Staying with Friends or in a Private Rental in China: Online Accommodation Registration

Staying with a friend or renting a private apartment in mainland China creates a practical arrival task: accommodation registration. A booking confirmation is not the registration itself. Agree with your host who will complete it before you arrive, particularly if your flight lands late or your host will be away.

Last checked: 15 October 2026. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) published nationwide online-registration guidance on 21 September 2026. This article covers non-hotel accommodation, not permission to enter China or an extension of your permitted stay.

The rule: register within 24 hours of moving in

Under the rule explained in the NIA's September policy interpretation, a foreigner staying outside a hotel must be registered by the guest or host with the public-security authority for the accommodation location within 24 hours of check-in. Hotels handle their guests' registration. The national online service has the same legal effect as registration in person.

For example, if you move into your friend's apartment at 8 p.m., plan to complete registration by 8 p.m. the following day—not simply before that following calendar day ends. Make it an arrival task, alongside unpacking your passport, rather than a last-day administrative errand.

If you are actually checking into a hotel, our hotel check-in guide for foreign passport holders covers that process. For a private rental advertised on a booking platform, ask who handles the accommodation registration; the platform's branding does not answer that question.

Which online option should you use?

The official eligibility guide separates host-assisted, returning-guest and own-residence registration as follows.

The NIA's interpretation allows both Chinese and foreign hosts. It defines an own residence as one owned by the foreigner or their spouse. Separate simplifications exist for certain already-registered owners and residence-document holders returning to the same home; do not treat those as a blanket exemption for short-term tourists.

Before arrival: prepare the information together

Ask your host for the full address in Chinese, including the building and apartment, and a reachable contact number. Check that the address describes where you will actually sleep, not the booking agency's office or a nearby landmark. Keep your passport available for the identity information requested by the official service.

Plan connectivity before arrival using our China phone-setup guide. The practical point is coordination: even if you have mobile data, you may need the host available to receive and relay a verification code. Arrange this explicitly if you are in different time zones.

First registration: the host-assisted procedure

The official host-registration instructions start with “留宿人代为登记” (registration by the host). The host checks their information and completes phone verification, then uploads the guest's document information page. Review the automatically recognized passport details and correct errors before proceeding.

The form asks for the detailed accommodation address, the appropriate local police station, the actual check-in date, planned length of accommodation and whether the arrangement is borrowed accommodation or a rental. A map selection alone does not replace the detailed address. The NIA provides different host branches; for an overseas host registering an address for the first time, the instructions also specify property evidence and, where relevant, marriage documentation. Follow the branch that fits the host rather than copying a mainland-resident walkthrough.

Read the declaration and submit only accurate information. Our recommendation is to complete the form with the host present or available by phone, so an address or identity mismatch can be corrected immediately.

Returning guest: self-service still involves the host

The NIA's returning-guest procedure applies where a host previously registered you at that address through the national platform. Choose “住宿人登记（他人住所）”, confirm your identity information, reuse the relevant historical address and enter the current stay details. The system sends a verification code to the host's recorded phone number.

Do not assume an old registration from a different local system automatically qualifies for this route. Nor should you select a familiar old address after moving to a different apartment. If the national service cannot find the correct record, ask for help instead of submitting the wrong one.

Check the record after submitting

Use “登记记录查询” to inspect the completed record. The record-query and reuse guide explains how a later registration can prefill identity and address information while requiring new stay details. Prefilled information should still be checked, especially after a passport change.

The NIA's post-registration guidance says printing is unnecessary: the electronic record can be shown for visa-document business or an inspection. If you need a paper registration form, obtain it from the police station identified in the electronic record. Keep the record accessible without posting passport details or your host's address publicly.

If the online process fails

The eligibility guide says that when online registration cannot be completed, you should go to the local police station for the accommodation address to register in person.

The official channels include the NIA government-service website, the “移民局12367” app and its WeChat or Alipay mini-programs. Use their foreigner-service accommodation-registration section after registration and authentication. For difficulties, the NIA's help instructions direct you to 12367 or the local public-security exit-entry service counter or police station for assistance.

Do not let repeated app attempts consume the entire deadline. Tell the host promptly, note the error and seek assistance while there is still time to complete the process. A screenshot of a failed form is useful when explaining the problem, but do not treat it as a completed registration.

Accommodation registration and immigration permission are separate checks. Before travelling, establish which visa-free policy, if any, fits your trip; after arrival, complete the accommodation task for your actual stay. Choosing a longer accommodation-duration category does not grant a longer stay in China.