China Accommodation Registration — the 24-Hour Rule and How to Do It Online
Stay anywhere in China and you must be registered: hotels handle it at check-in, everywhere else you (or your host) register within 24 hours. Since March 2026 the NIA runs online registration through the 12367 app, WeChat and Alipay mini programs, and s.nia.gov.cn — same legal effect as walking into a police station.
Source shape matters here: this guide transcribes two official NIA materials — the March 20, 2026 online-channels notice and the Welcome to China 2025 handbook's Accommodation Registration section — plus the Exit and Entry Administration Law's official English text. Details the official materials do not cover are marked as such instead of guessed.
Who must register — and the 24-hour rule
Registration follows where you sleep, and the rule comes straight from Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law:
- Staying in a hotel: the hotel registers you — you do nothing. By law the hotel checks your identity document, registers the stay, and submits the accommodation registration form to the local public security agency within 24 hours of taking you in. (This is why checking in requires your passport, every guest, every time.)
- Staying anywhere that is not a hotel — a rented apartment, your own home, a friend's place: you or the person hosting you must go through registration with the public security organ where you live within 24 hours after arrival. The law's wording covers both options: the foreigner or "the persons who accommodate them".
The online service below applies to the non-hotel case — and it has the same legal effect as on-site registration, per the NIA's policy interpretation, without visiting a public security organ in person.
The update obligation
Registration is not one-and-done. When you exchange a new entry-exit document, apply for a new visa or residence permit, or change your residential address, you must promptly update your accommodation registration at the public security organ of your place of residence. Concrete timelines from the official handbook: after a passport renewal, bring the old and new passports to re-register within 24 hours; after obtaining a new visa or residence permit, update your registration within 24 hours; after a lost passport is reissued, update the registration once you receive it.
The three online channels
The official notice names three ways in, all part of the NIA government service platform:
Channel 1 — "NIA 12367" app
For Android devices, scan the official QR code below. For iOS or HarmonyOS devices, download the app directly from the app store.
Channel 2 — WeChat / Alipay mini programs
Scan the QR code to use the "NIA 12367" WeChat mini program, or the Alipay mini program — scan to open the mini-program on Alipay with the second official code.
Channel 3 — the web
Use the NIA government service platform website at s.nia.gov.cn — the same service, no app install needed.
Inside the platform
Whichever entrance you pick, the flow is the same: complete user registration and identity verification, open the Accommodation Registration module under Foreigner Service, and follow the step-by-step prompts. When you finish, "Registration Record Inquiry" shows your registration record — worth checking before you rely on it. Stuck? The platform publishes a Guide to Online Accommodation Registration, the NIA 12367 service hotline takes questions, and local exit-entry windows and police stations help with on-site registration.
One honest caveat: the official materials describe this module path but publish no screen-by-screen walkthrough of the app or mini programs — those step-level interfaces are not covered by the sources we verified, so we don't invent them. In any case, the service is a pilot since March 20, 2026 in seven provincial-level regions — Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan — expanding nationwide step by step. Anywhere else (or if online fails), register in person at the exit-entry administration window or your local police station.
Who can file online
You can — or your host can. The host may be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner, and because hosts generally know the residence details best, the official guidance asks that the initial registration be completed with the host's assistance. You can go through it independently once you have registered at that residence via the platform before, or if you live in a self-owned residence.
When you don't re-register
Already registered after arrival? Re-registration is not required when you return to the same residence after traveling inside or outside China in two cases: if it is your self-owned residence (owned by you or your spouse), or if you hold a residence permit or permanent residence permit and it is your habitual residence during the same permit's validity. "Long term" — the definition of habitual residence — means residing in China for more than 180 days, per Article 36 of the regulations on administering foreigners' entry and exit.
What you need: documents for registration
The official handbook lists three sets of documents:
Your identity document
The original of your passport, or another valid identification document such as the Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card.
If someone registers for you
When an individual or organization that hosts you applies on your behalf, they also present the agent's valid identity documents or a company certification of the host.
Proof for the address
Self-owned property: the Real Estate Ownership Certificate. Rented home: the house rental contract. Lodging in someone else's residence: the identity documents of the homeowner or the actual tenant, plus relevant property documents.
Missing the 24-hour deadline: the penalty, precisely
The legal basis is Article 76 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law: failing to go through registration formalities under Article 39 paragraph 2 (the 24-hour rule above) brings a warning, plus a possible fine of not more than RMB 2,000. The law sets no minimum fine — the amount at the counter depends on the officer's discretion. The official handbook matches: fail to register and "a warning and … a fine not exceeding 2,000 yuan" may follow.
If you already missed it: don't wait it out. Accept the punishment at the local public security organ, then apply for delayed accommodation registration — bring your passport, the host's household registration booklet and other required materials, and fill in a temporary accommodation registration form.
Hotels carry their own duties: a hotel that fails to register foreign guests is punished under the public-security penalties law, and one that fails to submit guests' registration information to police gets a warning — rising to a fine of RMB 1,000–5,000 in serious cases. That's hotel-side exposure, but it explains why front desks insist on your passport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register my accommodation in China?
Yes — every foreigner staying in China registers where they sleep. If you stay in a hotel, the hotel registers you automatically and reports it to the police within 24 hours. If you reside somewhere other than a hotel — an apartment you rent, a friend's place, your own home — you or the person hosting you must register with the local public security organ within 24 hours after arrival (Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law).
How do I register my accommodation online in China?
Through the NIA government service platform: the "NIA 12367" app, the "NIA 12367" WeChat or Alipay mini program, or the website s.nia.gov.cn. Register a user account, complete identity verification, then open the Accommodation Registration module under Foreigner Service and follow the step-by-step prompts. When done, "Registration Record Inquiry" shows your accommodation registration record. Online registration has the same legal effect as registering in person.
Where is online accommodation registration available?
Since March 20, 2026 the NIA has piloted the online service for foreigners staying outside hotels in seven provincial-level regions: Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan, with nationwide expansion planned. Outside the pilot, or any time online does not work, you register in person at the exit-entry administration window of your local public security organ or at the local police station.
What documents do I need for accommodation registration?
Your original passport (or a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card), plus proof for the address: the Real Estate Ownership Certificate if you own the place, the house rental contract if you rent, or the identity documents of the homeowner or actual tenant with relevant property documents if you lodge with someone. If your host registers on your behalf, they also show their own valid ID or a company certification of the host.
What happens if I don't register within 24 hours in China?
Under Article 76 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law — item 6 covers failing to register under Article 39 paragraph 2 — you are given a warning and may also be fined up to RMB 2,000. After accepting the punishment at the local public security organ you can apply for delayed registration, bringing your passport, the host's household registration booklet and other required materials.
Do I need to re-register after getting a new visa or moving flats?
Yes. When you exchange a new entry-exit document, apply for a new visa or residence permit, or change your residential address, you must promptly update your accommodation registration. After a passport renewal, bring the old and new passport to re-register within 24 hours; after a new visa or residence permit, update your registration within 24 hours. No re-registration is needed if you return to your own residence after traveling, or — for residence or permanent residence permit holders — return to your habitual residence during the same permit's validity.
Can my landlord or friend register for me?
Yes. Online registration can be completed either by you or by the person accommodating you, and the host can be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner. Because hosts usually know the residence details best, the official guidance asks that your first registration be completed with their help; after that you can register yourself at the same address, or anytime if you live in your own residence.
Source & verification
Source: National Immigration Administration — Online channels for the Accommodation Registration for Foreigners Residing or Staying in Domiciles Other Than Hotels, updated 2026-03-20. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c196956/content.html
Source: National Immigration Administration — Welcome to China 2025 (EN), Accommodation Registration. docs/nia-source/raw/wtc2025-guide-en-text.txt
Last verified: 2026-09-06
Channel names, QR codes and module path are transcribed from the official notice; who-must-register, documents and update duties from the Welcome to China 2025 handbook; the 24-hour rule and Article 76 penalty cross-checked against the official English text of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, with clause-level walkthroughs in the Article 39 and Article 76 reference pages. QR images are self-hosted copies of the official codes (part/197302–197304), credited in each caption.
Policies may change without notice and local public security organs apply the rules on site — their instructions prevail.