China police registration for foreigners

Who needs to register

• Staying in a hotel: nothing to do. The hotel registers you with the police when it scans your passport at check-in.
• Staying with friends or family: register within 24 hours of arriving. Your host can do it for you.
• Renting a flat, including a short-term rental: register within 24 hours, and again whenever you move to a new address.
• Coming back after a trip abroad or to Hong Kong or Macau: a new arrival means a new registration if you stay in a private home.

How to register online

Online registration was tested in seven provinces from March 2026 and opened nationwide on 21 September 2026, under a notice from the National Immigration Administration (NIA). It has the same legal effect as registering in person.

1. Open one of the official channels: the NIA 12367 app, the NIA 12367 mini program inside WeChat or Alipay, or the NIA website.
2. Choose accommodation registration for foreigners.
3. Have your passport, the address you are staying at and your arrival date ready; your host may be asked for their details too.
4. Submit, then keep a screenshot of the confirmation. You may be asked for it when you extend a visa or apply for a residence permit.

How to register at a police station

Go to the police station (派出所) responsible for the address where you are staying; your host or landlord can tell you which one. Bring your passport and your rental contract, or your host's details if you stay with someone. You leave with a registration slip, the Registration Form of Temporary Residence for Visitors from Overseas.

“As a traveller in a hotel you don't need to visit the police. If you rent a flat, you register within 24 hours. I did it at my local police station: there is a section for foreigners, usually with no queue; you hand in your contract and passport and leave with a registration slip. It can now be done online too.”

What happens if you don't register

Under China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, a foreigner who misses the registration for a private stay can be given a warning and a fine of up to ¥2,000, and the host can be penalised too. The registration slip or online confirmation is also something immigration offices ask for when you extend a visa or apply for a residence permit, so register even for short stays.

Shanghai, Beijing and other cities

The rule is national: the same 24-hour deadline and the same online channels apply in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and every other city. Only the police station you visit in person depends on your address.

The simplest option: stay in a hotel

If registering sounds like a chore, book a hotel that accepts foreigners: the hotel registers you at check-in and there is nothing else to do. Airbnb no longer lists homes in mainland China, and many Chinese rental hosts cannot take foreign guests anyway.