What registration is needed when I stay with friends or in an apartment?

At a glance

• Register a non-hotel stay within 24 hours of arrival at that accommodation, not simply within 24 hours of entering China. [1]
• Since 21 September 2026, online registration is available nationwide and has the same legal effect as registering in person. [1]
• Hotels must register foreign guests and submit the accommodation information to local public-security authorities. [4]
• First registration at someone else’s home should be completed with the host’s help. Registration is still required for visa-free visitors. [2] [5]

What to do next

1. Tell your host before arrival that you need accommodation registration. Agree who will submit it and have the host help with the first registration so the address and property details are correct.
2. Open the NIA Government Service Platform using the official link below. You can also use the NIA 12367 app or its WeChat / Alipay mini-programs; the linked NIA channels page has the access codes.
3. Create an account, complete identity verification, then choose Foreigner Service → Accommodation Registration. Follow the prompts with your passport, entry information, actual accommodation address and your host available to help with property details.
4. Complete registration within 24 hours of reaching the accommodation. If the online process blocks you, call 12367 or get help at the local police station or public-security exit-entry service window; the in-person route remains available.
5. Open Registration Record Inquiry to check the completed record. Review the address and dates, and keep an offline copy with your accommodation details.
6. When you move to another non-hotel address, arrange registration for that stay with its responsible authority. When moving into a hotel, present your passport so the hotel can complete its own check-in and registration process.

If your situation is different

You booked a private rental through a platform: agree the registration arrangement with the actual host before arrival. A booking confirmation and a payment receipt do not complete the local registration. Keep the host’s direct contact details in case the office needs their assistance.

Your friend has never hosted a foreign visitor: send them the official online guide below and ask them to help with the property details. The host may be Chinese or foreign.

You are staying at a hotel: give reception your original passport and confirm that your check-in details have been recorded. Ask for any accommodation registration confirmation you need for a later official appointment.

You have missed the deadline: contact the responsible station and complete registration as soon as possible. Explain the actual arrival and stay dates honestly and follow the officer’s instructions; do not invent a later check-in time. Failure to register can lead to a warning and a fine of up to RMB2,000. [4]

Returning to your own home in China: after an initial registration, NIA exempts returns to the same home owned by you or your spouse. Residence / permanent-residence permit holders also have an exemption for returning to the same habitual residence during the same permit’s validity; habitual means living or planning to live there for over 180 days. An ordinary tourist returning to a friend’s home does not qualify just because they stayed before. [2]

Common mistakes

• Assuming visa-free entry removes accommodation registration: the stay-registration duty is separate from the visa or exemption used at the border.
• Assuming the booking platform submitted the registration: establish who will complete it with the responsible local authority.
• Going to a convenient station unrelated to the address: identify the office serving the place where you are actually staying.
• Keeping a confirmation with the wrong address: review the details immediately and ask for a correction while the host and documents are available.

Quick questions