Staying with friends or family in China
A friend or family stay is a non-hotel stay. The foreign visitor or the person providing the home must complete accommodation registration within 24 hours after the foreign visitor arrives at the residence. For a first online filing at someone else's home, ask the host to complete or help with it. Confirm the exact Chinese address before arrival and keep the local police station or NIA 12367 as the fallback.
On this page
Quick answer
Staying at a friend or family home is a non-hotel stay. Confirm the exact Chinese address and local process before arrival. The foreign visitor or host must complete accommodation registration within 24 hours after the foreign visitor arrives at the residence. For a first online filing at someone else's home, ask the host to complete or help with it. If the online route is unavailable or fails, use the local police station or public security office responsible for the address, and call NIA 12367 for guidance.
Who this guide is for
- A foreign-passport visitor staying overnight at a friend or relative's home.
- A host preparing to receive a foreign visitor at a private residence.
- A traveler who needs to understand the seven-region online pilot without assuming it applies to every city.
- A traveler or host who needs an in-person fallback when an online attempt is unavailable or unsuccessful.
What the visitor and host each need to do
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare all columns.
| Stage | Foreign visitor | Person providing the home |
|---|---|---|
| Before arrival | Share the arrival date and ask what current official route applies. Keep the valid passport available. | Confirm the full residence details and check the current local route. |
| Initial online filing at someone else's home | Coordinate with the host and follow the official identity prompts. | Handle or assist with the filing using accurate residence information. |
| In-person route | Attend or provide what the local police station asks for in the actual case. | Assist with the address information and any host documents requested. |
| After filing | Check the current result or record and keep access to it. | Help resolve any incorrect address detail or failed verification through the official route. |
In short: The exact information and verification depend on the current official platform or local authority; a generic checklist cannot decide the case.
Before-arrival checklist
- Tell the person providing the home your expected arrival date.
- Confirm the accurate, complete Chinese address: province, city, district, street, residential compound, building and room where applicable.
- Check whether the current route is an approved online service or an in-person visit to the local police station.
- Keep the valid passport and only the information requested by the official process ready.
- Save NIA 12367 and identify the local police station responsible for the residence.
- Do not type the address, host name, phone number or passport details into ChinaReady.
After you arrive
Recheck the Chinese address, building and room with the host. The registration needs the place where you actually stay.
Use the official online service only when the pilot and the actual situation allow it; otherwise use the in-person process for the residence.
Provide the identity and address information requested by the NIA platform or local police staff. ChinaReady does not collect or submit it.
Confirm whether the process produced a current result or record. Do not equate starting or attempting the process with completion.
If an online attempt fails or the correct office is unclear, call NIA 12367 or contact the local police station rather than waiting until departure.
Since March 20, 2026, the NIA online pilot for non-hotel accommodation has covered Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. Online registration is not yet a nationwide service, and the pilot scope may change. 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. For a first filing at someone else's home, ask the host to complete or help with it. Recheck the NIA announcement before travel and do not assume eligibility from a city name alone.
In-person fallback
Ask the host which local police station or public security office handles the address, or call NIA 12367 for guidance.
The exact materials can vary; follow the current local instructions instead of relying on an old online checklist.
An unsuccessful online attempt does not complete registration. The in-person channel remains available.
Residence information to confirm
- Chinese address
- The complete current address, including province-level region, city, district, street, residential compound, building and room when those parts apply.
- Person providing the home
- The person who is letting you stay and can confirm the residence information; the official term is accommodation host.
- Actual stay
- The home where you really sleep, not a friend's mailing address, an earlier booking or a convenient landmark.
- Current result
- The registration result shown by the official route after processing, not a screenshot of an unfinished form.
If your friend or relative does not know the process
Use the source links on this page to explain that private-home stays follow the non-hotel accommodation process.
Ask which current process and local authority apply to the actual address. Do not ask ChinaReady to decide the case.
If the online service cannot be used, contact the local police station for the residence and follow its current instructions.
Do not assume the earlier registration covers a new address. Confirm the process for the new residence. Official guidance describes only narrow same-residence return situations where repeat registration may not be needed; do not extend those situations to a different home.
Message to your friend or family host
Copy and send this fixed text yourself before arrival.
I will stay at your home using a foreign passport. Please help check whether the current local process is online or on site, and what residence and document information is required. After I arrive, we can follow the official process together.
Fixed text only. ChinaReady does not collect, edit, save or send your message, address, host details or passport information.
Documents and information to prepare
- The foreign visitor's valid passport or other valid travel document requested by the official process.
- The complete Chinese address of the actual residence.
- The host's participation and address information when the official route requires it.
- Any identity verification or address documents requested by the current platform or local authority.
- A way to access the current result or record after completion.
- The NIA 12367 hotline and local police station fallback.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a private-home stay does not need registration preparation.
- Waiting until arrival to tell the host.
- Using a partial or translated address that omits the district, building or room.
- Trying to file an initial stay at someone else's home without host involvement.
- Treating the seven-region pilot as one national online service.
- Assuming a submitted screen means the process succeeded.
- Waiting after an online failure instead of using the in-person process.
- Assuming an earlier address record covers a different home.
Friends and family stay FAQ
Who is the accommodation host?
It is the person providing the home and able to confirm the address information. The official guidance says the host can be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner.
When should a non-hotel stay be registered?
Accommodation registration must be completed within 24 hours after the foreign visitor arrives at the residence. This is not the same as 24 hours after entering China.
Can I complete the first online filing by myself at a friend's home?
Do not assume so. The official interpretation and service guidance support asking the host to complete or help with a first filing at someone else's home.
Can my host file online?
In a pilot region, the current NIA platform may provide a host route for the actual situation. The host should follow the platform's current identity and address prompts.
What if my host is also a foreigner?
Official guidance says a host may be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner. The current platform or local authority still decides what identity verification and address information are required.
What if the online system rejects the filing?
Use the in-person route at the local police station responsible for the residence and call NIA 12367 for guidance. Do not treat the failed attempt as a completed record.
Do I need a Chinese phone number?
Requirements depend on the current official route and role. Another person's address can involve host phone verification in some repeat-filing situations. Check the platform rather than assuming one number rule.
What if I stay at two different private homes?
Confirm the process for each actual residence and do not assume the first record covers the second address.
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.