China Accommodation Registration: Hotels, Friends and Online

Why you must register

China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law (Article 39) says hotels register their foreign guests with the police. Foreigners who stay anywhere else, or the people who host them, must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. Article 76 sets a warning for failing to do so, and allows a fine of up to ¥2,000 on top.

The UK government’s travel advice for China says the same in plain language: if you stay in a hotel, they register you at check-in.

Hotels: nothing to do

Hand over your passport at check-in. The hotel scans it and reports you. That is all the registration a hotel guest does.

One traveller on Reddit assumed that hotels scanning their passport registered them with the police automatically, then worried when a “Lodgers must register” sign appeared at the desk. Another, staying at a friend’s home, reports that the online link the police gave them was broken. Those are traveller reports, not official statements. China’s hotel rules (旅馆业治安管理办法, Article 6) simply require the hotel to report foreign guests to the police within 24 hours.

Some forum posts also say a new law forces all hotels to take foreigners. That is partly wrong. The 2024 ministry reply on gov.cn told hotels not to refuse foreign guests just because they lack a foreigner-reception licence. It did not guarantee every hotel will accept you, so check the booking page.

Friends, family and rentals: register within 24 hours

If you stay in a friend’s flat, a rented apartment or a serviced flat, you or your host must register. Ask a homestay (民宿) whether it registers you like a hotel.

Hosts can be Chinese or foreign. The NIA’s policy interpretation says the first registration at an address should be done with the host’s help. You can register online alone if you already registered at the same address through the NIA platform, or if it is your own home.

The NIA does not publish a document list, but the Guangzhou government’s English portal does on an older page: a copy of your passport and visa, the lease and property deed if you rent, and a one-inch photo.

How online registration works

On September 21, 2026, NIA Announcement No. 7 of 2026 extended online accommodation registration nationwide. An earlier trial from March 20, 2026 had not included Guangdong, so the NIA service reached Guangzhou only on the nationwide date. The announcement says online registration has the same legal effect as registering in person.

Based on the NIA’s Q&A, the path inside the app is: Foreigner Service, then Accommodation Registration, then Registration Record Inquiry to check the result afterwards. The app is called 移民局12367 and the website is s.nia.gov.cn. The screens may change, and we do not show screenshots of government apps.

Guangzhou police’s “HELLO GUANGZHOU” service inside Alipay, launched on June 26, 2026, also lists accommodation registration (境外人员住宿登记). The Chinese original of the announcement matches the English version. If the online form does not work for you, go in person.

Moving between addresses

Each hotel registers you. Each new non-hotel address needs its own registration within 24 hours. Guangzhou’s official portal says this for residence-permit holders who move; for other visitors it is our inference from Article 39. The only people the NIA says do not need to register again are those returning to their own home after a trip, or residence-permit and permanent-residence holders returning to their long-term address.

Who to ask

The NIA’s Q&A tells you to call the NIA 12367 hotline or visit local police exit-entry windows or a police station. Before you go, read our 30-day visa-free guide so your stay length is right, and fill in the arrival card before you land. Transit passengers on a long stay can read our 240-hour transit guide.

What we could not confirm

We could not verify a Guangzhou phone number for exit-entry questions, a Guangdong-specific rule for homestays, or whether hotel rules changed after 2024.