Do foreigners have to register accommodation in China?
Yes, but who does it depends on where you sleep. Under Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, a hotel registers its foreign guests itself and reports to the local public security organ. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel, you or the person who accommodates you (your host) must register with the public security organ at the place of residence within 24 hours after you arrive.
Since 21 September 2026 you can do that online anywhere in China, without visiting the police. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced the nationwide rollout in Announcement No. 7 of 2026. Registering in person at a local police unit is still allowed, and the announcement says both routes have the same legal effect.
Airbnb, guesthouse, rental or friends: who registers you?
The rule splits stays into two groups: hotels, and everything else. It does not use the words Airbnb, short-term rental, guesthouse or homestay.
- A friend's home, or a home you rent or borrow. The NIA platform page says a foreigner who rents or borrows someone else's home has the host register for them.
- A home you own. You can register yourself.
- A hotel. The hotel does it. The NIA's 2026 announcement assigns hotel registration to the hotel; it doesn't ask the hotel guest to register separately.
The NIA's 2026 announcement and policy interpretation don't say whether a licensed guesthouse, inn or homestay counts as a ‘hotel’ that registers you. If that is where you are staying, ask the property on or before arrival whether it will handle the registration and report it. If it won't, you or the host should plan to register within the 24 hours.
How soon do I register? Is it really 24 hours?
Yes. The 2026 announcement says "within 24 hours after the foreigners' arrival". The 2021 NIA regulations use "check-in" instead of "arrival". The pages give one limit and do not distinguish cities from villages, so the same wording applies whether you stay in Xiamen, Dali, Lijiang or Pingyao. They don't explain how the 24 hours are counted beyond those words, so don't plan around "by the next day".
Can I register online, or do I still go to a police station?
You can register online. Four channels are named in the announcement:
- the NIA Government Service website, s.nia.gov.cn (the English announcement calls it the "NIA Government official website")
- the "NIA 12367" App (移民局12367). The NIA's channels page says Android phones can scan a QR code to download it, and iOS and HarmonyOS phones can find it in the app store.
- the "NIA 12367" WeChat mini program
- the "NIA 12367" Alipay mini program
So yes, it works inside WeChat and Alipay: both have a mini program with the same name. The offline route stays open. Under the 2021 regulations (English version marked "for reference only"; the Chinese text is authoritative), you register at the police station of the local public security organ where you live, or at a police office or foreigner service station there if one exists.
How to register accommodation online, step by step
The NIA's policy interpretation of 21 September 2026 gives the route in one sentence. Here it is as steps.
- Open the NIA website, the 12367 App, or the WeChat or Alipay mini program.
- Register as a user and complete identity verification.
- Open the Accommodation Registration (住宿登记) module under Foreigner Service (外国人服务).
- Follow the step-by-step prompts.
- When you finish, click Registration Record Inquiry (登记记录查询) to see your accommodation registration record.
The platform's registration page carries a "Guide to Online Accommodation Registration". You can also call the NIA 12367 hotline, or ask at the exit-entry service window of the local public security organ or at the local police station.
Who registers online: me or my host?
Either of you may, but the first registration is meant to be completed with the host's help, because the host knows the details of the residence. The interpretation lists two cases where a foreigner may register alone:
- you have registered before through the NIA platform and need to register again at the same residence;
- you live in a self-owned residence (one owned by you or your spouse in China).
A host can be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner. If the online attempt does not succeed, the platform page says to go to the police station in person.
Is online registration as valid as registering in person?
Yes. The announcement says online registration has the same legal effect as registration completed on site. Some cities also run their own systems. Shanghai police, for example, described a local self-service system with a QR code for residential communities in a Q&A dated 27 October 2025. That is a city-level route. The national platform above is the common one.
What happens if I don't register?
The legal consequence is a warning, and a fine may also be imposed. The 2026 interpretation says this applies to foreigners or their accommodation hosts. For the amount, Article 76 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law (item 6, failure to register under Article 39) says a fine of up to 2,000 yuan, and the NIA's 2021 regulations say "not more than CNY 2,000". The law text on the National People's Congress site is a 2012 posting. The 2026 pages repeat only "a warning and may also be fined".
The NIA's 2026 policy interpretation and 2021 registration regulations don't say how often fines are imposed or how an amount is chosen. A hotel that fails to register guests is punished under separate rules, so that doesn't change your own position as a guest.
Visa-free or 240-hour transit entry: do I still register? What if I move?
The NIA's 2026 announcement says ‘foreigners’ and names no exception for visa-free or transit entrants, although it does not mention those entry routes explicitly. If you came in under the 30-day visa-free policy or the 240-hour transit policy, plan as if the 24-hour rule applies to you.
On moving: the NIA's policy interpretation says that foreigners who have already registered after arrival need not register again when returning after trips to the same self-owned residence in China, or when holders of residence permits or permanent residence permits return after trips to the same habitual residence in China within the same permit's validity. Both are for long-term residents. They are not for tourists, so don't count on them. The NIA's policy interpretation of 21 September 2026 doesn't spell out what a tourist who changes address should do. The rule's wording is about registering within 24 hours at the place where you live or stay, so ask each new host or property who is registering you.
What the official pages leave open
- The exact data or documents the online form asks for. The guide is on the platform's registration page.
- What identity verification requires of a foreign visitor, and whether a Chinese phone number is needed.
- Whether a licensed guesthouse, inn or homestay counts as a hotel.
Until you know, ask your host or property whether they will handle the registration, and keep your passport and entry details to hand. For the form itself, use the guide on the platform or the 12367 hotline.
