NEW REGULATIONS ON PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF REGULATIONS ON RESIDENCE REGISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

The Government has promulgated Decree No. 282/2025/NĐ-CP providing for administrative sanctions in the fields of security, order, social safety; prevention and control of social evils; and prevention and control of domestic violence. One of the notable provisions concerns sanctions for failing to comply with regulations on residency registration and residency management.

1. Regulations on residency registration

Residency registration is understood as the procedures conducted by citizens related to permanent residence registration, temporary residence registration, temporary absence declaration, lodging notification, as well as declaration and adjustment of residency information in the Residency Database. According to Clauses 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 Article 2 of the Law on Residence 2020:

- Lodging refers to the case where citizens stay at a location other than their permanent or temporary residence for less than 30 days;

- Temporary absence refers to the case where citizens are absent from their place of residence for a certain period of time;

- Permanent residence refers to the place where citizens live stably and for a long term and have completed permanent residence registration as prescribed by law;

- Temporary residence refers to the place where citizens live for a certain period of time outside their permanent residence and have been registered for temporary residence by a competent authority.

Accordingly, temporary residence registration is a mandatory procedure for citizens when moving to live at another lawful place outside the area of their registered permanent residence for a certain period of time. Temporary residence registration aims to establish lawful residency information, forming the basis for citizens to be issued relevant documents and ensuring the exercise of their legitimate rights and interests as prescribed by law.

According to Article 27 of the Law on Residence 2020, citizens who come to live at a lawful place of residence outside the administrative boundaries of the commune-level unit where they have registered permanent residence for work, study, or other purposes for 30 days or more must carry out temporary residence registration procedures.

The temporary residence period can be registered for up to 02 years and may be extended multiple times depending on the citizen’s need to continue residing.

2. Sanctions for violations of regulations on residency registration and management

Temporary residence registration is a citizen’s obligation so that the State can fulfill its responsibilities in residency management. Therefore, failure to register temporary residence affects the management activities of competent authorities, and violators may be fined from a minimum of VND 500,000 to a maximum of VND 1,000,000 depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

For acts violating regulations on residency registration and management, sanctions are applied under Article 10 of Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP, specifically:

(1) A warning or a fine of VND 500,000 – 1,000,000 applies to basic procedural violations, including:

- Failing to comply with regulations on: permanent residence registration, temporary residence registration, deletion of registration, household separation, adjustment of residency information, residency declaration;

- Failure to notify lodging or to declare temporary absence as required;

- Failure to present documents or residency information upon request by competent authorities.

(2) A fine of VND 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 applies to fraudulent acts or organized violations, including:

- Erasing or altering residency documents;

- Buying, selling, renting, leasing residency documents to commit unlawful acts;

- Borrowing, lending, or using residency documents for improper purposes;

- Moving to a new lawful place of residence but failing to register residency as required;

- Accommodation establishments failing to notify lodging for 1–3 persons;

- Organizing, inciting, brokering, or coercing others to violate residency laws;

- Pawning or accepting residency documents as collateral;

- Destroying residency documents or records.

Acts of erasing, altering, or destroying residency documents or records will be subject to confiscation of violating items and means.

(3) A fine of VND 4,000,000 – 8,000,000 applies to acts for profit or acts causing obstruction, including:

- Allowing others to register residency at one’s place of residence for profit;

- Accommodation establishments failing to notify lodging for 4–8 persons;

- Obstructing citizens from exercising their right to freedom of residence;

- Failing to comply with or obstructing residency inspections by competent authorities.

(4) A fine of VND 8,000,000 – 12,000,000 applies to acts of falsification or providing false information, including:

- Providing false information/documents for: permanent residence registration, temporary residence registration, household separation, adjustment/deletion of residency information, extension of temporary residence, temporary absence declaration;

- Forging residency data or using forged residency data;

- Forging or using forged residency information on the national identification application;

- Accommodation establishments failing to notify lodging for 9 persons or more.

Sanctions for the above acts also include additional penalties of confiscation of violating items and means (except for failure to notify lodging for 9 persons or more).

Acts of buying, selling, renting, leasing, pawning residency documents, and allowing others to register residency at one’s place of residence for profit, when detected, are required to return the illegal gains obtained from such violations.

The fines above apply to administrative violations committed by individuals. For organizations committing the same violations, the fines are doubled.

3. Important notes on lodging notifications

(1) Persons responsible for lodging notification:

Clause 1 Article 30 of the Law on Residence 2020 provides that when a person comes to lodge, a household member, the representative of a medical facility, a tourist accommodation establishment, or other facilities with lodging functions must notify the lodging to the residency registration authority.

If a person comes to lodge at an individual’s or household’s place while the individual or household member is not present, the person coming to lodge is responsible for notifying the residency registration authority.

(2) Time for lodging notification

According to Clause 4 Article 30 of the Law on Residence 2020, lodging notification must be made before 11:00 PM on the first day of lodging. If the person arrives after 11:00 PM, the notification must be made before 8:00 AM the following day.

For grandparents, parents, spouses, children, grandchildren, and siblings who lodge repeatedly, only one notification is required.

(3) How to perform lodging notification

Lodging notification can be made directly at the police authority or online via the National Public Service Portal, the VNeID application, or via email/phone number of the police authority.

Currently, the most common method is using the VNeID application with the following steps: log in, select “Administrative Procedures,” select “Lodging Notification,” create a new request, enter the information of the lodger and the lodging establishment, and then submit the request.

Conclusion

Decree No. 282/2025/NĐ-CP has specified and strengthened sanctions related to residency registration and management, creating a strict legal framework to ensure order, security, and unified population management nationwide. The new regulations are more deterrent, requiring citizens to strictly comply with obligations to register and update residency information.

Notably, the Decree categorizes violations into groups: basic procedural violations, fraudulent acts, profit-driven acts, and acts involving falsified residency information, with corresponding fines ranging from VND 500,000 to VND 12,000,000. Acts such as forging residency data, erasing documents, or using forged residency information are subject to severe penalties accompanied by confiscation of violating items and means.

Stricter sanctions will help improve the effectiveness of residency management, reduce evasion of residency declarations, and prevent the buying, selling, or fraudulent use of residency documents. Citizens should regularly check and update their residency information on the National Population Database and strictly fulfill obligations regarding permanent residence, temporary residence, and lodging notification. Accommodation establishments, businesses, and households must establish internal procedures to ensure timely lodging notifications. Additionally, individuals must remain vigilant and avoid participating in unlawful activities related to the trading, leasing, or improper use of residency documents to avoid sanctions and other legal liabilities.