1.What is the scope of application for online accommodation registration?

According to Article 39 of the "Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China", when foreigners stay at hotels in China, the hotels should handle the accommodation registration for them in accordance with the relevant regulations on hotel security management and submit the accommodation registration information of foreigners to the local public security authorities. If foreigners stay at other residences outside hotels, they should register themselves or the person who is staying with them within 24 hours after checking in, with the local public security authorities at the place of residence. To further enhance the convenience of foreigners' lives in China, the National Immigration Administration has decided to implement online processing of accommodation registration services for foreigners outside hotels. If foreigners stay at other residences outside hotels, they can handle the accommodation registration online instead of going to the public security authorities in person for on-site registration. The online and on-site accommodation registrations have the same validity.

II.What are the channels for online accommodation registration?

The guests staying overnight or those seeking accommodation can use the government service platform of the National Immigration Administration (the National Immigration Administration's government service website, the "Immigration Bureau 12367" application, the "Immigration Bureau 12367" WeChat mini-program or the Alipay mini-program) to complete the accommodation registration process in the "Foreigners Services" registration module. After registration and authentication, they can follow the prompts to complete the process step by step. Once the registration is completed, they can click on "Registration Record Query" to view the accommodation registration records.

III.Which personnel can handle the online accommodation registration?

Those who handle accommodation registration online can be either the occupant of the accommodation or the person staying overnight. Considering that the person staying overnight is more familiar with the accommodation information, to ensure the accuracy of the registration information, the accommodation registration is initially handled by the person staying overnight. For those who meet the following circumstances, the occupant can handle the accommodation registration by themselves: First, if they have already processed accommodation registration through the government service platform of the National Immigration Administration and need to re-register at the same accommodation; second, if they are staying in their own residence.

The guests staying overnight can be either Chinese citizens or foreigners.

IV.Under what circumstances can the process of lodging registration be simplified?

When foreigners stay at an accommodation other than a hotel and have completed the accommodation registration as required, if they meet the following circumstances, they do not need to register again: First, they reside in their own property within China, and return to this property after traveling abroad; Second, they reside at their regular residence in China with a residence permit or permanent residence permit, and return to this residence after traveling abroad within the validity period of the same permit.

Residential property refers to the residence owned by foreigners or their spouses within China. Permanent residence refers to the residence where foreigners reside in China for a long time or plan to reside for a long time. According to Article 36 of the "Regulations on the Entry and Exit of Foreigners", "long-term" means staying in China for more than 180 days.

V.What is the scope of implementation for online accommodation registration?

Starting from March 20, 2026, the National Immigration Administration has piloted the online registration service for foreigners' accommodation outside hotels in 7 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) including Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. In the future, this service will be gradually promoted nationwide to provide more efficient and convenient government services for foreign personnel working, studying and living in China.

VI. If you encounter any problems or doubts when registering for accommodation online, what channels can you use to resolve them?

The guests staying overnight or those seeking accommodation can access the "Online Accommodation Registration Guide" on the official service platform of the National Immigration Administration. They can follow the instructions in the guide to complete the registration process, or they can directly call the 12367 service hotline of the National Immigration Administration for consultation. Alternatively, they can go to the external service window of the exit-entry administration department of the local public security bureau or the local police station to seek assistance from the staff for on-site registration.

VII.Is there any legal liability for failing to complete the accommodation registration as required?

According to Article 76 of the "Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China", if foreigners or the persons hosting them fail to register their accommodation as required, they will be given a warning and may also be fined.

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