Staying in a Private Home in China: Accommodation Registration

If you are a foreign visitor staying somewhere other than a hotel in mainland China, you or your host must register with the local public security authority within 24 hours of moving in. Since 21 September 2026, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) has offered nationwide online registration alongside the existing in-person route. Agree with your host who will complete it before you arrive.

For a hotel stay, the hotel handles the required guest registration. At a friend's home or a private rented residence, the non-hotel requirement applies. A listing called an “apartment” or “homestay” does not, by itself, establish which registration process the operator uses.

Ask 请问你们会为外国住客办理住宿登记吗？办理后能给我登记记录吗？ — “Will you complete accommodation registration for foreign guests, and can you give me the registration record afterwards?” A booking confirmation or door-access code is not that record.

Work with your host to check the address and keep the resulting registration record. Complete non-hotel registration within 24 hours of moving in.

Use the NIA government service website or the official 移民局12367 app, WeChat mini-program or Alipay mini-program. The national announcement says online and in-person registration have equal effect.

For a first visit to someone else's home, plan to involve the host. The NIA's published self-registration instructions for another person's residence apply when the host has previously registered you at that address through the platform. They include host verification by SMS. This is not a promise that every first-time visitor can finish alone.

The separate host-registration guide covers mainland resident hosts and hosts who are Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan residents or foreign nationals. Requirements differ, so use the instructions for the actual host rather than another person's screenshots.

Before arrival, have the host confirm:

• The full Chinese address, including building and apartment number.
• Who will submit the registration and how you will obtain the record.
• Which identity and address materials the applicable process requires.
• How to reach the responsible police station if the online process fails.

Share identity information only through the legitimate registration process and agreed, trusted channels. Do not send passport images to an unknown contact simply because they claim to manage the property.

For host registration, the official workflow includes checking host information, entering the visitor's identity details, confirming the detailed address and local police station, and entering the actual move-in date and planned length of stay. Some host circumstances require property documentation.

Read information imported from a passport image before submitting it. Confirm the document number, name and address with your host. Use the actual stay details; the arrival date of your flight may differ from the date you move into this residence.

After submission, open the resulting registration record. Save access to the electronic record and check that the details match your stay. The NIA says a record completed through this system does not need printing; a paper copy can be obtained from the police station shown in the electronic record if needed.

If the address cannot be found, identity verification fails or your host cannot finish, use the NIA's help instructions or call 12367. The NIA also directs visitors to local public security exit-entry service windows or the responsible police station for assistance.

Do not let repeated login attempts consume the registration deadline. Ask the local office which documents you and the host must bring, then arrange the visit. If you have already missed the deadline, contact the authority promptly and explain the actual circumstances.

Do not treat one registration as covering every address on your trip. When moving to another residence, arrange registration for that stay. If you leave and later return, or your passport or stay circumstances change, check the current NIA instructions or ask the responsible authority how to update the record.

Accommodation registration does not grant entry permission, extend a visa or reset a permitted stay. Check those conditions separately.

Sources

• NIA: nationwide online non-hotel accommodation registration, Announcement No. 7 of 2026.
• NIA: host registration instructions.
• NIA: self-registration at someone else's residence and its prerequisite.
• NIA: using electronic records and obtaining a paper copy.
• NIA: help when online registration fails.