China has expanded nationwide a digital procedure that, until now, could require foreign visitors to report in person to local public security authorities.
In an announcement published on September 21, 2026, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) confirmed the nationwide rollout of online accommodation registration for foreign nationals who reside or stay somewhere other than a hotel.
The registration requirement itself is not new. What has changed is that the procedure can now be completed entirely online anywhere in China.
A requirement many tourists never notice
The rule is relatively unfamiliar to foreign travelers, largely because those who stay exclusively in hotels generally do not have to take any action themselves.
Article 39 of China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law covers two different situations. When a foreign national stays at a hotel, the hotel registers the guest and submits the required information to local authorities.
When a foreign national lives or stays somewhere other than a hotel, however, either the traveler or the person hosting them must register the accommodation with the authorities within 24 hours of arriving at that address.
This requirement may apply, for example, to travelers staying with friends or relatives, in private accommodation, or in their own residence in China.
It therefore does not mean that every foreign visitor has 24 hours after entering China to file a registration. For non-hotel stays, the requirement is triggered by arrival at the accommodation concerned.
How to register accommodation online in China
Since September 21, 2026, travelers covered by the requirement no longer necessarily need to locate and visit the appropriate police station.
They can use the National Immigration Administration’s official English-language online platform and select “Accommodation Registration” on the homepage.
Users must create an account, complete identity verification and then follow the steps in the accommodation registration section. Once the process has been completed, the NIA also allows users to view their submitted registration.
The procedure is also available through the NIA 12367 app, the NIA 12367 WeChat mini-program, and the corresponding service on Alipay. The NIA lists all available options on its official page covering accommodation registration channels.
An online registration has the same legal validity as one completed in person with public security authorities. Travelers can still choose to register in person with the police if necessary.
Who can submit the registration?
The registration can be completed either by the foreign traveler or by the person hosting them.
For a first-time registration at a property belonging to someone else, however, the NIA recommends that the host take part in the process to ensure that the address and property information is entered correctly. The host may be either a Chinese national or a foreign national.
Travelers can notably complete the registration themselves if they have previously registered the same accommodation through the NIA platform and need to register another stay at that address, or if they are staying in a property they own.
To make the process easier to understand, Chinese authorities have also published a dedicated page for foreign nationals staying outside hotels, bringing together official guidance and the various ways to access the service.
The system had been tested since March 2026
The nationwide rollout comes six months after the online service was first introduced on a pilot basis.
Starting March 20, 2026, online accommodation registration was tested in seven provincial-level areas: Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. At the time, the National Immigration Administration said the system would gradually be expanded to other parts of the country based on the results of the pilot program.
That expansion is now complete, with the NIA confirming that the service has been available nationwide since September 21, 2026.
Visa-free travelers are also covered
Entering China without a visa does not exempt travelers from the accommodation registration requirement.
The National Immigration Administration states that foreign nationals benefiting from visa-free entry remain subject to the rules governing accommodation registration. The requirement is also included in information provided to foreign visitors upon arrival in China.
In practice, an American, British, Canadian or Australian traveler touring China and staying exclusively in hotels will normally have nothing to do personally: each hotel handles the registration on behalf of its guests.
If the traveler leaves a hotel and spends a few nights with a friend or in another type of private accommodation, however, that address must be registered within 24 hours of arrival.
Failure to register can result in a fine
Moving the procedure online does not make the registration optional.
Under Article 76 of China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law, a foreign national or host who fails to comply with the registration rules may receive a warning and face a fine of up to 2,000 yuan (about US$300).
The nationwide online service is therefore primarily intended to make the requirement easier to comply with. Travelers can now submit their registration from a phone or computer rather than having to visit local public security authorities in person.
For visitors staying in hotels, however, nothing changes: the hotel continues to handle the registration automatically.
VisasNews Take
Accommodation registration is not a new requirement for travelers in China. What changed on September 21, 2026, is that foreign nationals staying somewhere other than a hotel can now complete the procedure online nationwide. Travelers staying exclusively in hotels do not need to take any additional action, as the hotel handles the registration for them. Those staying with friends or relatives or in other private accommodation must register the address within 24 hours of arriving there, and can now do so directly through the National Immigration Administration’s official online platform.
