport with valid visa or entry stamp · Pink Book, lease agreement, or handover minutes showing your address

   ⚠A scanned copy without a visible entry stamp is often rejected — keep the physical passport on hand, not only a photocopy.

   → law firms
3. 3

   File the declaration within the deadline

   ⏱ Within 12 hours of arrival (24 hours in remote areas)◈ Free (facilitation fee only if you use an agent, roughly €10–€30)

   The declaration is filed at the local ward-level police station (công an phường/xã), or increasingly online through the national residence portal or a building's own digital system linked to the local police database. Many Hanoi condominiums now offer same-day online filing for owners and long-stay tenants, which is faster than an in-person visit.

   ⚠A late-night or holiday arrival does not extend the clock — ask your building management or landlord in advance how they handle after-hours check-ins.

   → expat services
4. 4

   Keep proof that the declaration was filed

   ⏱ Same day◈ No cost

   Ask for a stamped confirmation slip if filed in person, or save the reference number or confirmation screen if filed online. This proof can be requested again later — for a visa extension, a Temporary Residence Card application, or a routine police check — so it is worth keeping with your other property paperwork.

   DocumentsStamped confirmation slip or online reference number

   ⚠Owners who let the building management file on their behalf often never see the confirmation — ask them to forward a copy every time, not just the first.

5. 5

   Repeat it on every new stay or change of address

   ⏱ Every arrival and every address change◈ Free

   This is not a one-off document. Each time you leave and re-enter Vietnam, or move between properties — your own unit one trip, a family member's home the next — the declaration needs to be filed again for that specific stay and address.

   ⚠Assuming last year's declaration still applies. It does not — a new stay always requires a fresh filing.

6. 6

   If you rent your unit out, the responsibility follows the tenancy

   ⏱ Ongoing, once the property is let◈ Included in most property-management fees

   Once you let your Hanoi property to a foreign tenant, you — or your property manager on your behalf — typically become the host responsible for their declaration too. Agree in writing, before the lease starts, exactly who will file it: you, a managing agent, or the building's management board.

   ⚠Leaving it verbally to the tenant without confirming in writing can leave you, as the registered owner, exposed if the declaration is never actually filed.

   → property management

Expat services that handle police registration for Hanoi property owners

Frequently asked questions

Sources