China Accommodation Registration for Foreigners: What Changed in 2026?

Hotel check-in: what you need to do

China's Exit and Entry Administration Law requires hotels to register accommodation details for foreign guests and submit the information to the local public-security authority. At check-in, bring your valid passport and booking details and follow the property's identity-check procedure.

Before booking a smaller or independent property, confirm its check-in process for a foreign passport. Save the property's Chinese address and front-desk phone number.

A different rule applies outside hotels

For accommodation in a home or other non-hotel dwelling, the foreign visitor or the host must ordinarily complete accommodation registration with local public-security authorities within 24 hours of arrival. This can apply when visiting friends, staying in a private home or arranging accommodation outside a registered hotel.

Agree with your host in advance on who will complete registration, what address and identification details are required and how you will retain confirmation.

When the 24-hour clock starts — and restarts

The 24-hour window is counted from the moment you arrive at each non-hotel dwelling, not from the moment you enter China. If you stay with a friend in Beijing for three nights and then move to a rented apartment in Shanghai, the Shanghai stay starts a new 24-hour window and needs its own registration.

Hotel nights need no separate action from you: the hotel's own registration covers each stay. For multi-city trips, keep your train or flight tickets; they are the simplest proof of when you arrived at each address.

September 21, 2026: Online registration rolled out nationwide

The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announcement of September 21, 2026 states that online registration for foreigners staying in non-hotel accommodation is being implemented nationwide, following the regional pilot that started in March 2026.

The earlier seven-region pilot list is therefore outdated as a description of current coverage. The online service and the conventional in-person service both remain options, with the same legal effect, under the NIA announcement.

How to register through official channels

The NIA lists its official government service website, NIA 12367 app, NIA 12367 WeChat mini program and Alipay mini program as online channels. Open the accommodation-registration service, follow its identification and address-verification process, and submit accurate details for the place where you are staying.

For a first registration at a new address, the host usually needs to verify the property in the app before your own submission can go through. Ask your host to prepare their identification and property documents in advance, and complete this step together on arrival day.

Alternatively, you can complete registration through the local public-security authorities. Use official online channels; do not pay an unknown private agent to submit your personal information.

If the online submission does not go through

Most failed submissions come down to three things: the address format, the name order, or the document photo. Enter the address exactly as it appears on the property ownership certificate or rental contract, including the building and room number. Enter your name in the same order as the machine-readable zone of your passport, and photograph the passport information page flat on a dark background with no glare.

If one channel rejects your submission, try another: the WeChat mini program sometimes accepts cases the app rejects, and vice versa. For persistent problems, the NIA lists the 12367 service hotline for questions about the process.

What to prepare before your trip

1. Confirm whether your property is a hotel or another type of accommodation.
2. Save the full Chinese address, host contact information and booking record.
3. Check how registration will be completed and who will submit it.
4. Keep proof of your successful submission where accessible.
5. For multi-city trips, plan a registration step at each new non-hotel address.
6. Save a screenshot or PDF of every successful submission until you leave China.

Specific situations may require further verification. This article summarizes the national framework, not individual legal advice.