If you check into a hotel, the hotel registers you. You hand over your passport at reception; you do not go to a police station yourself. If you stay in a private home, an apartment that is not run as a hotel, or similar lodgings, you or the person putting you up must complete accommodation registration with the local public security organ within 24 hours of check-in, according to Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law. Hotels in China have been told not to refuse foreign guests on the grounds that they ‘cannot process the paperwork’.
마지막 확인일 · 최초 게시 · 출처 4개
핵심 사실
| If you stay in a hotel | The hotel registers you and submits the information to the local public security organ — National Immigration Administration, citing Article 39 |
|---|---|
| If you stay anywhere else | You or your host register within 24 hours of check-in, at a police station or a designated foreigners’ service point — same article |
| What to bring | Your passport. The name and address on the booking should match what you can show |
| If registration is missed (non-hotel) | A warning, and a fine of not more than ¥2,000 may also be imposed — Article 76, as summarised on the NIA English site |
| Hotels refusing foreigners | Authorities have said hotels must not turn guests away for lack of a special ‘foreigner qualification’ — China Daily, May 2024, quoting public security authorities |
When a hotel does the work
According to the National Immigration Administration’s English explainer of Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, where foreigners stay in hotels in China, the hotels shall register their accommodation under hotel public-security rules, and submit that information to the public security organ where the hotel is located. You are not asked to go to a police station for a normal hotel night.
In practice: reception takes your passport, often scans or photographs the photo page, and asks for a phone number and sometimes a next destination. This can take a few minutes. It is ordinary, not a special interrogation. Keep the passport with you afterwards — you will want it for trains and, in some places, for a ticketed museum.
Hospitality rules, as restated by public security authorities in 2024 (reported by China Daily on 29 May 2024), also say hotel operators must submit the registration form for a foreign guest within 24 hours, and that hotels should not refuse foreign nationals by claiming they lack a special qualification. That is the official position. A small guesthouse that has rarely seen a foreign passport may still hesitate. If that happens, try a larger hotel nearby rather than arguing about the law at midnight.
When you stay somewhere that is not a hotel
The same Article 39 treats other lodgings differently. If you reside or stay somewhere other than a hotel, you or the person who accommodates you shall, within 24 hours after check-in, go through registration formalities with the public security organ in that place. The NIA English page says this can be done at a local police station, and in some places at a community policing office or a foreigners’ service station. Universities and some organisations can file on a student’s behalf.
Some cities have offered online registration; the NIA has said it is working toward a more nationwide method. We will not tell you that an app works in every district. Ask your host, or walk into the local station with your passport and the address, and follow what they currently accept.
If this registration is skipped, Article 76, as summarised by the NIA, provides for a warning and a possible fine of not more than ¥2,000. That is a reason to do it, not a reason to panic at the airport.
A few practical points
- The name on the booking should match the passport. A reservation under a friend or a company can slow the desk down.
- Short-term rentals that are not licensed as hotels sit in the “somewhere else” category. Do not assume the platform has registered you.
- Keep a photo of your entry stamp and of the hotel’s Chinese address. Both help if you change hotels or need a hospital.
- This process is about temporary stay. It does not replace a visa, a 30-day visa-free admission, or a 240-hour transit endorsement. See which rule you can use.
자주 묻는 질문
Do I need to visit a police station if I am in a hotel?
No. The hotel handles registration and submits it. You should still carry your passport and be prepared to show it at check-in.
What if I stay in a friend’s apartment?
That is a stay outside a hotel. You or your host should complete registration with the local public security organ within 24 hours. Some cities offer an online option; this is not yet uniform nationwide. Ask the host, or a local police station, how it is done at that address.
Can a hotel refuse to take my foreign passport?
Public security authorities have said hotels must not refuse foreign guests on the grounds that they lack foreign-related qualifications. In practice a small inn may still be unsure. A mid-size or international-brand hotel in a large city is usually straightforward. We cannot promise a specific reception desk will be ready.
Will this registration affect my visa-free stay?
Registration is about where you are sleeping, not a substitute for a valid entry. Keep your entry stamp or slip and know which rule you entered on. See our 240-hour and 30-day guides.
Sources
- Entry-Exit and Stay (Residence) of Foreigners — National Immigration Administration (English)
- Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 39 — National Immigration Administration (English)
- Hotels told not to turn away foreigners — China Daily, 29 May 2024
- 旅馆接待境外旅客住宿有什么规定? — Shenzhen Municipal Government / Public Security Bureau (Chinese)