What to prepare

  • Your passport and relevant entry information
  • The exact accommodation address and host or hotel contact
  • A clear agreement about who will complete registration
  • A way to keep the registration confirmation or reference securely
Practical guidance

At a hotel: make registration part of check-in

Present your passport to the front desk and ask whether the accommodation registration has been completed. Keep your booking information accessible if the staff need to match it to your identity.

If a booking name and passport name differ, resolve the mismatch with the property. Do not assume that an online reservation or payment alone means the registration step is complete.

Practical guidance

For a private stay: coordinate with the host early

Before arrival, tell your host that you will need accommodation registration and ask which local process applies. Agree who will gather the address details and complete the submission. This is easier before a late-night arrival than after it.

Keep a note of your arrival time and arrange a prompt check that the process was completed. If you move to another address, ask the local authority what registration is required for the new stay.

Official rule

Check the online service’s local scope

The NIA notice reviewed for this guide describes a pilot beginning on 20 March 2026 in Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan. It does not establish nationwide availability. Confirm any later expansion with NIA or local public security authorities.

Where available, the NIA website, app and mini-programs provide the registration route. The initial registration should be completed with the host’s assistance. Check the registration record after submission.

Sources: National Immigration Administration

Practical guidance

Keep evidence of completion, not only submission

Record the confirmation or inquiry result securely and ask the host to explain any unresolved status. A saved draft, a sent message or a failed form should not be treated as a completed registration.

Do not send passport images or address information to an unofficial “registration agent”. Use the government service or the local authority’s verified process.

If something goes wrong

  • If online registration is unavailable or fails, seek help from the local police station or exit-entry service window.
  • Call NIA 12367 for immigration-service guidance; ask the host to help clarify the address and local process.
  • If you believe a deadline has been missed, contact the authority promptly instead of assuming an app failure waives the requirement.

Important boundaries

  • This is general orientation, not legal advice. The local authority determines the process for your circumstances.
  • Special rules for habitual or self-owned residences should not be assumed to apply to an ordinary short visit.
  • Registration is not the same as a visa, permission to enter, or an extension of your permitted stay.

Common questions

Does my hotel booking count as registration?

No. Ask the hotel to complete the accommodation registration at check-in; a booking confirmation alone is not evidence that this was done.

Can every visitor register online?

Do not assume so. Check the NIA service and local authority for your address. The reviewed notice describes a regional pilot, with an in-person assistance route available.

Official sources & review

Source material reviewed on . These are source checks, not a claim of first-hand testing. Check the linked authority or provider for changes before acting.

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