For a China hotel check-in, bring each guest's original passport rather than a phone photo or scan, plus booking details that match the actual guest; hotels must verify identification and register the stay.［3］ A private or other non-hotel stay follows a different process: the visitor or host registers it within 24 hours, online through the National Immigration Administration's nationwide service or at the local police station, and should not assume that a hotel, landlord, or app has already completed it.

Key Takeaways:

Hotel check-in and non-hotel accommodation registration have different responsible parties.

Carry the original passport and keep the booking name, document name, dates, and property consistent.

Hotels submit guest accommodation information; ask the front desk how to obtain proof if another process requires it.［1］

A visitor staying in a home or another non-hotel residence normally needs local registration within 24 hours.［1］

Online declaration for non-hotel stays started on 20 March 2026 as a pilot in seven regions, not every city in China, and has since been extended nationwide.［2］［4］

Never invent an address, resident ID, host, or stay date to make a form pass.

This guide handles the physical check-in and legal accommodation task. Use the China visitor pillar for the broader arrival toolkit and the Trip.com visitor guide for booking and supplier confirmation.

Which accommodation process applies to your stay?

Choose the row that describes where you actually sleep, not where you booked or paid.

Stay	Who normally handles the record	First checkpoint	Safe fallback
Licensed hotel	Hotel front desk or accommodation operator	Original passport and booking	Front-desk manager or local public-security inquiry
Serviced accommodation with reception	The licensed operator, if it is acting as the hotel	Ask reception to confirm its role	Treat it as non-hotel until the operator explains the lawful route
Friend's or relative's home	Visitor or host under the local process	Exact address and host details	Local police station or the official NIA online service
Rented apartment or homestay without hotel reception	Visitor, host, landlord, or operator as local rules assign	Actual residence and responsible host	Local public-security office; do not rely only on a booking platform
Overnight move to a new address	The new hotel or the responsible non-hotel process	New arrival date and address	Register the new stay rather than editing the old address informally

Article 39 of China's Exit and Entry Administration Law separates hotels from other residences: hotels register foreign guests under hotel-industry rules, while a foreigner staying elsewhere must complete registration at the local public-security organ within 24 hours.［1］ Local evidence, portals, and office practices can differ, so the current authority controls the exact route.

What should you prepare before hotel check-in?

Put the original passport in your carry-on rather than checked luggage.
Save the booking confirmation offline with the property name, address, dates, room type, and reservation number.
Check that the lead guest and every staying guest are listed as the property currently requires.
Keep the passport spelling and order of names consistent with the booking wherever the system allows.
Record the property's current phone number and Chinese address for the driver or front desk.
Tell the property in advance about a late arrival, child guest, document replacement, or other unusual document situation.
Keep the payment method and any deposit evidence available, but do not send a passport scan through an unverified chat account.

The booking platform is evidence of a reservation, not evidence that the accommodation record exists. Conversely, a hotel accommodation record does not prove that a third-party booking, payment, visa, or invitation requirement has been satisfied.

If the address must be entered in another service, use the separate Chinese address form guide. Do not shorten or translate the property address by guessing.

How does hotel check-in work for a foreign visitor?

Step 1: Identify the property and reservation

Show the official reservation record and say which guests will stay. If several properties have similar English names, compare the Chinese name, street address, and booking number before handing over payment or documents.

Step 2: Present each guest's current passport

The front desk needs the document used for the stay. If a passport was renewed, replaced, reported lost, or differs from the booking, explain that before the clerk begins. Do not ask staff to enter an old number simply because it matches the reservation.

Step 3: Review the visible stay details

Confirm the guest names, arrival and departure dates, room count, deposit or payment status, and contact method. A transliteration or field order may look unfamiliar; ask what the field means rather than rewriting identity data yourself.

Step 4: Let the hotel complete its registration role

Hotels register foreign guest accommodation information under the applicable hotel process.［1］ Shanghai authorities have also stated that hotels should not refuse foreign guests merely because they lack foreign-guest reception capability and should complete the required registration.［3］ That guidance is useful for escalation, but it does not guarantee inventory, price, document acceptance, or a particular outcome at every property.

Step 5: Ask for proof only when you need it

Some later tasks may ask for a hotel invoice, booking confirmation, address, or accommodation-registration evidence. Ask the front desk what it can issue and what the requested document is called locally. Do not assume the room key, payment receipt, invoice, and registration proof are interchangeable.

Step 6: Preserve a minimal record

Keep the property name, address, room or reservation reference, check-in date, front-desk contact, and any issued document. Store passport images only where necessary and protect them from casual sharing.

What should you do for a private or non-hotel stay?

For a home, apartment, or other residence outside the hotel process, coordinate with the host before arrival. Confirm the exact address, who is recognized as the host or responsible operator, which documents are required, and whether the local route is online or in person.

Use this workflow:

Record the actual address where you sleep, including building and unit details.
Gather the visitor's current passport and entry or stay information requested by the local process.
Ask the host for the lawful address or occupancy evidence the local authority requests.
Use the National Immigration Administration's official online service or the police station responsible for that address; the first online registration at an address is done with the host's help.［4］
Submit within the applicable period; Article 39 states 24 hours for non-hotel accommodation.［1］
Review names, passport number, arrival time, address, and host before confirming.
Save the receipt, confirmation page, reference number, or office-issued form.
Register again when you move to another non-hotel address if the local process requires a new stay record.

Do not use the hotel address from the previous night, a landlord's resident ID without authorization, or a friend's address where you are not staying. A rental contract or booking receipt may support the process, but it is not automatically the completed registration.

Can you register accommodation online everywhere in China?

Yes, for non-hotel stays. The National Immigration Administration began online declaration of foreigner accommodation information on 20 March 2026 as a pilot in seven provincial-level regions: Hebei, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing, and Sichuan.［2］ It has since extended the service nationwide, and its 21 September 2026 interpretation states that an online registration has the same effect as one made in person.［4］ Hotel guests are still registered by the hotel.［1］

The official channels are the NIA government-services website, the "移民局12367" (NIA 12367) app, its WeChat Mini Program, and its Alipay Mini Program, under the foreigner accommodation-registration module after account verification.［4］ The host assists with the first registration at an address; the guest can file alone when registering again at an address already registered online or when staying in a home they own. After submitting, check the registration record in the same service and keep it.

No new registration is needed when you return from travel to a home in China owned by you or your spouse, or to the same regular residence while holding the same residence or permanent-residence permit.［4］ Do not scan an accommodation-registration QR code from an advertisement, social post, or private payment request.

If the online service does not fit your case, call the 12367 hotline or go to the local exit-entry service window or police station with the original documents, and bring the host when host evidence is needed.［4］

What if the front desk says it cannot accept foreign guests?

Stay calm and separate the reason:

No room or booking mismatch: verify the reservation, property identity, dates, and room availability.
Document problem: ask which document or field is not accepted and whether a manager can review it.
Staff does not know the registration process: ask for the duty manager and show the current official local guidance without demanding access to staff systems.
Property is not operating as a hotel: ask which licensed operator owns the reservation and which accommodation process applies.
Immediate safety or late-night problem: use the booking platform's official support and seek another lawful property while preserving receipts and messages.

Shanghai's public guidance says hotels must not reject foreign guests on the ground that they cannot receive them.［3］ If a property still refuses, document the property name, time, reservation, and stated reason, then use official platform support or the local service hotline. Do not threaten staff, attempt to enter staff systems, or leave your passport with an unofficial intermediary.

How do you correct or update an accommodation record?

Return to the organization that owns the relevant record. A hotel corrects its hotel entry; a local office or approved portal handles the non-hotel declaration it received. Bring the confirmation and explain the exact wrong field.

Common corrections include:

passport number after a documented replacement;
spelling or order of names;
arrival or departure date;
building, unit, or room information;
host or property evidence;
a move from one address to another.

Do not overwrite history by creating a duplicate with invented dates. Ask whether the authority wants a correction, cancellation, departure, or new registration.

What accessible fallbacks should you keep?

Prepare the property name and address in both English and Chinese, a short written explanation of the stay, and the local authority's official contact page. A traveler who cannot use a phone screen should request a staffed desk, paper confirmation, or help from the host while keeping control of the passport.

If hotel internet is the separate problem after check-in, use the hotel Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide. Network access does not determine whether the accommodation record was filed.

Summary

Use the hotel process for a licensed hotel and the local non-hotel process for a private residence.
Carry the original passport and preserve booking, address, and stay details.
Treat the 24-hour rule as the operational deadline for non-hotel stays unless the responsible authority gives a stricter instruction.
Register a non-hotel stay through the official NIA online service, now nationwide, or at the local police station.
Ask the record owner to correct errors and save proof without oversharing identity documents.
Escalate refusals through the property manager, official booking support, or local authority.

FAQ

Does a hotel guest need to visit a police station personally?

Normally the hotel handles hotel guest registration. If the front desk or local authority gives a specific instruction because of an unusual document or stay, follow that official route.

Does every person in the room need a passport at check-in?

The hotel needs the current identity information for the people actually staying under its rules. Bring every foreign guest's original passport and disclose the real guest list.

Can I check in with a photo of my passport or ID card?

Do not count on it. Hotels must verify each guest's identification when registering the stay.［3］ Bring the original passport for every foreign guest; if a passport is held by an authority or was lost, contact the hotel before arrival and ask which official document or receipt it can accept.

Is a booking confirmation the same as accommodation registration?

No. It proves a reservation; it does not prove that the hotel or local authority recorded the stay.

Is online accommodation registration available throughout China?

Yes, for non-hotel stays. After the seven-region pilot that began in March 2026, the NIA extended online registration nationwide through its official website, 12367 app, and Mini Programs. Hotel guests are still registered by the hotel.［2］［4］

What if I arrive after midnight?

Tell the hotel or host before arrival, keep the actual arrival time, and begin the correct process promptly. Do not change the date merely to make a form accept it.

Must I register again after moving to another address?

A new hotel handles its own stay. For a new non-hotel residence, ask the responsible local authority whether a new declaration is required and preserve both records.

Can a landlord say the rental booking is enough?

The booking or lease may be supporting evidence, but it is not automatically the public-security accommodation record. Confirm the responsible local route.

What should I do if my passport was replaced during the trip?

Bring the replacement document and any official replacement evidence, then ask the hotel or local office how to correct or create the current record. Never reuse the old number as if it were current.

Disclaimer: This guide provides general visitor information and is not legal advice. Accommodation-registration procedures, evidence, office responsibility, online availability, and processing outcomes vary by location and can change. Follow the current instructions of the hotel and the public-security authority responsible for the actual address.

Sources

National Immigration Administration, Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, Article 39 — https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147423/n147478/n147715/c158241/content.html
National Immigration Administration, Online accommodation-registration pilot in seven regions — https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1771556/content.html
International Services Shanghai, Hotels told not to turn away foreign guests — https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Latest-WhatsNew/20240529/6ff842313deb45e1b14cf5fd2a01d065.html
National Immigration Administration, Policy interpretation on online registration of non-hotel accommodation for foreigners — https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1806139/content.html

Sources checked 4 October 2026.

China Hotel Check-In and Accommodation Registration