How to Register Your Accommodation Outside a Hotel in China
Hotels normally register guests themselves. If you stay in an apartment, with friends or relatives, or in your own home, you or your host should register through the local channel within 24 hours of arrival.
Who is responsible for accommodation registration
When a foreign national stays at a hotel, the hotel registers the guest and reports the information to the local public security authority. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel, such as a long-term rental apartment, a friend or relative's home, company housing or your own home, you or the person providing the accommodation must register with the public security authority where the property is located within 24 hours of arrival. A booking platform's label of “homestay” or “serviced apartment” does not settle who is responsible. Ask the operator before booking whether it completes registration under the hotel procedure.
Licensed hotel: the front desk normally completes registration at check-in.
Private rental: the guest and landlord normally follow the local registration requirements.
Friend's or relative's home: the guest or the person providing the accommodation completes registration.
Company or university housing: ask whether the management office registers residents in one batch and request the result.
Your own home: a foreign national living in a home owned by them or their spouse uses the local registration channel.
When the 24-hour rule applies
The law requires registration within 24 hours when a foreign national stays outside a hotel. Moving home, occupying a new address for the first time, or moving from a hotel to a friend's home each creates a new stay that must be recorded. The registration certificate is also commonly requested for visa extensions, residence documents, banking, university procedures and other services, so it is more than a landlord's internal formality. The name, passport number, address and arrival date in the record should match the actual details.
The nationwide government-service channel launched in 2026 is still being piloted by region. The National Immigration Administration announced that online registration for accommodation outside hotels would be piloted from 20/3/2026 in Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. Do not assume from this announcement that online registration is available nationwide in other regions.
Documents the landlord or host should prepare before you move in
The foreign guest's passport and current visa, stay permit or residence document.
The property's full address and proof of ownership or lawful use.
Identification and a contact number for the landlord, friend, relative or other host.
The tenancy agreement, arrival date and any property information required locally.
Any previous accommodation registration, especially when registering again at the same address.
A phone that can receive verification codes and complete identity verification on the government platform.
How to register in an online pilot area
In a pilot area, the guest or host can use the National Immigration Administration government-service website, the Immigration Administration 12367 app, or its WeChat or Alipay mini program. Open the accommodation registration module under services for foreign nationals. For an initial registration, the authority recommends help from the host, who is more familiar with the property information. A foreign national who has previously registered the same address through the platform, or who lives in their own home, may register independently under the applicable rules.
The host and guest check the address, arrival date and identity-document details.
Register and complete identity verification on the official platform, then open the accommodation registration module.
Upload or enter the identity and property documents requested on the page.
Check the processing result after submission. A submitted application is not the same as a completed registration.
Find the record under the registration-record search function and save the certificate.
If the application is returned, correct the stated problem. If the deadline has passed or the system cannot accept the case, arrange in-person registration promptly.
What to do when online registration is unavailable
If you are outside the seven pilot provincial-level regions, or the online system cannot recognise the property or documents, follow the current local arrangement and visit the exit-entry service counter or police station responsible for the address. Some cities already have their own online portals, while documents and service locations may differ by district or county. Call 12367 or the public number of the local public security authority to confirm the location and required documents, and note the time and substance of the response.
State that you need to register a foreign national's accommodation outside a hotel and give the full address.
Confirm whether the guest, the landlord or both must attend.
Bring originals and copies of the passport, property documents and the host's documents.
At the counter, check the registered name, document number, address and dates.
Keep the paper or electronic record. After moving, do not continue using proof for the old address.
Returning home, extending a stay and an uncooperative landlord
The National Immigration Administration's pilot rules provide two simplified cases. After registration, a foreign national returning from travel inside or outside China to a home owned by them or their spouse does not need to register again. A holder of a residence permit or permanent residence document who lives at their regular address also does not need to register again when returning there after travel during the same document's validity. Do not use these exceptions after moving to a new address, when the document has changed, or when the original registration is incorrect.
If a landlord says that foreigners do not need to register or refuses to provide property documents, send the 24-hour requirement and the document request to them in writing. Contact 12367 or the public security authority responsible for the address to confirm an alternative route. A foreign national or host who fails to register as required may receive a warning and a fine. For a long-term tenancy, put the landlord's duty to assist with accommodation registration in the contract before signing, so missing documents do not surface only after move-in.
Official checks and regional differences
The pilot coverage, local portals and document requirements will continue to change. This article is based on the National Immigration Administration's policy explanation dated 20/3/2026 and was checked through 4/8/2026. In the seven pilot regions, use the National Immigration Administration government-service platform where possible. Elsewhere, check the public channel of the local public security authority. For system or coverage questions, call 12367 or visit an exit-entry counter or the police station responsible for the address.
Proof you should keep
Keep a record showing the guest's name, passport number, address, arrival date, and the registering authority or platform status. Before using it for a visa, residence or another service, confirm that it still matches the current passport and actual address. This article covers the national rule and the 2026 online pilot only; the public security authority where the property is located determines the documents it will accept.