Hotels, Homestays and Accommodation Registration

Accommodation planning in China has two separate jobs: securing a room and making sure the stay is registered correctly. A hotel normally completes the registration for you; a private home, apartment or some homestay arrangements require action from you or the host.

Booking a Hotel With a Foreign Passport

Chinese authorities have stated that hotels should not refuse international guests merely by claiming that they lack a special "foreign guest qualification." In practice, recent visitor reports still describe occasional front-desk confusion, especially at small or independently operated properties.

Reduce that risk by:

• booking under the passport holder's exact name;
• listing every international guest on the reservation;
• carrying the original passport, not only a photo;
• saving the booking confirmation, hotel phone number and Chinese address offline;
• contacting a small hotel before a late-night arrival if its foreign-passport process is unclear.

Trip.com provides international-card payment and English-language booking support. You can compare accommodation on Trip.com, but a platform listing is not a substitute for checking unusual requirements directly with the property.

What Happens at Hotel Check-In

Present the original passport or other accepted international travel document at reception. The hotel records the guest information and submits the accommodation registration to the local public-security authority. Ask the front desk for help if you later need proof of registration for an official process.

Confirm payment and deposit methods before arrival. A property may accept Alipay or WeChat Pay but not every international card network. Keep one physical card and some RMB as backups.

Staying in a Homestay, Apartment or Friend's Home

If you stay somewhere other than a hotel, Chinese law requires the foreign guest or the person providing the accommodation to complete registration with the local public-security authority within 24 hours of arrival.

Before confirming a private stay, ask the host:

1. Have you registered foreign guests at this address before?
2. Will you assist with the initial registration?
3. Which documents or proof of address will be needed?
4. Is the process online in this location, or must we visit a police station or service point?

Do not rely on a vague promise that the booking platform "handles everything." Keep a screenshot or record showing that registration was completed.

The 2026 Online Registration Pilot

From March 20, 2026, the National Immigration Administration began piloting online registration for foreigners staying outside hotels in:

• Hebei
• Liaoning
• Zhejiang
• Hubei
• Guangxi
• Chongqing
• Sichuan

The available channels include the NIA government-service platform, the NIA 12367 app, and official WeChat or Alipay mini programs. The host should normally assist with the first registration because they know the property's address and supporting information. On-site registration remains available when online handling is unavailable or unsuccessful.

Because the pilot is intended to expand, verify the current coverage through the National Immigration Administration or call 12367 before following an old city-specific tutorial.

When You Change Accommodation

A new hotel registers the new stay during check-in. When moving to another private residence, do not assume the previous record follows you automatically; confirm whether a new registration is required for the new address.

Keep your accommodation history, host contact and booking confirmations until departure. They are useful if a registration record needs correction, a passport is lost, or an immigration officer asks where you stayed.