China’s National Immigration Administration has announced the nationwide introduction of online procedures for accommodation registration when foreign nationals stay in residences other than hotels.
Under China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law, hotels are required to register foreign nationals staying at their premises. When foreign nationals stay in accommodation other than hotels, either the individual or the person providing the accommodation must register with the public security authority at their place of residence within 24 hours of moving in.
The online procedure can be completed through the accommodation registration module in the National Immigration Administration’s official website, the “Immigration Bureau 12367” app and mini-program, or the “Foreigners’ Services” mini-program on Alipay. After registration and identity verification, users can proceed by following the instructions. Once completed, registration records can be checked under “Registration Record Inquiry.”
Although the procedure may be completed by either the guest or the person providing the accommodation, the person providing the accommodation should assist with the initial registration to ensure the accuracy of address information. Guests may complete the procedure independently if they have previously registered accommodation on the platform and are registering again at the same address, or if they are staying in a residence they own. The person providing the accommodation may be either a Chinese national or a foreign national.
In some cases, re-registration is not required once registration has been completed. This applies when a person living in a residence they own in China returns to the same residence after traveling domestically or internationally, and when a holder of a residence permit or permanent residence permit lives at their usual address in China and returns from travel during the validity period of the same permit. A “usual address” refers to an address where a person resides, or plans to reside, on a long-term basis; “long-term” means residing in China for more than 180 days.
For questions about the procedure, users can consult the guidance available on the platform or contact the 12367 service hotline. Assistance is also available from staff at the exit-entry administration counter of the local public security authority or the police station with jurisdiction over the area.
Failure to complete accommodation registration in accordance with the regulations may result in a warning and a fine for either the foreign national or the person providing the accommodation, in accordance with China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law.
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This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
