News from CCTV: According to the website of the National Immigration Administration, according to Article 39 of the "Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China", if foreigners stay in hotels in China, the hotel should register their accommodation in accordance with the relevant provisions of the public security management of the hotel industry, and submit the foreigner's accommodation registration information to the local public security authority; if foreigners live or stay in other residences other than hotels, they or the host must register with the public security authority of the place of residence within 24 hours after check-in. In order to further improve the convenience of foreigners living in China and facilitate the registration of accommodation for foreigners staying outside hotels, starting from March 20, 2026, the National Immigration Administration will pilot the online accommodation registration service in 7 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) including Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing, and Sichuan, and will gradually promote it nationwide based on the pilot situation.
Foreigners or overnight guests can register for accommodation online through the National Immigration Administration government service website, the "Immigration Bureau 12367" application, the "Immigration Bureau 12367" WeChat applet or the Alipay applet. In order to meet the service needs of different groups, the offline channel of going to the public security bureau in the place of residence to register for accommodation will continue to be maintained. Online registration has the same effect as on-site accommodation registration at the public security organ.
