Online accommodation registration for foreigners: the channels the NIA names
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
Foreigners residing or staying somewhere other than a hotel register online through the NIA Government Service Platform — its official website, the "NIA 12367" App, the "NIA 12367" WeChat mini program, or the Alipay mini program — in the Accommodation Registration module under Foreigner Service (National Immigration Administration, Policy Interpretation of the Nationwide Implementation of the Online Accommodation Registration Service, 21 September 2026, item II). The underlying duty is one sentence: under Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, foreigners who reside or stay in a domicile other than a hotel, or the persons who accommodate them, go through registration with the public security organs in the place of residence within 24 hours after arrival. Online registration has the same legal effect as registration done on site (item I).
The X1 or X2 visa check asks for the length of your study, where you will live and whether you plan off-campus work-study, then prints the documents and post-arrival steps that match those answers, including the accommodation registration step; it does not decide a visa.
Who the online service covers
Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law separates two situations. Where foreigners stay in hotels, the hotels register the accommodation under the regulations on the public security administration of the hotel industry and submit the accommodation registration information to the public security organs where the hotels are located. Where foreigners reside or stay in domiciles other than hotels, they or the persons who accommodate them register with the public security organs in the place of residence.
The NIA rolled out the online accommodation registration service nationwide for that second group: foreigners who reside or stay in domiciles other than hotels may register online without going to the public security organs in person, and the online registration has the same legal effect as on-site registration (item I).
The policy interpretation does not mention students, university dormitories, or the practice of any particular city. It describes the service by reference to domiciles other than hotels only.
The channels named, and what you do in them
Item II names one platform reached in four ways.
| Channel | What the text says |
|---|---|
| NIA Government Service Platform official website | Access point for the Accommodation Registration module |
| "NIA 12367" App | Same |
| "NIA 12367" WeChat mini program | Same |
| Alipay mini program | Same |
The procedure item II describes is the same on each: complete user registration and identity verification, follow the step-by-step prompts of the Accommodation Registration module under Foreigner Service, and afterwards click "Registration Record Inquiry" to view the accommodation registration record.
Who files: you or the person accommodating you
Either the foreigner who resides or stays in the domicile, or the person who accommodates them, may complete the registration online (item III). The accommodation host may be a Chinese citizen or a foreigner.
Item III adds a preference, not a condition: because accommodation hosts are generally more familiar with the information about the residence, the initial registration should be completed with their assistance, so that the registration information is accurate. A foreigner may register independently in two situations named in item III:
- The foreigner has previously registered through the NIA Government Service Platform and needs to register again at the same residence.
- The foreigner resides at a self-owned residence.
Item III of the policy interpretation does not say what happens if a host refuses to assist, and it does not name any document the host must supply.
When something goes wrong
Item V gives three routes, and does not rank them:
- Open the Guide to Online Accommodation Registration on the accommodation registration page of the NIA Government Service Platform and follow the instructions provided.
- Call the NIA 12367 service hotline for inquiries.
- Go to the exit-entry administration service windows of the local public security organs, or to local police stations, for assistance with on-site registration.
If registration is not done
Under Article 76 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, foreigners or their accommodation hosts who fail to process accommodation registration in accordance with the relevant regulations shall be given a warning and may also be subject to a fine. Item VI of the policy interpretation does not state the amount of the fine.
Questions people ask
Does filing online replace going to the police station?
For a domicile other than a hotel, yes: item I says foreigners may go through the formalities online without visiting the public security organs in person, and that online registration has the same legal effect as on-site registration. Item V still names the exit-entry administration service windows and local police stations as places to go for assistance with on-site registration.
Can I register myself, or does my landlord have to do it?
Both may register (item III). The text says the initial registration should be completed with the host's assistance, and that a foreigner may register independently where they have registered through the NIA Government Service Platform before and are registering again at the same residence, or where the residence is self-owned.
How is the 24 hours counted?
Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law states the period as within 24 hours after the foreigner's arrival. Neither item I of the policy interpretation nor Article 39 of the Law says how the 24 hours is counted. The visa check on this site counts whole days of study for the length-of-study question only; it does not count the 24-hour period or any other deadline.
Is the online record proof that I registered?
Item II says that after completing registration users may click "Registration Record Inquiry" to view their accommodation registration record. The policy interpretation does not say what that record is used for, or whether any other authority accepts it as proof; item I says only that online registration has the same legal effect as on-site registration.
Sources
- Policy Interpretation of the Nationwide Implementation of the Online Accommodation Registration Service (21 September 2026) — National Immigration Administration
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the National Immigration Administration, and if the official text or the instructions of the body handling your case differ from what is written here, the official text and those instructions prevail.