China Temporary Accommodation Registration 2026

Under Chinese law, foreigners must register their temporary residence with the authorities. Licensed hotels do this for you automatically at check-in. The catch is when you stay with friends, in an Airbnb-style rental, or anywhere unofficial — then the 24-hour clock is on you.

The 24-hour rule (who it applies to)

Under China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law, a foreign visitor staying anywhere other than a licensed hotel must register the address with the local public security bureau within 24 hours of moving in. A licensed hotel files the same record for you at check-in — that is the one case where the clock is not yours to watch.

The rule catches most people in three common situations:

• Staying with friends or family. Legally your host shares the obligation, but if the registration never happens, you are the one answering questions at a spot check or a visa counter.
• Short-term rentals and serviced apartments. Many Airbnb-style hosts do not know the requirement exists. Assume it is your job until someone shows you a filed record.
• Guesthouses and homestays without a foreign-guest licence. If a property cannot register you, it is not licensed to host foreign visitors at all — see the hotel section below.

When does the clock start? From the moment you check in at that address, not from your date of entry into China. Land in Shanghai, spend two nights in a hotel, then move to a friend’s flat in Hangzhou — your 24 hours begin when you arrive in Hangzhou, not when you cleared immigration.

And it applies to every move, not just your first stop. Change addresses mid-trip and you register again at the new one.

What you need before you start

The form itself is short. Gathering these takes longer than filling it in, so have them open before you begin:

• Passport, plus a clean photo of the data page
• Visa or entry stamp details — including the dates of a visa-free entry
• The full address where you are staying, in Chinese characters if your host can send them
• Your host’s name and phone number, if you are not the leaseholder
• Proof of the stay — a lease, the host’s written invitation, or a booking confirmation

Photograph the confirmation screen the moment it appears. That screenshot is what you show if an officer asks, and it is the document you will want months later if you apply for a visa extension or a residence permit.

Registering via Alipay / 12367

Most cities now let you file online, and the mini-program is the fastest route when it works. The catch is that each city runs its own version, so the exact screens differ. The sequence below is the shape of it:

1. Open the mini-program. In Alipay, search “临时住宿登记” (temporary accommodation registration). Some cities use their own mini-program instead, reached through the 12367 immigration hotline app or its WeChat equivalent.
2. Pick your district. Registration is processed by the public security bureau covering your accommodation, so the address you enter decides which office handles it.
3. Enter your details. Passport number, your name exactly as printed, entry date, and the accommodation address.
4. Upload and submit. A passport photo page, plus — in some cities — your host’s ID or a copy of the lease.
5. Save the confirmation. Screenshots are accepted at spot checks. Do this before you close the app.

If the app doesn’t work: the police-station route

Not every district is online, and some mini-programs will only accept a mainland phone number for verification. If the app rejects you, go in person to the public security bureau (派出所) for the district where you are staying — not the station nearest your sightseeing, and not the airport police desk.

Take your passport, and take your host if you can. If they cannot come, bring a copy of their ID, their phone number, and a short written invitation. Bring someone who speaks Chinese: English service is the exception at these counters, not the rule.

Go on a weekday morning. Public counters keep limited hours, and the entire errand is quicker when you are not behind a queue.

Hotels do it for you — but confirm

A licensed hotel files the registration at check-in, but don’t assume it happened. Ask to see the confirmation, and if the desk says they can’t register foreigners, that property isn’t licensed for international guests — book elsewhere.

That last point matters more than it sounds. A hotel that cannot register foreign guests is one that has not passed the licensing process for them. Walking away costs you a booking; staying anyway leaves you both unregistered and in a property that is not supposed to have you.

What happens if you miss the 24-hour window

Registering late is treated far more leniently than not registering at all. If you realise you have missed it, go and file it anyway — the same day, not next week. Officers see late registration constantly, and the practical response is normally to process it.

Skipping it entirely is what creates the real problems:

• Spot checks. Police can ask for the record during routine inspections, including at the address where you are staying.
• Visa extensions and residence permits. A missing registration history is one of the most common reasons an application stalls at the counter.
• Exiting the country. Travellers have been questioned on departure about an address that was never registered.

We deliberately do not quote a fine figure here. Enforcement varies by city and the numbers you will find elsewhere online go stale quickly — treat registration as a ten-minute task that protects the rest of your trip, rather than something to gamble on.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the host will handle it. They may share the legal obligation; in practice, if nobody files it, you are the one explaining why.
• Going to the wrong office. It is the bureau for your accommodation’s district, not the one closest to the sights you are visiting.
• Leaving it to the last day. Do it on arrival. Closed counters and queues are the two things that turn a ten-minute errand into a missed deadline.
• Registering once and forgetting the next move. Every address change restarts the 24 hours.
• Not keeping the confirmation. The screenshot is your proof of compliance — save it before you close the app.

Last verified: August 2026 · by the China Trip Plans editorial team.