My vietnamese girlfriend cannot stay at my house in vietnam overnight

As for this LAW that people keep referring to.....has anyone actually seen it in print.???

I've been told by two people that have searched this and they both found that the Co habitation Law was changed about 12 years ago.  Apparently there's no Law preventing foreigners and locals co habitating outside marriage.    One guy said he has printed it out in both English and Vietnamese . When the "police" come for their coffee money he gives them a copy and refers them to a Lawyer. So far it's working for him.

As for me, it  doesn't worry me at all.  I like my privacy and full use of the TV remote. 😀. Everyone out by 10pm.  It also prevents the marriage hassle.  I'd never marry anyone I couldn't live with first.  That's just common sense. 

The one thing that does amuse me is when I recently stayed in a nice hotel in Saigon , they would not let a woman I'd known for 2 years into the elevator, BUT the bellhop guy offered me the services of a hooker later that evening.   WTF..   

Anyone else out there actually seen this Law in print.

As you stated the law did change,but this is Viet Nam and the law is administered by whoever is in charge. Try staying at a state run hotel outside of the major cities without a marriage certificate,it wont happen.

The law was changed many years ago.  I've lived in Vietnam for 12 years now.  Lived with 3 women over this time frame...in a hotel, house and apartment!  I've never had a problem with the local police and I have never had to pay them any 'coffee money'!  As for individuals who stay at your home or apartment, it is required that you notify the local police and let them know you have a 'guest'...if they don't like it...don't answer your door!  I've actually told the police once that my paperwork and girlfriends is in the office...you want to see me...I'll meet you after 8 am at your office!  Don't come to my door at 115 in the morning; and closed the damn door on them!
I'm married now and still have never had a problem with any of the local immigrations or police...don't let them make you bow to them, and never give them a 'dong'!

It is not against the law for cohabitation!!  And I have stayed at 20 dollar hotels and at 245 dollar a night hotels with my girlfriend over the previous years! 
"Article II addressed the emerging phenomenon of cohabitation. Under the 1986 statue, such living arrangements were illegal. However, the 2000 reforms stipulated that although cohabitation between unmarried couples was no longer considered a criminal act, neither would such arrangements be recognized as equal to marriage between a husband and wife. Other provisions of Article II clarify divorce procedures, encourage gender equity within marriage (including treatment of sons and daughters), and emphasize the equal treatment of children born within and out of wedlock."

"Read more: Vietnam - The Revised Marriage And Family Law Of 2000 - Gender, Cohabitation, Development, Vietnamese, and Republic - JRank Articles http://family.jrank.org/pages/1744/Viet … yoG5"

I was just staying two nights in Blue Diamond Hotel in HCMC and hotel staff asked my wife marriage paper! My wife got really angry and demanded money back, and after that no more talk about marriage papers.

State run hotels have pre-historic thinking,its about time they pulled themselves into the 21st century.

Hahaha,  your story makes me laugh because it reminds me about 5 years ago when I ex and I first moved to danang to work
The first night in the hotel,  around 11pm when we had just finished a horror film and we heard a knock on our door,  I asked "who is it" for 3 times,  no answers but knocking, I was so scared and thinking if any ghosts wanted to play games with us..
But after a few seconds,  a voice said,  open the door or we will break it, police here!
Jesus Christ... They came in, check papers and accusing me that I was a prostitute, so I had to pretend that I was just a tour guide for my ex...blah blah
Anyway,  you know I am Vietnamese and I am proud to be, but I really don't understand my country at all and I think I will never do
But I love it,  the good sides of course and I just accept the bad sides
They will change soon, let's hope so

Move to Nhatrang instead lol

hoangngan03 wrote:

Oh, Don't worry about the policeman. In Vietnam, some policemen do that, they are very bad, always want money. But if you not do any badthing, they can't check your house. You should to ask them about paper for check, then you can take photo. Because economical and politic, the goverment of Vietnamese have to protec foreign people. So don't worry!

Good luck to you!

Thank you for this new perspective! The Police came to the language center to check my digs. Not to shake me down but to make sure all is well (or else the center would have to move me to a hotel).

Well, the center pretended that I was staying at the villa next door. We all went there to drink tea...

When staying with a widow and her children (as a married man with no romantic connection) she had to inform them. Doubt a payment was required. It was just for a few days...

I find a lot of thoughtfulness I had no idea existed. Now how about a Tourist Police in Hanoi?

they safe your gilrfriend

Family law has changed. This no longer applies as it did in the past. Not to say the police won't try and bambozzle you in order to get coffee money. Pergaps you can get a copy of the current Vnese family law. When they tell you this hand them the law with the applicable subject matter highlighted.

Just change your tea money to beer money .... No problem.

I have lived with my ex-american boyfriend for 3 years and i never get the trouble like that, your girlfriend should be tough, and no laws in vietnam like that. Actually, in hotel they can stop you if a foreigner guy goes with a vietnamese girl without marriage, but most of the hotels  they avoid the law by registering them by 2 different rooms online, the police does it to try to stop the man buying the prostitute,( strictly forbidden here)
But they couldn't enter to your house and check. Well everywhere is the same not just in vietnam, nobody can force you to give money to them if you are strong enough, dont think bad about my country please because as you see, many people help you here, and i hate people comment like " vietnamese is like that, vietnamese is like this, how many vietnameses you know to say it"  after all, hope you have a good life

Is he an. Ex - boyfriend or Ex American  ?  I don't think bad about your country I love it here . Giving a few dollars to the police now and again to keep out of trouble an't a bad thing. I wish it was the same in the UK but they are greedy BA ,,,,, and they would rather take you to court, waste tax payers money and everyone's time over a trivial crap. I had a a few problems many years ago with not being married and booking a room in a hotel. We had to find different accomadation. Now it's different, I still haven't got any marrige papers I've been married over 3 years and been together for 11 years. The police don't bother me, they know getting papers in this country is like getting snow in the desert.

If you have been married for 3 years and still do not have paper stating such...then you haven't or your wife hasn't done something!  No documents...no marriage...how do you prove such...by the bribes you provide??
I've been married two years.  The paperwork was started in November 2013, family wedding in December, and documents drawn for such on the 27th of December and posted on the 3rd of January 2014.  The total cost for everything was one million Dong paid up front when we filed and some flowers for the gals who assisted me in doing the paperwork.
And I've never paid the 'police'...I've lived in Vietnam for over 12 years and have stayed at 3 star and 5 star hotels not married and married.  If a hotel had a problem with renting a room, I went elsewhere...
Next time a policeman wants some 'coffee money', ask him for his ID so you can get his full name and number.  And then say you will be glad to talk to the officials at the the main office.