Quick answer
For a stay outside a hotel, arrange accommodation registration with your host promptly. NIA states that the foreign visitor or host must complete the formalities with the local public security authority within 24 hours of arrival. Hotels handle registration under their own lodging process.
Online service: check the location
NIA’s March 2026 notice describes a pilot in Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing and Sichuan, with later expansion planned. That notice alone does not establish nationwide availability. Check the official service for the property’s location or call 12367; use the local police registration route if online registration is unavailable.
The official channels include the NIA government service website, NIA 12367 app and its WeChat or Alipay mini programs. Use the links or QR codes provided on NIA’s own page, rather than paying an unrelated intermediary.
Before you arrive at the property
Ask the host who will assist, what local documents are required and how the submission will be made. Obtain the full Chinese address. A commercial booking confirmation by itself does not demonstrate that accommodation registration has been completed.
For an initial online registration, NIA advises host assistance so that residence details are entered accurately. Keep the resulting registration record or confirmation, rather than assuming that opening an account finished the process.
If the online form fails
Record the error and contact the local authority or 12367. Ask the host to help with address fields and required property information. If a deadline is approaching, do not keep retrying an unavailable service without contacting the authority about the on-site alternative.
After moving
Ask whether a move to a different address or a later return requires a new registration. NIA describes limited exceptions for particular residence circumstances; a short tourist stay should not assume those exceptions apply.
Before booking private accommodation
Choose a host who can explain the registration arrangement. If they cannot, resolve the issue before paying a non-refundable rate. See hotel booking for a more straightforward alternative.
Sources and review
Sources reviewed on 2026-09-10. These sources support the service or policy facts; the practical fallback steps are editorial guidance. This is not a recorded field test.