Do foreigners have to register in China? Usually your hotel does it for you
Photo: Vojtech Bruzek / Unsplash
Every foreigner in China has to register where they're staying. If you've lived in Germany you'll know the idea: there it's the Anmeldung. Japan and Korea have their own versions for residents. The difference here is that it applies to short-term visitors too, and the deadline is tight.
For most visitors it happens without them noticing. The rest of this article is for the people it doesn't happen for.
The rule in one paragraph
Under China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, foreigners must register their accommodation with the police within 24 hours of arrival. That applies each time you move to a new place, not just when you land. As the South China Morning Post noted when the online system launched, failing to register can bring a warning or a fine of up to 2,000 yuan.
Which situation are you in?
| Where you're staying | Who registers | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel | The hotel | Hand over your passport at check-in. That's it. |
| Homestay, guesthouse, short-term rental apartment | You or your host | Register online or at the police station within 24 hours. |
| Friends' or family's home | You or your host | Same. The host usually needs to help the first time. |
| Your own long-term rental | You (often with your landlord) | Register on moving in, and again after trips if your local station asks. |
Since 2024, hotels have been told to accept foreign guests, so the hotel route covers most tourists. See which hotels take foreigners if you're unsure.
What changed in 2026
Until this year, registering a non-hotel stay meant a trip to the local police station (派出所) with your host, your passport and often your host's ID and property papers. Doable, but nobody's idea of a holiday.
The National Immigration Administration piloted online registration from 20 March 2026 in seven provincial-level regions, including Zhejiang, Hubei, Chongqing and Sichuan, covering homestays, rural villas, short-term rental apartments, inns and private homes. On 21 September 2026 it went nationwide. China Daily reported that online filings have the same legal effect as registering in person.
My take: this is one of the more useful changes of the past few years for anyone visiting friends here. It turns a half-day errand into a few minutes on a phone. The catch is that the first registration still tends to need the host, so don't leave it until they're at work.
How to register online
- Pick a channel: the NIA website, the NIA 12367 app, or the 12367 mini-program inside WeChat or Alipay.
- Verify your identity with your passport details. Enter your name exactly as it appears in the passport.
- Choose accommodation registration and fill in the address, your arrival date and expected stay.
- Bring the host in. For a first registration at an address, the host is generally expected to help, because they know the exact address details. Hosts can be Chinese or foreign.
- Submit and screenshot the confirmation. The record stays in your account on the platform.
You can file on your own, without the host, if you've already registered that same address on the platform before, or if it's a home you own in China.
What to have ready
- Your passport, and the entry stamp or visa page.
- The full address in Chinese, down to building, unit and room number. Ask your host to send it as text so you can paste it.
- Your host's name and phone number, and for the first registration, the host themselves within reach.
- Your arrival date in that city and the date you plan to leave.
For hosts: you share responsibility. If a guest from abroad doesn't register, the warning or fine can land on you as well as on them. Doing it together on day one protects you both.
When it goes wrong
- The app won't verify you. Try the mini-program in the other super-app, or the website. If none work, call the 12367 hotline.
- The address isn't recognized. Ask the host to enter it from their property documents or lease. Building and unit numbers are where errors creep in.
- You missed the 24 hours. Register as soon as you notice. Offline registration at the local police station or exit-entry service window is still available, and turning up on your own initiative is a far better position than being asked about it later.
- You're moving on to another city. New city, new registration. A hotel will handle it. A friend's flat won't.
Quick questions
I'm on visa-free entry or the 240-hour transit. Does this still apply?
Yes. The registration rule doesn't depend on your visa type. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel, register. More on visa-free entry and the 240-hour transit.
I booked an apartment on a booking platform. Is that a hotel?
Not necessarily. Some licensed serviced apartments check you in like a hotel. Many private listings won't register you at all. Ask the host directly before you arrive: "Will you register me, or should I do it on 12367?"
I live here with a residence permit. Do I register after every trip?
China Daily's report on the new system says residence permit holders returning to the home where they normally live, during the permit's validity, don't need to re-register. Local stations can still have their own habits, so if yours has asked you before, keep doing what it asks.
Friends are coming to stay with me. What's my job?
Do it with them on the first evening. It takes a few minutes online, and it's much easier than explaining later why you didn't.
Sources: SCMP (Sept 2026), China Daily (Mar 2026), Envoy Global. Check on: National Immigration Administration.
If something here has changed, email me. I re-check every guide and update the date at the top.
Written by David, who lives in China. About me