China accommodation registration
Hotels use their hotel registration process, while a stay in a private home or other non-hotel accommodation needs a clear plan with the traveler or host. As of July 19, 2026, online non-hotel registration remains a pilot in seven provincial-level regions. Confirm the process for the address and keep the local police station or NIA 12367 as a fallback.
On this page
Quick answer
At a hotel, show the valid travel document requested at check-in and ask how the hotel handles foreign-guest registration. For a private home, short-term rental or other non-hotel stay, confirm who will complete the registration. Online registration is currently being piloted in seven provincial-level regions; it is not yet a nationwide service. If the route is unclear or fails, contact the accommodation, the local police station or NIA 12367.
Choose your path in 60 seconds
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| Accommodation | What to do next | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel | Show the valid travel document requested at check-in. Ask whether the hotel handles registration and how to confirm the current status if needed. | A booking confirmation alone is not a registration record. |
| Serviced apartment | Before booking, ask whether it uses a hotel process or a non-hotel process and who will assist. | The words ‘serviced apartment’ do not decide the route. |
| Short-term rental or guesthouse-style property | Confirm the responsible host or operator, exact Chinese address, online or in-person route and fallback if online registration fails. | A platform listing does not prove that the actual registration path has been arranged. |
| Friends or family home | Tell the person providing the home in advance, prepare the address and documents, then follow the current local process together. | A private stay is not outside the registration rules. |
| Not booked | Ask how foreign-guest accommodation registration will be handled before choosing the property. | A platform's general support answer does not replace confirmation from the actual accommodation. |
In short: If the accommodation cannot explain who handles registration and what official fallback applies, resolve that gap before arrival rather than waiting until checkout.
Ten terms to understand
- Accommodation registration
- The official record of where a foreign visitor is staying. It is separate from making or paying for a booking.
- Hotel
- A property that handles foreign-guest registration through the hotel process. Show the valid travel document requested at check-in and ask the property when confirmation is needed.
- Non-hotel accommodation
- A friend's home, rented home, ordinary residence or another place outside the hotel process.
- Accommodation host
- The person providing the residence, called the host in this guide. The host may be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner.
- Online registration
- Using an approved NIA online route where the pilot and the person's situation allow it.
- In-person registration
- Completing the process in person at the local police station or public security office responsible for the residence.
- Registration record
- The result or record produced after the competent system or authority accepts the registration; an attempted submission is not the same thing.
- NIA 12367
- The National Immigration Administration service hotline and the name used for its App and mini programs. The hotline can provide process guidance.
- Pilot region
- One of the provincial-level regions currently included in the online non-hotel registration pilot.
- Local police or public security office
- The police station or public security office responsible for the residence and its in-person registration process.
Since March 20, 2026, the NIA online pilot for non-hotel accommodation has covered Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. These are seven provincial-level regions, and online registration is not yet a nationwide service. The pilot scope may change, so recheck the NIA announcement before travel. Official access routes are the NIA Government Service website, the NIA 12367 app, the NIA 12367 mini program in WeChat and the NIA 12367 mini program in Alipay. In-person registration remains available; a successful online registration has the same legal effect as an in-person registration. For a non-hotel stay, accommodation registration must be completed within 24 hours after the foreign visitor arrives at the residence.
Who handles the registration
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| Stay | Traveler's part | Accommodation or host part | Confirm with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel | Present the valid travel document requested at check-in and ask for clarification if the process is uncertain. | The hotel follows its registration process and submits the guest information to the local authorities. | Hotel front desk and local police when necessary |
| First online filing at someone else's home | Coordinate with the host and provide only the information requested by the official process. | Ask the host to complete or help with the first filing, since they know the address details. | Current NIA platform instructions |
| Self-owned residence or a qualifying repeat filing | Check whether the current platform offers an independent route for the exact case. | Host involvement may differ; another person's address can require host verification. | Current NIA platform and local police |
| Online service unavailable or unsuccessful | Do not treat the attempt as completion; use the in-person route. | The host or accommodation should provide accurate address information and practical assistance. | Local police station or NIA 12367 |
In short: ChinaReady does not decide whether a traveler meets the platform's independent-filing conditions.
Online and in-person routes
Use the property's real registration process rather than inferring it from labels such as apartment, guesthouse or rental.
Use the NIA Government Service website, the NIA 12367 app, the NIA 12367 mini program in WeChat or the NIA 12367 mini program in Alipay. Do not use a paid website that imitates an official filing service.
Who files, how identity is verified, and what address documents are required may vary. Provide only what the official channel or responsible office asks for.
If online filing is unavailable, unclear or unsuccessful, contact the local police station responsible for the residence or call NIA 12367 for guidance.
A successful online registration and an in-person registration have equal legal effect. Keep the current record or result available, and do not treat an unfinished attempt as completion.
Six questions to ask before booking
These answers help you prepare; they do not mean the registration has already been completed. Confirm the actual process after check-in.
- Can I check in with a foreign passport?
- Who will complete or help with accommodation registration?
- Will the property register me through its hotel system, an official online service or at the local police station?
- What documents or information should the traveler prepare?
- How will the process be handled after a late-night check-in?
- Can the accommodation provide its accurate Chinese name and full Chinese address?
Message to the accommodation
Send this fixed text yourself before booking or check-in. Replace nothing on this page; ask follow-up questions directly with the accommodation.
Hello. I will check in using a foreign passport. Please confirm who will help with accommodation registration and what documents or information I should prepare. If online or in-person registration is required, please let me know the current process. Thank you.
Fixed text only. ChinaReady does not collect, edit, save or send your message or accommodation details.
Ten common mistakes
- Treating a completed booking as a completed accommodation registration.
- Treating a platform support answer as a promise from the actual property.
- Assuming every serviced apartment follows a hotel process.
- Treating the seven-region online pilot as one national online service.
- Waiting until arrival to ask the host for the first time.
- Using an incomplete Chinese address, building or room number.
- Waiting indefinitely when the host does not know the process instead of contacting NIA 12367 or the local police station.
- Assuming a record for an earlier address covers a new address.
- Not keeping access to the current registration record or result.
- Using an unofficial paid filing page that imitates a government service.
Accommodation registration FAQ
Does a hotel handle accommodation registration?
Hotels follow the hotel registration process and submit foreign-guest information to the local authorities. Present the valid travel document requested at check-in. If the process is unclear, ask the hotel how it confirms the current status.
What should I do when staying with friends or family?
Tell the person providing the home before arrival, confirm the exact address and current online or in-person route, and prepare to complete the applicable process together. For a first online filing at someone else's home, ask the host to complete or help with it.
Can every short-term rental complete the process?
Do not decide from the listing or commercial label. Ask the actual host or operator who handles registration, which official route applies and what the fallback is. ChinaReady does not assess a specific property.
Is a serviced apartment treated as a hotel?
The name alone does not answer that question. Ask whether the property follows a hotel registration process or a non-hotel process and who will assist after check-in.
Is online accommodation registration one national service?
No. As of July 19, 2026, the NIA service remains a pilot in Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. Check the current official announcement before travel.
Who can file online?
The current official route varies by residence and prior registration. A person may have an independent path for a self-owned residence or qualifying repeat filing, while an initial filing at someone else's home should involve the host. Follow the platform prompts.
What if online filing fails?
Do not count an unsuccessful attempt as completion. Use the in-person route at the local police station responsible for the residence, and call NIA 12367 if you need process guidance.
Should I keep the registration record?
Keep access to the current result or record so you can refer to it when needed. A successful online record can be shown electronically; the official interpretation says printing is not required.
What should I do after moving to another address?
Do not assume an earlier record covers the new address. Confirm the process for the new residence. Official guidance lists only narrow same-residence situations where repeat registration may not be needed.
Does visa-free entry remove accommodation registration duties?
The official accommodation rules are based on where a foreign visitor stays, not on this site's assessment of the entry route. Do not infer an exemption from visa-free entry; follow the current process for the actual accommodation.
Official sources
Scope: National announcement establishing the online pilot for non-hotel accommodation registration, its seven provincial-level regions, access channels, retained on-site channel and equal legal effect after successful registration.
Limit: This is a pilot announcement, not a city-by-city availability checker. It does not guarantee that a particular person, address or submission can use or complete the online route.
Scope: National English explanation of the pilot scope, foreign traveler and host roles, limited repeat-registration situations, online channels, on-site fallback and NIA 12367 help.
Limit: The English page is used with the authoritative Chinese announcement and interpretation. Role and repeat-registration details depend on the exact residence and current platform instructions.
Scope: Official access page for the NIA Government Service website, the NIA 12367 app, the NIA 12367 mini program in WeChat and the NIA 12367 mini program in Alipay.
Limit: This page identifies access routes only. It does not establish nationwide coverage, personal eligibility, address eligibility or successful completion.
Scope: National English overview distinguishing hotel registration from non-hotel stays and stating the 24-hour after check-in requirement for a foreigner or host at a non-hotel residence.
Limit: The page predates the 2026 online pilot and states that its English text is for reference; the authoritative Chinese rules control. It does not describe current online access.
Scope: Authoritative Chinese announcement supporting the pilot start date, seven provincial-level regions, official channels, retained on-site option and legal effect of successful online registration.
Limit: It does not promise that every traveler, address or submission can use the online route and does not announce uniform nationwide access.
Scope: Authoritative Chinese interpretation covering pilot scope, traveler and host roles, narrow repeat-registration situations, online routes, on-site help and NIA 12367.
Limit: Identity checks, address documents and whether independent filing is possible depend on the current platform instructions and the local police station or public security office responsible for the residence.
Scope: Operational guidance on who files for a self-owned home or a borrowed or rented home, plus the local police-station fallback when online filing fails.
Limit: No source date is displayed, and digits in the URL are not treated as a date. The page does not independently state the seven-region boundary and must be read with the NIA pilot announcement.
About this guide
ChinaReady editors prepared and reviewed this page against the sources above. Details can change; confirm current information with the responsible authority, venue or operator before you travel.